Kaboo is being smashed in the betting ahead of the penultimate race at Royal Ascot on Wednesday.
The Karl Burke-trained two-year-old has been backed from 66/1 into 7/1 in one of the biggest gambles in the history of the famous meeting.
Kaboo has never been seen on a racecourse before and faces a number of horses with wins to their name, including the Wesley Ward-trained pair of Ruthin and Golden Bell.
The American trainer previously won the race with Strike The Tiger in 2009 and Hootenanny in 2014.
Aidan O'Brien has also won the Group 2 twice, with Washington DC in 2015 and Southern Hills two years ago.
Nicola McGeady from Ladbrokes said: “It’s a dramatic gamble that has come out of the blue, with punters driving his price right down to 7/1 from 66/1.
"Obviously he must be doing something special at home to garner such attention, as it is one of the biggest plunges in the history of Royal Ascot.”
Paddy Power spokesman Paul Binfield commented: “Kaboo has yet to exhibit his talents in public, but given the huge support we’ve seen for him from 100-1 into 15-2 at a prestigious meeting like Royal Ascot it has to be assumed that he has an abundance of ability and has been catching pigeons on the Middleham gallops.”
The feature race of the day sees Love make her seasonal bow in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes.
Aidan O’Brien’s filly was favourite for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe until she was ruled out on account of the soft ground – before the contaminated feed scare which resulted in some of his string being unable to run in any case at ParisLongchamp in October.
Love, a Group One winner at two in the Moyglare Stud Stakes as well, was imperious last summer – winning the 1000 Guineas, Oaks and Yorkshire Oaks by an aggregate of 18 and a quarter lengths.
Several options this season have come and gone, with O’Brien waiting for her preferred quick surface – and she will have that in her favour on Wednesday.
“She’s been waiting to start back a while – and while the ground is right, we’re keen to get her started,” said O’Brien.
“Her other option was the Pretty Polly (June 27 at the Curragh), and we could have waited for that against her own sex – but by then the ground could have gone (soft) again.
“She’s in good form, she’s ready to start again.”
The Ballydoyle trainer also runs Armory, placed in both the Irish Champion Stakes and the Cox Plate last year.
He returned to action with a stylish victory at Chester over the reopposing Sangarius.
“This race has always been the plan for Armory – and that is why he went to Chester, to get ready for it,” said O’Brien.
“We were delighted with him at Chester and we’ve been delighted with him since as well.
“Going to Chester, we were a little bit worried about how he’d handle the soft ground – but good, fast ground is what he likes and needs.”
