At least one punter backed a winner at 999-1 after it had already crossed the line on Monday while others lost a combined total of nearly £43,000 at short odds after a three-way photo-finish at Carlisle in which the winner appeared to many observers to have finished second at best.
Ventura Dragon, the 5-4 favourite for the five-furlong novice event for two-year-olds which opened the card, made significant ground against the far rail in the closing stages and flashed across the winning line locked in battle with Sayaady, a 10-1 chance. Magic Mark, at 9-2, was also involved in the finish towards the middle of the track, but the initial impression of many viewers was that Sayaady had just held on.
This belief was apparently confirmed by a freeze-frame of the finish shown on the Racing UK channel moments later, in which Sayaady’s nose seemed to be in front.
Almost £25,000 was staked on Sayaady on the Betfair betting exchange at its minimum price of 1.01 – equivalent to 100-1 on – during the race, and another £19,500 at the same price after the horses had crossed the line, before the judge announced that Ventura Dragon had actually won the race by a nose.
At least one bet of less than £1 was matched on Ventura Dragon at the maximum price of 1000 (or 999-1) before the result was declared, with other bets at 120 (119-1) and 100 (99-1).
The total of just under £43,000 lost on Seyaady at 1.01 places him ninth in the all-time list of expensive short-priced losers on Betfair since the exchange launched in 2000. The most expensive to date was Kay Gee Be, who was nailed on the line in a race at Nottingham in 2011 after more than £200,000 had been staked on him to win at 1.01.
The 5-4 shot Ventura Dragon (far side) wins the opener at Carlisle in a three-way photo finish with Seyaady in the middle just touched off pic.twitter.com/oMhql216ZW
— Racing UK (@Racing_UK) May 22, 2017
Tim Palin, the director of racing for Ventura Dragon’s owner, Middleham Park Racing, was one of many to be deceived by the close finish.
“It did look like he was finding it too sharp again,” Palin said. “I thought he was running on nicely for third and then I thought he might get second.
“I was watching it at Doncaster Sales and, when they crossed the line, I thought we were second at best, so it was a very nice surprise when I heard the result.”
Freddy Head, who saddled the outstanding miler Solow to land five Group One events in 2015 during a winning streak that extended to 10 races, said on Monday that the seven-year-old has been retired after failing to recover fully from an injury sustained in March 2016.
Solow was one of the most successful geldings that European racing has seen and his victories included the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot, the Sussex Stakes at Glorious Goodwood and the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, also at Ascot. In addition he took the Dubai Turf, one of the world’s most valuable turf events, at Meydan in 2015 and won his final start in the Prix Montjeu at Chantilly despite sustaining the injury which eventually cut short his career.
“We just couldn’t get him back to where he was and didn’t want to risk injuring him again,” Head said. “He was too good to risk so we’ve called it a day. He won five Group Ones – picking one out is hard, maybe the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood or the Queen Anne at Royal Ascot. He was most impressive in Dubai, but that form probably wasn’t as strong.
“To do what he did in those six months, he was a real champion and he retires having won his last 10 races. Even in his last race he was impressive, it didn’t look like he could win from where he was. He was one of the best, if not the best, I’ve trained and I’ve had the likes of Goldikova, Moonlight Cloud and Charm Spirit. During those six months I think he was unbeatable. I think he was just by himself.”
Roger Charlton will step Atty Persse up in trip at Haydock on Friday as part of his preparations for an outing at Royal Ascot after ruling out a bid for the Derby. The unbeaten son of Frankel, who was a general 20-1 chance for Epsom, will race over a mile and a quarter for the first time at the Lancashire track.
Today’s selections
Brighton
2.20 Arabian Jazz 2.50 Sweet Pursuit 3.20 Black Bess 3.50 Roy Rocket (nb) 4.20 Provoking 4.50 Kefeel 5.20 Fairy Mist 5.50 Duke Of North
Newcastle
2.10 Muzaahim 2.40 Broctune Papa Gio 3.10 Shargiah 3.40 Master Singer 4.10 Morning Suit 4.40 Major Crispies 5.10 Hamidans Girl 5.40 Kinloch Pride (nap)
Nottingham
2.00 Master Grey 2.30 Angel Palanas 3.00 Chelsea’s Boy 3.30 Marilyn 4.00 Sporting Times 4.30 Al Nafoorah 5.00 Corridor Kid
Hexham
5.45 New List 6.15 Apache Pilot 6.45 Cape Hideaway 7.15 No Such Number 7.50 Hattons Hill 8.20 Cairnshill 8.50 Bygones For Coins
Huntingdon
5.35 New Agenda 6.05 Lake Chapala 6.35 Zayfire Aramis 7.05 Tell The Tale 7.35 Cobra De Mai 8.05 Golanova 8.35 Always Archie
