Australia’s leading bookmaker the TAB gives an overview of today’s betting markets from the feature races and race meetings from around the country. See which races punters cleaned up on and lost on.
KEMBLA GRANGE
RACE 1
The Gong race meeting started with a double-figure odds winner, but The Guru was not unwanted, starting $11 with TAB after $14 was available during the week. Runner-up Shibli was also easy, $3.60 out to $4.80, while third placegetter almost pulled off a long-odds move, starting $7 after $21 was the first price offered. Solid $3.60 favourite Suppression was the disappointment of the race, having taken up almost 40 percent of the win hold on the race.
BETS: Suppression $3000 at $3.60, $5000 TO PLACE at $1.50, $4000 TO PLACE at $1.55.
RACE 2
Race 2 was a mirror image of the opening event with the winner starting double-figure odds, but with support, and the favourite finishing out of the top four despite being solid in betting. Point Counterpoint opened $13 on Wednesday, got as low as $10 before a slight drift on raceday to start $12. Lord Desanimaux backers – and there were plenty with the grey $9.50 in to $6.50 – would be wondering how he did not win after looking home at the 100m, while solid $4 favourite Sizzling Cat took up 35 percent of the market but was never a factor.
BETS: Lucky Banner $4000x$1000 at $17/$4.60.
RACE 3
The third was considered a race in two and punters were on the money with well-supported $2.25 favourite Dragonstone, who was responsible for 48 percent of the hold on the race, proving too good for $3.80 second elect Satin Ribbons. Dragonstone commanded some of the biggest bets on the early part of the card, the largest being $5000 at $2.40.
BETS: Dragonstone $5000 at $2.40, $3000 at $2.40, $2500 at $2.40, $2500 at $2.30, $2000 at $2.30 TWICE.
RACE 4
The fourth was the most open race of the day and it was Ranges who scored as an $8 chance. He opened $10 on Wednesday, but that was before scratchings, and 30 cents worth of deductions. Runner-up Rammstein was easy on raceday ($4 to $5), but still started favourite, while Adelaide’s Light ($23 first price, $9.50 to $6.50 on raceday) and Canasta ($23 first price, $10 to $7 on raceday) were a couple of long-odds movers who failed to figure.
BETS: Ranges $2000 at $7.50, $1000 at $7.50
RACE 5
Favourite backers knew they were trouble as soon as the gates opened for Race 5 and Selburose was a conspicuous last away. She was the best-backed runner, accounting for 48 percent of the hold, and tightened from a first price of $4.20 to start $3.20. Queen Bellissimo, who like Selburose is owned by Gerry Harvey, made the most of the favourite being out of play to score a dominant on-pace at $6 after a best price of $9.50 was bet.
BETS: Queen Bellissimo $1500 at $6.50, $2500 at $6, $1900 at $6.
BETS: Selburose $3000 at $3.20, $2500 at $3.20, $2000 at $3.20 THREE TIMES.
RACE 6
Just 20 cents separated Divine Breath and Easy Campese when they jumped in Race 6, but the two fancies turned in contrasting performances with Divine Breath ($6.50 to $4.80) scoring a comprehensive win and Easy Campese (solid at $5) one of the disappointments of the race. Although Divine Breath leap-frogged Easy Campese at the head of betting just before the jump, Easy Campese was still the most popular in terms of hold, responsible for more than 33 percent of money wagered.
BETS: Divine Breath $1151 x $1500 at $5/$2.10.
BETS: Easy Campese $2500 at $5, $5200 at $4.60.
BETS: Travest $2000 ew at $8/$2.80
RACE 7 – THE WARRA
Malkovich attracted some of the biggest bets held by TAB at the entire meeting – including $19,700 at $2.30 – but he was nabbed late by Eleven Eleven, who opened $9 on Wednesday, got in as low as $6.50 before drifting late to start $8. Malkovich, attracted 62 percent of trade, opened $2.80, hit $2.15, got back out to $2.40 before a late flurry of big bets saw him start $2.30.
BETS: Eleven Eleven $1500 AT $8, $1000 EW AT $8/$2.50.
BETS: Malkovich $19,700 at $2.30, $7170 AT $2.30, $5000 at $2.30, $3000 at $2.30 FOUR TIMES, $2500 at $2.30 FOUR TIMES, $6000 at $2.20, $3000 at $2.20.
RACE 8 – THE GONG
Count De Rupee won The Gong at a much greater price than TAB put up on Wednesday, but there was no shortage of happy customers with the local galloper the most popular runner with TAB. A $2.90 chance on Wednesday, Count De Rupee’s fans had access to as much as $5.50 in the lead-up to the race with the gelding eventually starting the $4.60 favourite, marginally in advance of Atishu, who started $5 after a first price of $12 was offered.
BETS: Count De Rupee $4000 at $5.50, $3000 x $2000 at $5.50/$2.30, $2000 at $4.80, $5000 at $4.60, $2000 at $4.60, $10,000 at $4.40, $3000 at $4.40, $10,000 at $4.20, $10,000 TO PLACE at $2.
BETS: Atishu$2000 at $5.50, $2500 at $4.80, $5250 at $4.60, $2000 at $4.60.
RACE 9
There were good moves for several runners in Race 9, but they were all denied by Steely, who was as low as $6.50 but started $8. Lackeen, who was the most popular runner at 28 percent of trade, started $3.70 favourite after opening $6.50 with Kingsheir ($8 to $4.60) and Wheelhouse ($6 to $4.80) the others punters embraced. One punter had a particularly good result on the winner, having $2700 the win and $1300 the place at $9 and $3 during the week.
BETS: Steely $2700 x $1300 at $9/$3.
BETS: Lackeen $4000 at $3.80, $2500 x $2652 at $3.50/$1.65, $4000 at $3.40, $3000 at $3.40, $2500 at $3.40 TWICE.
RACE 10
Dynamic Impact sent favourite backers home a winner in last, scoring despite being slightly easy in the lead up to the jump. He was $2.30 out to $2.70 in the 30 minutes before the race, but had been well-supported prior to that and was a $6.50 chance in the initial market (which had 39 cents worth of deductions). Outside the favourite, My Demetra was one who had good support, tightening from $9.50 in to as low as $7 before starting $7.50.
BALLARAT
RACE 1
The memories of last year’s Ballarat Cup Day favourite punters’ bloodbath were not exactly forgotten, but Lighthouse did her best to help favourite backers move on with a commanding win as a well-backed commodity in the first of 10 races. A $2.60 chance when the market went up on Wednesday, she was well-backed in the days leading up to the event and on raceday, being responsible for 57 percent of trade, and scored as a $2 chance.
BETS: Lighthouse $2000 at $2.25, $4000 at $2.15, $2320 at $2.15, $9000 at $2.10, $4442.50 at $2.
RACE 2
Following on from Lighthouse, Decent Raine made it two from two for favourite backers with an effortless win in the second event. After opening $3.40 on Wednesday, Decent Raine got as low as $2.80 before starting $3.20. Although Decent Raine jumped favourite, TAB held more money – 33 percent of the win take – on Jimmy The Bear, who was $8 in to $4.
BETS: Decent Raine $4000 at $3.40.
BETS: Jimmy The Bear $1790 at $4.80
RACE 3
Ciaron Maher and David Eustace’s dream start to the day ended in Race 3, which saw Cusack overcome a drift from $4.60 to $9.50 to score a narrow win over Cover Star, who was $18 in to $13. Fly Nice ($4.20 to $3.10) had the job of completing a Maher/Eustace early hat-trick, but despite being responsible for 36 percent of the win hold and having a cushy run just behind the speed, the daughter of Impending failed to come on the straight.
BETS: Fly Nice $4500 ew at $4.20/$1.85, $2500 ew at $3.20/$1.60.
RACE 4
Duchess Of Dorset was one of the better-backed runners on the Ballarat Cup Day card and the Symon Wilde-trained mare justified that support with a dominant win to make it three wins from the first four races for the favourite. A $2.80 chance on Wednesday, on raceday she was $2.15 in to as low as $1.85 before starting $1.90 and was responsible for a whopping 72 percent of trade. One punter had $11,510 at $1.85.
BETS: Duchess Of Dorset $2500 at $1.95, $11,510 at $1.85.
RACE 5
Ocean Beyond was a mover late in betting – $7.50 into $6 – and took out the fifth race, holding off a late challenge from The Gauch, who was a significant raceday drifter, $2 out to $3.10. Despite the drift, The Gauch still commanded more money than any other runner – 42 percent – while the second most popular was Irish Songs (15 percent), who started $7.50 after double figures was available during the week. Sirius Suspect ($7.50 to $5) was the other runner well-backed to topple The Gauch but he was beaten midway down the straight.
RACE 6
Marabi took her record to four wins from as many starts with a seven-length romp and punters rejoiced with the Maher/Eustace filly making it four from six for favourites on Ballarat Cup Day. A $2.60 chance when markets first went up, $2.40 was still available 10 minutes from post time before a late rally saw her start $2.25. More than 60 percent of the money on the race was on Marabi, the biggest bet being $8648 at $2.30.
BETS: Marabi $8648 at $2.30, $3000 at $2.30 TWICE.
RACE 7
Those who backed Just Benjamin from $21 in to $10 had to share the spoils in Race 7 with the Anthony and Sam Freedman-trained import dead-heating with Silent Sovereign, who was $8 out to $10. Favourite, and a well-backed one from $3.80 in to $2.90, was Alcyone who enjoyed a good run but was beaten early in the straight. Alcyone was responsible for 52 percent of TAB’s fixed odds hold.
BETS: Silent Sovereign $1000 at $9.50
BETS: Just Benjamin $1000 at $11, $1000 at $10
BETS: Alcyone $5000 at $3.10, $2500 at $3, $5000 at $2.90, $4800 at $2.90, $3500 at $2.90.
RACE 8 – BALLARAT CUP
A strong late push for Thought Of That went astray with the Maher/Eustace front-runner reeled in late and forced to settle for fourth position. The gelding accounted for 47 percent of the hold on the Victorian feature, including four bets of at least $10,000 at $2.40. The winner, Zayydani, attracted little interest, resulting in a drift from $8 out to $11, while runner-up Yonkers ($21 to $26) was easy but third placegetter Vanna Girl had support at a price. After drifting from $17 to $31, she had late support to start $23. Defibrillate was the one punters came for to beat the favourite, starting $6.50 second elect after opening $15.
BETS: Zayydani $1575 at $8.
BETS: Yonkers$2500 ew at $19/$5
BETS: Thought Of That $4600 at $2.80, $12,120 AT $2.40, $10,000 at $2.40 THREE TIMES, $3601 x $2600 at $2.40/$1.35, $5000 at $2.40, $3000 at $2.40 THREE TIMES.
BETS: Defibrillate $1000 x $4000 at $7.50/$2.50
RACE 9
The penultimate event was an easy watch for favourite backers with Typhoon Harmony scoring an effortless win at $4.40. He opened $5.50 on Wednesday and mainly fluctuated between $4.20 and $4.60 on raceday. Night Passage was the big mover, a $41 chance in the initial market, the local galloper was heavily supported on raceday to jump $5.50 second favourite.
BETS: Typhoon Harmony $2400 at $4.60, $2000 at $4.60, $5000 at $4.20, $3000 at $4.20, $2000 at $4.20 TWICE, $2000 at $4
BETS: Night Passage $10,000 ew at $5.50/$2.20, $1900 at $5.50.
BETS: Saltpeter $6000 at $18, $3000 at $15.
RACE 10
The final race of the day was knocked around by scratchings, with early favourite Marine One scratched on race morning and Outlaws Revenge a late scratching when firmly in the market, which left Authentic Jewel to start $3.50 favourite. The outsider of the field, Aquagirl, blew them all out of the water, winning at $26 after drifting from $19.