Thursday, April 24, 2003
TOTE WIN NOW BEATING SP IN 54% OF RACES
The Tote's decision to reduce significantly the deductions from its Win and Place pools, which came into effect on 20th March, has proved very lucrative for value seeking punters based on the evidence of the first month since the change. The take out from the Tote Win pool came down from 16% to 13.5% and in the Place pool the take out is now 18% from 24%.
Of the 672 races run from 20th March to Easter Monday, 21st April, the Tote Win Dividend beat SP in 361 of them (which equates to 54%) and was the same in 25 of the 672 (which means that SP beat Tote Win in less than 43% of races). Under the old deduction level, Tote Win would have been better than SP on just 47% of occasions.
There have also been some high profile examples of the value that Tote customers are now getting - on Martell Cognac Grand National Day at Aintree, Tote Win beat SP in all 6 races, including a well backed 7/4 favourite, and on Easter Monday, Tote Win beat SP in 66% of races and was the same as SP in a further 3%.
Tote Chairman Peter Jones said: "When we announced that we were reducing our deduction levels to amongst the very lowest in the world, and effectively giving £4m a year back to punters, we were confident that Tote Win would best SP on a majority of occasions and this has proved to be the case. I'm equally encouraged that the pool sizes are growing compared to last year, despite the number of runners in comparable races being well down. Quite simply, punters are now missing out on a great opportunity if Tote betting doesn't form a significant part of their armoury."
INTRIGUING CONTEST IN STORE FOR SAGITTA JOCKEY CLUB STAKES
The Group Two £100,000 Sagitta Jockey Club Stakes at Newmarket on Friday, May 2, has attracted 19 high-class entries.
This prestigious one mile four furlong contest is run on the opening day of the three-day Sagitta Guineas Festival on a seven-race card which also boasts the £32,000 Listed Newmarket Stakes and the £32,000 Listed Dahlia Stakes.
Last year's Sagitta Jockey Club Stakes was won by Godolphin's Marienbard, who proved a neck too strong for the previous year's winner Millenary. Marienbard went on to win three Group One contests in 2002, including France's most important race, the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe - Lucien Barriere at Longchamp in October.
This season Godolphin has made four entries consisting of Highest, runner-up to Bollin Eric in last year's St Leger at Doncaster, Mamool, who won the Queen's Vase at Royal Ascot in 2002, Narrative, whose three victories last season included a Group Two event in Italy in May, and Pugin, who failed by just one and a half lengths to capture last season's Jefferson Smurfit Memorial Irish St Leger at the Curragh.
The hopes of the other powerhouse of European racing, Coolmore, rest with the Aidan O'Brien-trained Black Sam Bellamy. The Sadler's Wells colt gained a top-class success in last year's Gran Premio del Jockey Club e Coppa d'Oro at San Siro in Italy, when getting the better of Guadalupe in a tight finish.
Millenary crossed the line two lengths ahead of Sandmason in the 2001 renewal of this event and the six-year-old is one of two John Dunlop-trained entries this time. The trainer could also be represented by the Earl Cadogan's Water Jump, who was only beaten three-quarters of a length when third to Zindabad in last season's Group Three Dubai Irish Village Stakes at Newbury.
This last-named contest was this season won by the Clive Brittain-trained Warrsan, who was gaining a first Group success at the age of five and in doing so continued the family tradition of half-brothers Needle Gun and Luso of improving with age.
Second, third and ninth respectively at Newbury were the Geoff Wragg-trained Asian Heights, Compton Bolter, trained by Gerard Butler, and the David Elsworth-trained Pawn Broker. This trio could renew hostilities with the winner at Headquarters.
Middleham-based Mark Johnston has three entries from which to select. In addition to Zindabad, whose two Group Two wins last season came in the Merewood Homes Yorkshire Cup at York (when beating Boreas by a length and a half) and the Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot, when a length too powerful for subsequent Emirates Airline Champion Stakes hero Storming Home, he could rely upon Yavana's Pace and Bandari.
The former carved a place for himself in racing history by becoming the oldest horse ever to win a Group One contest when scoring at the age of 10 in last season's Credit Suisse Private Banking Pokal at Cologne in August, while Bandari was third in last season's St Leger on his most recent outing, having previously beaten Highest by a head in the Group Two Great Voltigeur Stakes at York.
Last year's King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot winner Balakheri, as well as Bangalore, Rakti, who was successful in last season's Italian Derby, and The Whistling Teal complete the entries.
THE SAGITTA JOCKEY CLUB STAKES
Newmarket, Friday, May 2, 2003. Class A, Group 2, £100,000 guaranteed. 1m 4f. For 4yo+. Weights: colts & geldings 8st 9lb; fillies 8st 6lb. Penalties: after June 4, 2002, a winner of a Group 2 race of 1m or over 3lb; of a Group 1 race of 1m or over 5lb. Entries closed April 16 (19 entries), Confirmation of entry Noon April 26, Declaration to run 10.00am May 1.
25501-1 BLACK SAM BELLAMY (IRE) 4-9-00 Michael Tabor & Sue Magnier Aidan O'Brien IRE
321533- YAVANA'S PACE (IRE) 11-9-00 Joan Keaney Mark Johnston
1/13156- BALAKHERI (IRE) 4-8-12 H.H. Aga Khan Sir Michael Stoute
1/10113- BANDARI (IRE) 4-8-12 Hamdan Al Maktoum Mark Johnston
231355- MILLENARY 6-8-12 L. Neil Jones John Dunlop
13135-0 ZINDABAD (FR) 7-8-12 Abdulla BuHaleeba Mark Johnston
21/110-2 ASIAN HEIGHTS 5-8-09 John Pearce Geoff Wragg
211420- BANGALORE 7-8-09 Mike Dawson Amanda Perrett
225112- BOREAS 8-8-09 Aston House Stud Luca Cumani
(0)-(6)(0)(5)23 COMPTON BOLTER (IRE) 6-8-09 Erik Penser Gerard Butler
2122-10 HIGHEST (IRE) 4-8-09 Godolphin Saeed bin Suroor
4/4154-1 MAMOOL (IRE) 4-8-09 Godolphin Saeed bin Suroor
01205-4 NARRATIVE (IRE) 5-8-09 Godolphin Saeed bin Suroor
65-(3)(0)10 PAWN BROKER 6-8-09 Raymond Tooth David Elsworth
0120-20 PUGIN (IRE) 5-8-09 Godolphin Saeed bin Suroor
111630- RAKTI 4-8-09 Gary Tanaka Michael Jarvis
1/42121- THE WHISTLING TEAL 7-8-09 Mrs F. A. Veasey Geoff Wragg
52422-1 WARRSAN (IRE) 5-8-09 Saeed Manana Clive Brittain
5111/36- WATER JUMP (IRE) 6-8-09 The Earl Cadogan John Dunlop
19 Entries
1 Irish-trained
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