History made on Betfair as 1.01 shots beaten !!!

History was made on Betfair in a lowly handicap hurdle at Wetherby on Tuesday afternoon. The result looked settled going to the last but in what followed three horses were beaten at 1.01 and the winner Pookie Pekan was backed at 1,000-1.

Betfair's Barry Orr said: "This is a first in our 18-year history. We've had plenty of races where two horses have traded at the basement price of 1.01 and got beaten but never three in one race. And then to see a 1,000 [999-1] winner is nothing short of amazing.

"There was plenty traded at 1.01 and a tenner at 1,000 on the winner. It’s the glorious uncertainty of racing taken to an extreme on what we thought was a quiet Tuesday."

Of previous winners who traded at 1,000, Orr added: "Who can forget AP McCoy remounting Family Business back in 2002 to win having traded at 1,000 or Western Warhorse in the 2014 Arkle, matched at the same price?"

The chain of events at the last was set in motion when leader Northern Girl crumpled a stride after landing over the hurdle, falling in the path of Dulce Panem and Conor O'Farrell who were unable to avoid her and came down.

The favourite Along Came Theo sidestepped the two horses, who both got up and walked away from their falls, and looked all over a lucky winner.

At this point there was £17,389 traded on the 9-4 favourite – to go along with the £4,472 on Northern Girl and £4,431 on Dulce Panem – but 11-1 outsider Pookie Pekan took advantage as the favourite started to tread water and galloped past to secure the unlikeliest of victories by a length and a quarter.

Winning trainer Stuart Coltherd, who also owns the five-year-old, was unaware of the in-running betting drama but said: "We were lucky, but we deserved a bit of luck as it has been that sort of season for us. I've always liked this horse but I've been waiting for better ground for him."

On a crazy day's in-running trading on Betfair there was another 1,000-1 winner within an hour across at Taunton.

Orr added: "There was £34 traded at 1,000-1 on the 10-1 winner Hoo Bally Diva in the 4.50 at Taunton. It looks like the in-running punters were chasing their money after events at Wetherby!"

Johnston runner one of the most expensive in Betfair history

Nice to know that greed and stupidity are still alive and well.

Used to love Betfair, at least they didnt ban or limit me !!!. I see a new exchange called 9wickets is available to SA punters. They offer the same exchange odds as betfair. Anyone using this site or heard anything about it. ???

These companies say they are available, but know fine that you will then have your winnings withheld by South African banks

Thanks Bob, I know the risks & can fund this from overseas accounts. Its just that I really like using betting exchanges. This new exchange looks quite interesting but I really dont understand that you have to deposit & withdraw through an agent & not the company itself. ????

Tony T


you have mail

I see 9wickets is from overseas so not sure how they could be available to us,would be usefull.

Using any bookmaker, whether it's a betting exchange or a standard sportsbook, which your country of residence does not permit its citizens to use, is ill advised and risky in the extreme. Bob has already highlighted one potential problem involving payment of your winnings, but that's only if the bookmaker decides to pay you to begin with. If the bookmaker decides to withhold payment and close your account, what can you do about it? You can't complain to any licensing body or regulator, because they will simply tell you that you shouldn't have opened an account with that bookmaker in the first place. In other words you are completely at the mercy of the bookmaker and have no avenues open to you if they don't treat you fairly. It's not a risk I would be prepared to take no matter how attractive the site in question might appear.