Can 999-1 lightning strike twice in Festival opener?

At last year's Cheltenham Festival, the very first race of the entire meeting produced one of the biggest betting stories of the week. Noland, a horse owned by John Hales - whose distinctive yellow silks have been carried by top horses like Azertyuiop - was sent off the well supported 6-1 second favourite for The Supreme Novices Hurdle but was successfully backed at an amazing 999-1 'in-running' on Betfair. One lucky Betfair punter in Wales must be reminiscing today, as he managed to get his £20 bet 'matched' at that massive price, despite only looking to back the horse at 6-1. Betfair's system matches-up bets at the best possible price available at the time the bet is submitted, and at that precise moment another Betfair customer was prepared to offer 999-1 - the biggest odds allowable on the exchange. Instead of winning £120 for his £20 bet, the Pontypridd-based punter won almost £20,000, thanks to a determined never-say-die ride from Irish champion jockey, Ruby Walsh. Amazingly, this year, the same connections of Hales, champion trainer Paul Nicholls and jockey Ruby Walsh have another horse that has been backed at the magical figure of 999-1, only this year the horse has been backed at those odds pre-race. The horse in question is Granit Jack and, like Noland last year, he is set to start tomorrow's race at a single figure price - he's currently 10-1 on Betfair. £4 has been matched on him at odds of 999-1, so at least one punter will be dreaming of a truly 'Supreme' start to his Festival punting!