Tales from ring
Simon Nott checks out where the money went at Cheltenham
Simon Nott goes amongst the bookies at Cheltenham
TTuesday
he betting for the opening SkyBet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle took place in pouring rain and strong winds, not ideal for bookmakers battling with the elements. There was a late drift for from 11/2 to 6/1 Klassical Dream despite office money but it didn’t stop it hosing in, the machine isn’t always right. Ask any bookmaker though, trying to count the new plastic readies in the rain in no fun.
That rain had mercifully eased slightly before the running of the Racing Post Arkle. The punters took the chance to get stuck in, Gordon Elliot’s Hardline was the buzzer in the ring, backed from 9/2 into 10/3, but ran poorly. Willie Mullin’s easy winner Duc Des Genievres was a steady 5/1 shot. Star Sports reported laying a cash bet of £25,000-£1,000 each-way Articulum which crept into third and probably didn’t please them too much.
The Ultima Handicap Chase looked more of a test for the punters. Boos rang up from the crowd after a third messy start of the day. Of the three 8/1 co-favourites, only Up For Review actually finished, Star Sports reported a bet of £80,000-£10,000 but luckily for them they don’t pay on eighth. Beware The Bear won the race having been steady and 11/1 and 12/1 in places. A 10/1 winner would usually be good for the bookies but at 8/1 the field not so much, it would have been pot luck for most who let the punters make the book.
Fittingly the meeting came alive in the ring with the Unibet Champion Hurdle, Apples Jade backed from 9/4 into 7/4 by weight of public money. Star Sports laid a monster £220,000£80,000 Buveur D’Air to a commission agent on course, the firm reportedly stood the horse for a total of £600,000 after laying it in their office too. Nobody likes to see a faller, but it would have been a relief to have the bogie out of the race early on, Buveur D’Air came down unhurt at the third. The hype horse Apples Jade couldn’t muster up any magic, beating only one home. 16/1 winner Espoir D’Allen was an absolute smasher for the betting ring especially after the punters piled in.
The books copped again in the OLBG Mares’ Hurdle when 10/11 favourite Benie Des Dieux came down at the last when looking almost certain to win, leaving Roskana to land the spoils at 10/1. Meanwhile the unfortunate Ruby Walsh out-trended Brexit on twitter as unforgiving punters vented their frustration. There was no frustration in the betting ring, apart from those bookmakers that bet ‘without’ the jolly.
The Close Brothers Chase was a handicap, but you’d never have guessed as A Plus Tard made a mockery of that concept winning by 16 lengths having been backed from 6/1 into 5/1 favourite. There was plenty of money sloshing about for Discorama in the concluding National Hunt Challenge Cup Amateur Riders’ Novices’ Chase. The 9/2 shot looked all over the winner but luckily for bookmakers was run out of it by 14/1 Le Breuil on the run-in.
Wednesday
Early risers woke to the happy news that racing was going ahead, announced way before the intended 8am inspection. The high winds that threatened to disrupt hadn’t materialised, so happy days all around. The mood in the betting ring was buoyant, most bookmakers had their hods full and were ready to get stuck in again. The opening Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle was a good betting heat despite looking ultra-competitive. There was plenty of money for both Champ and Battleoverdoyen so City Island winning at 8/1 was probably OK for most books.
Delta Work was the one the public wanted to be on in the RSA Insurance Novices’ Chase, backed steadily from 9/4 into 15/8. Star Sports reported a bet of £90,000-£40,000. That money stayed with the bookmakers, too, 4/1 shot Topofthegame winning wouldn’t have been a bad result for the ring. So far so good. There were no bookmakers on course matching the sponsors paying seven places in the Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle but business was
brisk. Uradel was sent off the 13/2 favourite but could manage only seventh, unlucky for Coral, but at the business end 28/1 William Henry chinning 28/1 Wicklow Brave was a tremendous result for the ring; the results were going their way.
Let’s hope nobody started to count it. Altior was backed from 2/5 to 4/11 to win the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase. It wasn’t the sort of price the on-course punters wanted to get stuck into but there were reports of some lumps bet off-course. Bookies that couldn’t get the jolly in their books were probably ruing their luck approaching the last but then counting their blessings when the champ stormed up the hill.
There was plenty of punter support for Grand National hero Tiger Roll backed from 13/8 into 5/4 for the Glenfarclas Chase (Cross Country Chase). Those layers that took on the short one knew their fate a long way out. What a performance! Tiger Roll by 22 lengths and the bookies looking into the hods for the first big pay-out of the meeting.
It was a feeling they soon got used to. Band Of Outlaws landed an almighty touch in the Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle. Layers reported being hammered on and off course, Star Sports especially hard hit by a rare undisclosed monster wager. After such a good start, it was shaping up to be black Wednesday. The Champion Bumper is traditionally a good betting race. Once again there was plenty of business, but it was a disaster for the bookmakers. Envoi Allen was backed from 9/2 into 2/1 which takes some doing at the Festival. The gamble was landed by ¾ of a length from Blue Sari which had also been backed from 9/2 into 7/2. The books had no chance up the hill, a nasty feeling watching a race that made it four winning jollies on the bounce. Bookmakers might have preferred wind to have roared rather than the crowd after all.
Thursday
There wasn’t a lot of banter in the betting ring after ‘Black Wednesday’. Most firms were losing heavily after the first two days so a good start to the day was imperative. Betting for the JLT Novices’ Chase opened with
Defi Du Seuil heading the market at 3/1. One punter waded into Star Sports on the front row of Tatts with a bet of £180,000-£60,000, then again with a £10,000 press-up at the same price just before the off. The investment was a shrewd one, £210,000 to the punter after Philip Hobbs’ gelding did the business. It must have been a crushing blow for Star’s Ben Keith, already reeling after being clobbered on both Tuesday and Wednesday.
Next up, there were no such hefty sums reported for the Pertemps Network Final Handicap Hurdle but the second winning favourite, 4/1 shot Sire Du Berlais winning by a neck from 40/1 skinner Tobefair was still wellbacked and a bad loser for most of the ring. Frodon was the 9/2 winner of the Ryanair Chase, ridden by Bryony Frost. Everyone loves Bryony, so despite not being market-leader, the public backed her in their droves, all those tenners and scores mount up and take some paying out too. 33/1 Aso finishing second was further pain for the bookmakers who needed a change of luck.
The bookies had a real chance to reverse their fortunes in the Sun Racing Stayers’ Hurdle. Paisley Park had been a 2/1 shot in the morning, so at around 6/4 on course the temptation for layers to stick their heads above the parapet and take on the jolly was strong. Turning for home those that had gone down the book with the jolly must have had high hopes. All eyes were on 33/1 Sam Spinner getting the better of 4/1 second-in Faugheen when the favourite appeared out of nowhere to shoot past them both and run on strongly despite clobbering the last.
That was game over on the day for most of the ring, once again their 33/1 result was runner-up.
Lizzie Kelly rode a tremendous race on Siruh Du Lac to win the Brown Advisory & Merriebelle Stable Plate Handicap Chase. The winner had been heavily backed from 6/1 into 9/2 on course. Nick Williams’, the ‘Genius of George Nympton’s charge did beat the 3/1 jolly Janika but there probably wasn’t a lot in it for most books. The betting ring enjoyed a respite and glimmer of hope when Willie Mullins had a big-priced 1-2 in the National Hunt Breeders Supported By Tattersalls Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle winning with 50/1 shot Eglantine Du Seuil which would have been a skinner for most layers. Any Second Now won the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup Amateur Riders’ Handicap Chase at 6/1. Despite getting the 3/1 favourite beaten it wouldn’t have helped matters much given the connections and having been a bigger price early.
Friday
It looked an impossible task to ‘get out’ on the week but of course it’s all about the long game. The big punters came into Star Sports again, they laid £110,000-£100,000 Sir Erec, £400,000-£80,000 each-way Quel Destin and £275,000-£25,000 eachway Gardens of Babylon in the opening JCB Triumph Hurdle. The latter sneaked into third to ruin their book but 20/1 winner Pentland Hills was an excellent result, tarnished by the fatal injury suffered by the favourite.
The Randox Health County Handicap Hurdle isn’t an easy race to pick the winner of, so understandably the punters stood back a bit and cut stakes. Ch’tibello winning at 12/1 was a fair result, suddenly the bookies started to see a glimmer of hope. Hope is one thing but it’s doubtful the layers had dared dream of a 50/1 turn-up like Minella Indo. An absolutely cracking result, the get-out-of-jail free Friday certainly a possibility after all.
Next up, the big one, Presenting Percy was the one the public wanted to be on, backed from 4/1 into 10/3. For whatever reason it ran no sort of race. None of the supposedly fancied horses on the day troubled the judge, 12/1 winner Al Boum Photo was another great result for the ring.
There wasn’t an awful lot of interest in the St. James’ Place Foxhunter Challenge Cup Open Hunters’ Chase. That probably saved a lot of bookmakers big pay outs when 7/2 favourite Hazel Hill triumphed. With just the two big handicaps to go any winnings would have had elastic bands snapped around them. To their delight the layers needed more for the bundles they copped when 66/1 shot Croco Bay won the Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Challenge Cup Handicap Chase.
The trainer who the lucky last is named after used to enjoy a tilt at the ring, so quite fitting that the two bestbacked horses in the race won the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle. It wasn’t in quite the right order for favourite backers but 5/1 chance Early Doors beating 7/2f Dallas Des Pictons was enough for the ring to have to cough a little back up. Despite a very bookie-friendly last day not many of the layers dragging their kit out in the twilight would be retiring on the proceeds. Still, there’s always next year.