Plate cash continues to pile on Pavilions

Far Pavilions is now as short as 5-2 favourite with Ladbrokes and William Hill ahead of the John Smith’s Northumberland Plate at Newcastle on Saturday.

Alan Swinbank’s charge has been heavily-backed with all the big firms since a book on the ‘Pitmen’s Derby’ was opened – and the gamble showed no signs of abating on Wednesday.

Coral are only marginally bigger at 11-4 and spokesman David Stevens summed up the mood when he said: “Despite numerous price cuts, we simply cannot stop the flood of money for this horse, and it could well go off as one of the hottest favourites of the season.”

Big-race rider Robert Winston is keeping his fingers crossed that the current spell of dry weather holds until the weekend as Far Pavilions has shown his best form on quick ground.

The Halling gelding was a ready winner of a good handicap at Musselburgh on his latest start and Winston told At The Races: “He is a very lightly-raced sort on the Flat, but he’s been over the jumps in the winter and has done remarkably well.

“The Musselburgh track would have been a little bit sharp for him. He’s won a couple of hurdle races up there and he does like the track, but at the same time it is a bit sharp for him as he is a big galloping type of horse.

“I think the fast conditions will be ideal for him. He is a fast ground horse. If we had any rain it would definitely take his chance away.”