THE most interesting betting story of 2025 was a simple one: Dylan Phelan and his each-way double on a pair of Delcan Queally-trained horses with Ladbrokes where the bookmaker delayed paying out despite it seeming a straightforward case of ‘you lay, you pay.’

There were some more nuanced aspects to the case, however, particularly with the issue of maximum payouts. Phelan was due over €319,000 on the bet, but only received €100,000, as the docket hit the ceiling figure for the grade of race, though one did wonder if Ladbrokes were playing the man rather than the ball here.