Racing Post-inspired Sire Du Berlais plunge gives bookies bloody nose on day three

A gamble inspired by Racing Post Spotlight's Ben Hutton tipping Sire Du Berlais for the Paddy Power Stayers' Hurdle was the only major blow landed by punters on a day that was otherwise full of bookmaker-friendly results.

The Tote paid out an enormous £14,000 dividend in the Placepot following a series of upsets on the penultimate day of the Cheltenham Festival, the fourth biggest festival dividend in the last ten years, and there were 671.58 winning units from a pool of £1.48 million.

A 33-1 shot getting the better of the 9-4 favourite in the day's feature race – after a stewards' inquiry led to Dashel Drasher being demoted to third – would seem like another perfect result for bookmakers, but Sire Du Berlais was backed into that price from 80-1 when put up by Racing Post Spotlight.

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Paddy Power spokesman Paul Binfield said: "We won today after getting the three shorties beat which was obviously massive. Funnily enough we took a battering from Sire Du Berlais despite the fact he went off at 33-1 due to the Racing Post Spotlight sensationally finding him, and it was one of the worst results of the week so far."

Coral's David Stevens said bookmakers were "still playing catch-up" but that there was "still plenty to play for" heading into the biggest betting day of the festival.

He said: "Although Stage Star beat Mighty Potter in the opener and Envoi Allen denied Shishkin in the Ryanair, the respective winners were the second worst results in both races. Sire Du Berlais was backed at 66-1, 50-1 and 40-1, odds at which hefty liabilities soon build up, so his 33-1 victory was not the Stayers’ Hurdle bonus we might have hoped for.

"Seddon was another big-priced winner who had his backers, while in our favour were the victories of Good Time Jonny and You Wear It Well. At the end of day three we’re still playing catch-up."

Stage Star triumphed in the Turners as odds-on favourite Mighty Potter disappointedCredit: Michael Steele

However, with no winning favourites in any of the meeting’s seven races, it was otherwise a good day for bookmakers. Several well-fancied horses had done the business on the opening two days, but this time the defeats of short-priced pair Shishkin and Mighty Potter, in particular, moved the dial back towards the layers.

Ladbrokes' Nicola McGeady said it was 2-1 to the punters heading into Friday, when much will depend on the performance of Gold Cup favourite Galopin Des Champs. She said: "We just about got our nose in front today thanks to bankers Mighty Potter and Shishkin getting turned over.

"Tomorrow sees the biggest betting race of the year bar the Grand National take centre stage and we will be praying for a shock result to save our skin."

Standings after day three

Trainers
Willie Mullins 4-5-7
Gordon Elliott 3-5-4
Henry de Bromhead 3-2-0
Nicky Henderson 1-2-2
Paul Nicholls 1-0-3
Barry Connell 1-0-0
Dan Skelton 1-0-0
Jamie Snowden 1-0-0
John Kiely 1-0-0
John McConnell 1-0-0
Lucinda Russell 1-0-0
Patrick Neville 1-0-0
Sam Curling 1-0-0
Tony Martin 1-0-0

Jockeys
Paul Townend 3-2-0
Rachael Blackmore 2-1-0
Michael O’Sullivan 2-0-0
Patrick Mullins 1-3-3
Nico de Boinville 1-1-0
Harry Cobden 1-0-3
Mark Walsh 1-0-1

Read these next:

'He went unbacked but we'll still enjoy it' - JP McManus delight as festival regular Sire Du Berlais strikes  

'I've no excuses but it was unlike him' - Nicky Henderson puzzled by Shishkin's Ryanair Chase defeat 

'It had been a tough couple of years' - Stage Star gives Paul Nicholls first Cheltenham Festival winner since 2020 

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