Bookies slash odds on Irish Miss World win

Bookies have slashed the odds on an Irish winner of this year’s Miss World competition.

Bookies have slashed the odds on and Irish winner of this year’s Miss World competition.

Miss Ireland Rosanna Davison, the daughter of singer Chris De Burgh, is hotly tipped as the favourite to win the title this weekend.

Bookmakers, Paddy Power, said there had been an “absolute flood of money” placed on Miss Ireland over the last few days.

“She opened up at 9-1 two weeks ago and she’s now shot up to 4-1,” said a spokesman.

“She’s been astonishingly popular – it’s quite exceptional to see such a one-way tide of money.”

He confirmed that the renewed interest in Miss Ireland had begun when she won the beachwear contest earlier this week.

But while other favourites Macedonia, Georgia and Bolivia, are pulling in the money, it’s peanuts compared with Miss Ireland, he said.

Ladbrokes reported a similar story.

“In the industry we would say it’s a one-horse book for us but in this case it’s a one-girl book,” said spokesman Rory O’Carroll.

“Her odds have just been slashed to 4-1 in the last two hours and it looks like she’s got a very good chance of winning.”

He also said that the surge of interest appeared to have come off the back of Ms Davison’s win in the Miss Beach contest last week.

Mr Carroll said if Miss Ireland wins, they’ll be paying out over €50,000 this weekend.

Boylesports reported a similar situation. "We are taking a steady flow of 20, 30 and even 50 Euro bets on Rosanna and she really seems to have caught the publics attention," said Tony Pring, Boylesports Trading Department.

The 106 girls battling it out for this year’s Miss World title are preparing for the final countdown to be held this Saturday in Sanya, on the island of Hainan, China.

Ireland has never won the contest but the Miss India who won the title in the mid-60s is currently living in Dublin, believed to be practising medicine.