The ‘worst losing bet EVER’? Bookies dish out refunds after heavy favourite horse suddenly crashes into the railings when a dead cert to win and four lengths clear
- The two-year-old Green Triangle was heavily backed and was the favourite at odds of 11/10
- The punters looked to be in the money as he quickly sprinted to the lead of the pack with a four length lead
- Hope was dashed when a final crack of the whip sent the foal running through the gate
There were dramatic scenes during the second race on Wednesday at Killarney as favourite Green Triangle crashed through the gate.
The two-year-old galloped to victory in a time of 17.20, well ahead of the rest of the pack when they overshot the hurdle at the end of the race and lost the win.
The colt, trained by Joseph O’Brien, was sent off at odds of 11/10 and was rated at 1.01 on the Betfair Exchange, with punters looking set to cash as the final 50 yards of the race approached.
He had kept pace with the rest of the race early in the race and was on course for victory at the 2 furlong mark until an incident occurred a few yards from the finish.
Both the horse and rider, Wayne Hassett, reportedly escaped unharmed.
Chaos broke out in Killarney on Wednesday as hot favourite Green Triangle stormed through the gates of victory
The two-year-old started with an 11-10 lead and was four lengths ahead when things went horribly wrong
It is believed that jocket Wayne Hamsett used his whip for the last time, startling the horse
It was the fourth start for Green Triangle, who had won his first race at Roscommon just over a week ago. At the time of the incident he was four lengths ahead.
As Hassett reached for his whip for the last time, the horse moved to the left and crashed through the rail. Earlier in the race, he had made the same move, forcing Hassett to straighten up.
This meant that Lambourn (6/1) crossed the line first to take the win, followed by J’Adore Chris (100/30) in second place and Cap Saint Martin (10/1) in third place.
Bookmakers Paddy Power and Betfair refunded all single bets on the horse in the form of a free bet.
Iconic Racing TV commentator Jerry Hannon could hardly believe his eyes at the commentary, declaring: ‘What a tragedy. Lambourn got it on a silver platter. A stunning finish.’
The channel’s footage showed the white cave being destroyed after the events.
The horse was on his way to victory, and Racing TV commentator Jerry Hannon couldn’t believe it
Paddy Power and Betfair refunded money as punters were shocked by what happened
Paddy Power posted on X, formerly Twitter, after the events: ‘We have refunded (as a free bet) all singles on Green Triangle in the 17.20 Killarney after he retired on the home straight. Singles only. Refunded as free bets. No max stake.’
However, some fans expressed their frustration on the platform. One wrote: “Why is he using the whip when he’s 6 lengths ahead?”, accompanied by an emoji of a palm on his face.
Another added: ‘A pathetic course, as unreliable as it gets.’
Other fans have called on other bookmakers to follow the example of Paddy Power and Betfair and refund money.