Sports promoter Barry Hearn is on course for a nice little earner after backing Greg Owen for the Algarve Portuguese Open at Vale do Lobo.
Hearn played with Owen in Wednesday's pro-am and was impressed enough to place 100 on him each way at odds of 33-1.
That bet is looking likely to pay off as Owen, chasing his first European tour win, established a three-stroke lunchtime lead after an adventurous second-round 70 full of thrills and spills.
The 31-year-old, reaching halfway on the eight-under-par mark of 136, had three bogeys and a double bogey, but also an eagle and five birdies - the last of them a chip-in to finish his day's work.
With overnight leader Fredrik Jacobson driving out of bounds two holes from home in a 76, 12 shots more than his course record-breaking opening effort, the Swede fell back to third place one behind German Marcel Siem.
Co Antrim's Graeme McDowell, winner of the Scandinavian Masters in only his fourth tour start last summer, and Dane Anders Hansen, who next month defends the Volvo PGA title at Wentworth, joined Jacobson in third place with fast starts to their rounds after lunch.
McDowell birdied the second and third, while Hansen had three in his first five holes.
The rest of the Irish contingent in the field are struggling to make the cut and have work to do if they are to enjoy the Algarve sunshine over the weekend.
Veteran pro Philip Walton is the best placed on the course, but at five over after nine holes needs to start holing birdies. Likewise Peter Lawrie, but at five over after 16 the Dubliner is running out of holes.
Elsewhere, the challenges of Stephen Browne (six over), Ronan Rafferty (10 over) and Gary Murphy (11 over) are all but over.
"I don't want to be as scrappy as that again - that's not my normal game," said Owen, who has had no fewer than 19 top 10 finishes on the circuit without ever doing better than third.
Two behind Jacobson after his opening 66, he resumed with a pitch to four feet on the 323-yard 10th and holed for birdie, but bogeyed the short 11th and double-bogeyed the dangerous 481-yard par-four 14th after hooking his drive and losing it.
"A shocking shot," was his own description.
Needing a pick-me-up at that point, it soon came thanks to a brilliant 217-yard third-iron to three feet for an eagle at the 17th and after bogeying the second he birdied the next three to take over at the top.