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Group 1 Glen Strikes Again: AJC Derby & Doncaster Betting Post-Mortem

The message to any connections considering entering their charges in Australia's big races is simple: get Glen Boss. His hit-and-run effect on the major race days is tangible in more ways than one: not only does he get on good horses and invariably win; such is how influence that he has an obvious and quite profound effect even on betting markets!

After flying in for the day to steer Sebring to victory in the Golden Slipper last Saturday, 'Group 1 Glen' had two rides in the four group 1 races at Randwick on the weekend, for a Doncaster Handicap victory on 3yo Triple Honour and an unlucky sixth on long shot Prince De Galles in the Australian Derby. Last week's two group 1 rides resulted in a second on Galileo's Daughter in the Arrowfield Stud Stakes (matched at a high on $150 on Betfair, no less), and of course, Sebring's Slipper victory.

There is absolutely no doubt about him.

But of course he wasn't the only star on show in the Randwick slush on Saturday; here's a look at how the betting unfolded in another wonderful day of group 1 racing...

Sires Produce Stakes
With the quinella from the Golden Slipper backing up on another heavy track, punters found narrowing down the field a relatively easy task. If the betting was a guide, it seemed a race in two - Sebring and Von Costa De Hero. The difficult part was of the equation, which one of the two?

Despite trading at average odds of $2.68 opposed to his previous runner-up's $3.38, the pair had constricted betting on Betfair to see them start a mere six cents apart, at $2.92 and $2.98 respectively.

As it eventuated Sebring mirrored his effort of the previous Saturday to win, and by doing so set himself up with a chance to take out the Sydney autumn 2yo triple crown. Typically, Betfair punters were laughing loudest, with Sebring's high price of $3.15, his price at the jump of $2.92, and the Betfair SP at $2.92 significantly bettering both the totes and bookies' odds.

AJC Australian Derby
Similarly to the Sires', punters wrote the Derby script pretty much as a race in two in betting, between Victorians Littorio and Largo Lad.

Littorio's all-too-late charge into third place aside, these two never looked like being in the finish, with those looking for value winning out on the day.

The winner - Kiwi Nom Du Jeu - was matched at a high of $48 on Betfair whilst trading at an average of $36.77, once again providing significantly better value than the totes. And from a fixed odds perspective, the Betfair SP earned punters $30.15 for a $1 investment; again, far sweeter odds than the $26 offered by the books.

TJ Smith Stakes
With nearly two-thirds of money invested on baldy-faced chestnut Apache Cat on the exchange, punters were keen to bet around the Victorian galloper. So keen, in fact, that Betfair punters invested more money on the race than two of the nation's three totes (including almost double the amount of one of them). This is an incredible feat on one of Australia's premier days of both racing and betting, and provides further indication that Betfair is fast becoming renowned as the place to be for the racing bettor.

The 'Cat' - matched at low odds of $1.95 and a high of $2.40 - rounded them up halfway up the straight and went on to a comfortable victory, his third group 1 in as many attempts.

Doncaster Handicap
Enter Mr Boss.

In one of the most even Doncasters in memory, vindicated by both the betting and the opinion of the handicapper, the honours fell to bottom-weight Triple Honour, his trainer Chris Waller, and of course, as we mentioned earlier, Group 1 Glen.

Shown respect from punters by virtue of his Weekend Hussler form line, Triple Honour was well backed on the exchange, attracting an average price of $9.36 (again, well better than the tote odds), as well as an average of $14.88 in Betfair's ante post market.

From the jump he was brilliantly ridden by Boss, burst clear with a furlong to go, and staved off the challenge from another with form around the 'Hussler' to become the third consecutive 3yo to win the event.

As we've mentioned before, when the best horses are on display, punters are more passionate about joining the fray. And with the unrivalled choice, value and control in one's betting experience, there's no better place to have a punt than Betfair.