JP McManus celebrates birthday with day one double
Lossiemouth was the toast of racegoers on day one at the Cheltenham Festival as bookmakers were left licking their wounds after a popular victory for punters in the Champion Hurdle.
Willie Mullins’ super mare was cheered into the winners’ enclosure following a comprehensive victory in the day one spectacle, providing relief for punters after they had watched some unfancied horses cross the line to boost the books for the oddsmakers.
Favourite backers at the Festival were off to a fine start in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle when Old Park Star obliged for trainer Nicky Henderson, but the threat of a bloodbath for the bookies subsided when the well-fancied Kopek Des Bordes was upstaged by stablemate Kargese in The Arkle, downing numerous accumulators in the process.
Popular owner JP McManus celebrated his birthday with two victories, and trainer Dan Skelton’s winning favourite Madara was well backed, but other SPs of 18/1 and 12/1 capped a mixed day overall for punters as the four-day bonanza kicked off.
Lawrence Lyons, spokesperson for BOYLE Sports, said:
“It had all the makings of a bruising opening day for bookmakers, and we were under pressure from the get-go, even before Lossiemouth stung us in the big race of the day. But a few other results, including Kargese winning the Arkle, helped us swerve some nightmare payouts, and it's all to play for over the coming days.”
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