BOOKIES are braced for an ‘avalanche of cash’ on Willie Mullins’ Cheltenham Festival day one treble.
They say liabilities are building up ‘rapidly’ for the banker three-fold after Constitution Hill was ruled out of the Champion Hurdle.
Mullins’ State Man is now the huge 1-3 favourite for the feature race on day one.
But he has nigh-on good things in the races either side of that as well.
Lossiemouth will remain in the Champion Hurdle field for now… but connections are keen to run her in the Mares’ Hurdle.
Last year’s Triumph winner is 1-2 to see off the likes of Ashroe Diamond and Marie’s Rock.
And, at this stage, it seems unlikely Mullins would re-route her to take on odds-on State Man.
The crux of the treble really is Ballyburn in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, though.
Put simply, no one knows where the best novice hurdler around will run yet.
He was backed in heavily for the 2m Supreme before a flurry of cash for him in the 2m5f Baring Bingham on Tuesday changed the situation dramatically.
Willie’s son Patrick said he doesn’t see Ballyburn as a ‘natural’ two-miler.
But he thrashed Slade Steel by seven lengths when winning over that trip at last month’s Dublin Racing Festival.
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The time before that, however, he hammered big Pertemps Final fancy Cleatus Poolaw by 25 lengths over two-and-a-half.
Ballyburn is currently 5-6 for the Supreme, the opening race of the Festival next Tuesday, and 4-5 for the Baring Bingham.
BoyleSports spokesman Brian O’Keeffe told Irish Racing: “It looks like State Man will be the Irish banker for this year’s Cheltenham Festival.
“He is now the shortest-priced favourite over the four days of the meeting after Constitution Hill was ruled out of the Champion Hurdle.
“State Man isn’t a bad result quite yet, Constitution Hill had him well covered last year and most punters weren’t expecting anything different this year.
“We are expecting momentum and liabilities to start building behind him now pretty rapidly, especially if Ballyburn goes for the Supreme, as punters will likely latch onto the short-priced Willie Mullins treble on Tuesday, with Lossiemouth in the Mares’ Hurdle.
“It could be a long week for us if Tuesday doesn’t go our way and we imagine that State Man will be an accumulator maker or breaker for a lot of people across the four days.”
The best-price odds for the treble pays 2.91-1 – meaning you’ll make just shy of £30 profit from a tenner.
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