Blowers entered racing folklore at Exeter on Thursday after becoming the longest-priced winner ever on a British course at odds of 300-1.
What made the feat even more incredible was that the bay gelding was being ridden by a late stand-in jockey, James Best.
Ella Herbison, who should have been in the saddle, was caught in traffic and missed her flight from Ireland.
It has been a week of Christmas miracles for rank outsiders.
It’s Bobsled Time became the third-longest priced winner in Irish racing history on Monday.
The three-year-old won the Academy Hurdle at Naas having set off at 250-1.
Bookies Counting The Cost Of Historic Win
Blowers has galloped past the previous British record holder Equinoctial, who was a 250-1 winner at Kelso in November 1990.
On heavy conditions at the Exeter track, Blowers held off 5-4 favourite On The Bayou to win the Maiden Hurdle.
Paul Binfield of Paddy Power revealed the bookmaker had received several winning bets.
“We thought anyone who backed the two previous 300-1 winners on the Emerald Isle were soothsayers,” he said.
“While I would be lying if I said Blowers was popular, a couple of our customers produced Mystic Meg-like performances to match their counterparts in Ireland with £10 and £15 each-way bets.”
Coral confirmed that it had taken 82 bets on the five-year-old with the biggest being a £2 each-way single.
Odds Of 300-1 Were ‘Ridiculous’
“I was a little surprised at his price, but I guess it’s the way the markets go,” said trainer Nigel Hawke.
“He’d only run twice in his life and he ran in a race at Larkhill where they did back him that day but his breathing was a problem.
“We ran him at Chepstow and the amateur jockey we had on couldn’t hold one side of him.
“But you saw what Besty did on him today and he didn’t stop galloping.
“I think 300-1 was a bit ridiculous to be fair.
“I’m not saying we knew what we had but we knew we had a horse with some ability and the owners [Mr and Mrs Pudd] always breed a nice type of horse.”
A Tale Of Two Jockeys
The five-year-old, named after legendary cricket commentator Henry Blofeld, pulled up two weeks ago at Chepstow.
Herbison rode him on his rules debut but her absence at Exeter gave replacement Best a day to remember.
“I was on my way to riding out on the M5 and an unknown Irish number rang me,” Best told Racing TV.
“Sometimes I don’t answer and I didn’t know who it was.
“It was Ella: ‘Do you want to ride one in the first at Exeter?’
“Thank you to Ella for thinking of me and for Nigel [Hawke] and the owners to allow me to ride.”
