RacingRince Ri was yesterday the subject of a big ante-post plunge for the Martell Cognac Grand National.

The Ted Walsh-trained 10-year-old has been slashed from 25 to 1 to a 14 to 1 market leader with William Hill and his odds have tumbled from 33 to 1 to 20 to 1 joint second favourite with Coral. Bets poured in via Coral's telephone betting centre and its website, producing a six-figure liability within minutes.

"By the time we slashed his odds to 20 to 1 we had laid Rince Ri to lose over a quarter of a million pounds in less than 10 minutes," reported Coral spokesman Simon Clare.

"This is by far the biggest pre-Christmas gamble on the Grand National that I can remember."

Rince Ri finished third to Beef Or Salmon on his reappearance at Punchestown on Sunday, after which Walsh nominated the National as a target.

The Walsh-trained Papillon landed a massive gamble when taking the Aintree spectacular in 2000.

Bookmakers were also hit in this year's National when another Irish-trained horse, Jimmy Mangan's Monty's Pass, pulled off a monster coup. Monty's Pass is 16 to 1 with Hills and 20 to 1 with Coral to gain a repeat triumph.

GRAND NATIONAL BETTING: William Hill - 14-1 Rince Ri, 16-1 Monty's Pass, 20-1 Amberleigh House, Davids Lad, Joss Naylor, Sir Rembrandt, 25-1 Arctic Jack, Ad Hoc, Chives, Clan Royal, Hedgehunter, Kingsmark, Ryalux, Swansea Bay, What's Up Boys, 33-1 bar.

Falbrav, favourite for Sunday's Hong Kong Cup, enjoyed a canter at Sha Tin under the eye of trainer Luca Cumani yesterday morning.

Cumani arrived in Hong Kong on Monday and made his first trip to the track yesterday to see his horse have a spin on the all-weather under work rider Keith Ledington.

The five-year-old, who has won four Group One races this season, will be having his final race before retiring to stud.