Vautour romps to victory in the Ryanair Chase as the evens favourite

 PICTURE: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos

Cheltenham Festival: Punters cash in again to leave bookies reeling

THREE winning favourites on day three of the festival meant it was another successful afternoon for punters – and things could get worse for Betfred, who are facing a £1 million payout if Cue Card wins the Timico Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Jockey Club Racecourses, which launched the £1m chase triple crown last year, insured against the bet by backing a horse to win it with Fred Done’s firm.

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Cue Card has won the first two legs – the Betfair Chase and King George – and victory in the Gold Cup will prove expensive for Betfred, whose spokesman Mark Pearson said: “If Cue Card does it he’ll have certainly earned the bonus. It will be costly for us to watch history.” 

Layers began Thursday on the back foot after many market principals did the business on Tuesday and Wednesday, and things did not get better following wins for Black Hercules (4-1 co-favourite), Vautour (evens) Thistlecrack (evens) and Limini (8-11), while 9-2 shot Cause Of Causes did their cause no good in the last either.

‘Impossible task’

Pearson added of day three: “We’ve done our conkers. Seven double-carpet [33-1] winners on Gold Cup day might get us back level.”

David Williams of Ladbrokes said: “It’s hard to see a way back. It’s been ghastly. We were reeling after two bad days and a rotten third day has all but knocked us out.

“More Ruby Walsh winners and more short-priced favourites have combined to give bookies a hiding.”

Coral’s Nicola McGeady said: “Thistlecrack, Vautour, and Limini inflicted the most damage and, although there’s one more day to go, it looks like it’ll be an impossible task to get back in front.”

Liam Glynn of BoyleSports said: “Punters are smiling as they’re miles ahead and as we enter day four we could be facing the worst Cheltenham for bookmakers in modern history.”

fonte : RacingPost

Intilaaq: had been for a spin around Southwell as part of Dubai prep

 PICTURE: Mark Cranham (racingpost.com/photos)

Intilaaq team opt for Turf over World Cup bid

THERE will be no British interest in the Dubai World Cup this year after it was revealed that the Roger Varian-trained Intilaaq is to be rerouted to the Group 1 Dubai Turf.

The four-year-old, who was 12-1 third favourite for the $10 million World Cup, arrived at Meydan on Thursday but is to stick to turf rather than compete on dirt for the first time next Saturday.

Intilaaq had been taken to Southwell for a workout on the Fibresand surface to ascertain how he may handle the dirt at Meydan, but connections have decided to stick to what they know.

‘Stick to turf’

Richard Hills, assistant racing manager to owner Hamdan Al Maktoum said: “Sheikh Hamdan has decided that Intilaaq should stick to turf rather than try dirt on which he is untested.”

Intilaaq burst on to the scene last season with an eight-length romp in a maiden at Newbury prompting connections to supplement him for the Qipco 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket.

Despite running down the field in the Classic, the Dynaformer colt bounced back to win his next two starts in a Listed contest and a Group 3 at Haydock.

fonte : RacingPost