It seems not everyone is happy with head coach Warren Gatland’s squad selection for the Lions tour to Australia where they are seeking a first series win since 1997.

There were a number of high-profile absentees today including Jonny Wilkinson, Rory Best and Chris Robshaw as he named his 37-man crew.

This afternoon Paddy Power took a series of angry phonecalls from Lions players’ mums so we’ve decided to refund bets on those who didn’t make the squad in one of our famous Justice Payouts. Mums can be persuasive… especially rugby players’ mums.

As Wilkinson made himself unavailable some punters may fell hard done by, while there was genuine surprise that Rory Best (1/25) was being left behind. Other short prices that got chinned include Ian Madigan, Christian Wade, Ken Owens, Simon Zebo and Mike Ross.

So we thought it was only fair to refund all losing bets on players who didn’t make the cut. Except Chris Ashton. Feck that.

Ts&cs apply

LUIS LETS LOOSE:  Suarez 99th minute goal against Chelsea cost Paddy on the double

Paddy was well and truly caught with his pants down after a monumental rick in enhancing Liverpool from 5/4 to 5/2 at half time ‘to score next’  saw punters take him for a cool six-figure sum on Sunday afternoon.

His recklessness – and Daniel Sturridge’s accuracy – means the bean counters have a ready-to-roll copy of his P45 hooked up to the printer and someone’s going to want to hit the print button real soon.

Trouble was Paddy –  just before pub time on Friday – had also signed off on a Money Back Special all  losing First Goalscorer, Last & Correct Score & Scorecast singles on the match if Luis Suarez scored the last goal.

Now Paddy prides himself as being King of the Money Back Specials, Extra-Place Specials and Justice Payouts. And with Liverpool fans facing the prospect of Everton sitting six points above them in the table with just five games left – the Uruguayan international popped up to level the scores after the Reds trailed 2-1 with 99 minutes on the clock.

Suarez’s goal may have left Paddy as the darling of football punters but he’s about as popular as Ashley Cole with the higher-ups.

• Betting: Paddy Power Money Back Specials 

It’s one of Paddy’s Justice Payouts as Salsify retained the Chase only after leader Oscar Delta hit a post at an intersection and unseated 18-year-old jockey Jane Mangan when closing in on the finish fine.

That crash left 2/1 favourite Salsify, under Colman Sweeney, clear to win. Divine Intavention (50/1) and Cottage Oak (9/1) completed the places.

On a very serious note, nobody likes to see a jockey fall and after four days of incredible racing at the Cheltenham Festival they should all be applauded for their efforts. They are a huge part of making racing the exciting sport it is and every time they ride they put themselves at risk of serious injury. This year’s Festival has featured some thrilling action and every jockey has played a massive part.

Sean Goff | Cheltenham Festival 2013

Hurricane Fly took Paddy Power to the cleaners on Tuesday with a £2.2m payout (€2.5m). He become the first horse since Comedy of Errors in 1975 to regain his Champion Hurdle crown at Cheltenham.

Paddy’s Money-Back All Losers Special clicked for the second year-in-a-row as jockey Ruby Walsh booted the nine-year-old home ahead of Rock on Ruby in the day one feature. It leaves PP cowering in a corner before the big bosses arrive home, especially after Ruby warned he was gunning for Paddy for ‘taking on’ Hurricane Fly.

But that wasn’t the end of it as Ruby’s win on Hurricane Fly was the middle leg of a Tuesday treble. He also won the Supreme Novices Hurdle on Champagne Fever and the Mares’ Hurdle on Quevega, for the fifth time on the trot. Meanwhile, Simonsig’s win in the Arkle Chase twisted the knife even further as punters had a field day.

RUBY TUESDAY: The Kildare jockey celebrates after his big win on Hurricane Fly. Curses!

Our Money-Back All Losers Special leaves punters who backed Ruby quids-in, as well as giving back real cash – not free bets – to anyone who backed a loser in the Champion Hurdle.

It sounds like madness, and it probably isn’t far off. But there’s cold, hard cash in your pocket (or online account) if you backed any of these losing gee-gees:

• Zarkandar
• Rock On Ruby
• Grandouet
• Binocular
• Cinders And Ashes
• Countrywide Flame
• Khyber Kim
• Balder Success

And it’s not as if Paddy wasn’t warned by Ruby Walsh on the Paddy Power Blog last week…

With three days of the festival still to go and Paddy going non runner no bet on all races there’s plenty of cash still swirling around the Cotswolds for punters to hit him even harder with his two Extra Place Specials tomorrow. Even as the men in white coats (or the accountants on the fifth floor) warm up the van, Paddy is preparing for more punishment on Wednesday with his extra-place specials:

• 1/4 the odds the first 5 places in the Coral Cup at 4pm 
• 1/4 the odds the first 4 places in the Champion Bumper at 5.15
• Our Best Odds Promise applies to every race in Britain and Ireland
• Bucket loads of enhanced specials on Facebook and Twitter

After the mighty Sprinter Sacre emptied the company’s coffers to the tune of £2.5m last year Paddy was on red alert when Hurricane Fly ran up four Grade One wins before delivering the coup de grace earlier today. But a ‘red alert’ to Paddy means about as much as a traffic offence to Carlos Tevez.

So if you see Paddy out on the town tonight, buy him a pint. He’ll need it.

• Betting: Cheltenham 2013

Paddy Power is paying out on Manchester United winning a record-breaking 20^th Barclays Premier League title, and we’re not even halfway through February!

Paddy Power can’t see Sir Alex Ferguson’s men throwing it away after Manchester City dropped points against Southampton at St Mary’s on Saturday. The Red Devils are twelve points clear in the 2012/13 season.

Manchester United are sitting pretty at the top of the table having racked up a monster 65 points from 26 games. They’ve won an incredible 21 games and have beaten Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and City this season.

Fergie has had plenty of beef with the man in charge of drawing up the Premier League calendar but United’s title run in looks little more than a cakewalk. Arsenal and City themselves have to play United (City at Old Trafford) as Sir Alex hunts down the 38^th trophy of his career in charge of United.

Paddy is so confident that Man United will secure a record-breaking 20^th title he is paying out more than £500,000 to punters who backed them outright, despite a third of the season remaining.

Paddy Power said: ‘The fat lady might not be singing yet but she’s definitely getting warmed up. We can’t see United letting their lead slip and with Real Madrid to come in midweek we thought we’d take some of the pressure off Fergie and give punters an early payday’.

Manchester City fans are also getting a comforting arm round the shoulder from Paddy courtesy of a free bet. Anyone who has set the reigning champs as their team on Paddy’s team pages will get a £5 free bet on Monday morning to try to ease the pain.

This early payout comes hot on the heels of Paddy emptying his pockets to the tune of more than £400,000 before the US Election. The boss paid out on a Barack Obama victory three days before the vote took place. Sorry Mitt Romney, you’re not black or cool.

But it doesn’t always have a happy ending for Paddy. Convinced Tiger Woods had the 2009 PGA Championship in the bag Paddy paid out on him winning at the halfway stage. Tiger blew a four-shot lead allowing YE Yang to take the major and it cost Paddy more than £1 million. He still wakes up in a cold sweat thinking about it.

There’s still a chance City could do it and cause more heart-ache for Paddy. United managed to cock-up an eight point lead last year in the most dramatic Premier League title-race in history.

Terms and conditions

• Payout applies to single bets only
• Payout applies to single bets placed on the Premier League 2012-13 Outright market.
• Bets must have been placed before 10.00am on Sunday February 10 2013
• The pay out applies to all channels
• The £5 free bet applies if you had your Paddy Power team page registered to Manchester City before 10.00am on Sunday February 10 2013
• The £5 free bet will be credited on Monday February 11 2013.

OH NO YOU DIDN’T: If you suspect something isn’t right with your horse, take advantage of Paddy’s offer

Paddy Power refunded on all losers in the 1.15 Cheltenham and the 3.10 Lingfield today.

Paddy has now refunded over €900k to punters this January on this special alone.

Paddy Power’s generosity in refunding all losers in two races on every Saturday in January ended up with the universe’s most popular bookie giving back a grand total of just over €900,000 in cold, hard cash after today he refunded €200k to 20,000 customers.

Punters in Paddy’s shops and online, who were aware of the offer but did not know which two races until as soon as the races begun, got their money back on the Murphy Group Handicap Chase (1.15pm Cheltenham) and the lingfieldpark.co.uk Handicap (3.10pm Lingfield) this afternoon.

€115,000 was refunded to 13,000 punters on the former, while €85k was given back to 7,000 backers on the contest, resulting in a grand total refund of €200k being paid out to 20,000 ecstatic Paddy Power customers today.

Paddy had already refunded €150,000 to 14,000 customers when he did the same crazy money back special on New Year’s Day, while 22,600 happy punters benefited from €235,000 given back on Saturday, January 5, around 25,000 backers were made up to receive €190,000 back on January 12 and €135k was refunded to 13,000 customers last Saturday.

Paddy Power said: “Punters who together have had over €900k refunded on losing bets this month have unsurprisingly been ecstatic about the initiative. We set out to come up with a highly generous offer for the New Year and I think that we can confidently say that we have surpassed backers’ expectations comprehensively!”

Money-Back All Losers – refunds so far

• January 1 – Musselburgh 1.05 Bocciani wins @ 7/1 and Paddy Power refunds on ALL losers in this race (€100k; 8,000 customers)

• January 1 – Exeter 3.15 Flying Award wins @ 11/2 and Paddy Power refunds on ALL losers in this race! (€50k; 6,000 customers)

• January 5 – Chepstow 1.35 Ruacana wins @ 10/3 and Paddy Power refunds on ALL losers in this race! (€140k; 11,400 customers)

• January 5 – Wincanton 2.40 Big Fella Thanks wins @ 6/1 and Paddy Power refunds on ALL losers in this race! (€95k; 11,200 customers)

• January 12 – Lingfield 12.50 Upavon wins @ 7/4f and Paddy Power refunds on ALL losers in this race! (€30k; 3,240 customers)

• January 12 – Warwick 2.25  Ely Brown @ 12/1 wins and Paddy Power refunds on ALL losers in this race! 

• January 19 – Kempton 1.45 Big Sylv wins @ 11/4 Paddy Power refunds on ALL losers in this race! (20k; 3,00 customers)

• January 19 – Naas 2.45 Un Atout wins @ 2/7f and Paddy Power refunds ALL losers in this race!
  

• January 26 – Cheltenham 1.15 Katenko wins at 4/1 Paddy Power refunds ALL losers in this race!

• January 26 – Lingfield 3.10 Robin Hoods Bay wins at 9/2 and Paddy Power refunds ALL losers in this race!

• Paddy Power will refund all losing bets from two races that take place in UK and Ireland that race day
• The offer will apply on Saturday 12th January and every Saturday in January
• The offer applies across all Paddy Power betting channels: online, shops, mobile, phone and text betting
• Max refund: €100/£100 per customer per race.
• Applies to win (and win part of each way) single bets only.
• Does not apply to extra markets or betting in-running.
• Does not apply to Tote bets.
• A minimum of two race meetings must take place each day.

• BETTING: Horse Racing

ALLY’S PALLIES: McCoist is overcome after hearing about Paddy’s payout

Paddy Power has banished the January blues by paying out nearly £40,000 to Scottish football punters four months early on Queen of the South and Glasgow Rangers winning Scottish football’s Second and Third Divisions respectively.

Dumfries-based Queens have proven to be the kings of the Second Division winning 18 of 21 games in their march to the title.

Meanwhile, Rangers have stretched 19-points clear in the Third Division and Paddy Power has decided that these titles are already sewn up.

Ally McCoist’s side – who have lost just one game all season – are even money to avoid defeat in the rest of their league campaign or 8/1 to win the rest of their Third Division fixtures.

Controversial Scottish league restructuring plans have led to fears that Rangers will up sticks and leave Scottish football altogether by the start of the 2013/14 season can take 25/1 with Paddy Power to insure against such a possibility.

A Paddy Power spokesperson said:

Once Queen of the South took the reins at the top, they’ve not let go. We see no chance of Queens or Rangers choking at this stage and so we’re paying out this January, although it will be us choking in May if either team lets it slip!

• Betting: Football Coupon 

Paddy Power dominated the industry in 2012 with more than twice as many specials than any other bookmaker and more than one million bets, according to our number crunchers.

Paddy spent a good bit of 2012 mocking Wayne Rooney’s hair transplant but the United striker got back at us. Punters love him though. Rooney cost us the most money of all the Premier players, and Chelsea’s unlikely Champions League victory helped them become the most expensive team.

The biggest offers were paying out on all losers at the Arkle at Cheltenham after Sprinter Sacre romped home and paying out because Chelsea somehow won the Champions League. Don’t forget, when Paddy gives Money-Back it is cool, hard cash, not free bets like some other bookies.

It wasn’t just Money-Back Specials in the last 12 months as Paddy’s extra places meant bread and water was the only thing on the menu at this year’s Christmas party. Paddy Power paid out on 66 extra places this year which included 53 on racing and 13 on golf. That put several million back in the pockets of Paddy Power punters.

Paddy showed off his super-generosity by offering more places than all of the other big names on the golf including a crazy seven places on the Open, six places on the US Open and the USPGA, and an incredible five places on the Masters. We also offered punters their money back on Tiger, just because we’re a bit bananas.

Who’s the best bookie for 2013?

Despite having the kind of wisdom that makes Stephen Fry jealous Paddy doesn’t always get it right. We paid out early on Harry Redknapp becoming England manager before Roy Hodgson eventually took the poisoned chalice. So, we paid out twice. Paddy hadn’t learned his lesson though as we paid out on Barack Obama for President, Celtic to win the SPL and Boris Johnson for London major.

It has been a stunning year for Paddy Power punters with a refund or a justice payout nearly every week in the last 12 months. We paid out or refunded 30 times during the year on events such as the lighting of the Olympic flame when a grand total of seven athletes stuck their two-pennyworth into the mix and we paid out on all of them. We also refunded all first goalscorer bets when Tim Howard found the onion bag for Everton against Bolton, paid out on the draw in Ireland’s Six Nations game against France after it was rained off, and on a trolley-load more events.

It’s been a good year for Barack Obama, a great year for Lionel Messi but a really unbelievable year for Paddy Power punters. Who’s your bookie for 2013?

Paddy Power has paid out almost £100,000 on Benny The Swinger (5-4 fav) as a winner even though Powell’s mount went the wrong side of the divide at the end of the 2m½f handicap chase jumping the fence in front of the stands instead of crossing the winning line.

Paddy Power quickly took the decision to pay out on Benny The Swinger as a winner, as well as the actual winner, the Michael Chapman-trained Peak Seasons.

Paddy said: “I’m a punter as well as a bookie and if I’d backed a 5-4 favourite beaten in such circumstances, I’d certainly be hoping that my layer coughed up.

He looked one of the unluckiest winners ever and it’s just a shame that we weren’t around in 1956 when Devon Loch inexplicably threw the National away as I’m sure we would have paid out!

Powell’s mistake is not the first at Fakenham with Gold Cup and King George-winning jockey Sam Waley-Cohen riding a finish early in December last year. Denis O’Regan and Sam Thomas also made errors around the sharp course in 2008, according to the Racing Post.

All bets on the selection, including multiples, will be settled as winners.

Ruby Walsh got the ball rolling at Cheltenham on Friday as Paddy refunded all losing single stakes on Wetak (2nd to Shooters Wood) and River Maigue (2nd to Dodging Bullets). While on Saturday backers of  Vasco Du Ronceray (2nd to Far West) and Walkon (2nd to Al Ferof) also hit us where it hurt. In the pocket.

Punters heaped more misery on Paddy as two extra-place specials clicked at Cheltenham on Sunday with Cloudy Bob (25/1) in the 1.45pm and Glam Gerry (14/1) in the 2.50pm taking us to the cleaners.

While Arsenal were busy dismantling Spurs’ season and giving Andre-Villas Boas a few sleepless nights – Paddy Power punters were counting their money after Gareth Bale’s goal kicked in an anytime goalscorer Money-Back special.

Bale’s 71st-minute strike was of little consolation to Spurs’ fans in their 5-2 loss in the North London derby but left neutrals who backed the Welshman to score quids in.

Meanwhile, six in-play 170 check-outs have hit the bullseye in the PDC Grand Slam of Darts for fans of the arrers.

• Betting: Paddy Power Money-Back specials 
• Betting: Paddy Power horse racing
• Betting: Paddy Power football 

SACRE BLEU!: Sprinter breaks the bookies at Cheltenham

Paddy has been quick to rescue punters hit by the double-whammy of Sprinter Sacre and Darlan’s withdrawl from Sunday’s Cheltenham card by refunding all ante-post bets on the pair.

Trainer Nicky Henderson was forced to pull Sunday’s two hot-pots from the Shloer Chase (2.20) and  Racing Post Hurdle (2.50) on Saturday night as ground conditions had turned against them.

Unbeaten chaser Sprinter Sacre had been heavily backed ante-post on his seasonal debut while the JP McManus-owned Darlan was all the rage for the Racing Post Hurdle having being punted into 9/4 favourite from 5/1 ante-post.

Paddy said earlier:

We have refunded stakes on all ante-post bets on both horses for all channels in singles and multiples with no limit for customers.  It’s been a fantastic weekend of top-class jumps racing highlighted by Al Ferof’s win in the Paddy Power Gold Cup. There’s still one day to go so let’s end it on a high!

And it’s not the first time Paddy’s been hit in the pocket by Sprinter Sacre. Barry Geraghty’s mount strolled to victory in the Arkle Chase at the Festival last March  costing us a cool £5m in the process.

• Betting: Cheltenham card, form and odds
• Betting: Rest of Sunday’s card, form and odds  
• Why Sprinter Sacre is the Special One

There’s still two days to go before America votes and national polls show voters remain largely undecided with nothing more than a sheet of ballot paper between Democrat Obama and Republican rival Mitt Romney.

But Paddy Power believes it’s a done deal and Obama is a nailed-on certainty to win a second term.

The gutsy call sees Europe’s largest bookmaker put its neck on the line for more than £400,000 (over $650,000). Prior to the decision to pay out, Obama’s odds fell to a low 2/9 and over the past months Paddy Power has seen 75 per cent of money staked go Obama’s way.

A Paddy Power spokesperson said:

Romney gave it a good shot and is doing well in the popular vote, but we suspect he’s had his moment in the sun and is likely to be remembered more for his legendary gaffes than Presidential potential.  The overall betting trend has shown one-way traffic for Obama and punters seemed to have called it 100 per cent correct.  Despite Romney appealing to the large evangelical and senior vote, America’s sticking with black and cool.

Paddy Power continues to offer betting right up to and including Election Day.  One of the most popular bets on offer is predicting the winning margin of the successful nominee on November 6.

To see Paddy Power’s full range of betting on the American Presidential election click here.

[Singles only. Bets up to 10am, November 4. All bets will paid out by midday Monday 5th.]

ALWAYS NEXT YEAR : Camelot finished down the field in France but will stay in training (pic: Inpho)

The heavy ground may have sunk the heavily-backed Camelot’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe chances but some Paddy Power punters were laughing all the way to the bank as Haya Landa rewarded each-way backers at 150/1.

Paddy went 1/4 the odds the first four places in Sunday’s feature as French filly Solemia 33/1 (41/1 on the Pari-Mutuel) ridden by  veteran jockey Olivier Peslier caught Japanese challenger Orfevre in the dying strides for a famous win.

It was cruel luck on the overseas runner who stormed up the centre of the track two furlongs out and had the race at his mercy. But a day of heavy rain on Saturday had left the track saturated and the distress signals went out as he tied up in the shadow of the post.

Masterstoke was third for Andre Fabre and Haya Landa rounded off the places in Paddy’s each-way special.

Camelot finished seventh under Frankie Dettori, with Sea Mon eighth and connections later revealed that the 2,000 Guineas, English and Irish Derby winner would stay in training as a four-year-old.

Trainer Aidan O’Brien said:

I think we stretched him a bit too much this year and maybe the Irish Derby (won in heavy ground) took more out of him than we thought at the time. Hopefully he’ll get back to his best after a rest and he could be something really special next year.

Paddy Power has called Martin Skrtel every name under the sun after his ridiculous pass-back allowed Carlos Tevez to score and left Paddy emptying his wallet for the punters.

Tevez scoring the last goal caused a whopping Money-Back Special to click and meant the drinks tonight are on Paddy!

In a cracking contest between Liverpool and the City, the champions twice came from behind to draw 2-2 and Paddy was left to count the cost of another bananas Money-Back Special when Tevez skipped passed Pepe Reina.

Paddy was having kittens throughout the game knowing that if Tevez or Luis Suarez had found the onion bag last he’d be on bread and water until Christmas. Cheers, Carlos.

HOT STUFF: The Olympic flame burns brightly at the opening ceremony

Paddy Power is paying out a whopping six-figure sum to punters after the dramatic lighting of the Olympic flame last night.

In a surprise move some of Britain’s greatest Olympians teamed up with seven young athletes tipped to be future stars to light the flame.

Paddy has decided to pay out in full on bets placed on Steve Redgrave, Kelly Holmes, Mary Peters, Daley Thompson, Duncan Goodhew, Lynne Davies and Shirley Thompson who were all involved in lighting the flame.

Sir Steve Redgrave had been well supported to light the flame and ran into the stadium with the torch after David Beckham had driven it up the Thames on a speedboat! The young athletes and the Olympians met Redgrave at the entrance and it was the ‘future stars’ who lit the copper petals which set the cauldron alight.

Paddy felt it was in the spirit of the games to pay out on all seven Olympians involved as winners and that means a stunning unexpected payout for Paddy Power punters.

“Everyone’s predictions went up in smoke yesterday so it’s only fair that we pay out on those who carried the flame during the ceremony.”

It was an unbelievable end to what had been a spectacular show choreographed by film-maker Danny Boyle. The ceremony cost in the region of £27million but the three-hour extravaganza viewed worldwide was deemed an overwhelming success.

Punters can now enjoy a weekend of cracking Olympic action with a tidy wad of cash in their pocket courtesy of Paddy!

• Betting: Olympic coupon