It was a case of bookmakers 1, punters 0 on the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival, with just one favourite obliging in a day of shocks.
The day got off to the worst possible start for the majority of backers when Dunguib, the naker of the meeting for many, got turned over at 4-5 after being given a shocking ride by Brian O'Connell.
Things didn't get better with the heavily backed favourite Captain Cee Bee breaking a blood vessel and flopping in the Arkle, and Chief Dan George then spranga 33-1 shocker when denying the gamble oif the day, The Package, in the William Hill Trophy.
Binocular, 9-1, then sprang back to life in the Champion Hurdle before A New Story scored at 25-1 in the Cross Country with favoruite Garde Champetre not even coming placed.
It was not until the finale that punters got some respite and funds to fight another day when Quevega, backed from 2-1 into 6-4, romped hom to become the first winning jolly of the day.
Stan James spokesman Charlie McCann said: "It was very good day for the books but Ruby made sure that favourite backers went home on better terms after Quevega's mares' success in the last.
"Having been 11/10 about Dunguib from 11am-12pm we got off to a cracking start despite a win for Pricewise with Menorah and the books certainly got the best of the first day. First blow to the layers but not a knock out and plenty of time for the punters to fight back."
Matt Doyle of Sky Bet said it had also been a very good day for his firm.
He said: ‘Turnover was up on last year and we have come out on top on day one with the results overall going our way despite the punters getting some back in the last.’
