THE staggering Guineas gamble on Santa Barbara shows no signs of coming to a sudden stop.
Aidan O’Brien’s once-raced filly remained all the rage for the first fillies’ Classic on Wednesday afternoon.
Santa Barbara was introduced as a 33-1 poke for the Guineas after her win on debut at the Curragh.
The attention of punters switched to the jumpers over much of the winter, but as spring rolled in, so did the dosh for O’Brien’s filly. She’s now an eye-watering 6-4 with most bookies.
A few stable tours and compliments from her trainer and the bandwagon got going.
Whatever she has been beating up on the famous Ballydoyle gallops – it’s impressed someone in the know.
O’Brien has gallops that replicate the best tracks at home. Mini Epsoms and replica Newmarkets – they really leave nothing to chance ahead of the Guineas and Derby.
And O’Brien’s record speaks for itself. He’s won four of the last five renewals of the 1000 Guineas and ten 2000 Guineas for good measure.
Throw in eight Derby wins and eight Oaks for good measure and you begin to get the picture. He and his team take some stopping.
But this old fashioned gamble still takes some working out. How can a horse with one racecourse outing be 6-4 for a Group 1?
Bookies Coral have again today been forced to trim Santa Barbara.
Their man David Stevens said: “We introduced Santa Barbara into our QIPCO 1,000 Guineas market in early March at 10-1, so we’ve not laid any really scary prices about her.
“But she’s dominated the ante-post betting since then, with her price shortening all the way down to the current 6-4, ensuring there will be plenty of disappointed punters if she doesn’t live up to those expectations next month.”
Santa Barbara’s main rival may well come from Ireland too in the shape of Pretty Gorgeous, a general 4-1 chance – funnily enough trained by O’Brien’s son Joseph.
After trainer Richard Hannon announced the exciting Snow Lantern would skip the race, it looks like Andrew Balding’s Alcohol Free will lead the home side at Newmarket.
She’s a general 7-1 chance in the 1000 Guineas with Sacred and Saffron Beach next in at 8-1 and 12-1.
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