Australian bookies hit with some early action

[dave nz]

Australian bookies have been hit with a gamble on Star English stayer Yeats winning November's Melbourne Cup. The Aidan O'Brien trained Yeats will run in the Irish St Leger at the Curragh on Saturday.

Leading Melbourne Bookmaker Michael Eskander has slashed Yeats' price from 15.00 into 7.00 after a number of large bets were placed today. "There's been a significant plunge on Yeats," Eskander's betting analyst Michael Horne confirmed. "And you'd have to say it's the right money as well. The first money today came at 15.00, there were takers 10.00 and then another bet of $5,000 each way at 8.00," Horne reported. "It's the biggest plunge this far out for a Melbourne Cup for some time."

Yeats is now at 7.00 with Eskander for the Cup. John Hawkes' Headturner has eased to 900. Headturners' stablemate Railings is on the third line of betting at 13.00.

TAB Sportsbet Media Manager Glenn Munsie echoed Eskander's news today. They were hit with bets of $9,000 at 15.00, $6,000 at 12.00 and $20,000 12.00 with associated smaller wagers that saw the import backed to win over $425,000 in a flurry of activity that lasted just over thirty minutes.