'I've been thrown under the bus' - trainer remains puzzled as gamble falls flat

Trainer David Jeffreys says he feels like he "has been thrown under a bus" after a gamble on his five runners across three of Monday's cards ended in ignominious fashion.

Overnight market moves for Jeffreys' string saw their odds shorten significantly and had one bookmaker contemplating a seven-figure payout.

However, the gamble got off to a less-than-ideal start when Notnow Seamus, who was backed into 6-4 (from 20-1) before going off at 4-1, was pulled up a long way from home in the 2m handicap chase at Southwell.

Prices began to drift after that early blow and Perfect Predator was well beaten at 10-1 in the 2m handicap hurdle at the same track, having shortened to 11-10 (from 12) at one stage.

Monday's results, replays and analysis

Two of Jeffreys' string were set to compete in the same race at Kelso until The Gold Bug was declared a non-runner late on due to the ground, leaving Getaman to fly the stable flag as the 5-4 favourite (from 12).

Tom Bellamy had replaced Brendan Powell on Getaman after The Gold Bug's withdrawal but despite travelling fluently for much of the way, the pair quickly weakened on the turn for home and eventually finished last of the ten runners.

The last of the stable's runners Blood Eagle went off a 9-2 shot in Plumpton's closing 2m handicap hurdle, having been backed into as short as 13-8 (from 50) at one point. He ran the best of the four when finishing third behind Darkest Day.

None of the five had finished placed in their previous runs for Jeffreys, who watched the action from Kelso and remained nonplussed over the course of events when speaking to the Racing Post following the conclusion of racing.

David Jeffreys (left): 'The first two probably ran like their prices were the night before'Credit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

He said: "I feel like I've been thrown under the bus a bit to be honest by some people backing my horses the night before, but that's the punting game.

"The first two at Southwell probably ran like their prices were the night before. The ground up here at Kelso is a bit quick and rough and I thought it was a bit much for The Gold Bug.

"Getaman took his chance and he ran well before he got tired, as he would seeing as he hadn't run for 447 days. Blood Eagle ran really well and hopefully he can improve from that."

He added: "It's crazy, I've got absolutely no idea [where it came from]. When they're at those prices I presume the liabilities become very big very quickly. It's back to the drawing board and I even said this morning that it's a nightmare to train some of them."

'A very odd story for a Monday'

Sky Bet said they had been facing a "seven-figure payout" after liabilities built up on multiple bets as the Gloucestershire trainer sent out his biggest team on a single day, although it led to speculation that markets were being manipulated by punters cashing out when the prices crashed. However, Sky Bet said they closed that facility once the gamble became apparent.

Sky Bet spokesman Michael Shinners said: "It's been a very odd story for a Monday morning. When you have horses at those initial prices it doesn't take much for liabilities from multiples like that to add up. Through the night we did take away the facility for cash-out on that particular multiple.

"It wouldn't have cleaned us out but it's quite interesting. I don't think we'll ever find out for sure what caused it. We really don't know where this has come from."

The runners

Notnow Seamus (1.00 Southwell) 6-4 (from 20)
Form figures for trainer: P5
Owner: George Houghton
Jockey: Kielan Woods
SP: 4-1
Finishing position: PU

Perfect Predator (2.03 Southwell) 6-5 (from 12)
Form figures for trainer: 9909
Owner: George Houghton
Jockey: Kielan Woods
SP: 10-1
Finishing position: 9th

Getaman (3.40 Kelso) 5-4 (from 12)
Form figures for trainer: 008
Owner: Mrs Simon Landale
Jockey: Tom Bellamy
SP: 5-4
Finishing position: 10th

The Gold Bug (3.40 Kelso) 4-1 (from 8)
Form figures for trainer: 80P
Owner: Mrs H Fleming
Jockey: Tom Bellamy
Non-runner

Blood Eagle (4.20 Plumpton) 6-4 (from 50)
Form figures for trainer: P000
Owner: Mark E Smith
Jockey: Richie McLernon
SP: 9-2
Finishing position: 3rd

It was the first time Jeffreys had sent out that many runners on a single day, with his previous highest number three on six occasions.

He rents a yard at Stow-on-the-Wold and was at Kelso to watch his two runners there.

"Kelso is my home track, my uncle Johnny Jeffreys was chairman and my other uncle Richard Landale was managing director, and I love coming up here," he said.

The 35-year-old, who has had stints as assistant trainer for Rose Dobbin, Charlie Mann and Charlie Longsdon, started out on his own in May 2019 and has had 18 winners over jumps and three on the Flat.

Jeffreys' record when sending out three runners on a day

27 Sep 2019 P,2,F
31 Dec 2019 11,8,P
14 Jul 2020 F,6,3
16 Sep 2020 10,1,8
13 Nov 2020 14,7,15
14 Jan 2021 9,6,P

Last month, bookmakers escaped what they estimated would have been a multi-million pound payout after the final leg of a gambled-on big-priced treble went down at Musselburgh.

Read more betting-related stories:

Bookies spared massive payout as third leg of gamble is beaten at Musselburgh

€578,000 and £152,000 payouts as Minella Indo seals acca heaven for two punters

Punter wins £250,000 after cashing out amazing £5 acca involving Envoi Allen

That gamble involved horses at two different tracks, Southwell and Musselburgh, and horses from three different trainers, Laura Morgan, Iain Jardine and Daragh Bourke.

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