Bookmakers could breathe a sigh of relief when Inothewayurthinkin’s
Gold Cup defeat of
rescued them from a significant payout.
Odds-on shots have seemed cursed all week, with the short-priced favourites of each day’s feature race meeting with defeat to ensure bookmakers’ satchels remained full.
It seemed as though the tide could be turning on the final day of the meeting, however, as
prepared to bid for a third Gold Cup and his success considered by many to be a formality.
Poniros winning the JCB Triumph Hurdle at 100-1 was an unexpected boon for bookmakers, but Kargese and Dinoblue both winning as favourites favoured bettors instead.
Galopin Des Champs was the horse with the power to land a real blow for punters, but
stood in the way and his 15-2 victory was a welcome upset for the pitches.
Coral’s David Stevens said: “From the moment the Champion Hurdle favourite Constitution Hill took a tumble in Tuesday’s big race, this has been a Cheltenham Festival to forget for backers of odds-on shots, but as bookies we knew that could all change on the last day, which is always the biggest betting day of the week.
“Wins for Kargese, Dinoblue and Jasmin De Vaux – all trained by the maestro Willie Mullins – had us sweating going into the Gold Cup, when a third win in the race for the odds-on favourite Galopin Des Champs would have well and truly wiped the smiles off our faces, but victory for Inothewayurthinkin meant that once again this week we escaped a hefty payout, and we end this Festival looking forward to doing it all again in 2026.”
Lawrence Lyons, spokesperson for BoyleSports, said: “Gold Cup day was looking like one for the punters with so many Willie Mullins winners being toasted in the Cheltenham stands. But with Galopin Des Champs adding to the list of shockwave results, we have to say it’s the bookies who struck gold over the week.”
Inothewayurthinkin was supplemented for the Gold Cup, but prior to his late inclusion the
was his big target and he was well-fancied after the weights were revealed.
He has inevitably shortened even further in the market, to 5-2 from 7-1 with Betfair, with spokesperson Barry Orr saying: “What a performance from the supplemented Inothewayurthinkin, who is now 5-2 from 7-1 for the Grand National, and set to go off the shortest priced favourite in modern times.”
Ladbrokes went to 3-1, and if Inothewayurthinkin was to win he would become the shortest-priced winner of the Grand National since Poethlyn came in at 11-4 in 1919.
Cal Gildart of Ladbrokes said: “It’s not just who he beat but how he beat him that’s seen Gold Cup winner Inothewayurthinkin slashed to 3-1 for this year’s Grand National.
“All eyes now turn to Aintree – will we see a horse win both the Gold Cup and National in the same year for the first time since 1934?”