Allan says prices not right
MASTER trainer Ivan Allan thundered a warning to punters not to be tempted by the odds London bookmakers Ladbrokes are offering on his International Cup and Vase hopefuls Mr Vitality and Privilege following yesterday's barrier draw for the showpiece events.
Ladbrokes have Mr Vitality 6-4 favourite for the Cup and Privilege 5-2 favourite for the Vase. They jump from barriers 10 and eight.
Allan, like his stable jockey Basil Marcus, is unconcerned by the draw but he dismissed these prices yesterday as mere flights of fancy. He stressed: 'If you took the same trainer, the same jockey and the same opponents and ran the Cup anywhere in Europe, the bookmakers over there would have to make Mr Vitality 20-1 not 6-4.
'I'm very happy with my horse and feel he is going to run a big race but 6-4 does not represent any sort of value for the Hong Kong punters.' As for Privilege, Allan was even more critical. He went on: 'If the same trainer, the same jockey and the same opponents were gathered for a Group Two or Group Three race anywhere in Europe, Privilege would be 50-1. I and you know they'd all be saying 'what's a Hong Kong handicapper doing in this race'.' Ladbrokes representative Mike Dillon took Allan's remarks in his stride, smiling: 'I'd wish we could get a bit of the each-way double at those odds.' Despite his thoughts on the prices, Allan was more than happy with the way that Mr Vitality and Privilege came through their final serious workout yesterday morning.
Shaanxi, the French filly with the best Group One form in the race, drew well in barrier four of the 13 runners and was immediately cut to 4-1 from 5-1 by Dillon. Station Hand has a good stall in gate three but Triarius has the worst barrier of all - the dreaded 13 box.
Neville Begg and his son Grahame Begg were dealt a cruel blow in the draw for the Bowl when the horses they are preparing for the 1,400-metre event, Winning Partners and Monopolize, drew the wide outside in stalls 14 and 13.
Winning Partners' jockey Greg Childs reacted: 'It will have to be a good ride from there. There's no option but to go back and hook out in the straight.' Winning Partners is now 5-1 from 7-2 with Ladbrokes though that price is unlikely to last and won't be matched by the Hong Kong tote.
There is growing confidence behind the American runner in the Bowl, Finder's Fortune, with Darrell Vienna's assistant trainer, the former English jumps jockey Tim Pinfield commenting: 'That's just the draw [eight] we were looking for - middle to inside. He'll break the latch off the gates from there and should be able to lead. His jockey Pat Valenzuela is the best at getting them out the gates in the States and our horse is in the right condition to get lucky.' Pinfield added that Finder's Fortune is unbeaten over 1,300 metres coming off the hillside at Santa Anita and Dillon was not missing a trick, quickly trimming his odds to 6-1 from 7-1 in the face of 'growing confidence'.
LADBROKES BETTING International Cup: 6-4 Mr Vitality, 4 Shaanxi, 5 Station Hand, 11-2 Triarius, 8 Volochine, 12 Helene Star, Marquise, 16 Ventiquattrofogli, 20 Marconee, 22 Jade Age, 25 Fujiyama Kenzan, 33 Grand Jury, 40 Bogie's Pride. International Bowl: 5 Desert Style, Winning Partners, Young Ern, 6 Finder's Fortune, 10 Branston Abby, Matsqui, Monopolize, 14 Mamzelle Pedrille, 16 Dojima Muteki, Heavily Armed, Quick Action, Right Way, 20 Ferragamo, 25 Cool Jazz. International Vase: 5-2 Privilege, 9-2 Partipral, 5 Needle Gun, 9 Able Shot, 10 Sterling Town, 12 Tot Ou Tard, 14 Just Apollo, Via Suez, 16 Campaign Warrior, 20 Commoner, Tanino Create, 25 Royal Snack, Smiling, 40 Lucky Clover.
