McCoy to the rescue for bookmakers

Tony McCoy was the bookmakers’ unlikely saviour as the layers were for once pleased to see the 16-times champion jockey win a big race.

His victory on Synchronised in the Betfred Cheltenham Gold Cup may not have been a total surprise, but it prevented a multi-million-pound payout.

Punters plunged their hard-earned cash on last year’s hero Long Run and public favourite Kauto Star, but their money was lost as Synchronised galloped to glory.