Horse racing-Blowers stuns British racing with 300-1 win at Exeter

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Dec 18 - A little-known five-year-old named Blowers produced one of the biggest shocks in British racing history on Thursday, winning the opening race at Exeter at odds of 300-1.

The victory set a record for ‍the ​longest-priced winner in UK racing, eclipsing the mark set by ‍Equinoctial at Kelso in 1990 of 250-1.

Blowers, trained by Nigel Hawke and ridden by James Best, had made just ​two previous ​appearances before holding off odds-on favourite On The Bayou by three-quarters of a length on heavy ground.

“I was a little surprised at his price but I guess it’s the way the ‍markets go,” Hawke said. “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.”

Those ​winning odds have been recorded in Irish racing twice, most recently when Sawbuck won at Punchestown in April 2022, after ‌He Knows No Fear prevailed at Leopardstown ​in 2020.

Hawke said the odds did not reflect the horse’s ability despite his limited experience.

“I think 300-1 was a bit ridiculous to be fair, and I’m not saying we knew what we had but we knew we had a horse with some ability,” he said.

Best, who picked up the ride on the morning of the race after amateur jockey Ella Herbison missed her flight, said the opportunity came ‍unexpectedly.

“Ella Herbison was meant to ride him,” Best told Racing TV. “I was