THIS Cheltenham Festival punter looked to have the mother of all bet slips one month out from racing’s greatest meeting.
From a measly 50p each way stake, he was dreaming of pocketing a whopping £7,425.48.
This punter’s bet looks an absolute touch – but can you spot the heartbreaking error?
Go through it now looking at the horse’s names and even a casual follower would know they were onto a cracker.
Indeed, the chances of it coming in were a staggering 14,800-1.
Chuck in the fact they backed current 5-4 Brown Advisory fav Gerri Colombe at 12-1 and it looked like the punter had snaffled ultimate value.
But delve a little deeper and it’s clear to see this slip is perhaps the best example there is of the perils of ante-post punting.
Yes, there is the 8-1 on Mighty Potter in the Turners – the horse is now 11-8.
And yes, there is the brilliant 5-4 about Constitution Hill in the Champion Hurdle – the horse is now a miserly 4-11.
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But unfortunately the whole thing falls down around Shishkin.
After flopping in last year’s Champion Chase, punters piled into him for this year’s renewal, certain he would bounce back from his ‘rare’ bone condition.
But the horse’s deterioration has been so rapid since then that trainer Nicky Henderson did not even enter him in this year’s race.
So despite all the amazing predictions in the other contests – four of the other five horses are favourites – the bet is a loser.
It goes to show that with ante-post betting you can be so close, yet still so far.
Shishkin goes on a recovery mission at Ascot this weekend, upped in trip for the Betfair Chase.
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He will then likely go for the 2m4f Ryanair at the Festival – where he has been backed since fav Allaho was ruled out.
Speaking of his star chaser’s immediate future, Henderson said: “Shishkin has been racing as though he wants further to my eye.
“I hope I’m right, otherwise I’m going to be doing an awful lot more supplementing. I’ve got plenty to do as it is thank you very much!
“Shishkin is also in the Cheltenham Gold Cup but I wouldn’t have thought he’d go for that.”
This punter could not be more different to another Sun Racing told you about – who is sitting on a potential £47,000 goldmine thanks to their shrewd ante-post punting.
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