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Wide-open Derby to be centre of punters' sporting focus
Bookmakers are expecting a record turnover on today's Vodafone Derby at Epsom.
After unfancied Look Here shocked the big guns with a 33-1 success in the Juddmonte Oaks yesterday, a sterile Derby market has had new life breathed into it after champion juvenile New Approach and ante-post favourite Casual Conquest were given the green light to participate.
Couple that with the fact that there is no British interest in Euro 2008 and the high street firms are predicting a huge interest in the big race.
Totesport's Damian Walker said: "At the minute punters can't decide what to make favourite.
"What a difference a year makes. Just last year we had one of the hottest favourites in recent years with Frankie Dettori on Authorized and as good as it was for racing, the price put a lot of people off having a bet in the race.
"This year it is wide open. We've got 4-1 joint-favourites in Casual Conquest and New Approach.
"Any of the first four in the betting could go off favourite on the day and we are waiting for the traditional Derby gamble.
"It could be Tartan Bearer – Sir Michael Stoute won it with a similar type in Kris Kin just a few years ago.
"It could be a 40m race across the industry and it will be interesting to see how it develops."
Ralph Beckett was left almost speechless yesterday as Look Here romped to victory in the Juddmonte Oaks.
It was the young trainer's first taste of Classic success, and for jockey Seb Sanders, joint-champion with Jamie Spencer last year, a first Classic win in Britain.
The filly had only raced twice previously, first time beating Derby fancy Doctor Fremantle in a maiden as a two-year-old and then finishing second in the Lingfield Oaks Trial on her reappearance this season.
Yesterday, she sprinted clear at the two-furlong marker to beat Aidan O'Brien's Moonstone, who fared best of the six Ballydoyle runners in finishing three and three-quarter lengths away in second, with John Oxx's Katiyra back in third.
Jim Bolger's 5-2 favourite Lush Lashes faded to finish fifth after looking threatening at one stage, while Chinese White disappointed.
After regaining his composure, Beckett said: "I must apologise to anyone stood next to me towards the finish and I'm glad the cameras were not on me.
"This is just amazing, you do not expect to win races like this when you start training.
"When she hit the front I was looking around for dangers and willing her on, it is just an amazing feeling.
"She had only done two pieces before running at the end of last season and had only worked once on grass.
"We left her alone after she had worked and it got to the point where we had to run her."
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Weather for Yorkshire
Saturday 11 February 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: -2 C to 0 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: South
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