Battle Of Marengo won the Group 2 Beresford Stakes last time
PICTURE: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)Bookies split on Battle Of Marengo and Kingsbarns
BOOKMAKERS' view of Saturday's Group 1 Racing Post Trophy differed markedly on Monday with Beresford Stakes winner Battle Of Marengo as short as 7-4 with Boylsports, but a standout 3-1 with Coral - the same price his supplemented Ballydoyle stablemate Kingsbarns is with bet365.
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Aidan O'Brien, who won the race with subsequent 2,000 Guineas and Derby winner Camelot last year, was responsible for six of the 15 contenders following Monday's confirmation stage, which included impressive Navan maiden winner Kingsbarns and the Richard Hannon-trained Van Der Neer - added to the field at a cost of £17,500 each.
Battle Of Marengo is favourite across the board, but Jim Bolger's Autumn Stakes winner Trading Leather is not far behind and is a top-price 9-2 with Coral.
Steeler, winner of the Royal Lodge, is also prominent in the betting at 5-1, but Kingsbarns is the horse seemingly dividing opinion.
Boylesports had him at 8-1 in their initial market, but were forced into 6-1 then 5-1, while Paddy Power are 100-30 and bet365 3-1 - half the price of Coral.
All four juveniles feature high up in the Investec Derby betting with Trading Leather as low as 12-1.
The going at Doncaster was on Monday described as soft, although forecasts suggest it will be dry until Friday.
Mark Johnston, who trains Steeler, said: "I worry about what sort of state the ground is going to be in. It brings another variable into it. There is no reason to think he won't handle soft ground but he's never encountered it."
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