News

Bookies tip betting splurge on Newmarket Handicap

4th Mar 2009

Herald Sun - Tim Habel - Thursday, 5 March 2009

A FIELD of 23, the biggest Newmarket Handicap line-up in almost 20 years, will return the famous race to the "charge of the light brigade" on Saturday.

And TAB Sportsbet is predicting one of the biggest betting races of the year, with Gai Waterhouse's Northern Meteor the $7 favourite for the Flemington race.

"It's a bottler," TAB Sportsbet's Daniel Happell said of the race, which contains nine Group 1 winners.

The biggest field in recent years was the maximum 24 when Gold Trump won in 1990.

The first significant betting move after the barrier draw yesterday was for Orange County, who firmed from $51 to $35 and was backed to win $100,000 for the place.

Lee Freedman, who has three-year-old Time Thief ($12) in the race, said the field was big because there was no standout.

"There are a host of chances. My horse is in good form and will run well; 51.5kg is a nice weight," he said.

Racecourse manager Mick Goodie said he had no doubt most runners would head for the inside.

The rule of thumb for Flemington straight-track racing is that a southerly wind favours the inside, a northerly the outside.

The forecast for Saturday is a 25-30km/h south to south-easterly.

Topweight Scenic Blast ($12) has drawn the right side but from barrier two Steve Arnold will need to reproduce the magical ride that won him the Lightning Stakes from barrier one.

Trainer Danny Morton said Scenic Blast had fully recovered from cuts to three of his four legs when a beaten favourite in the rough-house Oakleigh Plate.

"He's fine. He galloped on the course proper Tuesday and will have another gallop tomorrow. He loves the straight, the rest is up to Steve," he said.

A BET on the US presidential election was at the centre of the heated verbal barney between bookmakers Michael Eskander and Robbie Waterhouse at Rosehill on Saturday.

Eskander alleges Waterhouse owes him $10,000.

"This has been a very distressing period of my bookmaking and personal life," Eskander said.

The bookies have to front stewards in Sydney tomorrow.