Bookies’ largesse to be admired
It centred on the last race at Kempton, the bumper. This was a contest in which there was really strong word for two horses, Paul Nicholls’ King’s Legacy and Nicky Henderson’s Bellvano.
King’s Legacy was backed from 11-8 to 6-5, while Bellvano touched 11-8 from 13-8, before lodging at 6-4.
It was 8-1 bar the two and 16-1 bar three. To put it simply it was a match and only if the front pair in the market got turned over had the layers any hope of reaping a dividend.
Ruby Walsh was aboard King’s Legacy and J P Magnier on Bellvano and it has been well documented at this stage that Magnier was facing in the wrong direction when the starter let them go.
Bellvano took no part and, as Magnier cantered his mount past the stands, he was met by what the Racing Post described as “a chorus of boos” from punters.
Such a reaction was perfectly understandable. There is nothing worse in racing than doing your dough without even getting a run.
But here’s the beautiful part of the story, if you had backed Bellvano with Paddy Power or Boylesports you got your money back.
I was actually in a Paddy Power office at the time and thought it was an extraordinarily philanthropic decision.
We know bookmakers are constantly seeking a PR angle, but this was a bit more than that. When Bellvano failed to start, two things happened in the Paddy Power office.
The first was the venom tossed in the direction of the unfortunate Magnier, which was quickly replaced by murmurings the firm might actually return the money on Bellvano.
Presumably, the thinking was the same in practically all Paddy Power and Boylesports shops around the country.
As the contest began to develop, and King’s Legacy went to the front with a full ten furlongs to cover, the cynic within one began to surface and you had to think there was no possibility of any return for those who had invested on Bellvano.
Totally wrong. They hadn’t gone too far beyond half way when the voice boomed out over the Paddy Power tannoy system telling punters they had no worries and all the money on Bellvano was to be returned. I’m told Boylesports acted with equal haste.
King’s Legacy, of course, duly won the race and now these two layers were facing a double whammy.
In the office I was in a couple of questions and a quick calculation told me Bellvano clients were going to get back in excess of e2,000.
And the overall cost? Well, Paddy Power says his company gave back e72,000, while Leon Blanche of Boylesports put their figure at e40,000. Do you know something, I believe them.
In the greater scheme of things, you might argue they are not huge amounts of money. But that’s hardly the point and they had to pay out substantially, you suspect, on King’s Legacy as well.
The bottom line is they gave back chunks of cash to punters in the middle of a global recession and the biggest National recession in the history of the state. It had to leave a sweet taste in the mouths of those who gained from such largesse.
There is something admirable about any company which has the capacity to behave in such a manner and then has the grace and style to do so.
Maybe, the government could do worse than hand over those banks to Paddy Power and Boylesports.
Then, perhaps, buzz words, such as toxic debt, nationalisation and recapitalisation, might just disappear! Ah, such dreams!
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THOSE pre-Cheltenham Festival preview nights are in full swing now and one of the best of them, the Cashmans’ bookmakers-sponsored evening, takes place at Silversprings Hotel on Monday next at 8.00.
Des Scahill, as usual, will be in the chair and will be joined by Ruby Walsh, Davy Russell, Oliver Brady, Seamus Durack, well-known English proferssional punter, Dave Nevison, as well as Paul Cashman and myself.
Looking at that line-up, I have a feeling it won’t be a night for shrinking violets! Hopefully, we’ll get the odd word in and where else would you get the possibility of such rich entertainment for just €10.00?
