For the second day in a row there was in-running carnage on Betfair as Traffic Fluide, backed into 13-2 favourite from an opening 16-1, came with a rattling late run to oblige having hit the top price of 1,000 on the exchange.
A total of £13 was traded at the top price, while £3,000 was matched at 1.01 on 20-1 shot Art Of Payroll who had looked the winner for much of the run-in. Kalondra, who took things up approaching Cheltenham's famous home turn and led until after the last was also matched at a low of 1.5.
Agony for favourite backers as Elliott odds-on shot loses after hitting 1.01
Traffic Fluide was front and centre throughout, leading for much of the race under Joshua Moore and jumping the third-last in the first three.
But from there he went backwards. Turning in he was suddenly sixth, albeit no more than four lengths off Kalondra. However, by the second-last he was further adrift and while he had passed several horses to jump the last in third, the gap had actually widened further to roughly seven or eight lengths.
It was at this point Art Of Payroll began to move away from Kalondra under Bryan Cooper, but Traffic Fluide picked up for the Cheltenham hill and flew home, eating up the ground with every stride like a horse possessed to win going away by a length and a half.
"He was given a massive confidence boost by winning a novice hurdle at Plumpton, even though it was heavy," said trainer Gary Moore. "I think people have latched on to him because he has decent form on good ground and would have been suited by it drying out, but the fact he ended up favourite for the race has surprised even me.
"We will have a look at the programme book but I don't think there will be much for him as the handicapper is going to put him up a good few pounds so that might be it for him until the autumn."
