SIMON NOTT: Tales from the Chepstow betting ring

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]his was the first time I’d been to Chepstow for some time, in fact not since Reve De Sivola made his debut here which must have been almost a decade ago. I’d forgotten what a lovely course it is.

The jump season opener at the course kicked off with a bonus race, the Reuben Foundation Supports The Bob Champion Cancer Trust Legends Race. There were plenty of jockey names to get people jogging down memory lane, Jimmy Fox, Paul Leach, Graham Bradley and Sandy May to name a few. The latter looked to have the race won on Brahms de Claremont but had victory cruelly snatched from him on the line by comparative young buck Sam Thomas on Maoi Chinn Tire winning by a short head in what was a thrilling finish, there was betting on the race but it was more about money raised for a great cause.

The toteplacepot ‘National Hunt’ Novices’ Hurdle wasn’t a great start for the betting ring when Paul Nicholls’ Dynamite Dollars was backed from 11/4 into 9/4 favourite before winning under Sam Twiston-Davies. The possible unlucky horse in the race was runner-up Lostintranslation who ran a spirited race despite a terrible mistake at the business end, though one judge observed that by its action it needed softer ground anyway, time will tell.

There were bookmakers behind the stands in front of the ‘Oktoberfest’ marquee. It might have seemed like a good idea when they picked them but when the band started belting out the Fatherland’s favourite Oompah tunes, with the volume seemingly at 11, it must have made it very hard to hear a bet. One bookmaker confided that it wasn’t helping that the firm’s clerk was deaf in the ear nearest the joint.

The second race on the card, was the totescoop6 Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle totescoop6 Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle. The crowd in Tattersalls and on the rails was decent and definitely punting. They’re not ‘punters’ though according to a Tatts firm not doing an awful lot of big business – though still enjoying a queue of people having modest bets on. ‘Small fish are sweeter’ was always the consolation comment from my old boss Jack Lynn when business was fiddly, though to be fair that’s how he liked it. Fergal O’Brien’s Oscar Rose was sent off the 5/2 favourite and there was a market move for Annie Angel backed from 33/1 into 16/1, they finished fourth and fifth respectively. The race went to If You Say Run winning at 4/1 and landing a quick-fire double for the Nicholls & Twiston-Davies combination in the process. ‘It’s already started’ bemoaned one bookmaker, though to be truthful the result was better than it looked for the ring the winner having been easy 5/2 drifting from into 4/1 in the market.

The old cliché that racing is great leveller was highlighted yet again in the totequadpot Novices’ Chase when Sam Twiston-Davies ended up on his backside when Alcala came down between fences out in the country. That left the hot ‘carpet-on’ favourite Finian’s Oscar to saunter home unchallenged. At the time of writing Alcala appeared none the worse for his mishap but sadly we were deprived what was shaping up to be a race to savour.

The Paul Ferguson’s Jumpers To Follow Hurdle looked a competitive heat on paper with the betting around the 4/1 the field mark for most of the race. Paul Nicholls’ Dolos was eventually sent off at that price but had to settle for runner-up spot. The bookmakers were given a little respite when Evan Williams’ Silver Streak lived up to its name under Mitchell Bastyan and shot clear for a 10/1 victory. There had been some 12/1, 100-8 if you’d asked nicely, early, but despite the nibble layers would have been happy enough with that.

It seemed to be a game of them and us for the bookmakers betting on course by the Silver Trophy Handicap Hurdle, the bookies by the Oompa tent had resigned themselves to lip-reading and sign language, while some of those in Tattersalls were looking longingly at their brethren on the rails where punters appeared to be clamouring to get on. ‘Just Busy’ was the comment from rails clerk ‘Q’ Comber cut short as I copped a ‘Don’t talk to my clerk’ withering look from his veteran, well he says 68 year old, boss Joe Oliver. There had been a shrewd whisper for Paul Nicholls’ 10/1 shot Peak To Peak in the morning, it had every chance at the last but at the line where it mattered it was the Evan Williams and Mitchell Bastyan combination and 14/1 shot Court Minstrel the toast of the layers. Those bookmakers won’t point it out so I’ll mention that the 4/1 jolly Wholestone snuck into fourth to take the shine off some each-way books. It wasn’t all good news, one prominent layer admitted taking a ‘sizeable’ each-way wager the winner to whom he presumed were connections.

The penultimate on the card the toteexacta Handicap Chase saw Philip Hobbs’ Rock The Kasbah backed from 11/4 into 2/1 but not to the tune of any single lumps apart from one monkey bet at 9/4 on the rail that I heard of. That probably meant that the job of paying out a whole host of ‘sweet little fish’ would have been made a whole lot more painful for the layers. The jolly duly obliged but the betting ring would have fancied getting it beaten for most of the race. Richard Johnson certainly earned his fee urging and cajoling his very game mount to win from 25/1 bookies result Petrou. ‘Q’ Comber admitted his firm had been hammered on the race having gone as big as a carpet 3/1 early.

The lucky last Betfred Supports Responsible Gambling Week Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Chase was a race where the bookmakers would have a needed a real turn-up to get them the exes and wages on the day unless they’d already played a blinder. It wasn’t going to be an easy task with the market bobbing around 3/1 the field for most of the race though at the off the easy to back favourite Bacchanel was a 7/2 chance. Thegreendalerocket was nibbled from 9/1 into 7/1 but there wasn’t a standout move in the race, it was just a case of try and fill the hod. The way 8/1 winner Definitly Grey won, almost in a canter, it was surprising it had been a drifter on the ‘machine’. The bookies would have at least got their day’s wages on the day.

Some did better, I met a cock-a-hoop number one rails pitch holder Andy Smith after racing, he was very happy getting a chunky four figures on the day. ‘I’ve been up studying the form at 4.30am for the last two days’ before adding with a grin, ‘Only prostitutes earn money lying in bed’

Quite right Andrew!

Simon Nott

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Simon Nott is author of Skint Mob!: Tales from the Betting Ring

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