CHELTENHAM SATURDAY

AUTHOR: Star Sports Content

SIMON NOTT BETTING BLOG: Cheltenham Saturday

Before we start relaying the day’s action, I have great news. People that read my betting ring report from Kempton my have been fretting. But it’s OK, the ‘Bag Men’ are still in jobs. If you didn’t read the last blog, they spent all day at Kempton all tooled up with readies but had nothing to fire them at, I feared unemployment beckoned. Yes they are still in action but they have ditched their bags. I felt a bit guilty than I might have forced the jettisoning of their namesakes, but no, they weren’t worried that I’d blown their cover, apparently they were just a bit ‘last year’ and they now have big pockets. More on them later.

The Star Sports team at Cheltenham today were Steve, the new for 2023 Head of On-Course, Martin ‘Lofty’ Chapman and Tony. They were all clobbered up for what was a pretty chilly day, it’s all about having the right gear on days like today. There was no fear of the team getting cold through immobility, there was a very healthy crowd in evidence for the nine race card. Even better, they were getting stuck in early and keeping the boys busy.

11:40 – Jcb Triumph Trial Juvenile Hurdle (grade 2) (registered As The Finesse) (gbb Race) (Class 1) (4YO only) 2m 1f

The one they wanted to be on in the first was Milton Harris’ Scriptwriter. Lofty, on tapping away duties for the first, told me that there had been plenty of £100 and £200 bets at 11/4 for the gelding. There had also been cash for Jupiter Du Gite but not to the same extent with precious little for anyone else.

At the off Scriptwriter was losing just over £2600 with the latter taking the book. Punters that were on the bogie had plenty to shout about initially as their fancy went head to head with Comfort Zone up the run-in only to do their dough, the latter getting the upper hand close home to win by three quarters of a length. It wasn’t great news for most of the bookmakers either as the winner was bottle, 2/1 favourite. I say most, Star Sports had the winner copping a grand which was a very handy start on a race that most would have lost on.

The now smiling bag men, sorry guys you are lumbered with that moniker now regardless, were on the winner, not with Star though, Aye Aye. Did Steve and the team go for the winner despite it being favourite? I’m sure the keepers of the flame for traditional bookmaking practises would like to know, sadly the boys weren’t saying.

12:10 – Timeform Novices’ Handicap Chase (GBB Race) (Class 2) (5YO plus) 2m 4½f

Next up and a monkey at rouf and a half, 9/2 Dalamoi got the book started in what was another good brisk betting heat. That early £500 was ultimately the biggest bet of the race, but steady money for the jolly Stage Star put him in the red too. There was also a bit of cash for Llandinabo Lad at big prices too.

At the off it was still Dalamoi the worst in the book but when Stage Star (pictured below) won cosily the book still lost just shy of a grand. That was two favourites out of two but with nine races on the card still only early skirmishes.

12:40 – Glenfarclas Cross Country Handicap Chase (GBB Race) (Class 2) (5YO plus) 3m 6f

To the delight of weak-bladdered bookmakers and their staff everywhere, the Cross Country race in the card was welcome relief. It’s often said that these are the races where they go around and around until the favourite wins, why ruin a literary tradition, so there I’ve written it again.

The favourite today, was Gordon Elliott’s Delta Work at 9/4 (chances discussed in Davy’s Russell’s Star Sports blog this weekend). The gelding was steadily backed with Steve, Lofty and Tony and loser for a grand. The worst in the book was Singing Banjo, that thanks to a trade bet of £4000 – £280. They knew their fractions for a 14/1 poke. The other interesting one in the betting, but one that totally missed Star Sports was the move for Legends Ryde, 50/1 to 16/1 off course.

Give him his due, Delta Work did his best for his backers but had to settle for third behind 6/1 winner Back On The Lash. It was great to see a locally trained horse land the spoils. Martin Keighley was an early interviewee of mine, his winning charge was a £1000 winner in the book. ‘Always have the second-in a winner’ winked Lofty. The firm were back in front with just six races to go.

1:20 – Albert Bartlett Clarence House Chase (Grade 1) (GBB Race) (Class 1) (5YO plus) 2m ½f

Down on the rails and in the real world of betting it was Edwardstone the worst in the book care of a £2500 – £1000. They’d also laid a grand at bottle-on Energumene. Anticipating that punters may be put off by the short one Steve, Lofty and Tony were also offering the forecast on the race. Lofty informed me that they’d taken a monkey out of that market too. At the off Edwardstone was losing the thick end of three grand.

The big story for the firm though was off-course with a monster tweeted earlier in the day:

I’m not sure if anyone else has noticed this but racecourse commentator Ian Bartlett does get a little vocally animated if he senses that a jolly is in trouble. I’m guessing his glee that Editeur Du Gite was still not stopping in front and that the jolly had plenty to do, or words to that effect wouldn’t have been great listening for the monster punter. ‘He could be right too’ chipped in Lofty. A terrible jump at the last nearly unseating secured the fate of the favourite.

What followed was a classic example of why you should never underestimate the Cheltenham hill. Halfway up the run-in Edwardstone got to the long team leader and headed him. ‘Oh well, at least it’s a good result for the office’ was Lofty’s stoic observation. It evidently looked to others as if the race was all over too. I’m also guessing that Edwardstone was a good result for them personally too.

Members of a bookmaking firm that shall remain nameless bounced from their joint and started giving it the arms in the air ‘Aye Aye, Aye Aye, Aye Aye, (yes THAT enthusiastically) propelled by manly jigged pirouettes. This impromptu ballet was brought to the cruellest of conclusions, when the last spin toward the racecourse revealed 14/1 chance Editeur Du Gite getting back up to win. I’ve seen that look, a mixture or heartbreak, horror and disbelief, on the face of a premature celebrator many times before, I even wore it on occasion, don’t mention Maljimar. Once seen never forgotten, or emulated again if you can help it. Nasty.

1:50 – Paddy Power Cheltenham Countdown Podcast Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap) (GBB Race) (Class 1) (5YO plus) 2m 4½f

There were no such emotional scenes up the hill for the big handicap. Steve, Lofty and Tony had what Lofty described as ‘An old fashioned book, up the front two’ though not totally traditional, as in the jolly, Fugitif was losing £1340 compared to the second-in Il Ridoto losing £1909.

Three out Lofty reported that ‘We need snookers to win’. Barty bore that out, no glee from the commentary box to offer a glimmer of hope. Sadly, at least for the firm, there were no snookers forthcoming, ‘The favourite is slightly better’ reported Lofty just as the second-in forged his way to the line in front and victory.

2:25 – Paddy Power Cotswold Chase (Grade 2) (GBB Race) (Class 1) (5YO plus) 3m 1½f

Lofty has a theory about Class 1 races down south, ‘Lay the northern horses’ was his cry. The trouble is with that it, you can put the prices up but you can’t make them bet. The one the punters wanted to be on was Protektorat, bets piled in, £1650 – £1200 x 2, £1500 – £1000, £500 – £400, £2750 – £2000 and £5500 – £4000. There was steady money for the others but very small in comparison.

At the off the favourite was losing £12,000 in the book. I was informed by Ian Bartlett that it’s not glee when he spots what looks like a beaten favourite, but ‘capturing the drama’. He captured the drama alright Protektorat was spotted as beaten at two from home leaving 13/2 chance Ahoy Senor to win nicely under Derek Fox from 8/1 Sounds Russian. First home was the worst winner in the book, copping £6000, hardly surprising if you know your training geography.

Paul Binfield, Paddy Power Racecourse Representative, who survived what could have been a very nasty incident with a Press Room chair before racing, told me ‘I remember seeing Ahoy Senor absolutely hack up at Newbury last season and I thought to myself this is a potential superstar. He then came up against L’ Homme Presse at the Festival before bouncing back with a lovely performance at Aintree.

He’s not shown so much this season until today’s devastating effort in a race that looked a proper, Gold Cup trial. Lucinda Russell has scooped the Grand National but she now looks to have a serious chance of capturing the Blue Riband’.

Ahoy Senor is a 12/1 chance with starsports.bet to land that Blue Riband back here in March.

While Paul was none the worse for wear for his tumble, his very nice suit fared slightly worse.

3:00 – Dahlbury Stallions At Chapel Stud Cleeve Hurdle (Grade 2) (GBB Race) (Class 1) (5YO plus) 3m

Race seven, the race before the penultimate, was another good betting heat. Steve and co laid a bet of £3500 – £2000 Paisley Park the only one of note in a race where the hod held £7000, which tells you all. At the off Paisley Park was the only one in red, pretty much for what they had taken, including forecasts, £7000.

Dashel Drasher tired to make all but French raider Gold Tweet always appeared to have him in his sights and so it proved going on to win by three lengths with the jolly back in third. The 14/1 winner was another top result for the book which copped £6000. It could have been a lot worse, that 14/1 had been 22/1, I know, because one of the bag men, put a ticket under my nose. ‘They’ knew, as you can see, the bets, at least not this one was with Star. What’s ‘Aye Aye’ in French?

3:35 – Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle (Registered As The Classic Novices’ Hurdle) (Grade 2) (GBB Race) (Class 1) (4YO plus) 2m 4½f

By race eight you’d be excused for thinking that business might have been on the wane. But no, it was still another good betting race. Sadly, there’s nothing to tell you about bets of note but the book did hold £3000. 5/4 favourite Pembroke was the only loser, for £600 which probably made this the ‘best’ book of the day. Too good as it turned out. 13/2 winner Rock My Way copped £800 in the win book, whittled down to a monkey after the places went against the firm.

4:10 – SSS Super Alloys Handicap Hurdle (GBB Race) (Class 2) (4YO plus) 2m 1f

The momentum from the punters punting kept up until the lucky last and ninth heat. The biggest bet was £3000 – £1000 Punctuation, and a wager to take out the same amount, £3000 – £90 each-way Hystery Bere from another bookie, 33/1 with the fractions. The book held £3600 at the off, the 4/1 winner Hacker Des Places gave the members of Owners Club 068 a huge thrill for their nominal investment and the book copped £800. Proper Job. A cursory glance at the computer told Lofty that the book won £17,000 on the day. Aye Aye, that’s the game.

Next up here the Festival. That isn’t an invitation to work out the ‘Sleeps Until…. ‘. Thank you.

SIMON NOTT

Views of authors do not necessarily represent views of Star Sports Bookmakers.

Simon Nott is author of: Skint Mob! Tales from the Betting Ring
available on Kindle CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS

STAR PROMOTIONS

 

SS_DTA_Social_Banner
SS_WeBelieveInBookmaking
previous arrow
next arrow
SHARE VIA

    Most Read