Racing: Terror to Love likely to drift - bookie

Christen Me cools off after his workout on Sunday. Picture / ODT

If you are going to back Terror To Love in today's Cup you should consider waiting until this afternoon.

Because the two-time defending champ is likely to drift from his TAB fixed odds quote during the day.

Bookmaker Steve Richardson has kept both Christen Me and Terror To Love very safe throughout the market but Christen Me is by far the worse result and with little money for many other rivals, Richardson may be forced to push the great pacer's price out to balance his book.

So the $2.50-$2.60 he starts the day at could easily become $3 with the book and even longer on the tote.

Richardson took the daring step of opening markets on all 12 races today last Thursday and says punters' Cup betting patterns have been a shock.

"We had written 320 multi bets running through the Cup by Sunday night and 319 of them were on either Christen Me or Terror To Love,'' he told the Herald.

"We had one bet, one, on another horse in the multis, which are often a good guide of what will happen on the day.''

Richardson says the meeting was the most challenging he has ever framed but hopes it proves the same for punters.

"Last year we had nine very short-priced favourites, this year it is more like four.''

He fears he got Alleluia's price in the Sires' Stakes wrong after he was backed in from $11 to $4, while Arden Rooney opened at $2.20 and was quickly backed into $1.70.

"And the trotters Harry Johnson [$15 to $7] and Sundown In Paris [$6 to $3] have also taken plenty.''