A strange case of long odds but no shock

When bookmakers price up a 14-horse race at 7-1 the field you know that finding the winner will be a conundrum. And if you do manage to winkle out that elusive pimpernel, you’re going to be quite a bit richer.

This is the case with the final two races on the card at Thursday’s Turffontein Inside track meeting. They’re swines.

As World Sport Betting opened for business earlier in the week, Race 7, a 2000m fillies and mares handicap, had four runners at the top of the board at 7-1 – Jive Express, Global Louise, Stately Home and Crusade To Royalty. Then came Stunning Kitten, Mirren and Rabia The Rebel at 8-1. Then most of the others between 10-1 and 14-1.

The sole outlier was St John Gray-trained Nabeela at 36-1. That’s a lonely spot.

So, no result will be a surprise, yet any winner will be a long shot.

Gutfeel might point some punters in the direction of Rabia The Rebel, a moody seven-year-old nine-time winner who tends to pop up in the winner’s box at confusing moments.

It’s a similar story in Race 8, a Classified Stakes affair. As they say in the classics, go wide. But that makes it necessary to go narrow elsewhere.

Bellevarde in Race 3 might be the best option for a banker, though new trainer Weichong Marwing will be out to spoil that little party with Lazer Grace.

May the force be with you – and Nabeela.

SELECTIONS

1: 5 Queen Of Gaul, 3 Maharanee, 1 I Am Regal, 2 Kitty Corner

2: 1 Fennec Fox, 7 Clean Living, 8 Magic Tycoon, 4 Kalahari Blue

3: 1 Bellevarde, 5 Lazer Grace, 8 Oceans Pride, 3 Red Hot

4: 11 Whafeef, 5 Bowie, 3 Theory Of Flight, 1 Mardi Gras

5: 3 Admiral Dooley, 2 Castle Corner, 7 Waqaas, 10 Dawn Of A New Era

6: 4 Aryaam, 8 London Roads, 2 Afraad, 3 Apollo Robins

7: 7 Rabia The Rebel, 2 Mirren, 9 Crusade To Royalty, 13 Angel’s Wish

8: 8 Call Me Master, 1 Letsdoit, 9 Catchthegreenlight, 2 Astrocyte

Pick 6: 1,5 x 3,5,11 x 2,3,7,10 x 2,4,8 x 2,3,7,8,9,13 x 1,2,7,8,9 (R2160)

PA: 1 x 1,5 x 5,11 x 2,3,7 x 4 x 2,7,9,13 x 1,8 (R96)