Punters enjoyed a Royal Ascot to remember at the expense of the bookmakers who were left cursing the worst results in living memory.The five-day jamboree resulted in the layers handing bundles of cash to their delighted customers as favourite after favourite obliged to reward hundreds of thousands of racing fans.Thirteen winning market leaders came good for the backers and there were just six winners obliging at odds of 10-1 or bigger.Three red-hot favourites did the business on the fifth and fi

Punters enjoyed a Royal Ascot to remember at the expense of the bookmakers who were left cursing the worst results in living memory.

The five-day jamboree resulted in the layers handing bundles of cash to their delighted customers as favourite after favourite obliged to reward hundreds of thousands of racing fans.

Thirteen winning market leaders came good for the backers and there were just six winners obliging at odds of 10-1 or bigger.

Three red-hot favourites did the business on the fifth and final day to rub salt into bookies' wounds.

Harbinger (8-11) was a bitter blow as he won like the good thing many thought he was in the Hardwicke Stakes.

Starspangledbanner (13-2) was a popular winner of the Golden Jubilee Stakes to set up a sprint double for his jockey Johnny Murtagh.

He followed up on Laddies Poker Two (9-2), ironically once owned by Ladbrokes, who landed a colossal gamble in the Wokingham Stakes, which is supposed to be one of the toughest handicaps in the entire racing calendar.

"Punters have never had it so good. Every single day they've given us a right royal bashing," said Ladbrokes' David Williams.

"Nobody at Royal Ascot can remember a meeting where we've suffered such punishment. We can't wait to get out of Royal Berkshire so we can lick our wounds in a darkened room.

"Thank goodness for the England football team. They are our only salvation in a week of misery for the bookies."

It was "carnage" according to William Hill spokesman David Hood.

"It has been carnage, no other word for it," he said.

"The two biggest gambles of the week were landed by Dandino and Laddies Poker Two and if Imposing had gone in, there wouldn't have been enough cash on-course to pay punters!

"They have literally won tens of millions of pounds this week."

Totesport told a similar story, with spokesman George Primarolo adding: "Punters have clawed back their Cheltenham losses and more after a woeful week for the layers.

"At this rate, we'll need Honduras to win the World Cup to make the balance sheet look respectable."

Irish bookmaker Paddy Power described it as the "worst Festival meeting ever".

"This has not only been the worst Royal Ascot we have endured, but also the worst Festival meeting we have ever experienced," Power said.

"We have been royally ridden over by punters and there hasn't been one good day for us.

"Today was terrible and the only good result of the week was in the Gold Cup. Certainly a week to remember for punters!"