Reported by the Racing Post:
A “colossal rush of money” on Friday prompted bookmakers to take a chisel to Karabak’s odds of upsetting Big Buck’s in the Ladbrokes World Hurdle.
Big Bucks World Hurdle Favourite
The Alan King-trained stayer was beaten by Big Buck’s when posting his own personal-best performance in last month’s Long Walk Hurdle, but that has not stopped punters piling into the 2009 Cheltenham Festival runner-up, who trades as short as 6-1 having started the day at 10-1.
Stan James originallycut Karabak to 7-1 from 10-1, but that turned out to be an insufficient reaction to the move and the firm later trimmed him to 6-1. However, a 10-1 to 7-1 cut was enough for Ladbrokes, whose spokesman Hayley O’Connor said: “A colossal rush of money for Karabak has driven him into 7-1, which now makes him second favourite for the World Hurdle.”
Trainer Henry de Bromhead’s announcement that Irish Independent Arkle Trophy favourite Sizing Europe could instead tackle the Seasons Holidays Queen Mother Champion Chase prompted William Hill to introduce him into that race’s market at 12-1.
William Hill also acted on the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle front, trimming Kempton winner Menorah to 11-1 from 12-1.
More immediately, Petit Robin is 11-4 from 3-1 with the sponsors for the Victor Chandler Chase on January 23, for which Cornas is 14-1 from 20-1.
