Ghost gambles: what's behind the punts that scare bookies and anger trainers?

Twice in the past two months, trainers have complained about their horses being combined in accumulator bets by gamblers, resulting in plunging odds and sudden media interest. The horses involved then showed their normal form, rather than the dramatically improved form which the market appeared to expect, leaving the trainers feeling as though their reputations have been damaged by a phenomenon beyond their control.

So what is going on?

The Jeffreys gamble

Gloucestershire-based trainer David Jeffreys had five runners on Monday, March 22, having never previously had more than three on a single day. All five shortened significantly over the previous night, most notably Blood Eagle, who crashed from 50-1 all the way down to 6-4. Sky Bet said they were facing a seven-figure payout on various multiple bets.