KEY POINTS:
Australia's most valuable racehorse, Haradasun, continues to be heavily backed for the Cox Plate, with Melbourne bookmakers trimming the 4-year-old's odds through the week.
Valued at A$45 million ($50 million), Haradasun will kick off his spring campaign in today's group three Bletchingly Stakes at Caulfield in Melbourne and dominates the market at A$1.60 with Eskander's Betstar and TAB Sportsbet.
The Greg Eurell-trained Apache Cat is rated the only chance of beating the dual group one winner and is at A$3.10 with Betstar and A$3.20 with Sportsbet.
Betstar's form analyst Michael Horne said while the Bletchingly looked a one-horse race, he believed Apache Cat may have the ammunition to gun down the favourite.
"Apache Cat, to me, looks over the odds," Horne said.
"You only have to go back to the George Ryder in the autumn and there was only three-quarters of a length between them and Apache Cat was giving three kilos to Haradasun.
"I know Haradasun won but Apache Cat was almost even-money and things didn't go right for him on the day.
"Now they are at level weights and Apache Cat, first-up last preparation, carried 61kg and brained them over 1100m around Caulfield.
"You would think with the Bletchingly being 100m further it is only going to suit him better."
Horne said he expected good support for Apache Cat and wouldn't be surprised to see Haradasun drift to as much as A$1.75 before the Tony Vasil-trained galloper was backed.
Less than two weeks ago Haradasun was at A$12 for the Cox Plate at Moonee Valley on October 27 but was $7 on Wednesday when entries closed for the weight-for-age championship.
Horne said there had been an "avalanche of money" for Haradasun and Betstar already stood to lose A$100,000 on him in the Cox Plate.
Haradasun's presence in the Bletchingly has undoubtedly delayed the campaigns of a number of horses with only seven acceptors for the sprint.
Melbourne Cup placegetter Maybe Better, Group-winning frontrunner Live In Vain, South Australian Honalee, stakes-placed mare Apaiser and last year's Bletchingly winner Minson make up the other runners.
Minson was unbeaten in six runs after he won the Bletchingly but has been unplaced in five runs since.
He changed stables for the second time in a year when he joined David Hayes nearly three months ago after finishing last at his only start for John Symons and Sheila Laxon in the group one Australia Stakes in February.
Michael Hibbs originally trained the sprinter at Geelong where he last year was named Geelong Racehorse of the Year.
Hayes said he was hopeful the 5-year-old gelding had recovered from a back injury that caused him to lose form from mid-August last year.
"He has been in work for 10 weeks and the signs are good that he is back on track," Hayes said. "But with injury problems like this you never know whether the recovery is successful until they are put to the test."
- AAP
