Jockey Club Racecourses has announced the return of the Jockey Club Chase Triple Crown for the next jumps season.
Any horse which can land the Betfair Chase at Haydock in November, the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day and the Cheltenham Gold Cup in March will pick up a APS1million bonus.
The last horse to complete the hat-trick was the legendary Kauto Star a decade ago, while the Colin Tizzard-trained Cue Card won the Betfair Chase and the King George last season before falling three fences from home at Cheltenham.
Should a horse achieve the remarkable feat, the bonus would be awarded to connections as follows: 65 per cent to the winning owners, 15 per cent to the trainer, 10 per cent to stable staff and 10 per cent to the jockey (split a third per race if different jockeys riding).
“It was fantastic to hear people label last season’s bonus contender, Cue Card, as ‘the People’s Horse’ and we look forward to the challenge of going one better being considered for the finest staying chasers racing today. It would be tremendous for our sport,” Paul Fisher, group managing director of Jockey Club Racecourses, said.
Joe Tizzard, assistant to his father, said Cue Card would once again be aimed at the series.
“This is brilliant news. Having got so close to winning the Chase Triple Crown bonus with Cue Card last season, that’s what he’ll be aiming at this time,” he said.
Kauto Star’s trainer Paul Nicholls also welcomed the news.
“Kauto Star winning the Betfair Chase, King George and Cheltenham Gold Cup in the same season really cemented his legend among the public,” Nicholls said.
“You’ve got to be a special horse but he showed it could be done.”
