October
FebruaryMan takes duet
I perceived I was being dared to have two types of bet at Flemington on February 15.
Just before race eight I was told that somebody on some racing channel the prior Thursday had said that despite Maher and Eustace having a great runthis season, they didn’t do that well at Flemington. They had two entries in race eight so I backed both at the generous odds on offer. I was also talked into placing a small bet on Meuse by the TV expert and quinellaed the three as I am wont to do.
I then took up the second dare. The longshot Maher runner, Bonvicini ($26), did look very bright in the yard so, as welI as a place bet I took a standout duet for Meuse with, as it happens, both Maher horses.
Who dared me to take the duet bet you may ask? Of course it was your correspondent Big Nod (15/2), who was anxious to get early dividend info for the running double bets while showing disrespect for the duet.
There is possibly a good point there: the duet pools are small and the individual returns usually only serve as something similar to “money-back” each-way bets. The impression I get is that we are given the duet dividend not because of demand but to remind us that these bets are available.
Something similar happened In the old days: tote quinella odds were displayed in a rather confusing fashion on infield box displays (later converted to win and place odds displays) as an apparent incentive to place quinella bets.
Which gets me to the question I ask: why bet into “this and the next” doubles pools with uncertain returns when any computer, smartphone or tablet enables easy fixed-price doubles bets?
Theoretically, betting into two races individually rather than into the doubles pool gives a lesser return (72% rather than 80%) but this is not assured, as shown by the outcome of races 7 and 8 at Flemington on Lightning day. The running double on the NSW tote of $177 was less than a third of the dividend multiplying the available fixed-price odds.
I can see why one wants early advice on these payouts due to the high anxiety levels which such extreme variabilities must produce.
I would not be that aggravated by a somewhat delayed presentation regarding any duet winnings. I first have to confirm I placed what amounts to a side bet correctly and on time, and for how much.
In the excitement of Bonvicini’s win I was not immediately aware Meuse finished third, nor did I care that much. However, the duet would have returned a profit on the race even if I’d only got second on the Maher longshot.
Hide the duet results? No worries.
Fairfield (NSW)