Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
STEAMING Douvan affair puts punters’ love to the test
ONCE AGAIN, the betting has spoken with silver tongue about the absence of a horse from a big race while those closest to him had nothing to say.
On Wednesday morning, if you wanted to back Douvan for today’s Betfair Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown, then 4-5 was the best you could hope for.
Fox Norton, meanwhile, was freely available at 5-2.
But, following a path of events punters are depressingly familiar with, the rug was about to be pulled from under the market.
Money poured in for Fox Norton, but the layers couldn’t give Douvan away.
The two horses’ odds began to converge until — with Douvan drifting out to 5-4 against, and Fox Norton down to 11-8 — the high street firms suspended their betting on the Tingle Creek.
You didn’t need a crystal ball to predict what would happen at declaration time on Thursday.
Four horses took up the challenge initially, a total that rose to seven when the Grade 1 two-miler was re-offered to connections for a re-think.
But — you’ve guessed it — Douvan’s name was not among them.
While the market went into frenzy, however, attempts by the racing press to contact Willie Mullins fell short.
Even the Racing Post — for whom Ireland’s champion trainer is employed as a columnist — wasn’t able to enlighten its readers in Thursday morning’s edition.
After the final line-up had been published, Mullins revealed he “just wasn’t happy” with Douvan first thing on Thursday and targeted a Christmas return for the outstanding seven-year-old, off the track since being beaten at 2-9 in the Champion Chase at Cheltenham last March.
There’s nothing suspicious about Mullins’ reasoning, but clarity was needed during the meltdown — not when the money had already told us what was going to happen.
Rich Ricci, Douvan’s owner, has put millions into jump racing, but he’s also the chairman of Betbright.
All hell broke loose when Vautour, trained by Mullins and carrying Ricci’s silks, made a late switch from the Gold Cup to the Ryanair Chase two seasons ago, and the Douvan affair does nothing to improve the image of horseracing as a transparent betting sport.
Owners’ and trainers’ bodies often state the view that the returns on the track are scant reward for those who invest so much in horseracing.
But one thing is certain.
Many more episodes like this and punters will walk away from racing for good.
By dwelling on their own rights rather than their obligations to those who fund the sport, those nearest to the thoroughbred will find they’re competing for a lot
less.