'We dodged a bullet' - bookies' relief as two of four legs in huge gamble beaten

Bookmakers breathed a major sigh of relief on Friday night after two of four horses at the centre of a major gamble were touched off, with the remaining pair winning on a dramatic evening at Tramore.

Ladbrokes and Paddy Power said they had taken a number of multiple bets involving the quartet of runners ridden or trained by members of the Mullins family, leading to substantial market moves on Friday morning. These included one horse being cut to 4-6 from 100-1.

So Scottish, the first leg trained by Emmet Mullins, was cut from an overnight high of 5-1 into as short as 1-4. Having traded as low as 1.03 in-running on Betfair, he was agonisingly denied in a photo by Doyenna.

Owned by Noble Yeats' former owner Paul Byrne, the five-year-old had been beaten a combined total of 244 lengths across his five starts over hurdles before the Tramore bid, and was sent off 5-6 favourite for the 2m maiden hurdle.

Emmet Mullins: the Grand National-winning trainer's So Scottish finished a very close secondCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

There was little doubt about the outcome of the second leg as the long-absent Molly Fantasy, representing trainer Tony Mullins, bolted up by three and a half lengths in the 2m mares' maiden hurdle, defying a 404-day absence.

Having been as big as 20-1 overnight, the bottom weight traded as short as 4-5 on Friday afternoon and returned at 9-4 under a visibly delighted Danny Mullins.

However, the biggest drama of the afternoon came in the 2m5f mares' maiden hurdle as Twoplustwo Equals, who had shown virtually nothing in two point-to-point starts and three hurdles outings, was cut from as big as 100-1 on Friday morning into 5-4 favourite (touched 4-6).

Ridden by Danny Mullins for local trainer Paul Tobin, who was seeking his first winner under rules, she travelled ominously well into the closing stages of the contest but eventually couldn't match the impressive Historique Reconce, finishing third.

The winner, a half-sister to Chacun Pour Soi making her Irish debut for Willie and Patrick Mullins, had managed to get into the race only as a reserve at around 10.30am on raceday after news emerged of a non-runner in the race.

Not all multiple backers would have left the eventful episode empty-handed, though, as the final leg Space Tourist, representing Willie and Patrick Mullins, landed the bumper decisively as 1-2 favourite, having been available to back at 5-4.

The result ensured all legs at least placed, but Paddy Power spokesman Paul Binfield said the firm were extremely relieved to have avoided a more significant hit.

Binfield said: "There was nothing major in liabilities from an each-way point of view and we dodged the bullet getting Twoplustwo Equals beat, ironically by a Willie Mullins-trained, Patrick Mullins-ridden winner.”

Tony Mullins: sent out Molly Fantasy to land a gamble at TramoreCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

Molly Fantasy could return to Tramore for another bite of the cherry on Saturday as she is declared as first reserve for a 1m4f handicap on the Flat, potentially running off a low-key mark of 61.

Speaking to Racing TV after the mare's well-backed success, Tony Mullins said: "We were all set for last year's [Tramore] festival but then we had to wait a year [due to injury] and she started working very well.

"I told the connections I was expecting her to win, and they duly did what should be done when you're told that. Off that handicap mark of 85, I thought she was well in. We had to wait a year so it's nice that it paid off."

He added: "We put a hood on her on the advice of David Mullins, who actually rode work for me on her one morning, and it changed her. It settled her down because she is a little panicky. Everything worked and she won like I hoped she would.

"Danny is riding brilliantly. To ride one that was as well backed as that and sit out second-last until well after halfway, it takes someone that's riding at the top of their game."

On a potential return to Tramore on Saturday, Mullins said: "If Molly Fantasy gets in tomorrow on the Flat she'll run, and I think she'll win. She'll probably get beat now after me saying that! I think she'll win, though. We'll have to wait and see."

Biggest and shortest prices before and after plunge on runners at Tramore

5.50
So Scottish (Emmet Mullins)
Biggest: 5-1 with Bet365
Shortest: 1-3 with BoyleSports

6.20
Molly Fantasy (Tony Mullins)
Biggest: 20-1 with BoyleSports
Shortest: 9-10 with BetVictor

6.55
Twoplustwo Equals (Paul Tobin)
Biggest: 100-1 with Ladbrokes/Coral/BetVictor
Shortest: 4-6 with BetVictor

8.05
Space Tourist (Willie Mullins)
Biggest: 5-4 with multiple firms
Shortest: 2-5 with Bet365/Sky Bet and William Hill

*Shortest prices on 1.30pm Friday

What the bookies said beforehand

Ladbrokes' Nicola McGeady said: "We've taken bets in multiples and all sorts of permutations across all channels this morning. There has been a bit of everything for these horses.

"We shortened the prices quickly enough, so there aren't massive liabilities with us, but there would have been if we didn't. They've been massive shorteners and we moved to cut the prices, given the yards and profiles involved. The money only came this morning."

Paddy Power were most concerned by big-price movers Molly Fantasy and Twoplustwo Equals.

A spokesperson for Paddy Power said: "We have laid the multi, particularly Molly Fantasy and Twoplustwo Equals. Both are intriguing contestants with neither having been seen on a racecourse for some time."

Sky Bet's Michael Shinners added: "We have seen money for all selections and also the multiple. However, we haven’t got significant liabilities as the gamble had already started by the time it got to us."

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