Legal Eagle, 11-2 last Saturday morning and as big as 7-1 at one stage, is now as short as 11-10 with Betting World for the J & B Met after the way he decisively beat many of the January 30 opposition in the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate. Rival firm World Sports Betting makes the Sean Tarry-trained four-year-old a 13-10 chance.

Another big mover is the Paddock Stakes winner Smart Call who has been slashed from 20-1 to 12-1 with Betting World and a point longer with WSB.

The response to Legal Eagle’s emphatic win was expected although not many foresaw the new favourite’s price being quite as short. Indeed one bookmaker queried it, saying: “A number of horses in the race ran too bad to be true, notably Futura.”

Smart Call (Liesl King)

This backs up rider Bernard Fayd’Herbe’s view that the steady pace last Saturday meant that he had no chance of winning on a horse that needs further. Last year’s winner has been marked out from 13-10 and 12-10 to a best-priced 33-10 but, significantly, the five-year-old is still shorter than stable companion Legislate even though Saturday’s runner-up has hardened from 15-2 to 11-2 third favourite.

Captain America ran a fine race on Saturday to take fourth after nearly coming down shortly after leaving the pens but he has gone out from 17-2 to as much as 18-1, presumably because he has long been regarded as essentially a miler.

Power King, last of 14 in the Queen’s Plate and reported distressed by the course vet, has gone from 20-1 to as big as 50-1.

Peninsula Handicap winner Light The Lights has been dramatically reassessed, dropping from 200-1 to a quarter of those odds.

There were no additions to the field at yesterday’s final supplementary stage. Declarations are next Monday with the draws taking place at the public racecourse gallops on Thursday January 21.

Betting World: 11-10 Legal Eagle, 33-10 Futura, 11-2 Legislate, 12-1 Smart Call, 14-1 Deo Juvente, 15-1 Mac De Lago, 16-1 Captain America, French Navy, Master Sabina, 18-1 Paterfamilias, 33-1 Same Jurisdiction, 50-1 and upwards others.

World Sports Betting: 13-10 Legal Eagle, 3-1 Futura, 11-2 Legislate, 13-1 Smart Call, 18-1 Captain America, Deo Juvente, French Navy, Mac De Lago, Paterfamilias, 22-1 Master Sabina, 28-1 Same Jurisdiction, 45-1 Power King, 55-1 and upwards others.

By Michael Clower