Bookies thin on ground at Eagle Farm

IF ANY more evidence was needed that once-common scenes of jam-packed bookies rings at Saturday races were a thing of the past, it was on show at Eagle Farm.

Bookmakers at Eagle Farm are getting hard to find. Picture: Patria Jannides

IF ANY more evidence was needed that once-common scenes of jam-packed bookies rings at Saturday races were a thing of the past, it was on show at Eagle Farm on Saturday.

Or rather, it wasn’t.

PERFECT 10 FOR WINX

Two seasoned bookies who are regulars at Saturday metropolitan meetings chose to go to Kilcoy rather than field at the Farm.

They thought they would hold more money at the six-race country meeting than they would at the metro meeting at the state’s premier racetrack.

Says it all really.

THE STING: The bookies who were in the barren Eagle Farm ring were crying poor after longshot winner War Baby was backed from $31 into $13.

War Baby only paid $11.90 on the UBET tote but plenty of punters had snapped up a much more tasty price.

Beaudesert trainer Kelvin Hickmott swore he didn’t have any of his own money on the mare, who had romped in by seven lengths at Ballina this month.

But plenty of punters leapt on board the money train as they watched War Baby’s fluctuations shorten every few minutes before the race.

It continued the happy recent knack of jockey Amelia Denby for riding long-priced winners.

Some racetrack wags said the lesson from the race was the new Eagle Farm track is akin to a heavy track at Ballina.

HORSES FOR COURSES: Although it remains difficult for punters to turn a profit at the revamped Eagle Farm, they have settled on at least one decent theory.

They are happy enough to back horses who have already won on the new track, thereby proving they can handle the surface.

And so it was with stayer Anton En Avant, which was the only horse in the 2200m race who had previously won on the new track and was backed from $10 into $7.

Ballina trainer Stephen Lee realised after the gelding’s win on August 6 that his racing style and pattern was perfectly suited to Eagle Farm.

The stayer only got up by a pimple on Saturday, but Lee was the happiest man at Eagle Farm.

TRACK BREAK: There were again plenty of reports of jockeys saying their mounts simply failed to let down on the testing Eagle Farm surface.

The track now gets a much-needed rest, for a fortnight, with more rest to come before the Summer Carnival.

Track manager Sean Bridges remains confident the track will be vastly improved in summer, with extra time to fix thatching problems and more favourable growing conditions.

OLD MARVEL: You just can’t keep a good man down.

Ageless warrior Jeff Lloyd just keeps accumulating winners, riding a treble (Cushion Pink, Taillevent and Bound For Love) at Eagle Farm on Saturday.

He remains desperate to keep the young riding guns at bay, and there is no reason why he can’t win successive Brisbane metropolitan premierships.

Divine Prophet scored an impressive win at Randwick on Saturday. Picture: Jenny Evans

FUTURE STAR: It was all about Winx in Sydney but impressive Up And Coming Stakes winner Divine Prophet looms as a star.

The Team Hawkes colt produced a barnstorming finish, showing his great win at Kembla Grange earlier this year was no fluke.

Divine Prophet ($7.50) was a clear last at the 400m mark before producing a scintillating turn of speed to claim victory in the final strides.

Bookies immediately turned Divine Prophet in from $26 in the Golden Rose to be the $6 favourite.

It sets up a potentially thrilling tussle between Divine Prophet and another comeback winner, Omei Sword.

BIG DAY OUT: IT was a change of pace for NBL General Manager Jeremy Loeliger and new Brisbane Bullets recruit Jermaine Beal, who were special guests at Eagle Farm yesterday.

For Beal, the trip to Eagle Farm marked the first time he had ever attended a race meeting, while Loeliger also attended last night’s annual thoroughbred awards at Doomben Racecourse.

Originally published as Bookies thin on ground at Eagle Farm