Bookies still expect to have bumper week despite lack on-course betting due to the pandemic

Bob Olinger, leading coming over the last, is one horse that bookies Paddy Power don't want to win. (Photo: Racing Post)

Keith Hamer

March 16 2021 02:30 AM

Bookmakers are still priming themselves for a bumper Cheltenham Festival, despite betting shops being closed and the absence of racegoers and on-course betting due to the pandemic. The layers do not expect the current situation will prevent the four days of the meeting from being the biggest in the calendar.

What turnover will be compared to £500m (€538m) throughout Cheltenham week in 2020 is impossible to predict. However, many punters have gone online and with extended television coverage it is still expected to be high. Coral’s David Stevens said:

“Last year 26 of the top 30 races by turnover online for us were Cheltenham races. It is the biggest week of the year for the betting industry and there is no reason it won’t be the same this year.

“The Martin Pipe, the last race of the Festival, was the fourth biggest race of the year for us. It was the second biggest betting race of the entire Cheltenham Festival behind the Gold Cup. Punters know it’s their last chance to have a Festival bet for another 12 months and Friday in particular is different again.

“All seven races on the Friday were in the top 20 last year. Television coverage must also not be underestimated in boosting the popularity of the Festival. We have extra coverage on Virgin Media/ITV this year, most people will still be at home, terrestrial figures should be high.”

The favourites are more evenly spread than in recent years, which could affect how well they are supported.

Stevens added: “We’ve got two warm favourites to start the day – Appreciate It and Shishkin – but beyond that throughout the week there are enough competitive races that any bookmaker will fancy their chances of getting one or two beaten because they don’t always all win.

“There’s a spread of favourites this year. Obviously Willie Mullins has got Chacun Pour Soi and Monkfish, but Nicky Henderson has Shishkin and Henry de Bromhead has Envoi Allen.

“On Friday, we’ve got Al Boum Photo going for a third Gold Cup and the race is wide open.”

Rupert Adams of William Hill is in no doubt it will still be a good Festival.

“We think turnover will be down a small amount. We expect to be down between five and 10pc,” said Adams. “The TV coverage is brilliant so we’re confident it’s going to be a really good meeting, but we are slightly nervous about several horses, all of which are pretty obvious.”

Paddy Power have three horses that would be big losers for them, according to their spokesperson Paul Binfield. “Our three biggest Cheltenham losers are a bit of a mixed bag,” he said.

“On the opening day Goshen is a big loser in the Champion Hurdle, the following day Irish raider Bob Olinger is the one we are afraid of in the Ballymore and we’ve also got a massive loser in one of the handicaps, the Martin Pipe on Friday.

“Galopin Des Champs has been extremely popular with punters.