By Foreign Staff — Sometimes in life, the outsiders do win! We see this in a lot of sports, especially in sports that are effectively “two horse races”, with just one team against another, but it happens in the huge fields of horse racing too. Sometimes races are hard to call, and though the favorites do often manage to win, there are always surprises and we have seen some horses win with over 100/1 odds.
If you’re taking advantage of some of the best sportsbook bonuses and you want to put your bet on something that is more of an outsider then you will have less of a chance of winning in the majority of situations, but in horse racing, you may be able to use your sportsbook or gambling bonus to do your research and back an outsider for potentially big returns.
In this guide, we’re looking at some of the rank outsiders that have stunned the crowds (and the horse racing gambling companies) by winning against the odds.
2022 has seen one of the biggest outsider bets to win a race. The word-famous Kentucky Derby was won by a horse appropriately named Rich Strike (winning almost $2m in the process).
The horse wasn’t even originally due to be racing in the event, and had the longest odds of any of the 20 participating racers.
This is the biggest outsider to win the race since 1913, more than 100 years ago, when Donerail won with odds of 91-1. Rich Strike was available at 84/1 before the race started, and finished ahead of the favorite, which came in second.
Kentucky native Eric Reed was the trainer, and was as shocked as anyone at the result.
“I passed out. I’m so happy. This is the reason everybody does this. We’re not supposed to be here but I knew this horse loved this track and he has been training so good all year.”
Rich Strike’s incredible story will go down in history and be remembered by the fans of one of the most loved races in the world.
One of many races in the UK that has seen a huge outsider win the race was held in Taunton in 2012, when the Lights of Broadway became a 200-1 winner of a prestigious race.
When the heavy favorite Night Rose fell as the race approached its finale, it was left to an outsider to run on and win the race.
This also meant that the horses to place in second and third were 50-1 and 33-1 respectively. You would have got some incredible odds if you had backed these three to finish as the top three.
Jo Hughes trained the horse and said after the race: “I did think she was capable of running well and the better ground and shorter trip have helped.”
Mon Mome
This is one of the best-known stories about the Grand National, a race that is watched all over the world, and which few horses have ever won more than once.
Mon Mome was not just a 100-1 shot for the race, but ridden by Liam Treadwell, it won by an incredible 12 lengths.
Mon Mome’s story was amazing, as the underdog jockey beat out some huge names, including Ruby Walsh, to win the race.
The Grand National is historically an unpredictable race, but it is very rare that such a rank outsider will come away victorious.
Sadly, jockey Liam Treadwell tragically passed away in 2020 at the age of just 34.
Another tale from British racing, this time at the famous Cheltenham Gold Cup. Norton’s Coin was 100-1 when he won and the race was dubbed as one of the biggest shocks and upsets ever seen.
This was not only because of the unfancied horse, but the opposition and the trainer made this even more of an incredible tale. Sirrell Griffiths, who trained the horse, was actually a farmer who not many in the industry had even heard of.
The horse, Norton’s Coin, also had to beat off Desert Orchid, iconic racehorse and odds-on favorite.
Upsets are one of the things that can make sports and racing so exciting. Occasionally, we get a massive shock, and in many horse racing meets it can be rare that the favorite actually comes away victorious. Picking a winner at 100-1 is not easy but it does happen – as proved by this list of outsiders and their spectacular stories.
