Racing: Jigsaw fits the puzzle: Chris Corrigan on market moves for Saturday's big sprint

PROSPECTS of further heavy showers soaking the track at Goodwood saw bookmakers reach for their dusters and chalk yesterday. Stewards' Cup odds for two known mud-lovers were cut sharply.

Duplicity, now as low as 16-1 for Saturday's race, failed by a fast-diminishing half-length to catch Lochsong in last year's running. That was a particularly smart performance because Jack Holt's charge was giving 11lb to the winner, who went on to take another two top handicaps last season.

John Reid again takes the ride on Duplicity and, even though the handicapper has not been kind, the 28-1 still available with the Tote yesterday attracts. This five-year-old likes to get his toe in and so does Jigsaw Boy, who, at the weights, has been given a better chance.

Pat Murphy's four-year-old has already been the subject of substantial backing in several big sprints this season. Punters may justifiably be wary of chasing losses with a horse who has appeared unlucky more than once, but Murphy confirmed yesterday that the rain was very much in this chestnut's favour.

'Six furlongs is Jigsaw Boy's ideal trip and his style of running means he needs soft ground,' the trainer said. The horse is invariably well behind the pace in the early stages, before finishing late but fast. Murphy said Johnny Williams, the horse's regular rider, had come in for criticism on a couple of occasions, 'but that is the only way he can be ridden.' Danny Wright, a talented apprentice, will ride if Williams cannot do the weight.

Several of the market leaders for the Stewards' Cup, notably Everglades, would be seriously inconvenienced by testing conditions and Jigsaw Boy's 20-1 with Hills is worth considering.

A decision on the eagerly-awaited participation of Zafonic in tomorrow's Sussex Stakes at Goodwood could be left until a few hours before the race. The French colt will not run on testing ground.

----------------------------------------------------------------- LATEST ODDS FOR THE STEWARDS' CUP ----------------------------------------------------------------- Horse, trainer & weight Coral Hills L'broke Tote Castelrea Lad R Hollinshead 8st 5lb. . . 8-1 8-1 7-1 8-1 Everglades R Charlton 8st 8lb. . . . . . 9-1 10-1 10-1 10-1 King's Signet J Gosden 9st 0lb . . . . . 10-1 10-1 12-1 10-1 Ballasecret R Dickin 7st 13lb. . . . . . 14-1 14-1 16-1 16-1 Arabellajill R Hannon 9st 0lb. . . . . . 16-1 16-1 16-1 14-1 Ashtina R Hodges 8st 5lb . . . . . . . . 16-1 20-1 16-1 20-1 Duplicity L J Holt 9st 5lb . . . . . . . 16-1 25-1 20-1 28-1 Jigsaw Boy P Murphy 7st 13lb . . . . . . 16-1 20-1 16-1 16-1 Nagida J Toller 8st 12lb . . . . . . . . 16-1 16-1 16-1 14-1 Running Glimpse Miss B Sanders 8st 5lb . 16-1 25-1 25-1 20-1 Troon Mrs L Piggott 8st 8lb. . . . . . . 16-1 20-1 20-1 14-1 Gorinsky J Berry 8st 4lb . . . . . . . . 20-1 20-1 20-1 20-1 Masnun R O'Sullivan 7st 11lb . . . . . . 20-1 25-1 16-1 25-1 Paddy Chalk L J Holt 8st 9lb . . . . . . 20-1 25-1 25-1 20-1 Venture Capitalist R Hannon 9st 1lb. . . 20-1 25-1 33-1 25-1 Verde Alitali J Dunlop 7st 13lb. . . . . 20-1 25-1 20-1 20-1 Hard To Figure R Hodges 9st 4lb. . . . . 25-1 25-1 25-1 25-1 True Precision J Bethell 8st 1lb . . . . 33-1 25-1 20-1 33-1 Farfelu W Muir 9st 2lb . . . . . . . . . 33-1 33-1 25-1 33-1 ----------------------------------------------------------------- 1992: Lochsong 4 8 0 W Carson 10-1 (I Balding) 30 ran ----------------------------------------------------------------- Race to be run over six furlongs at Goodwood on Saturday; 45 declared at five-day stage yesterday; 30 is the maximum field; bets prior to final declaration stage on Friday will be lost if horse does not run (unless balloted out) -----------------------------------------------------------------