Sawbuck became the joint-biggest priced winner in Ireland when landing the opener at Punchestown at 300/1 on Tuesday.
The four-year-old, trained by Conor O'Dwyer, had made little impact in his previous races on the Flat or over hurdles. However, he proved to be a revelation, coming home four lengths clear of the well-fancied pair of Ballybawn Belter (4/1) and Vocito (10/3 favourite).
Prior to his win, Luke Comer’s He Knows No Fear held the record as the longest-priced winner in Ireland, having also won at 300/1 at Leopardstown in August 2020, but Sawbuck now shares that honour.
Before that the biggest-priced winner in Ireland was Killahara Castle at 200/1 in 2017 – the record price in the United Kingdom is Equinoctial who won at 250/1 at Kelso in 1990.
😲 Quite the shock - it's a 3⃣0⃣0⃣/1 winner in the opener at @punchestownrace, as Sawbuck strides to victory!
— Sporting Life Racing (@SportingLife) May 24, 2022
🏇💰 What's the biggest-priced winner you've ever backed?pic.twitter.com/C5WLfKpwRl
Sawbuck had last been seen running on the all-weather at Dundalk last month and even touched 400/1 at one point in the market for the Bar One Racing Quick Deposit & Withdraw Maiden Hurdle.
Winning rider Charlie O’Dwyer said: “He’s been in great form at home and after his last two runs over hurdles, I came here thinking if he could finish somewhere in the middle of them, I would have been delighted.
“The minute the flag dropped he travelled great and I couldn’t fault him anywhere. He just got a bit close to the last but he’s done it fairly handily enough. He likes that ground and is Flat bred and has run in Dundalk. The ground isn’t a problem for him.”
Previous huge-price shocks
Equinoctial was for almost 30 years the longest-priced winner ever in the UK and Ireland, returning at the phenomenal odds of 250-1 in a novice handicap hurdle at Kelso in November 1990 for Durham-based trainer Norman Miller.
That was until 300/1 stunner He Knows No Fear re-wrote the record books, across the Irish Sea at Leopardstown.
Ireland’s biggest previous shock came courtesy of Killahara Castle. Her victory at Thurles in December 2017 saw the John Burke-trained mare notch a piece of history, as she joined the 200-1 winner club at the expense of an odds-on favourite.
The latest 200/1 winner in the UK was Intercessor at Newbury in June 2020, while Nando Parrado was the biggest-ever priced winner at Royal Ascot the same month when securing the Coventry Stakes at odds of 150-1.
Here are the seven other 200/1 winners this century, all of which came in Britain:
Runninwild
Runninwild had finished last on debut and then beat only one rival home on his second start, so it was little surprise he was sent off at a big price on his third outing. He belied those 200/1 odds at Redcar, though, with nothing about his performance on May 30 2021 suggesting the win was a fluke. He would go on to win a handicap at Carlisle later in the campaign, again springing a surprise to score at 50/1.
Intercessor
The John Gallagher-trained three-year-old was the complete outsider and totally unfancied in a field of 10 for a one-mile novice stakes at Newbury on June 13 2020. Given a no-nonsense ride by apprentice star Cieren Fallon, Intercessor made virtually all the running and hung on by a head in a bunch finish – with just half a length covering the first five.
Maoi Chinn Tire
Making a first start for new trainer Jennie Candlish, on his jumps debut, Maoi Chinn Tire was initially a sprinter on the Flat – but he was good value for his Listed hurdle win at Wetherby, over two miles on October 29 2010. Nine of his 13 wins in 83 races across the codes came after his shock victory – and he also finished fourth at 100/1 in a Grade One juvenile hurdle at Aintree.
Lights Of Broadway
The mare was having her third run for Jo Hughes when winning a novice hurdle at Taunton on January 9 2012, staying on in the hands of Mark Grant to beat another outsider, 50/1 chance Wishes And Stars, by three-quarters of a length.
Dandy Flame
Trained and owned by Berkshire-based Jose Santos, a Monday evening at Wolverhampton on July 25 2016 was the scene of Dandy Flame’s turn-up. Making a mockery of the form book, he surged two and three-quarter lengths clear of Elegantly Bound in the hands of Renato Souza.
Arctic Blue
Another having his first run for a new trainer, Patrick Rodford’s five-year-old won a two-mile novice hurdle at Chepstow on March 23 2005 in the hands of 10lb claimer Keiran Burke.
Beechy Bank
Having her first run back for Mary Hambro after a brief spell with Richard Phillips, the then four-year-old faced eight rivals in an extended mile-and-a-half contest at Warwick on September 21 2002 and was ridden by Vince Slattery. Leading over a furlong out, the filly dug deep to beat Miss Gigi by a length.
