Bookmakers endured mixed fortunes on the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival, as Britain posted a 4-3 lead over runners from Ireland.
Ladbrokes and William Hill were particularly hard hit after Honeysuckle, Constitution Hill and Edwardstone gave punters a head start.
Wins by Constitution Hill (9-4 joint-favourite) in the opening Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and for Edwardstone (5-2 favourite) in the following Sporting Life Arkle Trophy gave backers a spring in their step.
And when Honeysuckle (8-11 favourite) recorded back-to-back wins in the Unibet Champion Hurdle, it was the punters who were celebrating.
Ladbrokes saw a lot of multiplies with those three horses, describing it as a terrible result.
Ladbrokes’s Nicola McGeady said: “We have started the week on the back foot as punters took us to the cleaners on day one of the Festival. Constitution Hill was the worst result in the book, followed by Edwardstone, and Honeysuckle. To make matters worse we saw a lot of multiples on those three horses. Gaelic Warrior’s defeat in the Boodles Juvenile Hurdle was a real saving grace.”
Results did improve for the bookies with 18-1 shot Marie’s Rock giving Constitution Hill’s trainer Nicky Henderson a double in the Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle and Brazil (10-1) foiling a gamble on 13-8 favourite Gaelic Warrior to win the Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle.
The latter’s trainer Willie Mullins did get on the scoreboard when the Ukraine Appeal National Hunt Challenge Cup Amateur Jockeys’ Novices’ Chase went the way Stattler (2-1) as Ireland reduced the deficit on their British counterparts in the race for the Prestbury Cup.
Tony Kenny of William Hill said: “There’s no getting away from it, we’re firmly behind after the opening salvo of this year’s Cheltenham Festival.
“Constitution Hill, Edwardstone and Honeysuckle were all bad results individually and of course there were plenty of trebles involving all three which worsened the blow.
“Despite her price of 18-1, Marie’s Rock was one of the best-backed outsiders in an open Mares’ Hurdle, so the subsequent photo-finish defeat of Gaelic Warrior in the Boodles was much-needed.”
For Coral, it was a case of honours shared, with their spokesperson David Stevens saying: “It was a mixed bag of results from our point of view on day one of this year’s Festival, with punters enjoying a great start thanks to Constitution Hill and Edwardstone, while Honeysuckle is as reliable as a cash machine when it comes to paying her supporters.
“Those three results were all costly for us, but the Ultima and Mares’ Hurdle were more favourable, and Gaelic Warrior’s defeat in the Boodles means we can’t have too many complaints about the day as a whole.”
Paddy Power bucked the trend by ending the day slightly in front.
“Sometimes in life miracles do occur and despite Constitution Hill, Edwardstone and the brilliant mare Honeysuckle winning three of the first four races at very short prices, we won on the day,” said representative Paul Binfield.
“Edwardstone was a particularly bad result, but Brazil beating the furiously-backed Gaelic Warrior meant that we’ve nudged ahead, although there’s still plenty of time for punters to strike back.”
