There’s no such thing as a betting ‘banker’ in any sport; and especially not at the ever-chaotic Cheltenham Festival.
But the 2025 edition of the four-day meeting has been a spectacular failure for short price backers, with an unprecedented five odds-on chances all losing out.
And while the bookies are still totting up their earnings from the festival, it’s likely that they will have enjoyed one of their most successful weeks ever as one big gamble after the next failed – saving them countless millions of pounds in the process.
A Day to Forget
| Race | Favourite | Winner |
|---|---|---|
| Supreme Novices’ Hurdle | Kopek Des Bordes (4/6) | Kopek Des Bordes (4/6) |
| Arkle Chase | Majborough (1/2) | Jango Baie (5/1) |
| Mares’ Hurdle | Lossiemouth (4/6) | Lossiemouth (4/6) |
| Champion Hurdle | Constitution Hill (1/2) | Golden Ace (25/1) |
| Brown Advisory Nov’ Chase | Ballyburn (4/7) | Lecky Watson (20/1) |
| Champion Chase | Jonbon (5/6) | Marine Nationale (5/1) |
| Stayers’ Hurdle | Teahupoo (7/4) | Bob Olinger (8/1) |
An acca for the ages on day one of the Cheltenham Festival would have been so costly had it landed that the share prices of the leading bookmakers would have fallen accordingly.
And when the 4/6 chance, Kopek Des Bordes, sailed home in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, the popular four-fold was very much up and running.
However, the gamble – which would have paid out at around 7/1 – fell flat in just the second leg as Majborough, the 1/2 champion-in-waiting in the Arkle, jumped poorly and was outdone by Jango Baie, who was so far behind the field at one stage that his in-running odds had hit 300/1 on the Betfair Exchange.
The cheer from the bookmaking circle was louder than the customary roar that greets the start of the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, which signals the start of the Festival. Majborough’s defeat saved them ‘tens of millions’ should the fabled accumulator bet have landed.
As it transpired, they needn’t have worried. Lossiemouth’s victory in the Mares’ Hurdle, the third leg of the acca, would have been hurtful – she was well backed for the race after connections decided not to take up a declaration for the Champion Hurdle.
But further joy was to come in the flagship race of the day: the Champion Hurdle. Former winner Constitution Hill was sent off as a huge 1/2 favourite with the bookies, which would have been a considerable liability for them had Nicky Henderson’s horse prevailed – acca or no acca.
However, he never travelled smoothly and ultimately ended up falling at the fifth obstacle. And the cherry on the cake for the bookmakers saw Brighterdaysahead, another fancied by punters and backed into 7/4, failing to even place. That result alone saw betting firms saved a £10 million payout.
And the good times didn’t stop rolling for the bookies. On day two, both Jonbon (5/6 for the Champion Chase) and Ballyburn, a 4/7 pick for the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase, were both defeated, before the third day of the Festival saw Teahupoo – well backed at 10/11 for the Stayers’ Hurdle in the days leading up to the meeting – also bumped into second place.
No doubt bookmakers will try to play down the results in the weeks ahead, but when their quarterly reports are drawn up at the end of March, you can rest assured that they will have enjoyed a bonanza courtesy of the most unpredictable edition of the Cheltenham Festival in years.
Taking Down the Tote
There was at least good news for one punter on the premises at Prestbury Park, who landed a £55,000 jackpot from a £5 wager courtesy of The Tote.
The racegoer, known only as Tom, landed all six of his selections on the Placepot on a day that many of the favourites crashed and burned on Tuesday. It was a series of results which guaranteed him a mammoth payday – so much so, he ‘cleaned out’ at the brand’s kiosk at Cheltenham.
| Leg | Time | Selection | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 13:20 | William Munny (8/1) | 2nd |
| 2 | 14:00 | Jango Baie (5/1) | 1st |
| 3 | 14:40 | The Changing Man (7/1) | 2nd |
| 4 | 15:20 | Take No Chances (22/1) | 3rd |
| 5 | 16:00 | Burdett Road (66/1) | 2nd |
| 6 | 16:40 | Hot Fuss (17/2) | 4th |
Tom picked out William Munny in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, who defied odds of 8/1 to slot in behind Kopek Des Bordes on the podium.
Jango Baie did the business in the Arkle, before The Changing Man finished second – albeit by eleven lengths to Myretown – in the Ultima Handicap Chase.
Tom took more than a chance on 22/1 outsider Take No Chances in the Mares’ Hurdle, but Dan Skelton’s underdog just crept into the places in third place behind Lossiemouth and Jade De Grugy.
The biggest shock of them in the Champion Hurdle saw a couple of long-odds chances take advantage of the falls or below-par performance of Constitution Hill, Brighterdaysahead and State Man respectively. Golden Ace landed the trophy at 25/1, but for Tom it was Burdett Road – a huge 66/1 outsider – who bolted into the places… literally against the odds.
There was just one race to go in the Placepot, with Tom selecting Hot Fuss in the Juvenile Handicap Hurdle. And he would have been dancing on the concourse at Tom Dascombe’s horse stole into the four places by a solitary length.
When Tom went to collect his winnings, his ticket was scanned by a member of The Tote’s team. An error message popped up on screen: ‘Insufficient funds to pay out. Please contact your manager.’