I LIVE about 45 minutes from Haydock Park and was surprised when Clerk of the Course Kirkland Tellwright assured the racing world last Monday that the Betfair Chase meeting would definitely go ahead. The rain that has fallen in the North West during the past week has been of biblical proportions and there is more to come. In fact, as I write, the thudding of raindrops on the roof reminds me of those soggy childhood holidays in a caravan.

Assuming Kirkland has told it right (see what I’ve done there) and the meeting goes ahead, the ground is certain to be heavy. Haydock does drain well but conditions will be testing, to say the least.

There are just five declared runners in the Betfair Chase and it is a familiar field. But let’s be blunt. It is a terribly disappointing turnout for a race that is the first leg of the new Triple Crown initiative from Jockey Club Racecourses. They have offered £1,000,000 to the connections of any horse that wins Saturday’s race, the King George VI Chase at Kempton and the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

None of the first seven in the Cheltenham Gold Cup ante-post market are taking part and while the race may not be quite as poor as 2008 when Snoopy Loopy popped up at big odds, it is still a travesty that in this supposed golden age of staying chasers that one of the season’s biggest prizes has attracted such a paltry field.

The biggest disappointment is that no Irish-trained horses are taking part. I have no idea why the connections of the two Dons (Cossack and Poli) and other soft-ground loving animals from the Emerald Isle have turned their noses up at the £200,000 pot and stayed at home. However, while the field lacks quantity, there is at least quality and some sort of chance can be given to any of the five runners.

Last year’s winner Silviniaco Conti will relish the conditions and ran ok over hurdles in a pipe opener at Kempton. Paul Nicholls has dominated this race. He’s won it six times (four with Kauto Star and twice with Conti) and he won’t be bothered that the Irish are not travelling over.

Cue Card won this in 2013 and was impressive in the Charlie Hall. Colin Tizzard says the ground won’t bother him and a reproduction of his Wetherby form might be good enough.

Fair play to David Pipe for running both Dynaste and Ballynagour, who were both behind Cue Card at Wetherby. The track may suit these two more and they should both run well although the yard is out of form. I cannot recall the last time the Pipe yard drew a blank at the Cheltenham Open Meeting.

Holywell, another Wetherby also-ran, is the only one of the five I don’t really fancy, which probably means he’ll win. He is a much better horse on good ground and could flounder in the conditions.

So where is the value? Answer=there is very little. Silviniaco Conti is generally odds-on and I wouldn’t touch him at the price. Cue Card is currently best priced 3-1, which might look reasonable come 3.10 on Saturday. I’ll probably risk a few quid on Ballynagour, who is a terribly difficult horse to train but might just appreciate the flat track and may have the race run to suit. The race should be a pointer to the King george and Cheltenham Gold Cup betting markets but will Coneygree, Don Cossack and co be worried? We’ll see.

Sometimes races with small fields can pleasantly surprise. I hope that’s the case on Saturday.

Be lucky!