Button 7/1 for back-to-back world titles
Sky Bet were left licking their wounds following Jenson Button's Championship triumph in Brazil this week after laying the popular Brit in the 2009 Drivers' Championship betting at prices as long as 100/1 over the winter break when the very future of Honda was in doubt.
Newly-crown world champion, Jenson Button.
Brawn F1 wasn't even a name when the early bets were struck, but former Ferrari man Ross Brawn will be the toast of punters around the country this week as successful punters work out what to spend their winnings on.
Sky Bet's Formula One betting expert Dave Pilgrim explained:"It's been an immensely enjoyable season (so far) in almost every respect, except for our antepost book - which has sat like a dark cloud overhead since the first practice session in Australia back in Australia.
"We took plenty of bets at the big prices on Honda (now Brawn), as well as both Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello. Once the new car hit the track for their early test sessions it was pretty much one-way traffic, with every customer wanting to be part of the Brawn dream, and unfortunately for us, it's come true this week.
"This will, without doubt, be the biggest hit the industry has ever suffered on Formula One betting, and it's going to be a long-way back from here!"
The Harrogate-based firm have promised to fight on however, and are already offering 2010 Drivers' Championship betting, as well as a range of specials about a couple of drivers who have confirmed their new drives for next season already - and its 7/1 that Button can lead his new team to back-to-back titles next year.
Lewis Hamilton is the 5/2 favourite, Fernando Alonso is 7/2, while Sebastien Vettel has been well supported and is into 7/1 now.
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Beethoven strikes a Classic note
The 33/1 success of Beethoven from Fencing Master in a Ballydoyle 1-2 in the Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket on Saturday has thrown the Guineas betting market wide open.
The shock winner, who was steered to a neck victory by Ryan Moore, has been introduced at 25/1 by Sky Bet for the 2000 Guineas , while the runner-up has been given a first show quote of 14/1.
The result was a mixed blessing for Aidan O'Brien, whose much vaunted Steinbeck - the Coolmore first string on jockey bookings - finished fourth after cutting out much of the early running and is left unchanged at 12/1 for next year's Classic.
The Clive Cox-trained Xtension delighted his trainer with his first Group 1 placing in third and has been trimmed from 25/1 into 20s by Sky Bet for the 2010 2000 Guineas.
Matt Doyle, Sky Bet's horse racing betting spokesman, said: 'They can't all be good ones with the heaped finish raising a few questions and we have taken the view that the horses behind the winner were the ones to take out of the race.'
Sky Bet now bet 10/1 the field for the first colts' Classic with Canford Cliffs, Awzaan, Arcano and Kingsfort sharing co-favouritism of four.
2000 Guineas market movers:
Beethoven 25/1 (first show)
Fencing Master 14/1 (first show)
Xtension 20/1 from 25/1
Steinbeck 12/1 (unchanged)
Chabal pushed out to 20/1 from 10s
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Westwood 11/8 for Race to Dubai
Victory at the Portugal Masters saw Lee Westwood go top of the European Tour money list and he is now 11/8 favourite with Sky Bet in the Race to Dubai betting. Rory McIlroy, who had topped the standings going into the weekend's tournament, is out to 5/2 second favourite.
Sky Bet's golf betting spokesman Andy Thorp said: "With so much money still to play for, the Race to Dubai is still very much on and Westwood will have to prove that he is back to winning ways for him to finish up on top".
Westwood's win in Portugal ended a two-year winless run and Sky Bet make the Brit 7/1 to win a major next year. Now ranked fifth in the world, many would argue that Westwood is the best player not to have won a major. He heads Sky Bet's market on who will be the next British major winner at 7/2 and is 12/1 to be the next maiden major winner.
Sky Bet go 33/1 that Westwood wins the Masters in April and 20/1 for him to win The Open.
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Liverpool 100/30 to bounce back in style
Liverpool face two big games this week, with a Champions League match against Lyon on Tuesday and a home league clash against Manchester United on Sunday.
Sky Bet are offering odds on how many points the Reds will take from both games and go 100/30 that they bounce back in style from the weekend's defeat by winning both games. It's 13/1 that Liverpool lose both matches, with the favoured outcomes being for them to pick up a total of three (5/2) or four points (5/2).
The Reds have already lost more Premier League games than they did throughout the whole of last season and pressure is once again building on manager Rafa Benitez. Sky Bet have cut the Spaniard's odds in the first Premier League manager to leave their post betting to 10/1 (from 16/1) following Liverpool's fourth defeat of the season at Sunderland.
Benitez's side are out to 12/1 to win their first Premier League title since 1990 and it's 1/4 that they fail to win a major trophy this season.
Sky Bet's Mike Triffitt said: "Liverpool are already looking out of the title race. They crumbled on Saturday without Torres and Gerrard and the lack of squad depth is concerning.
"This week's two matches will go a long way in determining whether Liverpool can be considered contenders for these two major titles."
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Sven 2/1 to return to international stage
Sky Bet are offering odds on where Sven-Goran Eriksson will be employed at the end of this season and have cut his odds of being in charge of a national side to 2/1 (from 5/1) following reports that the Swedish FA have approached Notts County for permission to speak to him.
The former Mexico boss was last week linked with taking over his native team but the Swedish FA had dismissed reports that they were poised to make an approach.
Eriksson had said that he intends to remain in his role as director of football at Notts County but Sky Bet have eased him to 1/2 (from 1/3) to see out the season with the Magpies.
He has so far dismissed suggestions that he could take over the managerial vacancy at Meadow Lane, instead claiming that if he wanted to return to management he would move elsewhere. Sky Bet make Sven 20/1 to move to an English Premier League club, 25/1 a Championship side and 50/1 to join a League One outfit.
Eriksson remains an 8/1 chance with Sky Bet to take over as manager of Notts County. Peter Taylor, who won five promotions with Gillingham, Brighton & Hove Albion, Hull City and Wycombe, heads Sky Bet's next Notts County manager betting at 13/8.
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Wenger 7/1 to be next to feel FA's wrath
Following news that Sir Alex Ferguson has been charged with improper conduct after his remarks about Alan Wiley's fitness, Sky Bet have opened a book on who will be the next top flight manger to be rapped by the FA.
Fergie's follows an improper conduct charge for Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez, who was rapped last month for his behaviour towards referee Alan Dowd after Liverpool's defeat by Spurs on August 16th.
Sky Bet make Gunners chief Arsene Wenger 7/1 favourite to be the next Premier League boss to feel the wrath of the FA, with Hull manager Phil Brown and Blackburn boss Sam Allardyce 8/1 joint second favourites to be next to be hit with an improper conduct charge.
Sky Bet's football betting spokesman, Mike Triffitt, said: " Although you might expect managers of teams at the bottom of the table who are struggling to be more outspoken, it seems that there is more pressure at the top given that two 'big 4' bosses have been disciplined so far this season.
Wenger has become hot under the collar a couple of times already and was sent to the stands during Arsenal's match against Man United, so it wouldn't be a surprise for him to be next to be hit with an improper conduct charge."
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