Bookies Count Cost Of Blue Gamble

It was a Blue Monday for punters but a black Saturday for bookmakers, who estimate losses of 'almost #10 million industry-wide' after jockey Steve Drowne and trainer Roger Charlton helped land a massive gamble in the totesport Cambridgeshire at Newmarket.

Blue Monday, who was on offer at 10-1 when the shops opened, was backed at all rates down to 5-1 favourite - and the four-year-old turned the nine-furlong event into a procession.

Drawn near the far rail in stall 28, Drowne always had Blue Monday near the pace and hit the front approaching the furlong marker, simply pushing him out to win by a cosy two and a half lengths from Evaluator (16-1), with My Paris (33-1) the same margin away in third and Crosspeace (17-2) a length back in fourth.

Drowne felt the winner had grown up since giving him a hard race at Newbury last time, where he finished runner-up to Star Of Light.

'I hadn´t planned to give him such a hard race and wondered whether I had asked him too much there,' admitted the jockey.

'He messed about at Newbury - he was a big baby there - but he was a man today. He pricked his ears and really enjoyed himself.

'Today was always the plan. I got a sweet run up the rail from half way and he did it really well. That´s job done!'

Charlton, who landed the race 10 years ago with Cap Juluca, added: 'I´m delighted. He looked inexperienced at Newbury, but he was really just a bit fresh and rusty.

'In truth, we were fortunate with the draw, though we had initially planned to go up the middle of the track.

'Though we were worried about the ground, in all honesty we need not have, because he hadn´t really been tried in it.'

Sponsors´ spokesman Damian Walker was less happy, however. 'It was a black day for us,' he said.

'Not only has he won the #75,000 first prize, but we estimate that punters have taken over half a million pounds as well. It could be as much as 10 million industry-wide.

'It´s a great result for the punters, but it has been another torrid day for bookmakers.'

The sky´s the limit for Aidan O´Brien´s Race For The Stars (7-2 favourite), who quickened up in great style under Kieren Fallon to take the seven-furlong Listed Finnforest Oh So Sharp Stakes by half a length from Scottish Stage.

The Fusaichi Pegasus filly initially received a quote of 33-1 with Coral for next May´s 1,000 Guineas, but they quickly clipped her to 20-1, falling in line with Paddy Power.

'She´s a lovely filly. I´ve always thought a lot of her,' said O´Brien.

'Kieren was a bit worried about the ground - he said she would love fast ground, but she has plenty of pace, just like her half-brother (Hawk Wing).

'Kieren took his time with her and he´s given her a great ride. We came here with the view that she was a Guineas horse and I wouldn´t be sure she would get a mile and a half.

'She did well to pick up and Kieren said she really handled the dip well - she picked up when she got there.'

Scottish Stage looked a little unlucky on this, her second career start and she is a best-priced 33-1 with VC Bet for the 1000 Guineas.

There was a cracking finish to the seven-furlong European Breeders´ Fund Jersey Lily Fillies´ Nursery and it was Startori who caused a 25-1 shock, coming from off the pace to hold Cantabria by a short head.

Bryan Smart´s charge, having her fifth start, put her experience to good use and clearly appreciated the easy ground, striding out well after hitting the front at the furlong marker.

'Her form was very good going into this,' said Eddery.

'She was third in a hot maiden at Redcar and I was surprised she got beaten at Beverley last time. That was a better maiden than it looked and she is definitely improving. If anything, I felt I got there a bit soon.'

Admiral´s Cruise (9-2 favourite) capped a memorable week for Brian Meehan when he made all under Jimmy Fortune to beat Clueless by three lengths in the 10-furlong Lettergold Plastics Handicap.

'He´s improved all year and this was a nice race to win,' said Meehan, who won the Group One Cheveley Park Stakes with Donna Blini two days earlier.

'I am very pleased with him, but I´m not sure if we will run him again this year.'

The split arrived just in time for Choosy (13-2), who came with a late run between Shamila and Antica to take the six-furlong Suffolk Insulation And Renovation Services EBF Maiden Fillies´ Stakes by a neck under Richard Hughes.

'She was beaten at Haydock and that looked a decent race,' said trainer Richard Hannon.

'If she hadn´t have won here, she´d have been called unlucky. We don´t know too much about her, though she has done nothing wrong at home and she´s a great-looking filly - heaven knows how my son managed to buy her!'

? PA Sport