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The unlikely lads and lasses of 2019: The top ten winners who traded at 999-1
By Andy Stephens
Last Updated: Tue 5 Dec 2023
Backing any horse at 999-1 usually ends in disappointment. The odds are the maximum available on Betfair, the person-to-person betting exchange, and speak for themselves.
But on 62 occasions in 2019, runners matched at the ceiling price prevailed – to the joy of their backers and despair of those with big betting banks who were laying the wagers.
The latest example came today (Monday December 30) when Buster Edwards snatched victory from the jaws of defeat at Haydock.
Some will wonder why the layers take such extreme risks, but there is a method in their madness.
When they type in 1000 on the lay side of their machine and hit “place bets”, they will be first be matched with those asking for smaller odds. Much smaller odds in most instances.
Like giant whales swimming the ocean, they hoover up lots of smaller fish on their journey. But every now and then the “eat all” approach can lead to them swallowing something that is not so tasty.
Below are the top ten 999-1 winners of 2019, in terms of volume matched.
1 LADY MONICA
6f race at Nottingham on May 11. Price matched: 999-1.
Bets: 77. Volume matched: £748. Betfair SP: 430.85
“It’s all Obe Jo now entering the final 150 yards, stretching right away” said commentator Tony Ennis as Tim Easterby’s gelding stamped his authority on proceedings and traded at the minimum price of 1.01.
However, deep inside the final furlong, the race seemingly in safe keeping, he began to run out of steam on the softish ground and Lady Monica, ridden by Royston French, emerged from the pack to cut him down in the final strides.
A total of £748 was matched on her at the maximum price of 999-1.
Perhaps that was not surprising given that she went off at 429-1 on Betfair and seemed to be going nowhere at midway, having shown precious little in two starts as a two-year-old.
“It's quite a surprise,” - John Holt, her trainer said with understatement afterwards.
2 KEPAGGE
2m 4f Novices’ Hurdle at Leicester on December 11. Price matched: 999-1.
Bets: 19. Volume matched: £513. Betfair SP: 1.24
Backing a 2-9 chance in a modest four-runner contest after a couple of flights at 999-1 sounds like the stuff of fantasy, doesn’t it? But that is what happened just a fortnight before Christmas.
Kepagge had won a bumper on his Rules debut at Chepstow but was making his hurdling debut and, frankly, looked like he had never seen a jump in his life.
He only just about negotiated the first flight after putting on the brakes and then, at the next, did the same and veered violently left into the bargain. He and jockey Tom Scudamore seemed certain to go their separate ways.
In their rush to hoover up all the cash at the table, layers on Betfair reached for the maximum price. But, somehow, Scudamore clung on, leaving them as the fall guys.
Kepagge remained unconvincing and no doubt his backers hid behind sofas every time another hurdle loomed, but he eventually got the job done.
Christmas had come early for some, thanks to Superglue Scu.
3 BUSTER EDWARDS
3m handicap hurdle at Haydock on December 30. Price matched: 999-1
Volume matched: £289. Betfair SP: 5.66
You could have forgiven favourite backers for mumbling and grumbling during the 3m handicap hurdle which got the action under way at Haydock today.
Buster Edwards was in rear and struggling for much of the way, his blinkers doing little to motivate him. Two out, it merely loooked a case of whether he would finish a distant sixth, seventh or possibly eighth.
In the closing stages, the camera man focused on the leading pack. Then, from nowhere, Buster Edwards suddenly appeared on the scene - as if propelled by an invisible rocket.
"Mr Pipe said to not get there too soon," winning jockey Jack Tudor said, without any hint of irony.
More than £7,000 was matched on Strike West, the runner-up, at 1.01, while Passam, who was fourth, touched 1.14.
4 GRAINEYHILL
2m 1f Chase at Fairyhouse on February 23. Price matched: 999-1.
Bets: 92. Volume matched: £82. Betfair SP: 23
fairyhouse
16:35 Fairyhouse - Saturday February 23
Maiden chases are rarely the most reliable of betting propositions. This one should serve as Exhibit A to anyone who suggests otherwise.
The betting was dominated by Dakota Moirette, the 1-2 favourite, and Aint Dunne Yet, at 7-2. The other five runners were 12-1 or bigger.
Approaching the final fence, the market leaders were about 20 lengths clear and had the race between them, only for Dakota Moirette to fall.
Aint Dunne Yet jumped the obstacle cleanly but his feet tangled with those of his fallen rival and led to his jockey, Sean Flanagan, being unseated a few strides later.
Only a few strides, but enough for regretful fast-fingered layers matching almost 100 bets on Graineyhill at 999-1.
A distant third between the last two obstacles, he and Keith Donoghue were suddenly left clear and won by eight lengths.
5 LOVE DESTINY
7f race at Chepstow August 15. Price matched: 999-1.
Bets: 26. Volume matched: £69. Betfair SP: 4.75
An ordinary novices’ event on a summer evening at Chepstow produced a dramatic late twist.
Deep inside the final furlong, the Archie Watson-trained Space Ace initially responded well to Adam McNamara’s encouragement and was a couple of lengths clear.
But after drifting to the rail, he suddenly put the brakes on – almost as if frightened of his own shadow. Inevitably, he traded at 1.01.
Love Destiny, making his debut, produced a late flourish to prevail for Mark Johnston and Dane O’Neill.
Incidentally, Love Destiny went off at 2-5 next time in first-time blinkers but again fluffed his lines after looking less than straightforward.
6 JEFFERSON DAVIS
3m chase at Ludlow on May 20. Price matched: 999-1.
Bets: 45. Volume matched: £55. Betfair SP: 4.3
Tony McCoy was responsible for riding the first winner to trade at 999-1 in-running, when he won a race on a horse who fell in 2002.
Changes in rules regarding remounting mean that will never happen again, but it seems layers still fall into the trap of taking on never-say-die champion jockeys.
Richard Johnson showed exactly why he is No 1 this day at Ludlow.
The 109-rated Jefferson Davis had not won for two years and arrived on a 17-race losing sequence. That seemed certain to be extended as the blinkered six-year-old spent much of the race in rear, not looking an easy conveyance.
Turning into the straight, Johnson had picked off a couple of rivals and was into fourth. However, he was still well adrift of the leaders, who were moving much sweeter, and awkward leaps four out and three out suggested he would still do well to complete – let alone win.
Johnson had much greater ambitions than that, though, and his mount suddenly consented to engage top gear between the last two obstacles. As others cried enough, Jefferson Davis pulled away to eventually win by five lengths.
7 GLOBAL HUNTER
Mile race at Windsor on July 8. Price matched: 999-1.
Bets: 12. Volume matched: £53. Betfair SP: 6.4
If this race had been a boxing match, all rivals of King Ademar would have thrown in the towel two out because the 1-3 favourite was easing clear and in complete control under Oisin Murphy.
“If King Ademar doesn’t win this one, it will take some explaining,” said commentator John Hunt, rather prophetically.
Meanwhile, the Saeed Bin Suroor-trained Global Hunter was running green and looking unlikely to even make the frame under an animated Josephine Gordon.
However, King Ademar threw his toys out of the pram and hung violently left when Murphy gave him a crack of the whip to help seal the deal late on, opening the door for Global Hunter to make an unlikely challenge.
Those who backed Global Hunter at 1.01 in the run must have initially been relieved that he was called the winner by a nose in a photo-finish.
However, Global Hunter’s supporters had the last laugh because he had clearly been hampered by him in the final strides and, rightly, was awarded the race in the stewards’ room.
8 BUTTEVANT LADY
2m 4f Hurdle at Wexford on June 19. Price matched: 999-1.
Bets: 181. Volume matched: £52. Betfair SP: 332.23
wexford
17:30 Wexford - Wednesday June 19
Most eyes were still on Royal Ascot when this frenetic mares’ maiden hurdle opened the evening card at Wexford.
The short-priced favourite, Villa Moura, fell four out, while three horses traded at 1.19 or shorter on Betfair without winning.
Buttevant Lady, having her first start under Rules, had few supporters before or during the race. She spent much of it nearer last than first, seemingly in a hopeless position for much of the way.
Sadly, Positive Outlook, broke down when in a clear leader in the back straight. Those pursuing her, including the eventual second and third, Hello Pilgrim and Kaletto, got sucked into doing a bit too much, too soon.
Buttevant Lady still looked an unlikely winner approaching the final flight, with Ricky Doyle having been hard at work for a while, but she somehow scrambled to the front inside the final 50 yards.
9 OLAF
1m 1f Race at Lingfield on August 28. Price matched: 999-1.
Bets: 67. Volume matched: £49. Betfair SP: 260
When it came to rides of the year, I’m not sure I heard any mention of Liam Jones’ effort aboard Olaf in this claimer on the turf at Lingfield. But he really should have been given some kind of medal for it.
Olaf went off at 249-1 on Betfair for the five-runner contest, having trailed home last of 16 on his debut at Windsor when going off at 999-1 just nine days earlier.
Almost instantly niggled along, layers keen to get something out of Olaf no doubt had little hesitation in pressing the 1 digit, followed hurriedly by three zeros. Easy money. This horse was surely destined to again finish last.
But Jones never stopped pushing, shoving and cajoling. And, to his credit, Olaf hung in there against rivals unable to finish the job.
Named after a fictional character from Disney’s Frozen, Olaf warmed the hearts of a few and left others feeling distinctly chilly.
10 XTARA
6f race at Kempton on January 5. Price matched: 999-1.
Bets: 23. Volume matched: £39. Betfair SP: 6.2
Winners at 999-1 come in all shapes and sizes. I’m not sure Xtara was ever more than half the length off the lead in this five-runner affair at Kempton, but some folk clearly wrote him off in-running. Or perhaps they pushed the wrong button!
Watch for yourselves.
Xtara grabs the favoured rail and disputes the early lead with Wedding Date. That horse noses ahead, then folds quite tamely.
Beleagurement (traded 1.75) and Uncle Jerry (matched at 1.14) also threw down big challenges but Xtara was game under Barry McHugh and got his head back in front near the finish.
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