- Two-year-old Green Triangle was heavily favoured and was the 11/10 favourite.
- The punters appeared to have money on him as he charged into the lead by four lengths.
- Hope faded when a final lash sent the colt crashing through the fence.
There were dramatic scenes at the second race at Killarney on Wednesday when heavy favourite Green Triangle crashed into the fence.
The two-year-old was galloping to victory in 17.20, well ahead of the field when he ran inside the fence, throwing away the win right at the end of the race.
Trained by Joseph O’Brien, the colt came off at 11/10, reaching 1.01 on the Betfair Exchange, and punters looked to be in the money as the final 50 yards of the race approached.
He had kept pace with the rest of the field from the start of the race, and had pulled away at the two-furlong marker and was on course for victory until the incident yards from the finish line.
Both horse and jockey Wayne Hassett are known to have escaped unharmed.
There was chaos in Killarney on Wednesday when heavy favourite Green Triangle crashed through the fence just metres from victory.
Starting at 11-10, the two-year-old was four lengths clear when things went horribly wrong.
Jockey Wayne Hamsett is believed to have used his whip one last time, causing the horse to buck.
It was the fourth start for Green Triangle, who rode to victory at Roscommon just over a week ago and was four lengths ahead at the time of the incident.
As Hassett went for his whip one last time, the horse moved to the left and crashed into the rail, having made the same move earlier in the race, and Hassett had to straighten up.
As a result, 6/1 Lambourn breezed through to take the win, with 100/30 J’Adore Chris coming second and 10/1 Cap Saint Martin third.
Bookmakers Paddy Power and Betfair refunded all single bets on the horse as a free bet.
Commentator for the iconic TV race, Jerry Hannon, could not believe his eyes and declared: “What a drama. Lambourn has been handed everything on a plate. An astonishing finish.”
The channel’s images showed the white lair destroyed in the aftermath of the events.
The horse had been racing to victory, and Racing TV commentator Jerry Hannon was left in disbelief.
Paddy Power and Betfair handed out refunds as punters were left shocked by what happened
Paddy Power posted on X, formerly Twitter, after the event: ‘We have refunded (as a free bet) all single bets on Green Triangle in the 5.20pm Killarney after it ran out of points down the stretch. Single bets only. Refunded as free bets. No maximum bet.’
However, some fans expressed their frustration on the platform, with one writing: “Why is he using the whip when he’s six lengths ahead?” accompanied by an emoji with its face covered in palms.
Another added: “A pathetic course and as dubious as it gets.”
Other fans have called for other bookmakers to follow the lead of Paddy Power and Betfair and pay out refunds.