Betfair Official Blog

419-1 Gidam gets race in the Stewards Room

Huge winner on the exchange after punters write off Gidam

The in-running Betfair punters who laid Gidam Gidam all the way out to 419-1 thought they had dodged a bullet when Sheriff Roscoe was announced the short-head winner of the photo in the 1.50pm at Leicester today.

But then the stewards took a closer look at the extraordinary events on the run-in.

When they called an inquiry, Sheriff Roscoe was 8-13 on Betfair to keep the race and Gidam Gidam 13-8. And when the exchange suspended the market prior to the result being announced, Gidam Gidam was still available at 11-8 to get the race.

But he was awarded it, and that finally brought to a halt a rollercoaster in-running betting heat on Betfair, which at one stage saw eventual winner Gidam Gidam offered at 419-1 (£14 matched at that price) when he was headed at halfway and seemingly dropped out of contention.

Portland Bill was backed at 1-14 after jumping the last in front, having seen off the attentions of Flying Falcon, who had been backed at just over evens.

But then Sheriff Roscoe, who had drifted to 64-1 in running at one point, and a rallying Gidam Gidam flashed home together to force a photo-finish.

And before the photo betting had even opened up, the first past-the-post had already traded at 4-9 and Gidam Gidam at 1-5.

Those who thought Jack The Giant would go off a heavy odds-on chance in the 2.20pm at Leicester got a pleasant surprise when he returned the [2.03] winning favourite on Betfair SP in the 2.20pm. The traditional industry SP was 10-11.