Racing: Bookies risk big bets on champ

Pembrook Benny (inside), winning at Alexandra Park earlier this year, is a $21 chance for his clash with Auckland Reactor. Photo / Martin Sykes

Bookmakers are gambling on Auckland Reactor's shock Interdominion defeat scaring mega punters away from the champ at Alexandra Park on Friday night.

Auckland Reactor cost big punters around Australasia a fortune when heavily backed before finishing last in the Interdom Final on March 28 and will have his first start since in the $100,000 Woodlands Taylor Mile this Friday.

He headlines a small but select field in the 1700m feature and few punters will be brave enough to bet against him.

But TAB harness bookmaker Steve Richardson is hoping the really serious players don't go chasing the $1.20 Auckland Reactor opened at yesterday.

Already this season Auckland Reactor has set punting records for a horse in this country, with a $100,000 bet on him at $1.05 at Addington in November, the same day another punter had $50,000 on him at $1.10.

There have been other huge investments on him at prices around $1.10 this season so Richardson knows he is taking a chance opening the superstar pacer at $1.20.

"But I am hoping the Interdominion defeat has scared some big punters off him," he said.

"Before Christmas, when he had never been beaten, people found it hard to imagine him being beaten.

"But now he has now lost three races, and two of his last three, the really big punters might have an element of doubt in their mind."

But Richardson says while he doesn't expect a punting thunderclap like the $100,000 bet on Auckland Reactor, he sees a steady downpour of money come Friday.

"This could be a really dangerous meeting for us," he admitted.

"There are a lot of hot-price favourites there and there is nothing the harness punters like more than multi betting the short-priced favourites, especially at Alexandra Park.

"This week we have got Ima Gold Digger, Sixpence, Lauraella, One Over Kenny and Auckland Reactor.

"So if they all win we will be in for a shocker, no matter how short we keep them."

Richardson is pinning his hopes on All Tiger as the upset chance to down Auckland Reactor.

"He has been going great races and the punters like him too because he has won so many times this season.

"So by having him at $4 we are hoping to get a few sniffs to balance things out. And now he has drawn inside The Reactor maybe he can upset him."

Friday night's meeting has attracted small fields for some of the feature races, with some trainers scared away by the dominant favourites.

And it won't just be on the tote and with the bookmakers that the betting impact is felt.

If any one of Auckland Reactor, Lauraella or Ima Gold Digger is beaten that will radically change the fixed-odds markets for the Harness Jewels on May 30.

And defeat for One Over Kenny would throw the market for next week's $300,000 Rowe Cup into turmoil.

* The opening market for the $100,000 Woodlands Taylor Mile on Friday night: $1.20, Auckland Reactor; $4, All Tiger; $15, Genuwine; $21, The Cavalier, Pembrook Benny; $26, Georgetown.

EARLY REACTION - CHAMP AT $1.20

* Auckland Reactor has opened a $1.20 favourite for the Woodlands Taylor Mile on Friday.
* Bookmakers are hoping mega punters who wagered up to $100,000 per bet on the champ steer clear this week.
* Friday night's meeting still has the potential to be a bookmaker's nightmare, with several high-profile hot favourites.