Oscar blow for backers at Cheltenham

Hot favourite Paisley Park floored in Stayers’ Hurdle.

Round three of the annual punters versus bookmakers match-up at Cheltenham saw the scales tilted towards the layers for the second day running with one of the showcase races resulting in a nightmare for backers.

Reigning champion Paisley Park started the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle at 4-6 but, in an incident-packed contest, his supporters knew their fate early in the home straight. Emma Lavelle’s charge was heavily under the pump from Aidan Coleman as the race developed into a boil over for punters.

In a scramble up the final hill, 50-1 long-shot Lisnagar Oscar galloped home from 20-1 chance Ronald Pump with 33-1 outsider Bacardys back in third.

There did not appear to be a single penny for any of the principals, with Paisley Park weakening into seventh, more than 15 lengths adrift of the Rebecca Curtis-trained winner.

Paddy Power conceded it had been a good result and Paul Binfield, spokesman for the firm, said: “Lisnagar Oscar was a totally unconsidered winner of a race we sponsor. And with Paisley Park blowing out it was a very good result for us.

“Faugheen was our best-backed horse of the day in the Marsh Novices’ Chase and the Ryanair was also decent for the book when Min broke his Festival duck.

“But Simply The Betts gave the punters some well-earned cash back into their pockets, a horse we laid it at 33-1 at one stage.

“The bookies have won the last two exchanges of the four-day extravaganza and are slightly up, but Gold Cup day will be the deal clincher.”

Min breaks his Cheltenham duck after battling to win the Ryanair Chase ??

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To a certain extent the punters had the better of things when Min shook off his Cheltenham hoodoo to land the Ryanair Chase, in a battling display in which he fended off Saint Calvados.

The Rich Ricci-owned gelding, returned 2-1, had chased Altior’s shadow on previous visits, but came up the hill under Paul Townend like a horse determined to win.

A substantial ante-post plunge on Simply The Betts came to fruition in the Brown Advisory & Merriebelle Stable Plate. Having been backed at all rates from 16-1 down to 100-30 favourite, he gave Harry Whittington a first Cheltenham Festival winner as he held off Happy Diva.

Betfred revealed that the Stayers’ Hurdle had eliminated losses sustained on Min, Simply The Betts and Daylesford Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle winner Concertista (9-2).

Spokesman Matt Hulmes said: “The Irish once again dominated St Patrick’s Thursday as they sent out five of the seven winners. But Simply The Betts was the day’s best-backed winner.”

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