News

Following on from a memorable 2018 Cheltenham Festival, stories are still emerging from some of the more successful and/or fortunate punter’s bets. It should be no surprise that there were some big winners, on account that more bets were placed on Cheltenham this time around than many years previous.   That’s testament to how beloved this racing festival is!

One of my favourite Cheltenham Festival 2018 stories has to be the Devon cleaner whose meager £1 each way Lucky 31 bet ballooned into him winning of a staggering £168,751 via a bet placed in his BetFred local betting shop.

After 4 races (including Penhill in the Stayers’ Hurdle, and The Storyteller at 16:10 – both third day Cheltenham Festival races) it was an impressive four wins from four races.  The ongoing success proved hard to take in for Martin Palk, 51,  and still in disbelief with one more race to go, he promised his friends to a once in a lifetime Vegas trip if got the final winner up. When this horse too romped home (Missed Approach in the 5.30), the Dad of two stayed true to his word and began to plan the holiday!

Martin summed it up best: “It was a bit of banter, but I’m a man of my word, so the Magnificent Seven are off to the Strip. It will cost me £10,000, and I’ve told them they could bring their own spending money.”

“I really didn’t think I had any chance in the last race which was a 10/1 shot and that’s why I promised we’ll all go to Vegas on me if I did win. We are going to meet next week and sort out the details and check none of us has any criminal records!”

With many bookmakers there are free bet opportunities and the like, or just generally very competitive odds with novibet.co.uk and other betting firms, and so for both single bets and accumulator bets such as this, you really get the best combined odds possible. It didn’t really used to be that way in less competitive betting environments of the past. Its important to try to get the most bang for your betting buck!

The five winners, all running on Day Three of Cheltenham were:

13:30 – Shattered Love  5/1

14:10 – Delta Work  9/1

15:30 – Penhill  12/1

16:10 – The Storyteller  7/1

17:30 – Missed Approach  10/1

As this was a Lucky 31 bet, the lucky punter won via a series or single bets, doubles, trebles, four fold and a five fold acca. This equated to odds of almost 70,000-1 . To further add to the already dream outcome, the betting chain ran a Cheltenham Festival promotion at the time boosting the bet by 50%. Happy days!

The punters winning betting slip:

 

1.50 Sandown bet365 Novices’ Championship Final Handicap Hurdle

 

A hugely competitive race to start proceedings, but Taxmeifyoucan makes the long journey from South Lanarkshire and the hint may be worth taking. Keith Dalgleish’s 4-year-old was returning from a 51-day break when a close third, on heavy going, at Kelso three weeks ago and, although 6lb higher in the weights today, may be progressive enough to defy the handicapper. His proven ability to act on the prevailing good going is an obvious plus.

 

2.05 Haydock Best Odds Guaranteed At 188Bet Handicap

 

Mijack confirmed the promise of his reappearance effort – a never-nearer fifth of 10, beaten 7¼ lengths, in a Listed race over 6 furlongs at Doncaster in March – when winning over today’s distance, under today’s jockey, at Newmarket 11 days ago. That form has been franked by the runner-up, Love Dreams so, off a 6lb higher mark, Karl Burke’s course and distance winner looks a decent bet to follow up.

 

2.25 Sandown bet365 Oaksey Chase

 

Both Top Notch and Double Shuffle were disappointing last time and although Double Shuffle is favoured by the race conditions he’s still only 3lb better off for the 8 lengths he finished behind Top Notch in the Christy 1965 Chase at Ascot in November. Indeed, Top Notch was an impressive winner on that occasion so, back on a sound surface, over today’s distance, he looks the safer option once again.

 

2.45 Leicester totepool EBF Stallions King Richard III Stakes

 

Dual course and distance winner Emmaus has a few pounds to find with the best of these on official figures, but did well to overhaul Sir Dancealot on his belated reappearance here last October and remains unexposed. He’s clearly fully effective on rain-softened ground and trainer Roger Varian has a healthy 3-11 (27%) strike rate with his older horses at Leicester.

 

3.00 Sandown bet365 Celebration Chase

 

No prizes for originality here, I’m afraid; Altior stands head and shoulders above the opposition on official ratings and has been given plenty of time to recover from his latest cakewalk in the Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival. He cannot sensibly be opposed.

 

3.35 Sandown bet365 Gold Cup Chase

 

From the sublime to the ridiculous, with an impenetrable handicap chase to bring down the curtain on the 2017/18 National Hunt season. Band Of Blood races from 3lb out of the handicap proper, but won his first two starts over fences for Dr. Richard Newland in convincing style before disappointing at Cheltenham and, particularly, when favourite at Ascot last month. However, he has had wind surgery in the interim and, if he’s back to his best, even today’s handicap mark of 135 doesn’t look prohibitive. He has his stamina to prove but, at long odds, looks worth chancing for one last hurrah.

Recommended Bet

0.5-point Heinz

 

I’m not even going to try to fool you shrewdies into believing this one. Just a funny reminder that a couple of years back Uber attempted to fool the gullible masses into believing that UberHorse was a thing :-D. Has anyone duped you with an April Fools day prank/story this year?