SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
UK bookmakers faced a nightmare start to the 2015 Cheltenham Festival, as heavily backed Willie Mullins horses won their races.
Day 1 at Cheltenham dealt bookmakers three mighty blows from the Mullins stable as jockey Ruby Walsh won the Sky Bet Supreme Novices Hurdles riding Douvan, the Racing Post Arkle Trophy Chase riding Un De Sceaux and the Stan James Champion Hurdle riding Faugheen.
With three straight Mullins wins, bookmakers were fearing total catastrophe as Ruby Walsh entered the 16:10 OLGB Mares Hurdle riding race favourite Annie Power. Another Mullins/Walsh win would have forced UK bookmakers to pay out on a 12/1 four-fold accumulator taken up by some 250,000 punters
The OLBG Mares Hurdle was running to the day’s script, as Annie Power cleared all the jumps and led the field from the front. Nevertheless with just one jump remaining, Annie Power tripped after jumping too early at the hurdle. Ruby Walsh fell off the horse, ending what would have been a historic four wins in Day 1 of Cheltenham.
UK bookmakers were able to draw a huge sigh of relief as they dodged an expensive bullet. Sky Bet estimate that the fall served as a swing worth over £25m to bookmakers.
Sky Bet’s Horse Racing PR Manager Michael Shinners said: “Annie Power was the single biggest swing in Sky Bet’s horse racing history. If she had jumped the last she would surely have won and in turn cost us a small fortune.
“Despite the loss of Annie Power results were very much in the punters’ favour and they go into day two very much on the front foot.
All bookmakers will be hoping for less drama in Day 2 of the Festival, as Ruby Walsh rides twice on Wednesday on Nichols Canyon at the Neptune Novices Hurdles (13.10) and Champagne Fever at the Champions Chase at (15:20)
