The bookmaker Paddy Power, evidently satisfied by Aidan O'Brien's assurances that all is well with Istabraq, yesterday reinstated their betting on Sunday's AIG Europe Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown.
The firm had suspended betting on the race as support for the Ferdy Murphy-trained French Holly - Power cut the eight-year-old's price from 9 to 4 to 2 to 1 - coincided with reports from other layers that Champion Hurdler Istabraq, William Hill's even-money favourite for a Cheltenham repeat, would not run.
But on Wednesday evening O'Brien denied the scare story, reporting Istabraq to be "fine" and insisting that there is "no change" in connections' running plans.
The firm's managing director Stewart Kenny took the Ballydoyle trainer at his word and said: "We are betting as normal. It was one of those situations where rumours just swept across the Irish betting industry that Istabraq was not going to run."
Power's rival Liam Cashman did not suspend their betting on Sunday's race. "The wonderful barometer in bookmaking circles to a horse's wellbeing is people wanting to get on the principals against that horse," reasoned Cashman.
