'Best ever Cheltenham' for bookmakers as punters floored on final day

Bookmakers were celebrating after rubbing salt into punters' wounds with a winning fourth and final day of the Cheltenham Festival.Sizing John's victory in the race of the week, the Timico Gold Cup, was the icing on the cake as the 7-1 shot saved the layers an estimated £20million pay-out.Ladbrokes were desperate for Djakadam, Native River, and Cue Card to be beaten and their prayers were answered, as Sizing John landed the spoils for the Irish team of Jessica Harrington and Robbie Power in the biggest betting race of the week."Sizing John has saved us from an astronomical pay-out, after punters latched onto the front three in the betting," said Ladbrokes' Nicola McGeady."We went into the final day bracing ourselves for another torrid day following on from 'Ruby Thursday', but Robbie Power has come to our rescue, saving the industry an estimated £20m."The last number of years have been really in favour of the punters, with last year going down in history as the costliest, so we are hugely relieved that we've been given some respite this time around."According to one firm, 2017 was the best ever Cheltenham for the layers."We've never had a better Festival and that includes when Norton's Coin pulled off the greatest shock in the history of this great sport at 100-1 in 1990," said Paddy Power spokesman Paul Binfield.There was little respite for backers despite the success of 5-2 favourite Defi Du Seuil in the opening race, the JCB Triumph Hurdle.Even a quick double for Willie Mullins did not go down too well with punters as Arctic Fire was 20-1 in the County Hurdle followed by 16-1 shot Penhill in the Albert Bartlett.It was all over after that, and the remaining three races all fell to double-figure price winners - Pacha Du Polder (16-1) in the Foxhunter, Champagne Classic (12-1) in the Martin Pipe and Rock The World (10-1) in the Grand Annual.