Racing: Purdon quartet worries bookie

Kiwi Ingenuity is set to sabotage the man who has cuddled up to her for the past two months.

The great mare was declared the bookie's baby when the New Zealand Cup market opened in September, with TAB bookie Steve Richardson trying this hardest to keep her as his best result.

Considering champions like Auckland Reactor and Blacks A Fake were likely cup starters back then it was an inspired selection from Richardson, one which has been justified by the mare's almost certain favouritism today.

But Richardson said the gloss had gone off the mare in the past couple of days.

"We still love her but, unfortunately, so do the punters," said Richardson.

"She is a winner for us on the futures' book but a huge loser on the multi betting book.

"We have a whole lot of multi bets ending on her, including one $400 bet coupling up a few gallopers which will now cost us $37,000 if she wins.

"So while we picked the right horse to back she is actually now an overall loser for us."

Kiwi Ingenuity was a $4 chance last night but Richardson said she could get back out to $5 today.

"A lot will depend on the tote," he said. "If she gets out to $5.50 on the tote then she might get out to $5 with us but we will be keeping her under the tote quote."

The book is holding close to $120,000 on the cup, a huge amount for a New Zealand race and even more than the Kelt Capital last month.

The bookies will be yelling for defending champion Changeover, who is their best result of the favourites, suggesting he could get out to $7.50 on the fixed odds today.

With Mark Purdon having a quartet of redhot favourites racing today, Richardson realises the TAB could be on a hiding to nothing.

"We can only keep those horses so short and we already are looking at having all of Mark Purdon's favourites under $1.70. A lot of punters, including some of the big ones, will be having decent multis coupling them up and if they all win we are going to cop it."

Sires' Stakes favourite Kotare Mach has already been heavily backed, from $1.50 to $1.30 and is shaping as the worst result of the day.

The markets for the three group ones are open with the other races opening at 8.30am.