Dubious decision costs in-running players big time

Tommy Lyons: Playing the Exchanges

Saturday, March 20, 2010

After quite a civilised Festival in terms of Betfair activity, there were some significant winners and losers on Friday's Cheltenham card.

Kauto Star was a massively expensive loser for those who sent him off 1.92 and also for in-running players who took the slightly dubious decision to back him at shorter than 4-6 (1.63) in-running despite the fact that he made a shocking mistake quite early in the race.

After the departure of Kauto Star, stable-companion Denman hit a low of 1.7 but eventual winner Imperial Commander, who had traded at 70 in the ante-post market but no bigger than 12 in the early morning betting, proved too strong.

The joint shortest priced loser of the day was Paul Nicholls' Najaf in the demanding Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle.

He was traded at 17-2 on (1.12) before succumbing to the stamina of Berties Dream, who was matched at 190 mid-race.

The other shortest priced loser of the day came in the closing race when the strong travelling Consigliere failed to deliver. Like Najaf, he was matched at 1.12 but managed no better than third behind flying finisher Pigeon Island. The latter traded at 65 when it looked like the front runners had the race to themselves but his unrelenting effort foiled spoiled another Grand Annual victory for the week's leading trainer Nicky Henderson and his charge French Opera (matched at 2.12).

Another Seven Barrows inmate, Radium, looked set for success in the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap but he failed to raise his game in the closing stages having been traded at 1.32.

In the Triumph Hurdle, front-running Barizan looked to have stolen the race with an extremely positive ride from Tom O'Brien. He hit a low of 1.3 before being reeled-in by Soldatino.

The last named, who was giving Nicky Henderson his fifth success in the race, traded at 180 to €1 in running but was more freely available at 36 during proceedings.

It was a little surprising to note that Dee Ee Williams traded no lower than 3.2 when striking for home in the County Hurdle and, in fact, it was fourth-placed Zanir who proved most costly to backers having been matched at 1.55. The Katie Walsh ridden Thousand Stars hit a high of 75 in the morning and 65 in-running.

This appeared in the printed version of the Irish Examiner Saturday, March 20, 2010