Cheltenham Festival Betting News
Tuesday 12th - Friday 15th March 2024

Punters Leave Cheltenham Festival Bookmakers Reeling

Galopin Des Champs secured a brilliant Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup double, leaving bookmakers nursing their wounds. Willie Mullins’ defending champion, sent off as the well-backed 10-11 favorite, barely caused any concern for supporters as he stormed to back-to-back triumphs in the prestigious race.

Over the four days of the festival, three out of the four feature-race favourites delivered, adding to the bookmakers’ woes. Although there was a momentary respite when El Fabiolo faltered in the Champion Chase on day two, Galopin Des Champs’ victory compounded the misery inflicted by State Man and Teahupoo earlier in the week.

Coral’s David Stevens remarked, “When the Festival’s leading trainer Willie Mullins and jockey Paul Townend team up on the reigning Gold Cup champion and hot favorite, victory for the combination is never anything other than bad news for the bookmakers.”

Despite the challenges, BoyleSports took another hit on the Gold Cup, while BetVictor managed to escape relatively unscathed.

Sam Boswell of the firm explained: “After a bruising day one and day two – which could have been much worse if El Fabiolo had obliged for the many multiple bets – days three and four proved fruitful for the bookmakers with only Galopin Des Champs being a significant negative result. 

“It is safe to say both bookmakers and punters had lots of fun at this year’s Festival and it is more or less honours even, perhaps a small win for the punters, over the last four days.”

Paddy Power’s Paul Binfield echoed those sentiments adding: “El Fabiolo’s unfortunate defeat in the Queen Mother was the turning point of the week.

“It went downhill from there for punters and the books have come out on top after a rather worrying start.”