Now in its thirteenth year, the newly extended 3m 1f 125y Betfair Chase is the first Grade One Chase of the season and the starting point for some of the top staying chasers in training.

The race now has the added incentive of being the first leg of the Jockey Club’s ‘Chase Triple Crown’ £1-million bonus.

The Betfair Chase has produced some superb finishes over the years. Few will forget the thrilling climax to the 2009 race, when a nose separated Kauto Star and Imperial Commander. Some people still cannot believe that latter did not get the verdict to this day.

Infused in many memories is the reception given to Kauto Star when he recorded a fourth Betfair Chase victory in 2011 with scenes of Paul Nicholls pumping the air in the paddock...

Here are some trends and statistics based on the last ten renewals of the race followed by a runner-by-runner summary and conclusion.

Age (winners-placed-run)

6-y-o: 1-1-3                     

7-y-o: 2-4-15

8-y-o: 1-3-22

9-y-o: 3-3-17

10-y-o: 2-1-5

11-y-o+: 1-0-4

As you can see there has been a fair spread of wins across the age groups so it is very difficult to rule something out for being too young/too old.

Breeding

Irish Bred: 2-4-22

British Bred: 2-0-17

French Bred: 6-8-27

It appears being a French bred gives you a distinct advantage in recent years. Bristol De Mai and Traffic Fluide are both French breds this year.

Trainer record

Colin Tizzard has saddled Cue Card to win this in 2013, 2015 & 2016.

The Paul Nicholls yard has won the prize in 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2012 & 2014. He unfortunately has no representative this year.

Starting Price

Nine of the last ten winners have been priced 9/1 or under. Only the slightly fortuitous Snoopy Loopy has bucked that trend.

Other key pointers

• Seven winners finished in the first three on their preceding start.
• Six winners had contested the race before.
• Eight winners had won a Grade One Chase.
• Four winners had won the Gold Cup.
• Seven winners had had a prep run.

Our guide to the runners:

Bristol De Mai

The conditions will be ideal for Nigel Twiston-Davies’ grey on Saturday afternoon after the Merseyside track saw some rainfall almost every single day this week.

The six-year-old put up the best performance of his career when he won the Charlie Hall Chase from stable companion Blaklion at Wetherby last month on his seasonal return.

As expected, Sizing John was the sole absentee from the final field when six were confirmed at Thursday's declaration stage, which made his prospects of landing the first prize even stronger.

Bristol De Mai has never finished out of the frame on going described as heavy or soft in nine starts and has won five times on that type of ground.

The 22-length winner of last season’s Peter Marsh Chase will be a tough nut to crack on a course he clearly thrives at.

Cue Card

Colin Tizzard’s veteran chaser is already a three-time winner of this race and he will be hoping to emulate the great Kauto Star by winning it for a fourth time.

Cue Card unseated Paddy Brennan in the Charlie Hall, so Colin Tizzard’s eleven-year-old will be partnered by Harry Cobden for the first time.

Connections are hoping that Cobden can reignite Cue Card’s fortunes following his second fall in his last three starts and some people see it as quite a gamble to take.

Brennan’s mixed record on Cue Card has been five Grade One wins and amongst those a total of three falls.

Cue Card clearly has plenty of stamina and on paper the race looks like being a heavyweight battle between himself and Bristol De Mai, slogging it out up the home straight. But races aren’t won on paper are they?

Outlander

In the absence of the Gold Cup winner Sizing John, the only Irish entry is Gordon Elliott’s Outlander, who bounced back to form last time out by scooping the JNwine.com Champion Chase at Down Royal.

The Gigginstown House Stud-owned nine-year-old had disappointed on his previous three starts, including in last season's Cheltenham Gold Cup, but Gordon Elliot is likely to have him primed for this task, especially with the lure of a £1million bonus being up for grabs.

The teenage sensation Jack Kennedy gets the leg up and you can expect him to be sitting just off the pace ,hoping to pick up the pieces late on in the day.

Shantou Flyer

Shantou Flyer made his first start for trainer Richard Hobson in the Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby where he came last of the five finishers.

A Grade Three handicap chase at Cheltenham on New Year's Day and a runner-up spot to Cue Card in the Ascot Chase in February are some possible glimmers of hope connections can cling onto in this contest.

It would take a leap of faith to back this one but that’s what they said about Snoopy Loopy back in 2008.

Tea for Two

The Nick Williams-trained eight-year-old rounded off last season with a Grade One triumph at Aintree, seeing off Cue Card by a neck in the Betway Bowl under Lizzie Kelly.

He made his seasonal reappearance back at Aintree in the Old Roan Chase earlier in the month, but trailed home a well-beaten ninth, leaving his connections scratching their heads.

Tea For Two does have good form on soft to heavy going but that last run does not exactly inspire confidence going into this.

Traffic Fluide

Traffic Fluide is set to step up trip to three miles and back up to Grade One level on Saturday but his trainer Gary Moore believes the going will make the race somewhat of a leveller.

He shaped well on his first run of this season, finishing fourth behind Smad Place in the Old Roan Chase at Aintree and takes up his engagement in this race rather than going to Ascot.

Is that a tip in itself?

Conclusion

It is very hard to get away from the top two in the market and Cue Card and Bristol De Mai are pretty much expected to finish one-two on the day, but in which order it is difficult to say.

It may be worth chancing putting Traffic Fluide into a combination forecast just in case one of the principles fails to make their mark.

The 2017-18 Premier League season is starting to take shape, painting a clearer picture for fans and pundits alike to form their opinions, with key battles at both ends of the table giving an early indication of who could lift the title next May, or who could be tumbling towards relegation.

Looking beyond the league table and team performances, there are plenty of individual players catching the eye already this season, proving they are vital components in the hopes and aspirations of their teams, who could be in the running for prestigious individual honours.

As we head towards November and with the level of competition as fierce as ever, every goal, every killer pass, every Man of the Match performance; all can make the difference towards success or failure, as we look at the key movers and shakers so far this season in the outright markets.

The Title Race

Manchester City might be leading the Premier League race in thrilling fashion and are already clear 2/5 favourites in mid-October, but just like their famous fans Noel and Liam Gallagher once sang with Oasis, ‘Some Might Say’ that with less than a quarter of the campaign played, it’s still far too early to draw any foregone conclusions.

Pep Guardiola’s side are playing phenomenally, dominating opponents with both style and substance, creatively tearing apart defences and scoring lots of goals, whilst also remaining solid at the back.

However, across town and still within touching distance at the Premier League summit, Jose Mourinho and Manchester United at appetising 4/1 odds for the title cannot be ignored, and although the Red Devils don’t perhaps have the same depth to their squad, their battle for supremacy against City will remain constant.

Although they are the reigning champions, Chelsea just haven’t reproduced their consistent form of last season. With odds lengthening to 16/1 and already nine points off the pace after the first eight games of the campaign, manager Antonio Conte is far from happy and there’s also speculation surrounding his future at Stamford Bridge.

The strongest contender to break the Manchester duopoly this season appears to be Tottenham Hotspur. Although their odds are lengthy at 14/1 for the title, there are still plenty of twists and turns to come this season and Mauricio Pochettino’s side are the best positioned of the chasing pack, should the leaders slip at any moment.

Perhaps the surprise package of the season so far is Watford FC. Fourth in the table after eight games, they might remain 750/1 rank outsiders for the title and 80/1 for a top-four finish, they’re certainly worth keeping an eye on as a longshot option for the latter, especially given the inconsistency of other sides in the top half of the table and their habit for last-minute wins.

Top Goalscorer

Having already won the Premier League Golden Boot for the last two seasons running, Harry Kane remains the tip of the lance for Tottenham Hotspur and at 8/5 odds, he is priceless for his team’s growing ambitions and the favourite to retain the award. Given his consistency both for club and country, in domestic competition or the Champions League, the 24-year-old is maturing into one of the best strikers in Europe.

Romelu Lukaku has taken to his summer move from Everton to Manchester United with aplomb. Up until the 0-0 bore draw against Liverpool at Anfield, the towering Belgian had scored in every game and leads the Premier League scoring charts. At 3/1 and as the main focal point for United attacks, he should get plenty more goals if he keeps getting the excellent service from the creative players around him.

With three strikers already having registered six Premier League goals amongst their ranks, Manchester City certainly aren’t short of firepower. Raheem Sterling is considered an outside bet at lengthy odds of 33/1 for the Golden Boot, with Sergio Agüero and Gabriel Jesus both at 6/1 odds considered the best challengers.

Either of the two would be a good bet for the award at these odds, given the flood of goals from Guardiola’s side.

Top Assists

For strikers to demonstrate their firepower often enough, they need a consistent supply of ammunition, and Manchester City are blessed with an abundance of creativity to keep feeding the forward line.

David Silva currently leads the Premier League charts for assists after eight games and at 3/1 odds he’s fancied to stay there. However, his teammate Kevin De Bruyne with five assists already, is by far the outright favourite at 5/4 and his killer passing has been a joy to behold.

In the battle for the Premier League title and if Manchester United are to keep in the race, the early season form of Henrikh Mkhitaryan will be priceless. The Armenian international has contributed five assists in his first eight league games of the season and at 5/2 odds, he is expected to carry on cracking open stubborn rival defences for his team.

For an assist to count, of course, the recipient also has to hit the back of the net. This leads to the tempting outside option of Newcastle United midfielder Matt Ritchie at 40/1, who has already notched up an impressive four assists in eight games by mid-October.

He will continue to feed his forward line well throughout the season, but how high he ranks will ultimately depend on those ahead of him taking those chances he provides.

PFA Player of the Year

De Bruyne has been in stellar form for City so far, so it’s hardly surprising to see the supremely talented Belgian as the 7/4 888sport favourite and top tip for this season’s award, but with plenty of the season yet to be played, there’s plenty of times for others to win the votes of their peers.

Harry Kane fancied at 5/1 odds and Romelu Lukaku at 10/1 are the next favourites, and both are good value options, but there are some interesting outside tips well worth considering, such as Nemanja Matic at 33/1 or David Silva at 20/1 and both performing admirably. N’Golo Kante was last year’s winner, although at 40/1 odds, he isn’t considered to be in the running this time around.

PFA Young Player of the Year

Based on his exceptional form so far, Gabriel Jesus at Manchester City is the clear favourite at 6/5 for the 2017-18 award, but he will face stiff competition for the end of season award. His teammate Raheem Sterling is fancied to his impressive start to the campaign as a 5/1 option, whilst Manchester United rival Marcus Rashford continues to shine when given his opportunities by Jose Mourinho.

Dele Alli has won the award for the last two seasons running, so he certainly can’t be ruled out of completing a hat-trick this season. At 7/1 he’s a good option to consider and winning the award yet again would be a particularly impressive achievement. Why? Since the award began in the 1973-74 season, nobody has won it more than twice.

*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*

Chris Hughton’s Brighton have quietly worked their way to 15 points from 11 matches. It might only be on goal difference, but the newly promoted side are up to eighth in the table before this weekend’s matches.

Stoke sit just three points behind thanks to a surprise win at Watford and draw with Leicester. The Potters have become synonymous with the Premier League mid-table, but endured a rough start to the season and still sit just three points above the drop zone. Mark Hughes will be pleased that the pressure has eased.

At this point, though, the two teams are locked on to the same aim: avoid relegation. Brighton’s start has been solid, but, as fixtures get trickier, they must keep their points ticking over. Stoke, meanwhile, had an unenviable run of matches to start the campaign. The visitors this Monday need to keep on track after recent improvement.

Davy Propper is in line to return to the hosts’ midfield after featuring for the Netherlands during the international break. The summer signing had been struggling with a niggling injury prior to the fortnight Premier League hiatus, but he is expected to line-up in the middle two of Brighton’s 4-4-1-1.

Stoke will again be without Jack Butland after the impressive ‘keeper suffered another injury on international duty. Lee Grant will step in – and he did well last season – but there’s no doubt that it is a blow for the Potters. Peter Crouch will be optimistic of a starting berth after being effective from the bench again, while Geoff Cameron could return.

The Seagulls are a well-organised unit out of possession. With the ball, though, there is a dependence on Pascal Gross to create. Jose Izquierdo against Mame Diouf and Anthony Knockaert against Erik Pieters could provide some joy for Hughton’s men, but neither have produced on a regular basis this term.

Gross has been one of the stars of this Premier League season, and has to be picked up by Darren Fletcher or Joe Allen when he drops into midfield to link play. Gross is at 21/5 to find the net for the third time this season.

Stoke have a similar reliance. The team is short of individual magic without Xherdan Shaqiri, and really suffered without him against Bournemouth. In their 3-4-3, the Swiss international has a relatively free reign, and makes them a real threat on the break.

His inconsistency can be infuriating, but he has to receive the ball regularly in space if Stoke are to take anything from the Amex Stadium.

Although the key attackers have taken the focus so far, it may well be the back lines that determine this one. Brighton have done well to stifle opponents for much of this season, yet Stoke have suffered defensively, largely through individual error and injury.

Neither team are potent in attack, either, making a low scoring match probable. The 4/5 price on both teams to score – no – is longer than I expected. I fear that this match will have everyone bemoaning Sky’s TV selections again.

Brighton to win 1-0 could be a decent correct score punt at 11/2...

TIP: Brighton to win 1-0 @ 11/2 

*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*