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# Race for the Áras
Bookies make Higgins favourite after Gallagher support 'evaporates'
All the major bookies have now made Michael D Higgins their favourite to win the Presidency, though Gallagher should top the poll.
ALL MAJOR BOOKMAKERS have now made Michael D Higgins the favourite to win tomorrow’s Presidential election, after reporting a significant increase in bets being placed on the Labour Party candidate in the last few days.
Paddy Power, BoyleSports, Ladbrokes and William Hill all now mark the Labour candidate as having the shortest odds of any of the seven candidates, following increased pressure on Gallagher over his involvement in fundraising for Fianna Fáil.
The betting exchange Betfair – which helps users match bets with other punters, and therefore offers a potentially ‘truer’ analysis of voter intent – Gallagher is now priced at the equivalent of 5/2, having once been bet on for a little better than 2/9.
Paddy Power this evening said support for Gallagher had “literally evaporated [sic] since Monday night’s live TV debate”, reporting a surge of bets on Higgins and an increase in bets on Martin McGuinness.
Higgins is now priced at 2/7 with Paddy Power, while Gallagher is at 9/4 and Martin McGuinness on 20/1. McGuinness’s odds had previously stood at 25/1, but came in after the bookie accepted a single €500 bet at those odds – which could net that punter a cool €12,500 profit if McGuinness wins.
Despite Higgins’ tag as the bookies’ favourite, most bookmakers nonetheless still believe Gallagher is most likely to top the poll – indicating their belief that the independent candidate will be overtaken by Higgins when transfers come into play.
Both Paddy Power and Ladbrokes – each of whom are taking bets on the outcome of the first count – only give Gallagher a very narrow lead over Higgins, however.
Poll: Who was the best Áras debate host?
Gallery: The last hours of the Áras11 campaign
Read: Irish abroad have their say in #Aras11
In full: TheJournal.ie’s coverage of the Race for the Áras
