the owner of Iceo and Cambo had £2,000 e/w on both and a £500 double, well done him, says he has ante-post bets on his runners at Cheltenham next week but they won't let him access the accounts.
the owner of Iceo and Cambo had £2,000 e/w on both and a £500 double, well done him, says he has ante-post bets on his runners at Cheltenham next week but they won't let him access the accounts.
Iceo owner wins tens of thousands in bets but bookies have blocked access to his Cheltenham punts
To slightly bastardise the advertising line used by a certain bookmaker, it sometimes matters more when there's money on it. This can even apply after you have seen two of your horses win the afternoon's most valuable races.
For Chris Giles, this was a spectacular Cheltenham aperitif. Not only were his colours twice carried to victory at Sandown, he also backed both horses individually and in doubles, delivering a punting haul that amounted to tens of thousands of pounds. With three high-class animals running next week, Giles could enjoy a few more big-money payouts. The unfortunate caveat to that is, as a result of bookmaker-imposed financial checks, he might not be able to access any festival winnings.
When still celebrating the success of Crambo – a horse he shares with Jared Sullivan – in the EBF Final, the owner of Paul Nicholls-trained Cheltenham hopefuls Greaneteen, Il Ridoto and Stay Away Fay saw Iceo, another member of Team Ditcheat, power clear in the Betfair Imperial Cup. Although 9-1 on Friday evening, Harry Cobden's mount was sent off at 5-1, so plenty of people clearly backed him. To his credit, Giles was perfectly willing to make clear he was one of them.
"This sort of thing rarely happens," he said. "The last time I had a day like this was when Oldgrangewood won at Cheltenham in 2020. Most of the time I just give the money back to the bookies bit by bit.
"I've had at least £1,500 to £2,000 each-way on both today's horses and then maybe £500 in doubles. I can't now lose next week. At the moment I have £2,500 or £3,000 each-way on Greaneteen and Stay Away Fay, but I've done that over time. I don't have the courage to do it in one go but it does all add up."
It certainly added up at Sandown, with the SP Crambo-Iceo double paying out at 50-1. Given Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase outsider Greaneteen and Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle candidate Stay Away Fay are 33-1 and 20-1, Giles could again have more than just prize-money to bank next week – yet how easy it will be for him to be paid out any punting profits remains to be seen.
"I've been reading all the stuff the Racing Post has been doing on the checks, and I don't mind telling you a couple of firms have been very difficult with me," said Giles. "I've got those ante-post bets for next week but they won't let me access the accounts. It has been terrible.
"One of the firms asked me for financial documents just after I'd had a couple of winners, so it was the timing I didn't like. I know they are making money out of me, but after I won three or four grand they suddenly got difficult. That felt like strange timing."
The timing also felt odd to a Dublin-based Sandown racegoer, 76-year-old business owner Ken Burgess, who was this week asked by a bookmaker to undergo affordability checks despite having held an account with the organisation for decades. He complied, supplied the requested information and was given the green light to continue after two days. Had the algorithms instead kicked in on Tuesday, Burgess might have had his Cheltenham punting made much more complicated.
Iceo owner wins tens of thousands in bets but bookies have blocked access to his Cheltenham puntsTo slightly bastardise the advertising line used by a certain bookmaker, it sometimes matters more when there's money on it. This can even apply after yo