How Punters Crushed Bookies in the 2016 Cheltenham Festival

The most anticipated horse racing event of 2016, the Cheltenham Festival is one that will be fondly remembered by punters for many years to come. On one hand, the competition was among the best horses and their jockeys, on the other, bookmakers were counting on for lucrative days. To say that they were wrong would be the understatement of the week, as the horse racing event was a financial disaster.

The house rarely loses, but when most of the favorites win and punters back them massively, the costs are staggering. It is estimated that around 60 million pounds were lost by UK bookmakers, which will definitely eat in their profit margins for the entire 2016. The Cheltenham Festival is a breath of fresh air for the punters, who are expected to return in greater numbers next year. Meanwhile, UK punters have a plethora of licensed online sports books to bet on horse racing, as these gambling operators become a mainstream in the kingdom.

A Promising Cheltenham Festival Start

Veteran horse racing punters don’t wait for the Cheltenham Festival to cast their bets, but wager on a daily basis. Bookmakers are happy to take their business, but they know that these are not the ones that will fill their coffers at the end of the year. While savvy punters are marginal winners or losers, the house cashes in on the naivety and enthusiasm of casual players.

This year wasn’t supposed to be any different, but three winning favorites set the bookies back on Tuesday. Things went from bad to worse the very next day and didn’t improve much on Thursday, so the online sports books were counting on Friday to save the week. Ivanovich Gorbatov and Superb Story won and Don Cossack crushed competitors in the Gold Cup, winning a small fortune for those who backed him. His performance wrapped up one of the most expensive Cheltenham Festivals for the bookmakers.

A Fighting Chance for Amateur Punters

The Cheltenham Festival 2016 results bolster the morale of wannabe punters, who are expected to return next year in greater numbers. Bookmakers hope that in the long run, the losses suffered on this occasion will be completely offset and their profit margin will be restored.

The silver lining is that the popularity of horse racing is on the rise and profitable bets are just some of the catalysts for this group. People who have never had an interest in horse races before are more open to the idea, due to the accessibility of betting on the go using a mobile device. Licensed regulated bookies project an image of trustworthiness, as they always pay the winners on time and in full.

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Cheltenham Festival 2016 Outsiders

This year’s Cheltenham Festival promises to be one of the most competitive in history, as the 27 races that make up the four day event are battled out by over 500 horses, all competing to claim a share of the record £3.4 million in prize money. With only the Grand National able to compete with such figures in the jump racing calendar, it provides trainers with the perfect opportunity to gain exposure if they can pull of an upset on such a high profile stage. Also looking to get in on the act will be the general public, with both the hundreds of thousands at the event itself, and the millions watching at home, all frantically scanning the form guides and odds to find a good return on their investments. So which are the horses to keep an eye out for when they gather in the West Country in just a matter of weeks?

With historic races such as the Champion Hurdle, World Hurdle and of course the Gold Cup taking centre stage throughout the event, there is certainly ample opportunity to acquire big returns on bets this year. Whilst Barters Hill is currently seen as the 5/2 strong favourite by bookmaker Coral for the Albert Bartlett Novices Hurdle, the rest of the field definitely provide some potential outsiders to back. The likes of Shantou Village and Yorkhill at 6/1 and 8/1 respectively, certainly look like being worth a punt, in what is building up to be a highly unpredictable race. For those of you who are unable to attend the circuit itself, betting on Cheltenham online instead can prove to be just as lucrative.

With Faugheen being ruled out for the rest of the season and subsequently missing this year’s Champion Hurdle, Annie Power is now the new favourite for the prestigious race. However, the absence of last year’s winner has certainly opened up the field and increased the likelihood of an outsider claiming victory this time around. Sempre Medici looks likely to be the main protagonist with odds of 16/1 to pull off a dramatic upset, with trainer Willie Mullins confident of a good performance from the six year old.

With the Gold Cup attracting the most money throughout the Festival, many are looking to win big by backing a rank outsider for the historic race. Despite the likelihood of a horse coming from the back of the field and winning seeming unlikely, there are still many options for those looking away from the usual suspects. Sausalito Sunrise recently impressed by claiming victory at Ascot, and along with Champagne West, are certainly worth an each-way bet as they come into the race in good form.

So with the Cheltenham Festival now just around the corner, it is time to get your thinking cap on and place your bets while odds are still competitive. With over 250,000 visitors expected to attend this year’s event, the magnitude of this occasion is certainly not lost on the racing community, and despite being behind the Grand National in prize money, is still considered by many as the pinnacle in the racing calendar.

Cheltenham Festival 2016: Cometh The Hour...

It's a familiar quote: Cometh the hour, cometh the man. But do you know the origin of this phrase? It was uttered by English bowler, Cliff Gladwin on the 20th December 1948 in Durban, South Africa, when with two wickets standing and 12 runs required off the last three remaining overs, he came into bat. He scored the winning run from a leg-bye with the last ball of the match after the ball had struck him on the thigh. 

Afterwards, in the dressing room, he proudly showed all comers the bruise from which cricket's most famous leg-bye was scored: ''I told you, 'Cometh the hour, cometh the man'.''

What better phrase captures the anticipation of Cheltenham Festival 2016. 

''Cometh the hour, cometh the horse...''      

The Cheltenham Festival is the pinnacle of National Hunt racing. With prize money second only to the Grand National. 

From 15th - 18th March the racing world will be captivated by the best thoroughbred horses in the world. 

Tuesday:

15th March - Champion Day: a seven race spectacular with the highlight being the Champion Hurdle Challenge Trophy over two and half miles. This race has seen a number of true talents including Hatton's Grace, Sir Ken, Persian War, See You Then and a particular favourite Istabraq. 

In recent years Willie Mullins has made this race his own with Hurricane Fly and last year's victor Faugheen at odds of 4/5f.    

Wednesday: 

16th March - Ladies Day: A day for ladies, fashion and racing. The highlight being the Queen Mother Champion Steeple Chase, a chase over two miles. In the 1980s Badsworth Boy made this race his with three victories in consecutive years. 

Last year we saw Dodging Bullets, trained by Paul Nicholls with Sam Twiston-Davies in the plate.    

Thursday:

17th March - St Patrick's Day: A true celebration of racing with outstanding Irish support from trainers, owners and punters alike. The highlight of the day being the World Hurdle over three miles. This race has a long history with its inaugural running in 1912 with Aftermath winning by fifteen lengths. In this modern era one horse stands out - Big Bucks. A four-time winner from 2009 - 2012. 

Last year saw six-year-old Cole Harden, trained by Warren Greatrex.  

Friday:

18th March - Gold Cup Day, the conclusion of a wonderful week of racing. The Cheltenham Gold Cup is the most famous of all races at the festival run over three miles two and half furlongs. It has been won by a number of exceptional horses including: Golden Miller, Arkle, Best Mate, Kuato Star & Denman. 

Last year saw Coneygree trained by Mark Bradstock.       

In those ardent words of Cliff Gladwin, trainers, owners, jockeys and race fans will be hoping their horse shines come the big day. It starts with a thought, a whispered word, a fateful shout...to one voice: The Cheltenham Roar. 

For one and all: ''Cometh the hour, cometh the horse...''