Will It Be Monkey Misery For Bookies?

Bookmakers William Hill have closed their betting on the Nationwide Mercury Prize with Arctic Monkeys finishing as the Even money favourites. It has been the busiest and most interesting Mercury Prize market that Hills have ever had with punters split into two distinct camps. The first of which is the populist punter who have backed Artic Monkeys from 5/1 to Evens favourite and a second group of well informed punters who have backed either Richard Hawley from 8/1 to 7/2 and the Guillemots who finished 3/1 second favourites. The biggest bet accepted by Hills was a £2,500 wager on the Monkeys at 2/1.

"There is no doubt that punters expect the Arctic Monkeys to win this year's prize but industry insiders seem to be very keen on the Guillemots and Richard Hawley. It is now down to how they do on the night and the fact that the Arctic Monkeys are not performing could be good news for us," said Hill's spokesman Rupert Adams.

William Hill Nationwide Mercury Prize Final Prices: 1/1 Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not, 3/1 Guillemots - Through The Windowpane, 7/2 Richard Hawley - Coles Corner, 12/1 Hot Chip - The Warning, 14/1 Muse-Black Holes And Revelations, 16/1 Editors - The Back Room, 16/1 Thom Yorke - The Eraser, 16/1 Sway - This Is My Demo, 20/1 Scritti Politti - White Bread Black Beer, 20/1 Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan - Ballad Of The Broken Seas, 33/1 Zoe Rahman - Melting Pot, 33/1 Lou Rhodes - Beloved One.

Further information...Rupert Adams....0208 918 3858....0784 1011 584