The race was the bookmaker’s biggest loser in the sixteen weeks to April 22, holding back growth in over-the-counter gross win for the period to 3 per cent.
The horse saw its odds fall from 11-1 to 7-1 on the day of the race. Ralph Topping, William Hill chief executive, called the result ‘an absolute stinker’.
However, other results for the period contained better news for the bookmaker. Gross win through its network of 2,250 shops rose 7 per cent, helped by a 16 per cent rise from machine income, which benefited from extended evening opening hours and new products.
Interactive betting rose 5 per cent, despite an ongoing £20 million project to replace underperforming technology.
