Even Best Mate could not save punters from taking a 3-0 hammering at this year's Cheltenham Festival.

The 8/11 favourite did the business in the totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup as bookmakers recovered from the battering they received at the meeting 12 months ago.

Favourite-backers fared better than on the first two days, with the well-backed 4/1 market leader St Pirran and 7/1 joint-favourite Sporazene also obliging, but it was too little, too late.

The leading firms reported an increase of turnover at the Festival to a total of between £250 and £300 million, with the balance very much in their favour.

And that despite turnover on the Gold Cup being down 25 per cent on last year, according to Ladbrokes.

"Last year, with so many favourites winning, a huge amount of the turnover was down to punters reinvesting so much of their winnings," said Ladbrokes' Balthazar Fabricius.

"That said, business has been bigger and better than ever, which makes up for the losses incurred at last year's Festival.

"We've won the battle of Cheltenham, but we haven't won the war."

David Hood, of Hills, echoed: "It's been one of the most successful Festivals ever for us and industry turnover is estimated to be £250 to 300 million.

"It is the polar opposite of how we did last year and the punters are giving us it all back."

Punters got off to a bad start on Thursday's final day when Made In Japan struck at 20/1 in the opening JCB Triumph Hurdle and things got worse when hot-pot Baracouda was floored in the bonusprint.com Stayers' Hurdle at the expense of second favourite Iris's Gift.

Best Mate gave punters some respite with a third successive Gold Cup, but it was followed by Lord Atterbury's eclipse in the Christie's Foxhunter Chase, won by 14/1 shot Earthmover.

The winner's trainer Paul Nicholls delighted his supporters by taking the following Grand Annual Chase with St Pirran and made it a treble with Sporazene in the getting-out stakes, the Vincent O'Brien County Handicap Hurdle.

Our Armageddon, though, was weak in the market at 9/1 when bouncing back from a disappointing effort in Tuesday's Arkle Trophy to take the Cathcart Challenge Cup.

The Tote hit the £10million mark for the first time at a Cheltenham Festival with a record total turnover of £10,246,075 thanks to day three being up by 33 per cent on 2003 at £3,745,095.

The betting exchanges were also delighted, with Betfair seeing a record on any race of £5,222,294 matched on the Gold Cup.