Hong Kong betting markets!

PUNTERS who set their alarm clock for 5.30am on Sunday, intent on playing on Hong Kong's four Group1s, may have felt they had awoken in another betting world as they faced surprising changes from the normal routine.

First, Betfair had no markets available on the Sha Tin International races, all of which included runners from Britain.

Asked why, Betfair spokesman Tony Calvin limited his response to saying: "We agreed with the Hong Kong Jockey Club that we would not offer the races."

To add to the confusion for the early risers, the majority of bookmakers declined to give punters the option of taking the Sha Tin PMU return.

Further to their dismay there was no official industry SPavailable, primarily due to the time of day. Bookmakers therefore elected to return individual SPs based on their own final shows.

Coral, Ladbrokes and William Hill all reported limited interest from British and Irish punters, with minimal turnover on the races.

Explaining why punters were not allowed to take a PMU return, Simon Clare, Coral's trading and public relations director, said that, unlike at Longchamp's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe meeting, or the Breeders'Cup, British bookmakers are unable to hedge into the Hong Kong Jockey Club-run PMU.

"It's illegal for us to do so," he said. "As a result, there can be huge discrepancies on horses trained in Britain between the PMU odds and the prices available here.

"Under the normal circumstances we'd all offer industry prices, as is the case at the Dubai Carnival and Dubai World Cup meetings, but setting up that system for races that start at 6am would be very difficult. Therefore our SPs were based on our final shows."

David Hood, of Hills, was in Hong Kong and said: "It just is not feasible to offer a PMU return because there is such a variance, and does not reflect an accurate picture of the betting in Britain.

"We price up horses, and the SP is based on the final show. To be frank, there wasn't too much interest in Britain, primarily due to a 6am Sunday start."


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As normal a tote based product causes confusion.
I am sure Eagle Mountain played R2.20 for a win and WAS NOT THE TOTE FAV! This was on the local tote.
The last UK prices were 9/4 and 5/2 the pair.
The flood of money for Viva Pitaca on the Hong Kong tote made it a 1/3 shot and Eagle Mountain 49/10, so who got 5/1 apart from Molly and Mike?

I don't have the answer, but to me we need to have proper betting shows from the bookies with "fair/proper" prices or just drop the tote only products as its just going to upset and confuse punters, the Japs were also able to make a mockery of the French tote and distort odds.

Due to the fact that Betfair and HCJC have an arrangement this also gave the markets no direction.

Having none or little betting on this "major event" took away some of the sparkle on another major success for MDK.

Remember the tote is only a machine, and a very greedy one.

Food for thought or comments, please.

www.hkjc.com/english/racing/results.asp?...08&raceno=8&venue=ST

click on the video link and enjoy the race all over again