Yeats continues to drift in Derby market

Long-time favourite Yeats continued on the slide in the betting for the Vodafone Derby amid rumours of the horse's well-being…

Long-time favourite Yeats continued on the slide in the betting for the Vodafone Derby amid rumours of the horse's well-being today.

The unbeaten Aidan O'Brien-trained colt has drifted alarmingly, with one leading bookmaker claiming the son of Sadler's Wells is only "50-50" to make it to the post for the premier Classic at Epsom on Saturday.

He has lost his place at the head of the market to Snow Ridge, and is not even second favourite, with that honour going to North Light.

"Reliable sources are now saying that Yeats is only 50-50 to line-up and we haven't struck a bet on him for weeks," said Coral spokesman Simon Clare. "We have massive liabilities on Yeats and it will be a major blow to ante-post punters if he fails to make the starting line-up."

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Yeats landed the Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial on his latest start, a race which has been a major pointer to Epsom success in recent seasons. But rumours that all is not well refuse to go away, with the colt reportedly receiving daily physiotherapy after "tweaking a muscle".

Snow Ridge is now favourite with all the major firms to give Frankie Dettori a first success in the race he wants to win above all others.