Bookmakers' Arc relief at avoiding 'awful result' as Daryz denies favourite Minnie Hauk

Bookmakers celebrated Daryz's head defeat of 5-2 favourite Minnie Hauk in Sunday's Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe after avoiding paying out on a third Aidan O'Brien-trained winner on the day.

With punters on the front foot in the early Longchamp races, a Minnie Hauk victory would have been the most costly of blows for the layers, with Paddy Power proclaiming the Francis Graffard-trained 12-1 winner Daryz had saved the day.

O'Brien saddled a Group 1 double in the first two races, courtesy of favourite Diamond Necklace (11-10f) in the Prix Marcel Boussac and Puerto Rico (3-1) in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere, and the bookies suffered another bad result when favourite Asfoora (9-4f) won the Prix de l'Abbaye under Oisin Murphy. 

"With O’Brien sweeping the two-year-old races and Asfoora obliging in the Abbaye, the Arc became a one-horse book and Minnie Hauk would have been an awful result," said Paddy Power's Paul Binfield.

Daryz pips Minnie Hauk in the Arc Credit: Anna Kurth (Getty Images)

"We were wiping our brows after she got beaten despite trading short in running and looking the winner a long way out. We finished the day slightly ahead after punters had an awesome start in the first three races.

"Turnover and engagement was comparatively good, with strong UK and Irish representation through the card and plenty of fancied horses drawing interest on what remains one of the best international weekends of the year."

Ladbrokes were similarly on good terms with themselves after racking up serious liabilities on Minnie Hauk on the day and in the ante-post market.

"It was a decent swing for us, albeit Daryz was the Racing Post Spotlight nap, which led to a fair bit of support for him," said the firm's Cal Gildart. "But, all in all, there are no complaints from our end because Minnie Hauk was by far our biggest loser.

"Estrange was well backed all summer – second only to Minnie Hauk ante-post – so her withdrawal calmed a few nerves. Kalpana was another who was more popular with our punters than Sosie or Aventure."

Diamond Necklace gets punters off to a perfect start on Arc dayCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

Although Coral suffered at the hands of one of their concessions in the main race, they reported turnover was good, with ITV Racing's coverage helping drive interest.

"This year's Arc always had a wide-open look to it, so we were hoping for plenty of interest," said Coral's head of PR David Stevens. "That was the case, particularly with ITV covering the big race and some of the supporting card, ensuring turnover was well up to par.

"After Aidan O'Brien won the first two races, Minnie Hauk very much cemented her position as Arc favourite, and so while her defeat to Daryz would ordinarily have been a decent outcome for us, the narrow nature of the result meant our Pipped At The Post offer was activated, so Minnie Hauk backers collected as she was beaten by a head.

"The other results on the card were a mixed bag; the Ballydoyle juvenile winners were popular with punters, as was Asfoora, but Barnavara and Maranoa Charlie were slightly harder to find, helping us claw back some of that Arc payout."

Sky Bet's Michael Shinners added: "Minnie Hauk getting beaten was a huge result. She was popular both in multiples and singles, therefore it was a relief to see her defeated by Daryz.

"The first three Group 1 winners on the card were all well backed, with Asfoora proving very popular. In general, turnover was as expected for such a big weekend of international racing."

Read these next:

'This is the pinnacle' - Daryz camp in dreamland after thrilling Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe success over Minnie Hauk 

Did Christophe Soumillon go too soon on Minnie Hauk in the Arc? 

How Daryz went from unraced in March to a Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe champion 

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