Another day, another dollar. Several million in fact.

Breeders Cup week at Star, but before the drug fuelled sporting fest can begin over the water, (no, Le Tour de France hasn’t started early) plenty of water will pass under the bridge. So here’s my betting blog  with all the big bets from the last week.

Monday Betting Review

The week began on Monday, although knowing my luck lately if someone offered me 1/100 it would the government would make all weeks start on Tuesday! Plumpton’s card got Monday off to a start and small fields were the order of the day at the popular South Downs venue.

Tim Vaughan’s Judiciary proved popular here with a few big bets including 30k @ 8/15. Rather like last time at Cheltenham the horse drifted alarmingly in the pre-race exchanges winding up at 8/11, but was always doing enough to get our week off on a losing note.

Kempton also had a rare NH meeting and the opening two novice hurdles saw some big bets, with a £15k wager on Iron Condor being cancelled out by a £16k bet on Grabtheglory. Then back at Plumpton – A Little Bit Dusty’s win in the claimer ensured the we would be behind heading into Tuesday.

Tuesday Betting Review

Tuesday highlight was the Haldon Gold Cup at Exeter, although overnight we had the ‘Race that stops a nation’ with the Melbourne Cup down under. No doubt huge quantities of low standard local lager were consumed (no wonder they call it xxxx). Victory for Dunaden provied a small loser for us. To be fair there was not much action today, a £20k bet on Menorah at 8/15 being the only significant one.

Alas this wasn’t a day to remember for Richard Johnson. After spectacularly coming off Captain Chris at the last in the feature race, he managed to repeat the dose on the 2010 Supreme Novice hurdle winner when well in command to hoots of laughter in the office. Quiet in the office today too, with our operations guru Gary Woodgate getting married; of course Ben had to be there too, although earlier rumours that he was there as a stand in to marry the groom in case the bride failed to show proved wide of the mark!

Wednesday Betting Review

Wednesday saw the busiest day of the week with several big bets. Chepstow’s opener saw plenty for Ohio Gold with almost £100k being taken out of Colin Tizzard’s gelding whose last run was in the 2½ mile novice hurdle at the festival. Despite not winning in 7 hurdle starts this did look a ‘penalty kick’ especially with the weakness behind the Nicholls/Stewart Merrion Square. However, the Richard Lee-trained Knock A Hand hadn’t read the script and forged clear after the last on his hurdles debut to sighs of relief all round.

Each way support for Grey Mirage at Nottingham in the 130 also went astray with the Marco Botti colt finishing a well-beaten 6^th. The punters struck back in the 220 at Chepstow. Maiden/Novice hurdles are notoriously hard races to win on making a book and, despite support for the favourite Solim, ‘naughty each way’ as we like to call it, money for 2^nd favourite Lamps took all the sweets. Boo!

Defeats for Carrickmines at Warwick followed by Poker Hospital (I’ve been there a few times!) and Laheeb at Kempton ended the day’s racing on a high, though on a sporting front the Champions League turnover was quiet as the tournament reaches it ‘less interesting’ stage.

Thursday Betting Review

Come Thursday and the shopping arrived- all I can say if anyone is ever passing through Hove and fancies a tin of soup then nip into our office. Either Chris, who’s doing our internet shopping in David’s absence, had a slip of the finger on the order button or a certain supermarket were doing a ‘45 for 1’ offer. It remains to be seen!

The racing front proved a pretty much level day with Southwell seeing the well-backed La Estrella winning and Percythepinto (who had been 20/1 in very early morning crossfire) rewarding each way support (George Baker having a gamble in a handicap? How unusual…). Nially Noo, who had not beat a rival and started 200/1 in its previous start, obliged at 14/1 for one shrewdie.

However, this when clawed back when another all-weather gamble (a losing one this time) on Oxford Gold went wrong, Jamie Spencer’s only ride of the day having a touch of the slows and finishing well beaten. National Hunt fans were kept happy with racing at the assault course also known as Towcester, although Playful Rose the subject of a ‘naughty’ £10k each way bet in the opener was beaten long before its brutal uphill finish became a factor.

This was given back though in the race after as Chac Du Cadran won the battle of ex-pointers with Desert Joe and landed a £50k/20k for one punter. There was NH action up at Musselburgh, the 300 being the big betting event of the day here, each way bets for both Allow Me at 4/1 and heavy support for Jet Master at 9/2 making things interesting. Jet Master pulled too hard for its own good and was a spent force at the last, while Allow Me battled on all the way to draw the place money but was just outbattled by Gordonsville.

That was about it for the day, a few smaller bets beaten at Wolverhampton and very little on the Europa League the day showed a small profit.

Friday Betting Review

Palomar who last ran in the Cesarewitch at Newmarket and had a Royal Ascot appearance on his CV this year now found himself in a selling hurdle at Hexham. Punters latched on and among others an even £20k were seen. Running in snatches throughout he finished a well beaten 3^rd.

Moving on to Fontwell Park’s 120 where Cottage Acre and Trop Fort both saw a couple of four-figure bets. Both shortened in the market as we braced ourselves to go further behind after Trader Jack had obliged in the 1^st at Ffos Las in a rare sight which saw a flip start. However, the Fontwell race went our way with Trop Fort beaten a long way out and Cottage Acre succumbing between the last 2 flights.

It all went quiet in the office until 305 over at Down Royal where Four Commanders was strongly backed for the Morris/Russell/Ryanair combination. A few challengers came approaching 2 out and some excited noises were being made but cracking leaps at the last 2 obstacles sealed our fate- never mind because SiS split screen had informed us who have 20/20 vision that Aland Islands had won the 310 at Hexham.

Winning favourites in novice hurdles are not usually met with much cheer but here plenty of support came for Monarchs Way and Ebony River, the latter briefly gave us some heart murmurs on the run in and a small profit for the each way punter but it least padded out the Down Royal losses. The rest of the day didn’t provide too much in the way of action and we finished the day about level.

Saturday Betting Review

Saturday found me arriving in the office late due to staying for the Breeders Cup action. Faces were slightly flustered as I was informed we had laid Finale at 11/2 for plenty and Goldikova (who had already proved popular earlier in the week at 7/4) for the national debt of a small 3^rd world country. The action itself during the afternoon was steady if not spectacular, but we ground out a steady stream of losers so found ourselves in profit, bullets dodged included Blazing Tempo and The Big Boyo at Down Royal and Our Jonathon at Doncaster on the last day of the turf flat season.

Shocks seem the order of the day as I write this blog waiting for the US racing to continue and £10k each way St. Nicholas Abbey didn’t help the days cause although Goldikova will be the difference between white bonus envelopes on Monday morning or P45s!!