Borat Set For Oscar Glory?

William Hill have opened their Oscar 2007 betting and it looks like it could be a good year for British talent with Helen Mirren their 2/7 favourite to win the Best Actress award for her portrayal of the Queen, Peter O'Toole is 8/1 to win the best Actor Oscar and Sacha Baron Cohen a 25/1 outsider for the same award. Stephen Frears is an 8/1 shot to win Best Director.

"It could be a vintage year for British talent, with 'The Queen' likely to be represented in all categories and we would be very disappointed not see at least one of the major awards coming across the water," said William Hill's spokesman Rupert Adams.

Oscar Betting Odds

Best Film: 13/8 The Departed, 7/4 Dreamgirls, 5/1 Letters from Iwo Jima, 8/1 Babel, 12/1 The Queen, 12/1 United 93, 14/1 Little Miss Sunshine

Best Director: 4/9 Martin Scorsese (The Departed), 4/1 Clint Eastwood (Letters from Iwo Jima/Flags of our Father, 8/1 Paul Greengrass (United 93, 8/1 Stephen Frears (The Queen), 10/1 Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu (Babel, 12/1 Bill Condon (Dreamgirls)

Best Actor: 1/3 Forest Whitaker (The Last King of Scotland, 4/1 Leonardo Di Caprio (The Departed/Blood Diamond), 8/1 Peter O'Toole (Venus), 8/1 Will Smith (The Pursuit of Happyness) 20/1 Ryan Gosling (Half Nelson), 25/1 Sacha Baron Cohen (Borat), 25/1 Ken Watanabe (Letters from Iwo Jima)

Best Actress: 2/7 Helen Mirren (The Queen), 7/2 Meryl Streep (The Devil wears Prada), 10/1 Judi Dench (Notes on a Scandal, 12/1 Penelope Cruz (Volver), 16/1 Kate Winslet (Little Children)