History was made at Exeter Racecourse yesterday when 300-1 outsider Blowers powered through the mud to land the pricedup.bet Maiden Hurdle, becoming the longest-priced winner in British horse racing history.
Ridden by Cornishman James Best, trained by Nigel Hawke at Tiverton, and bred by his owner Robert Pudd from Taunton, the five-year-old gelding rewrote the record books by surpassing the previous 250-1 mark held by Equinoctial since 1990. The victory came in sodden conditions, with driving rain and heavy ground eventually forcing officials to abandon the meeting after five races.
But it was another landmark for the Devon track, which has had many, including back in March 2011, when Steve Whiteley, a heating engineer from Devon, made betting history when his modest £2 bet on the Tote Jackpot netted him a a record-breaking £1.45 million, the largest in the history of that bet at the time.
Making all the running, Blowers showed remarkable stamina to fend off the 5-4 favourite On The Bayou by three-quarters of a length. Named after legendary cricket commentator Henry Blofeld, the gelding relished the testing ground and maintained a relentless gallop throughout.
The win was a proud moment for the strong Cornish connection between jockey and trainer with both hailing from the county. Best was a late replacement after regular rider Ella Herbison was stuck in Ireland, but quickly struck up an effective partnership with the horse.
Nigel Hawke said: “I have to big Bestie up as a fellow Cornishman. Blowers is a proper National Hunt horse, and just the type Bestie excels on. I think 300-1 was a bit ridiculous to be fair. He ran three weeks ago at Chepstow and was just too keen, and that was only his second run. We took a punt today. It might not have worked, but the soaking wet ground meant they went slow. Once he was in front, he relaxed and kept galloping. He’s as big and strong a horse as I’ve ever trained.”
Best was equally impressed with the gelding’s performance. “It was a pleasure to ride him. He was lovely in my hand and didn’t get lit up even with horses right behind me. He was nice and relaxed. As he gets older and more mature, he might even let others take the lead.”
Blowers was bred by his owner Robert Pudd, who admitted the result came as a complete surprise. “I am overwhelmed. I didn’t expect that today. There was a change of jockey at the 11th hour when Ella Herbison couldn’t get back from Dublin. She rang James and asked if he would ride him.”
The Pudd family are no strangers to success in racing, with Robert’s wife Tigger Day a permit holder who has trained several point-to-point winners.
There were other notable winners before racing was abandoned. Isaac Des Obeaux, trained by Paul Nicholls, claimed the Christmas Cup, the inaugural running of the race, winning the three-mile handicap chase by five lengths under top weight. The seven-year-old is owned by Ged Mason, Sir Alex Ferguson, and Chris and Giles Barber. “Top weight in this ground was a brave performance,” said Nicholls.
Jane Williams continued her fine record at the track as Saint Cyr De Pail slogged home in the Download The PricedUp App Handicap Chase, while Richard Bandey saddled Klycot, ridden by Jack Quinlan, to win the PricedUp Daily Racing Boosts Juvenile Maiden Hurdle (GBB Race).
Despite the early abandonment, Blowers’ extraordinary victory ensured Exeter once again took its place in racing folklore.
Exeter next races on New Year’s Day.
