Taking multiples is a popular strategy for punters who want to bet a little to win a lot. The chance of landing them may be desperately slim, but the payoffs can justify the risk. Some of the biggest coups ever landed in horse racing gambling are long odds multiples that miraculously connected.
A spirited attempt was launched at Tramore on Friday evening when four horses, all either ridden or trained by the Mullins family, were combined in multiples. As it turned out – only the second and fourth legs were successful, the first steamer was narrowly pipped into second spot, and the third entrant clocked in third. So, the place multiple was landed together with a winning double making it a profitable speculation for the gamblers, without quite doing the intended damage.
As bookmakers considered their mounting liabilities on doubles early in the Irish betting plunge, the odds of the horses constricted sharply. So Scottish (2nd, did not jump fluently and pipped by a head in a photo finish) shortened from 5/1 into 1/3, whilst Molly’s Fantasy dropped from 20/1 early show to 9/10 before arriving safe, this despite having been off track for 404 days.
Twoplustwo Equals’ who had previously shown no signs of life in five starts, was slashed from 100/1 into 5/4 in an extraordinary betting move in the third leg but took a keen hold and faded into third position after making an early dash for glory. Finally, Space Tourist was clipped from 5/4 into 2/5 before bolting home in the concluding leg to complete one of the doubles and the place multiple.
A Racing Post quote nicely captures the drama and inventiveness of the whole episode. Trainer of Molly’s Fantasy, Anthony Mullins said after her victory, “We were all set for last year’s [Tramore] festival but then we had to wait a year [due to injury] and she started working very well.
“I told the connections I was expecting her to win, and they duly did what should be done when you’re told that. Off that handicap mark of 85, I thought she was well in. We had to wait a year so it’s nice that it paid off.”
The battle between racing insiders/sharp punters pulling moves and alert bookies accepting their wagers then trying to trade their way into winning positions continues. It’s an integral part of what makes betting on horse racing so exciting and challenging – for both punters and the layers.