Martin Pipe finale outstrips every race bar Gold Cup on Tote festival turnover

The final race of the Cheltenham Festival attracted more on-course turnover with the Tote than any other contest over the four days apart from the Gold Cup.

The 23-runner Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle, won by 12-1 chance Banbridge, drew just shy of the £544,000 staked on the Gold Cup two hours earlier.

The Triumph Hurdle, the first race on the final day, was the fourth-ranked on Tote turnover, with the Ballymore Novices' Hurdle, Wednesday's opener, third and the first race of the festival, the Supreme Novices' Hurdle, fifth.

In total, on-course Tote turnover across the four days was £10.88 million, a 25 per cent increase on 2020, the last time the meeting was staged with crowds. Together with the off-course element, overall Tote turnover was up 37 per cent on 2020, to £24.3m.

In the run-up to Friday’s Gold Cup, won by 3-1 favourite A Plus Tard, the Tote was processing 950 bets per minute, with fourth-placed Galvin the best-backed horse.

Nigel Roddis, managing director of on-course operators Britbet, said: "It's no surprise the Martin Pipe was well up there as regards turnover as there had been a number of winning favourites that day and people often play up their winnings.

"The number of win bets increased significantly, as did the number of larger bets. Our Tote Guarantee offering meant we returned more than £400,000 back to winning customers than the raw dividend, and that would have helped with recycling of winnings."

Across the four days, around 44,000 Placepots were staked, although the shortage of shock results meant the dividends did not reach headline levels – the largest being £149.80 on the Thursday.

The Jackpot was won on Tuesday and Friday. The Friday dividend was £8,796, with one on-course customer winning £17,592 from a £128 bet – 64 x £2 lines with two horses selected in each race.

Tote chief executive Alex Frost said: "The pool betting model allows the Tote to always welcome winning customers, which along with an overround of 111 per cent, versus the bookmakers' 121 per cent, made the Tote the most competitive place to bet across the four days."

Read this next:

'We really don't know where the ceiling is with her – that's the exciting part'

The Front Runner is our latest email newsletter available exclusively to Members' Club Ultimate subscribers. Chris Cook, a four-time Racing Reporter of the Year award winner, provides his take on the day's biggest stories and tips for the upcoming racing every morning from Monday to Friday