‘EMBARRASSED’ Paul Nicholls was left eating his words after saying his 50-1 horse had absolutely no chance of winning.
The Ditcheat trainer was talking to Betfair’s Barry Orr about last Sunday’s Royal Ascot Racing Club Juvenile Handicap Hurdle at the Berkshire track.
GettyNicholls said Blueking D’Oroux, left, had absolutely no chance at 50-1 – only for the horse to romp home at Ascot[/caption]
Nicholls was absolutely certain Blueking D’Oroux had ‘no chance’ of winning the 2m contest worth just over £20,000 to the victor.
And he said stablemate Afadil, ridden by the yard’s No1 jockey Harry Cobden, was a much safer bet.
The odds looked to reflect that, with Blueking D’Oroux sent off a whopping 50-1 for the Class 2 contest.
Afadil, by contrast, jumped off 15-2 behind 5-1 fav Arclight.
Speaking before the race, Nicholls said: “Blueking D’Oroux, top weight, how he’s got a mark of 127 is totally and utterly beyond me.
“He wouldn’t be within a street of Afadil but the handicapper has given him 127 even though he’s run ordinary for us.
OFFERS OF THE DAY
William Hill: Bet £10 Get £40 in Free Bets – CLAIM HERE
Betfair: Bet £10 Get £30 – CLAIM HERE
Paddy Power: Bet £20 and get it back as Cash if it Loses – CLAIM HERE
Coral: Bet £5 Get £20 – CLAIM HERE
Sky Bet: Bet £10 Get £30 in Free Horse Racing Bets – CLAIM HERE
William Hill – 18+. Play Safe. When you sign-up via Mobile using promo code N40 and place a bet of £10/€10 or more we will give you 4x £10/€10 free bets credited after settlement of first qualifying bet, free bets will expire 30 days after the qualifying bet is placed, payment method/player/country restrictions apply. begambleaware.org
Betfair – Place a min £10 bet on the Sportsbook on odds of min 1/2 (1.5), get £30 in Free Bets. Rewards valid for 30 days. SMS verification required. Only deposits via cards will qualify. T&Cs apply. Please Gamble Responsibly 18+ begambleaware.org
Paddy Power: New customers only. Place your FIRST bet on any market at odds of min 2.0 (EVS) and if it loses we will refund your stake in CASH. Max refund for this offer is £20. Only deposits made using cards will qualify for this promotion. T&Cs apply. 18+ Begambleaware.org
Coral: Eligible UK+IRE players. Paypal & some deposit & bet types excl. Min first £5 bet within 14 days of account reg at min odds 1/2 = 4x £5 free bets. Free bets valid for 7 days, stake not returned. No cash-out, restrictions & T&Cs apply. 18+ T&Cs Apply. Begambleaware.org
Sky Bet: NEW CUSTOMERS ONLY. FIRST SINGLE & E/W BET ONLY ODDS OF 1/1 OR GREATER. 3 X £10 BET TOKENS. FREE BET STAKES NOT INCLUDED IN RETURNS. FREE BETS ONLY REDEEMABLE ON HORSE RACING. FREE BETS ARE NON WITHDRAWABLE. NO FREE BET EXPIRY. ELIGIBILITY RESTRICTIONS AND FURTHER T&CS APPLY. 18+ Begambleaware.org
“Basically, he’s got no chance off that mark.
“He needs to come to a more realistic mark and get some experience into him for next season.”
Racing can make a fool out of anyone though and Nicholls was forced to eat his words and 5lb claimer Angus Cheleda bounded up the hill on the four-year-old gelding.
Amazingly, he finished two lengths ahead of Afadil – completing a bonkers 1-2 for Nicholls.
Speaking to Betfair on Monday, a sheepish Nicholls admitted: “Talk about embarrassing after my update on Friday when I said Blueking D’Oroux had no chance of beating Afadil!
“It just shows what a wind op can do for a horse.
“He galloped beautifully, was strong to the line and we’re very pleased with that.
“It just shows as much as we think we know you can never be sure – or how much a wind op can bring on a horse!”
Winning owner Johnny de la Hey said: “To be honest, we thought he was badly handicapped off 127 but I didn’t think he was a 50-1 shot. That was quite crazy.”
FREE BETS GET OVER £2,000 IN SIGN UP OFFERS HERECommercial content notice: Taking one of the bookmaker offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. 18+. T&Cs apply. Begambleaware.org
Remember to gamble responsibly
A responsible gambler is someone who:
Establishes time and monetary limits before playingOnly gambles with money they can afford to loseNever chases their lossesDoesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressedGamcare – www.gamcare.org.ukGamble Aware – www.begambleaware.org Read More