Ruby to the rescue as punters survive Fly demise

Bookmakers reported honours to be even after the opening day of the festival.

The defeat of Hurricane Fly in the Champion Hurdle looked to have swung the balance firmly back in the layers’ favour but Ruby Walsh’s Quevega duly delivered in the OLBG Mares Hurdle. With Sprinter Sacre successful earlier and Alfie Sherrin and Balthazar King both well supported, punters were still holding some folding at the close of play.

The big-hitters came out to play too, a Ladbrokes punter staking £110,000 to win £100,000 on Sprinter Sacre while William Hill reported a cash bet of £200,000 on Quevega at 4-6 in one of their shops in the south-west of England. Hurricane Fly attracted several cash bets of £30,000 and £20,000 on course — as well as appearing in every accumulator across Ireland and England — and David Williams of Ladbrokes was a relieved man after seeing the champion dethroned. “We half expected to see Steve McQueen leading Rock On Ruby into the Winners’ Enclosure. It really was the Great Escape for us,” he smiled.