From 250-1 no-hoper to 13-8 winner: small stable in flying form as well-gambled runners have mixed fortunes at Wolverhampton
Plus: photo-finish scrutiny intensifies after verdict sparks debate
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Chelsea Banham landed a 17-1 double at Wolverhampton on Tuesday evening after her stable's runners received market support throughout the day.
The first success came in the 5f classified stakes, where Fuseboard powered home by three and a half lengths. Her final runner of the day, Walking On Clouds, completed the double with a determined three-quarter-length victory in the 6f handicap.
Despite having sent out only 13 runners in 2026, Banham's four on Tuesday, all owned by Power Geneva (Equine) Ltd and ridden by Joey Haynes, attracted market support in the earlier parts of the day before mixed movements in the evening.
Fuseboard had been sent off at 250-1 on his first four starts over the winter, beaten at least 12 lengths on each occasion. He was gelded in January and finished fourth at Lingfield last month at 66-1.
However, he was backed into 13-8 favourite (from 3) on his fifth start and made all to win comfortably under Haynes.
Walking On Clouds, who won two starts ago, opened at 11-2 and was backed into 100-30 before drifting to 6-1 at the off.
Not everything went to plan, however. Power Cut was the day's biggest gamble, being backed into the 5-2 joint-favourite (from 11) for the 6f handicap, but could manage only eighth, while Cephalus weakened in the betting before finishing a well-beaten tenth in the 1m½f handicap.
Asked about the market support for her runners, Banham told Sky Sports Racing: "I'm not sure why. I think maybe it was a bit of a snowball effect. Obviously, with the others being beaten, Walking On Clouds drifted back out to what was probably a fair price."
The stable has enjoyed a productive spell, recording three winners from just six runners this month.
"They're running well. We've obviously not got loads in, so what's running is running really well," Banham added.
With no immediate runners planned, Banham admitted the forecast heatwave had influenced her plans.
She said: "I wouldn't have entered anything in this heat anyway. It was hot enough coming down here today, so we'll pick up with some more runners again next week.
"Not everyone does, but I take the heat into account. When they're travelling down here, like a couple of ours today, it's seriously hot. They get off the box and some of them have almost run their race before they've even started."
Photo-finish controversy
Photo-finishes have been under the spotlight after James Owen expressed his dissatisfaction with the verdict that saw his runner Magnitude finish second in a £100,000 handicap at Newmarket on Saturday.
At Wolverhampton a photo-finish was required to separate the Ed Bethell-trained Rogue Invincible and the George Boughey-trained 5-4 favourite Asuka in the 7f novice.
After more than ten minutes of deliberation, the race was awarded to Rogue Invincible, who was ridden by Luke Morris.
Afterwards, Sky Sports Racing broadcast the photo-finish image which was also widely shared on social media, with many asking why the race had not been declared a dead-heat. The image appeared almost impossible to distinguish two separate lines between the horses.
Owen revealed that the original photo-finish image he saw at Newmarket differed from the one he was later shown in the stewards' room, raising the possibility that a similar situation could have occurred at Wolverhampton.
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