So You Think to start hottest Cox Plate favorite for 43 years

BART Cummings's super stallion So You Think will tomorrow start the shortest-priced favourite in the Cox Plate for 43 years and by doing so, will force on-course bookmakers to revert to an old method to reignite business.Betting has all but stalled on the $3 million race because of the dominance of the magnificent So You Think ($1.55) and so bookmakers at Moonee Valley are expected to invoke a rule that permits them to frame a market without the favourite.Bookmakers who take up this option will

BART Cummings's super stallion So You Think will tomorrow start the shortest-priced favourite in the Cox Plate for 43 years and by doing so, will force on-course bookmakers to revert to an old method to reignite business.

Betting has all but stalled on the $3 million race because of the dominance of the magnificent So You Think ($1.55) and so bookmakers at Moonee Valley are expected to invoke a rule that permits them to frame a market without the favourite.

Bookmakers who take up this option will pay out win bets on the second placed horse if So You Think wins as is universally expected.

The Cox Plate has played host to most of racing's champions but not since Tobin Bronze started at odds of 1-6 ($1.16) in 1967 has a horse so dominated Australasia's best weight-for-age race. That takes in the likes of Makybe Diva ($2 in 2005), Might And Power ($1.80 in 1998), Bonecrusher ($1.95 in 1986) and Kingston Town ($1.75 in 1981).

Many of the corporate bookmakers offered favourite-out betting yesterday, with More Joyous the favourite at $3.25 in front of Shoot Out at $4.50 with Betstar.

Betstar's Alan Eskander said it revitalised betting. ''Many of the punters have conceded the race to So You Think but they won't bet on him because he's so short and won't bet against him because its hard to see him being beaten.''

Cummings yesterday forecast a busy few weeks for the horse that has started just nine times. Not only does the Cox Plate loom but so does the Melbourne Cup and, in between, a Mackinnon Stakes, making it three starts at group 1 level in 10 days.