Bookmakers Face Mixed Fortunes At New Ascot

Bookmakers were left with mixed fortunes at the end of day three of Royal Ascot after leading firms reported both profits and losses for the event.

Coral and William Hill were both proclaiming a winning event, while Totesport, Paddy Power and Stan James were licking their wounds, even calling Sir Gerard's win "among our worst results of the year."

"Sir Gerard winning the Britannia was a big hit for us and it was one of the biggest gambles of the week," Coral's Simon Clare told the Sportsman.

"The other results were decent, even Yeats winning the Gold Cup took the book but wasn't a loser, and after looking as though we were going to have a losing day we dragged it back to levels. We have ended up with a small profit but it has been nip and tuck all week."

Ben Clarke of William Hill told a similar story, while Totesport's Damian Walker said: "It was a losing day for us and thank goodness for the last two races which got us out of jail. Sir Gerard was a six-figure loser despite the fact we ducked it this morning. Without the last two results it would have been a shocking day.