Ladbrokes Take Dancer Out Of Gold Market

Exotic Dancer was removed from the Cheltenham Gold Cup betting by Ladbrokes last night.

Last year´s runner-up has not raced since finishing third to Kauto Star in the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day.

He missed an intended prep race in the Letheby & Christopher Chase at Cheltenham last month due to a setback.

Betfair reported the Jonjo O´Neill-trained eight-year-old as a "small-stakes drifter" out to 24-1 at around 6pm for the totesport-sponsored Gold Cup, having touched an all-time market high of 39-1 to the minimum stake of #2 in the afternoon.

Ladbrokes make Kauto Star and Denman 5-4 joint-favourites for the big race and go 33-1 bar.

O´Neill, however, appeared non-plussed by the activity in the betting.

He told www.racingpost.co.uk: "Exotic Dancer did a really good piece of work on Saturday and I was very pleased with him. He has been swimming this evening and seemed perfectly all right afterwards."

(C) PA Sport