A bet of £275,000-£200,000 was the biggest recorded at the track, and VCbet also reported a bet of £150,000-£100,000.

“The betting ring breathed a collective sigh of relief when Inglis Drever came sprinting up the hill,” said VCbet spokesman Neal Wilkins.

“Victory for Baracouda would have taken millions out of the ring today.”

It was a case of ‘so say all of us’ among the other layers.

“Baracouda would have been a wonderful winner as sponsors, with the Irish connection of JP McManus on St Patrick’s Day,” said Ladbrokes spokesman Balthazar Fabricius.

“But we were out to lay the horse all day and were lowest-priced this morning about Inglis Drever at 5-1, so it was a great result in a financial respect.

“With the Irish-trained winner in the last also not a bad result for us, it was a good day’s work all in all.”

Paddy Power described the race as being “the biggest betting event of the week so far and the best result of the week so far”.

“Rule Supreme was backed off the boards in the morning, but then the big boys took the gloves off in the ring and came for Baracouda,” he went on.

“When Another Rum won at 40-1 in the four-miler you could have heard a pin drop in the stands, even though it was another winner for Ireland.

“And even though punters won a bit back in the last, today was definitely a bookmakers’ bonanza.”

Totesport had a lucky escape when 9-1 chance Attorney General finished unplaced in the finale.

A West London-based betting-shop punter staked a £1 win Lucky 31 and £2 each-way accumulator on Southwell winners Game Guru (8-1) and Rancho Cucamonga (5-1), as well as Another Rum (40-1) and Thisthatandtother (9-2).

Had Attorney General obliged in the last then totesport would have faced a payout of over £540,000, but with the horse finishing well down the field they only had to hand out £19,109.

“We are breathing a sigh of relief now as it would have wiped us out for the whole meeting,” said spokesman Damian Walker.

The Tote Jackpot rolls over again tomorrow, with £219,640 now in the pot.