The Tote offering direct betting into the PMU Pools www.thetote.com is the only betting operator in the UK and Ireland to offer direct access to live PMU pools for all races at this weekends Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in Longchamp. Tote account holders are able to bet via the Tote Ireland website www.thetote.com, the Tote call centre on 1850 238 669, from the UK freephone 0800 904 7784 and Longchamp on the international line 00 353 51 595 150 as well as at Irish racecourses. More than 40 countries will bet on the Arc and in 2008 over €55.4 million was bet with the PMU throughout the weekend. Betting into the live PMU pools has delivered considerable returns for Irish and UK runners in the past including: 2008 – Soldier of Fortune paid €2.50 for a place 2007 – When Dylan Thomas won you could back Soldier of Fortune and still get paid out at €3.50 even though he came 5th and was 100/30 SP. 2006 – Rail Link paid €24.60 on the PMU vs 8/1 SP. 2005 – Hurricane Run paid €2.90 vs 11/4 sp PLUS you would have been paid the same had Scorpion won. 2004 – Ouija Board returned 7/1 SP and paid a huge €4.10 for a place. 2003 – High Chaparral paid €1.90 place when 13/8 favourite to win the race. There is considerable Irish interest this weekend with John Oxx’s brilliant Sea the Stars and Aidan O’Brien’s Fame and Glory strongly fancied. There are 8 Group 1 races with 4 Group 2 races. Racing starts at 1.00 on Saturday and at the earlier time of 12.15 on Sunday with the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe starting at 3.15. Alexis Murphy, Chief Executive of the Tote said “This is a unique opportunities for punters based in Ireland and the UK to benefit from the massively liquid pools that are a feature of Arc weekend, while also potentially getting value by betting against the French punters. It’s still early days to call the betting: Sea the Stars will be favoured by all punters, however the French are likely to support Cavalryman and Vision d’Etat so there could be good value for Fame and Glory and Conduit in both the win and place markets. I have no doubt the shrewder punters will be keeping a watchful eye betting into the pools to exploit these opportunities.”
