‘The odds against is madness’ – Aidan O’Brien’s unbeatable king is the bet of the season at Royal Ascot
IT’S important to know in racing, and in punting in general, that value comes in many forms.
A 20-1 winner could look good on paper – but really, should their odds have been higher?
Some punters might turn their noses up at an evens tip – but what if it should be 1-5?
Every so often, though, we get a match made in heaven, when value matches a price.
Step forward Kyprios in the Ascot Gold Cup.
The 11-8 on offer with Paddy Power and Betfair simply has to be snapped up immediately, it’s madness.
Because if he arrives with four legs in tact there is no way he isn’t sent off odds on.
Put simply, nothing can get close to Kyprios in the staying division. He is in a league of his own.
It hasn’t always been this way. He was a lowly sixth of eight when sent off 2-1 favourite for a Group 3 1m2f contest at Newmarket in October 2020.
And at Lingfield the following May he was beaten ten lengths into fourth by Third Realm.
Mind you, that was a hot contest that included future Derby winner Adayar in second.
Since then, stepped up to 1m6f and beyond, he’s lost just twice from 15 runs.
One was a rare Ryan Moore jockey error on Champions Day at Ascot, the other on his Group 1 return after 344 days off.
Kyprios conquered everything last season, running a crazy seven times and being sent off odds against just once – in the Gold Cup.
His winning distance of a length over Trawlerman didn’t scream dominance.
But trainer Aidan O’Brien admits he is a lazy horse, only ever doing enough to win well within his means.
Watch it back and the result was never in doubt.
The Ballydoyle boss has already admitted the other staying stars at his yard – St Leger winner and runner-up Jan Brueghel and Illinois respectively – will give way to Kyprios this season.
Who’s next? Well there is John Gosden pair Sweet William and Trawlerman.
The latter has beaten Kyprios before but in that race where Moore was at fault.
Sweet William simply isn’t good enough.
Dangers could lurk in Joseph O’Brien’s Royal Ascot winner Uxmal – but he’s never won anything above a handicap, while Courage Mon Ami, who won the 2023 Gold Cup in Kyprios’ absence hasn’t raced since August of that year owing to injury.
A third Gold Cup, matching Stradivarius, will be his this season.
The 11-8 is fine to take on its own, or you could put it in an adventurous double.
The big 66-1 about Kyprios for the Arc de Triomphe has gone now after O’Brien suggested he could be aimed at the 1m4f Longchamp blockbuster.
But you can still get 50s with Paddy Power and Betfair.
If you fancy doubling up you’ll effectively be sitting on a bet for Kyprios to win the Arc at 120-1.
And, while O’Brien could send him to the Prix du Cadran instead, that’s not a bad place to be.
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