Dollar

Bookies Brace For Hussler Gamble

17 October 2008

WEEKEND Hussler is set to cost TAB Sportsbet a multimillion-dollar payout should he win the Group One BMW Caulfield Cup tomorrow.

The four-year-old superstar has been the centre of a huge betting plunge since the Caulfield Cup final field was announced on Tuesday and stood as the $4.20 favourite last night after opening $6 earlier in the week.

More than 40 per cent of the money bet on the cup since Tuesday has been placed on Weekend Hussler, which has won 12 of his 16 starts but never run over 2400m.

"It's getting towards Makybe Diva stuff," TAB Sportsbet media manager Glenn Munsie said.

"He got out to $6 and all the mum and dad punters wanted to back him.

"There have been a couple of $10,000 bets for him but mostly it's been small money and it hasn't stopped since we went final field."

Weekend Hussler has a huge fan base after winning six Group Ones last season to be named horse of the year.

He has added the Group One Underwood Stakes (1800m) to that list this preparation along with another two win and had been favourite for the Caulfield Cup since betting started in September.

He lost the pedestal at the top of betting after his last-start failure in the Turnbull Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on October 4, when beaten six lengths by Littorio as he finished eighth.

However Munsie believes the money will not stop for Weekend Hussler and he could open as short as Maldivian did last year on the tote tomorrow.

"I shudder to think what he will be on the tote. I think he'll open around the $3 mark given the support for him with us," Munsie said.

"All the little punters love him and want to be on him.

In other Caulfield Cup news David Hayes-trained Kibbutz was scratched yesterday suffering from abscess to a hoof.

Barbaricus will take his place to give trainer Danny O'Brien three starters in the cup. O'Brien quinellaed the race with Master O'Reilly and Douro Valley last year, and will try to repeat the feat tomorrow.

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