Betfair history made after three horses beaten at 1.01 in one race

History was made on Betfair in a lowly handicap hurdle at Wetherby on Tuesday afternoon. The result looked settled going to the last but in what followed three horses were beaten at 1.01 and the winner Pookie Pekan was backed at 1,000-1.

Betfair's Barry Orr said: "This is a first in our 18-year history. We've had plenty of races where two horses have traded at the basement price of 1.01 and got beaten but never three in one race. And then to see a 1,000 [999-1] winner is nothing short of amazing.

"There was plenty traded at 1.01 and a tenner at 1,000 on the winner. It’s the glorious uncertainty of racing taken to an extreme on what we thought was a quiet Tuesday."

Of previous winners who traded at 1,000, Orr added: "Who can forget AP McCoy remounting Family Business back in 2002 to win having traded at 1,000 or Western Warhorse in the 2014 Arkle, matched at the same price?"

The chain of events at the last was set in motion when leader Northern Girl crumpled a stride after landing over the hurdle, falling in the path of Dulce Panem and Conor O'Farrell who were unable to avoid her and came down.

The favourite Along Came Theo sidestepped the two horses, who both got up and walked away from their falls, and looked all over a lucky winner.

At this point there was £17,389 traded on the 9-4 favourite – to go along with the £4,472 on Northern Girl and £4,431 on Dulce Panem – but 11-1 outsider Pookie Pekan took advantage as the favourite started to tread water and galloped past to secure the unlikeliest of victories by a length and a quarter.

Winning trainer Stuart Coltherd, who also owns the five-year-old, was unaware of the in-running betting drama but said: "We were lucky, but we deserved a bit of luck as it has been that sort of season for us. I've always liked this horse but I've been waiting for better ground for him."

On a crazy day's in-running trading on Betfair there was another 1,000-1 winner within an hour across at Taunton.

Orr added: "There was £34 traded at 1,000-1 on the 10-1 winner Hoo Bally Diva in the 4.50 at Taunton. It looks like the in-running punters were chasing their money after events at Wetherby!"

Johnston runner one of the most expensive in Betfair history

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