Weekend Review: Bookies aren’t booing Gatlin after punters back Bolt

Justin Gatlin’s shock win in the 100m final of the World Athletics Championships was a great result for betting firms after the public almost exclusively backed Bolt to win his career finale.

Bolt’s supposed fairy-tale finale saw the public pile into the Jamaican despite some laboured performances in the heats and semi-final.

Betfred’s Peter Spencer said: “Bolt not winning was a great result for us, he had captured the public’s imagination so for him to get beaten by the American athlete was a real shock.”

The opening weekend of the 2017-18 football season brought mixed results for the bookies although the 1-1 draw between Arsenal and Chelsea in Sunday’s Community Shield match meant most came out ahead.

Betway said: “There were enough opening day shocks in the football to keep us nicely in the black on weekend one of the domestic football season. In Sunday’s curtain-raiser at Wembley we were pleased to see a draw – that’s always a good result in any big televised match.”

Ladbrokes’ Alex Apati was similarly pleased with the result: “As is so often the case, the 90 minute draw was a good result for us, as was Arsenal lifting the trophy. Chelsea was by far the most popular team in 90 minutes, so Pedro’s red card and Kolasinac’s equaliser meant we came out on top in the Community Shield.”

Meanwhile, BetVictor was left cursing following Frankie Dettori’s win in the Stewards Cup at Goodwood during the weekend’s racing. Charlie McCann said: “A 25/1 winner of the big betting race of the day is normally a fantastic result but not when the winner is ridden by Frankie. Dettori still has a legion of loyal backers and they were handsomely rewarded in the Stewards Cup with Lancelot Du Lac making all.”

Elsewhere, Kindred took a hit on the women’s Euro 2017 final this weekend in a high-scoring 4-2 game that saw the hosts Netherlands crowned as champions.