IT’s bad enough listening to bookmaker Franco Hughes moaning, crying and wailing over winners but he reached a new high, or low, last Saturday. Suffering from “a very bad chest infection”, Franco started the day talking about the Stuart Crawford-trained Fine Rightly being backed after racing at Down Royal the previous Wednesday at 100/1 each way for Saturday’s Gold Cup at Leopardstown.

All through the afternoon, as Patricia Duffin’s homebred Alflora gelding was being “substantially supported each way” at 66/1, 50/1 and 40/1 before being sent off at 33/1, the layer was getting more and more agitated as only he can.