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With all the great opportunities on the Betfair Exchange comes incredible data. The team at Betfair provides a Washup of all the key racing results across the day including biggest Betfair Starting Price winners, Bad Beats, In-play Longshots and more.
As we reach the end of the 2023/2024 racing season we reflect on the highs and lows, as well as the unbelievable from the year that was.
With some extraordinary results on the Betfair exchange, we will dive into the BSP blowouts, the horror beats and the in-play miracles from a memorable 12 months of racing.
From Without A Fight defying 23 years of history to Pride of Jenni upsetting superstar after superstar, and in the process confirming she is indeed one herself.
From the jet-setting Bella Nipotina, to a $793 winner who no-one rated. We'll have it all in the season that was.
BIGGEST BSP WINNERS
We go to Kilcoy in Queensland for the highest BSP winner of the sason.
Roar Hide has just one victory from 28 career starts, but that one win was a gem. With a BSP of $793.33 Roar Hide would roll forward and just keep going to produce a stunner that seemingly came out of nowhere.
Catch Me Out at Muswellbrook won a 900m maiden at $455.40 in October, whilst Aureus Miss did similar over 1600m in a Pakenham maiden at $440.
Of the metro runners to do it, the highlight was Makram at Flemington in the Listed Elms Handicap in February.
Makram (pictured) jumped at $316.52 which dwarfed the best tote price of $151 by over 200%!
Jimmysstar was $1.30 in the same race, and traded as low as $1.12 in play.
Eight runners in total would produce victories in the season with a BSP of $300 or higher, with three of those in city class racing.
TOP 10 BSP WINNERS
TRACK | RUNNER | BSP |
KILCOY | 20. Roar Hide | 793.33 |
MUSWELLBROOK | 6. Catch Me Out | 455.62 |
PAKENHAM | 9. Aureus Miss | 445.81 |
BALAKLAVA | 7. Novus Actus | 378.78 |
GOLD COAST | 2. Gus The Bus | 361.61 |
MORNINGTON | 6. Majority Interest | 340.00 |
DARWIN | 2. Red Aric | 319.19 |
FLEMINGTON | 7. Makram | 316.75 |
KEMBLA GRANGE | 13. Madam Rupee | 293.20 |
THE BAD BEATS
For every high their must also be a low! With some short priced favourites coming unstuck through the season.
With the lay function a unique feature of Betfair, these results can be as good as tipping something at a blowout price.
Tapa Kick was expected to bolt in during a 1600m maiden at Gunnedah in July, pinging the gates with a BSP of $1.12.
It was not to be though, with Tapa Kick (pictured) being one of ten runners beaten despite a BSP of $1.25 or shorter.
The Messara runner did go on to win twice for the season as a consolation.
Jimmysstar as mentioned earlier was one of the worst in a listed race, with the $1.30 BSP before the Makram defeat.
Six of the worst eight beats for the season came in maidens which could perhaps underline the difficult punting nature of those races.
TOP 10 BAD BEATS (BSP)
TRACK | RUNNER_NAME | BSP |
GUNNEDAH | 9. Tapa Kick | 1.13 |
CAIRNS | 2. Hartshorn | 1.14 |
BALLINA | 3. Jovita | 1.22 |
IPSWICH | 9. Latakia | 1.23 |
YARRA VALLEY | 1. Brier | 1.24 |
SAPPHIRE COAST | 1. Snippety Star | 1.25 |
TOWNSVILLE | 3. Springs Gift | 1.25 |
BALAKLAVA | 12. Reel Whiskey | 1.25 |
MUSWELLBROOK | 2. Once Again My Girl | 1.26 |
MOUNT ISA | 3. Sizzling Sonata | 1.26 |
IN-PLAY BOLTERS AND HORROR SHOWS
Bella Nipotina would run in Group 1 races in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne during the season, winning a pair of them as well as appearing in the feature even "The Quokka" in WA.
Of all Bella's achievements, the effort to win the Giga Kick after hitting $280 in-play was probably the most remarkable.
Private Eye fans would have experienced that race very differently, with the runner trading at $1.01 before Bella Nipotina found a gap and poked her nose through to win.
A number of horses "maxed out" at $1000 in-play during the season, with Offspring once such example over the 1400m at Wagga in March.
Barry the Poet by chance produced a $1000 in-play win at Dubbo just 18 minutes after Bella Nipotina's result in the Giga Kick.
Mi Rock Aly in April at Bendigo was three lengths clear with 100m to go at $1.02 with over $5000 traded at the price before Samuel Langhorne got home from $700 in-play as well.
It is worth also mentioned Left Turn Clyde at Morphettville in April who opened at $226 despite a best tote of just $81. He hit $609 in the run before winning handsomely.
HISTORY
We had Imperatriz (pictured) become the first horse to be backed for a million dollars twice in the same season with the Kiwi champion the star of the year.
Without A Fight became the first horse since Ethereal in 2001 to win the Caulfield/Melbourne Cup double despite the heavy support for both Gold Trip and Vauban on the first tuesday in November.
Pride of Jenni is the other horse who deserves to be in the votes for the year, with three group 1s, two of them coming during the same week in the Flemington carnival, and both of them at double figures.
Happy birthday to all the magnificent Thoroughbreds out there who make following this sport a pleasure.
PRICE ADVANTAGES
The top 20 BSP's for the season also came with a substantial price advantage.
These BSP's ranked from $240 all the way up to $793.
With the scale as follows.
On Roar Hide a $10 outlay would generate an additional $6400 for Exchange punters which is extraordinary.
HORSE | BSP | AVE CORP | % |
Subuki | 240 | 101 | 237.62 |
Peppino | 240 | 81 | 296.30 |
Jaywick | 246.35 | 151 | 163.15 |
Lake Mac Lily | 257.41 | 71 | 362.55 |
Clear Proof | 267.16 | 101 | 264.51 |
Dandino Belle | 270 | 101 | 267.33 |
Beneficient | 280 | 91 | 307.69 |
Oli Alpine | 280 | 81 | 345.68 |
Kirkliston Blu | 287.15 | 101 | 284.31 |
Madam Rupee | 293.2 | 126 | 232.70 |
Makram | 316.75 | 151 | 209.77 |
Red Aric | 319.19 | 101 | 316.03 |
Majority Interest | 340 | 101 | 336.63 |
Regal Warrior | 350 | 201 | 174.13 |
Mr Fahrenheit | 350.41 | 151 | 232.06 |
Gus The Bus (pictured) | 361.61 | 171 | 211.47 |
Novus Actus | 378.78 | 101 | 375.03 |
Aureus Miss | 445.81 | 151 | 295.24 |
Catch Me Out | 455.62 | 126 | 361.60 |
Roar Hide | 793.33 | 151 | 525.38 |
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