KEY POINTS:
The opposition took a massive hit from debut Ruakaka maiden winner Double Or Nothin on Saturday and the TAB will take another one if the filly wins the 1000 Guineas.
The TAB shortened the Frank Ritchie-trained Double Or Nothin in to $21 for the Guineas after her 3 1/2length romp on Saturday, but that did not stop a punter taking $2000 worth of the $21.
When the TAB rolled the filly in to $16 it was hit with a further $1000.
"It's starting to look like a pretty bad result," said TAB executive Peter McPadden.
Double Or Nothin was not the only dramatic mover on TAB futures market as stylish winners suddenly start appearing from obscurity with the firming spring tracks.
Mark Walker's debut filly Insouciant had impressed so much winning at the Taupo trials that it was no surprise to see her win first-up on the same track on Friday.
The surprise came with the 1200m track record the Keeper filly set.
So impressive was Insouciant in running away by nearly six lengths that the TAB shortened her 1000 Guineas odds from $12 to $7.
Last season's Group One-winning juvenile Alamosa was just as stunning, lumping 58kg against the older horses at Taupo in laying down his intentions on the 2000 Guineas at Riccarton. He came around the leaders four wide on the bend and won as he liked against a couple of smart types in Antipodean and Keep The Passion.
Alamosa opened up at $12 for the Guineas and is now joint favourite at $8 with the Murray Baker-trained Yao.
But neither is the worst result in the race for the TAB at this point.
That honour belongs to Zlato, which has been solidly backed since comfortably winning a maiden race at his second start at Ruakaka on August 3. "We had him at $81 for the Guineas and we kept getting bet after bet on him.
"He's in now to $21 and they're still backing him at that."
Zlato is a 3-year-old by former fine Australian sprinter Falvelon trained by Toni Croon.
Sir Slick shortened in to $9 for the $250,000 Stoney Bridge Stakes at Hastings on Saturday off the back of his improved showing under a tough 60.5kg in Saturday's $100,000 Merial Metric Mile.
"We let him out to $12 at one point. Seachange, at $1.80, is still the only horse they want to back at this stage," said McPadden
The TAB is sitting on a $104,000 liability in the Stoney Bridge on Veloce Bella, which was backed for $4000 at $26 on August 15, well before the high class mare won stylishly at Hastings two weeks ago.
