No Peace for crying bookies
TOP TONY: McCoy rides Uxizandre to Ryanair Chase glory GOLD STAR: Jockey Mark Bradstock after
Coneygree’s win
VAUTOUR THE country might be skint but punters smashed all betting records at this year’s Cheltenham Festival.
Bookmakers William Hill reported increased average turnover across all races with the critical Gold Cup – the third biggest race of the year – exceeding £ 5million.
The best result of the week for punters came courtesy of Nicky Henderson’s Peace And Co in the Triumph Hurdle, who secured a seven- figure boost to punters’ coffers swiftly followed by the stinging opening victory by Douvan in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.
That Peace And Co win has been confirmed as the worst single result for the bookies in the entire history of the Cheltenham Festival.
It was hammered in to 2/ 1 favourite with dozens of five- figure cash bets recorded in the ring.
After standing long- time ante- post favourite Silviniaco Conti for a liability in excess of £ 3million, Hills secured their best result of the week in the Gold Cup as Coneygree landed jump racing’s pinnacle contest.
And on Thursday, the same firm was no less than £ 1million behind but then cheered home a three race consecutive run of
£ 1m LOSS: Peace And Co £ 1million+ profit, across the Ryanair Chase, World Hurdle and Brown Advisory and Merriebelle Stable Plate.
Whingeing William Hill PR man Jon Ivan- Duke said: “The Cheltenham Festival must surely be counted as one of sport’s greatest success stories of recent years.
“Our punters could not get enough of the four day frenzy this year.
“Turnover grows year- onyear and once again we have smashed through the record books for punter popularity.”
After his final Festival, Tony McCoy has been made even money to be knighted in either the 2015 Birthday Honours or 2016 New Year’s Honours list.
He’d be the first jockey “Sir” since Gordon Richards in 1953.
Ivan- Duke added: “AP McCoy looks a certainty to be knighted and it may well come sooner rather than later.”
If he manages to win the Grand National with what would then surely be his final ride, that even money would look good value.