The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 6 letter word NAPPED
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
N
A
P
P
E
D
Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Fancied to win/made a pile" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case fancied to win/made a pile = napped.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does NAPPED mean?
NAPPED verb- To have a nap; to sleep for a short period of time, especially during the day.
- To be off one's guard.
- To form or raise a soft or fuzzy surface on (fabric or leather).
- To grab; to nab.
- To cover (something) with a sauce (usually in passive).