Sydney Cup winner Stand To Gain has been heavily backed for both The Metropolitan and the Melbourne Cup following his encouraging second up run behind Trusting on Saturday.
Sportingbet Australia CEO Michael Sullivan said Stand To Gain had been backed from $31 to $19 for The Metropolitan and $101 to $41 for the Melbourne Cup following a series of huge bets.
“We took two bets of $1000 each way at $31 before a bet of $5000 each way arrived and we shortened him into $19 to win The Metropolitan,” Sullivan said.
“His run on Saturday suggests he is back in good form and he looks a genuine contender in a Metrop field that doesn’t have tremendous depth and punters have backed him to take out over $250,000.
“We are standing him for even more in the Melbourne Cup after taking bets of $2000 and $500 at $101 before taking further bets of $1000 at $81 and $1000 again at $71.
“He takes out over $400,000 in the Cup and if he wins The Metropolitan, then he will obviously shorten up for the Cup significantly as well.”
Sullivan said there had been plenty of other money around in Metropolitan betting after some good runs in the past week.
“At First Sight is the favourite at $7.00 and he has been well backed along with stable mate, Green Moon, following his impressive win at Newcastle,” Sullivan said.
“There has also been good money for the three horses who finished in front of Stand To Gain on the weekend in Trusting ($8.00), Tullamore ($9.00) and Hawk Island ($13).”
2011 Metropolitan Hcp
Sportingbet Australia market
AT FIRST SIGHT 7.00
TRUSTING 8.00
TULLAMORE 9.00
GREEN MOON 10.00
MY KINGDOM OF FIFE 11.00
LAMASERY 12.00
HAWK ISLAND 13.00
GLASS HARMONIUM 13.00
CRAFTY IRNA 15.00
MOURAYAN 15.00
FORETELLER 15.00
OLDER THAN TIME 16.00
MIDAS TOUCH 17.00
ANUDJAWUN 17.00
STAND TO GAIN 19.00
BASE 19.00
PRAECIDO 21.00
STRATOFORTRESS 21.00
HOME ON A WING 23.00
ABSOLUTELYAWESOME 23.00
LARISTAN 23.00