'It's not like he fell in a hole or anything' - the horse beaten at 1.01, twice

Betfair's in-running market has seen some huge sums traded and lost after the impossible somehow became reality. In a new series called Room 1.01, we recall some of racing's most expensive defeats.

This week's subject: Minellacelebration

The horse

Minellacelebration had been a stable flagbearer for Katy Price ever since making a successful transition from the pointing sphere to rules races in 2015, following up his four point-to-point wins for the trainer with three hurdling successes and eight victories over fences.

Those chase wins included the valuable Staffordshire Plate at Uttoxeter but not everything had been plain-sailing for Minellacelebration, including on his penultimate hurdling start at Taunton in 2016.

Having recovered from whipping round off a standing start, Minellacelebration, who was the 11-4 favourite, steadily recovered and found himself seven lengths clear at the final flight, with £15,965 traded at odds of 1.01 on Betfair in running. However, the then six-year-old started hanging left under 7lb claimer James Nixon and idled badly, eventually being caught by the Anthony Honeyball-trained Horace Hazel.

Minellacelebration was a beaten favourite, this time at odds-on, just two starts later on his chasing debut at Exeter, again hanging badly to his left. Having shown his aptitude for chasing once reverting to left-handed tracks, with all of his subsequent wins coming on anti-clockwise courses, Minellacelebration was upped in class contesting the Grade 3 Becher Chase in 2019.

Later that season, Minellacelebration was set for his second start after a wind operation in a veterans' chase at Doncaster and was sent off the rank outsider of the field of eight at 12-1, having disappointed in a Kempton handicap the month before.

The race

Ben Poste kept Minellacelebration towards the inner at Doncaster, near the rear of the field, as they went a steady gallop led by Charlie Deutsch aboard Burtons Well. Venetia Williams' representative was to be feared, having taken a similar race that season at Aintree.

Poste began to creep Minellacelebration into a more prominent position down the back straight and they went third entering the home straight with four fences to jump.

Burtons Well was still out in front on the bridle and jumped the fourth-last well, with all jockeys in behind getting to work on their mounts. However, a slow jump at the third-last from the leader allowed Minellacelebration and the staying-on Potters Legend to close.

Watch the dramatic race here

The three were almost in line approaching the second-last fence, but it was Minellacelebration who got away the quickest and he began to pull clear approaching the final fence.

Minellacelebration navigated the final fence safely and although Burtons Well put in a good jump in second, he still had four or five lengths to find. The former looked to have the race in the bag and in-running punters agreed, with £7,681 matched at 1.01.

However, all changed in the last 200 yards as Burtons Well rallied and flew home under Deutsch to pip Minellacelebration by a neck.

Remarkably, it was the second time in four years that the runner-up had traded at 1.01 in running and been beaten.

Minellacelebration looks in command in the veterans' chase at Doncaster after the last

Burtons Well begins to find an extra gear and rapidly reduces Minellacelebration's lead

Those who took 1.01 in running on Minellacelebration are desperate for the line to come

Burtons Well (near) gets up by a neck under Charlie Deutsch to deny Minellacelebration

The in-running comment

Minellacelebration

In touch with leaders, tracked leaders 5 out, made challenge 3 out, pushed along to lead 2 out, ridden and 3 lengths ahead last, no extra final 110yds, headed towards finish

What they say

Tony Ennis, commentator

I didn't remember it straight away but when I watched it back it all came back to me. I do remember just thinking how's this horse got beat because he looked comfortable.

Minellacelebration jumped the last really well and he was a good two and a half lengths ahead on landing. Sometimes you can tell going into the final fence that one horse is tiring and the rally is imminent from the other horse, but I didn't get that impression in that race. If anything, I thought Minella might even go further ahead from the back of the last but it all changed in that last 150 yards.

It didn't look like Burtons Well was going anywhere. All of a sudden, about 25 yards after the last fence, he just began to pick up. It was just like he'd found another leg. Burtons Well stayed on and he collared him.

Commentator Tony Ennis: 'I'm watching this one again and I don't think I actually did anything wrong'

I don't think Minellaceleberation stopped either. I said in commentary he's staying on because he did stay on – it's not like he fell in a hole or anything. It was bizarre.

Occasionally when something goes 1.01 you think 'Oh god, did I almost say it was over?' and that's always in the back of your mind as a commentator, but I'm watching this one again and I don't think I actually did anything wrong. Burtons Well just seemed to find another gear from somewhere at the end of three miles.

It's such a long run-in and it happens so many times on that chase course.

What happened next?

Unlike Burtons Well, who has failed to complete on his only two starts since that day at Doncaster, there were happier memories since for Minellacelebration, who followed up that fine effort with back-to-back big-race triumphs.

Returning to the scene of his Staffordshire Plate win two years prior, Minellacelebration landed his most valuable prize of his career in the Listed Summer Cup at Uttoxeter, this time coming out on the right side off a close finish when beating the Dan Skelton-trained Bandsman by a neck.

Minellacelebration: romped home clear of some talented rivals at Aintree in 2020Credit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

Minellacelebration then followed that effort up with a devastating performance at Aintree to take a first veterans' chase, beating a high-class field by 14 lengths.

With the likes of Cheltenham Festival-winning Don Poli and Vintage Clouds as well as Grade 3 winners Sametegal, Theatre Guide, Perfect Candidate and Scottish National scorer Joe Farrell in behind that day, it unsurprisingly resulted in a career-best RPR of 148.

Also in behind that day was Grand National course specialist Vieux Lion Rouge, who won on Minellacelebration's next start in the Becher Chase when the latter's bad luck was to return, unseating Ben Poste on the flat after the jockey had lost an iron rather than coming to grief tackling one of the National fences.

Minellacelebration unseated again just two fences into his next start in the final of the 2020 veterans' chase series at Sandown, and met the same fate in his first try in the Grand National. However, at the age of 12, Minellacelebration was back in the winner's enclosure for the first time since October 2020 earlier this month, having taken a veterans' chase at Fakenham.

Read more from this series:

Cotai Glory: 'I got absolute howls of abuse walking back in – it was horrific'

Go West Young Man: 'He turned sharp left and over to the far rail – it was a proper handbrake turn'

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