'I've laid an even £5,000, an even £2,000, another £2,000, loads of £1,000 bets - we want Bow Echo beaten!'

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Geoff Banks was being his usual belligerent self. One of the betting ring's most familiar faces is always great value with his tongue and, in fairness, he was offering great value on Gstaad, too. He was putting his money where his mouth was. Everyone else around him was going 9-4, some 2-1, but his board was flashing firm at 5-2. It never budged, not even as the six runners were loading. 

"If you put £20 on Gstaad at 5-2, you know what you get back? Nothing. Even if he hitched a lift with the ambulance, he still wouldn't win," Banks said with the sort of certainty which makes me think he had seen the race already and those of us about to watch the most eagerly anticipated St James's Palace Stakes in ages were merely getting a look at the replay. 

Wait, there was more.