Betting on the underdogs can be quite profitable and exciting for many sports and racing bettors, especially with the undeniable possibility of making a lot of profit if they win. The only problem with this is that the underdogs are unlikely to win a match or a race. However, anyone who keeps their eyes on both Singapore and Malaysia horse racing results might see underdogs winning from time to time.
The underdogs should never be automatically ignored in favour of the favourites, even if they’re more likely to win. Several horses with long odds have already won throughout history, with some of such wins being more recent than others.
Tipperary Tim with Odds of 101.00
Tipperary Tim participated in the 1928 Grand National and was not expected to win the race, evidenced by the high odds of 101.00. The high odds are already daunting enough, but the fact that the jockey, William Dutton, wasn’t even a professional made betting for the horse a somewhat stupid or reckless decision.
In the Grand National, horses have to jump 30 fences over a distance of 4 miles and 2½ furlongs or 514 yards. On the day of the event, the weather was misty, and the going was tough. Dutton heard a friend tell him that the only way he’ll win is if all the other horses fall, and 41 out of 42 horses fell in the end. Easter Hero fell alongside other horses on the first circuit until only seven got away from the fence with seated jockeys. By the second-last, only three horses were left.
Great Span, Billy Barton, and Tipperary Tim were the last three horses. Great Span’s saddle slipped then Billy Barton took the lead. Billy Barton fell soon afterwards until the jockey got back on and finished. The only problem is Tipperary Tim already took the lead and finished first.
The 1928 Grand National had the record for the fewest horses to finish the race.
Donerail with Odds of 92.00
Donerail has reigned supreme for over a decade for sparking the biggest upset in Kentucky Derby history. Donerail was bred and trained in Kentucky but was thought not to have a chance of challenging the favourites when they lined up in 1913. Even the jockey was a novice.
Thomas P. Hayes, the owner of Donerail, had no confidence that it could perform well in the Kentucky Derby, thanks to the unimpressive performance in its previous races. Roscoe Goose, the jockey, begged Hayes to enter Donerail in the race, and Hayes’s friend, William J. Treacy, paid the entry fee.
The 1913 Kentucky Derby only had eight horses, with the favoured horses being Ten Point, Foundation, and Yankee Notions. The Derby took place on May 10, 1913, and a new Derby record was set when the underdog Donerail’s winning time was 2.04.80.
Rich Strike with Odds of 81.00
Rich Strike participated in the 2022 Kentucky Derby and not only had long odds but was also last in the odds to win. He was also considered the biggest underdog in the Kentucky Derby after Donerail, so it’s natural for bettors to avoid Rich Strike.
Anyone who watched the game live wouldn’t expect Rich Strike to win since Summer Is Tomorrow, with odds of 37.00, placed first for most of the race. The favourite Epicenter, with odds of 5.00, eventually popped up until the horses had to turn then Messier, with odds of 8.00, took the lead. Rich Strike didn’t get to first place until the last few seconds of the race, coming out of nowhere to win the race.
Country House with Odds of 66.00
Country House was an unusual case because the horse only finished second in the race but became the first horse to win in the Kentucky Derby on an objection. Country House’s trainer, William I. Mott, had never won the Kentucky Derby when he sent out Country House and the jockey Flavien Prat to the race.
Maximum Security finished first in the race but was disqualified when multiple jockeys objected. The stewards determined that the horse only won because it obstructed several horses in the final turn. Maximum Security drifted outside his lane and obstructed War of Will, Long Range Toddy, and Bodexpress.
After a tense review period that lasted about 22 minutes, the stewards disqualified Maximum Security, resulting in the 2nd placer Country House winning the Derby.
Country House never got the chance to prove himself since he had a fever after 24 hours, then a cough that kept him from participating in the 2019 Preakness Stakes. Country House eventually retired after developing a series of ailments.
Mine That Bird and Giacomo with Odds of 51.00
Odds of 51.00 are relatively long odds, especially in a race with multiple horses and several favourites competing. Both Mine That Bird and Giacomo joined the Kentucky Derby with odds of 51.00. Giacomo participated in 2005, while Mine That Bird participated in 2009.
Giacomo battled the outsider Closing Argument for the first place in the final yards of the race and essentially came out of nowhere. The race commentator mentioned that Giacomo wasn’t mentioned during the entire race until the last two seconds when it was already too late for any live bettors to back him. Giacomo crossed over the line after successfully being pushed by the jockey Mike Smith.
Mine That Bird was a humble horse that suddenly decided to explode on a track where 19 horses competed for first place. The horse unpredictably finished first place, allowing any bettor who staked high to win big. Unlike other horses who performed well in the future, Mine That Bird failed to win in any of its future races, making its win a more unbelievable underdog story.
Conclusion
History is filled with stories of underdogs making unbelievable upsets, and some of these underdogs are listed above. Of course, there are still more underdogs out there, and some of them aren’t even that noteworthy when based on the odds alone, but still performed outstanding upsets and netted bettors big wins.
Among the other top underdogs include Gallahadion, Charismatic, Abouyeur, and Da’ Tara. One notable underdog with lower odds than the names mentioned in this article was Lupita, with odds of 13.00, who lost its last 20 or so races but managed to win and allowed a bettor to win an Exeter Tote that netted him £1,445,671.71 in winnings.
Any bettor who frequents Malaysia or Singapore horse racing shouldn’t immediately count the underdogs out when looking for horses to bet on. This also applies to dog racing in Singapore since the greyhounds might unexpectedly make incredible upsets on their own.
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Read more: Beginner’s Guide: How to Get Started in Horse Betting
