SIMON NOTT BETTING BLOG: Cheltenham Festival Friday

Gold Cup Day! 🏆

By the time the firm got to work proper on the first, the sun was blazing down, for the first time this week. Ben was wearing an orange tie and pocket hankie, his lucky colour, let’s hope so.

1:30 – JCB Triumph Hurdle (Grade 1) (GBB Race) (Class 1) (4YO only) 2m 1f

The ring was heaving for the first and there was steady money for the front two including a couple of grand bets. There wasn’t much in them for much of the betting in what was an ‘up the front two’ book until a punter came in fairly late with £9000 on Lossiemouth at 6/4 on the Tatts pitch.

At the off, she was a loser for £20,000 across both pitches. It would take more than an orange tie to stop the gallant grey bogie. Lossiemouth won easily to the cheers of what seemed like everyone. £20,000 down on the first, but it was only the first.

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2:10 – McCoy Contractors County Handicap Hurdle (Premier Handicap) (GBB Race) (Class 1) (5YO plus) 2m 1f

Next up and the race that once upon a time used to conclude the old three day meeting. Betting opened 5/1 the field but buoyed by their success in the opener, punters weren’t shy in coming forward, business was brisk but very small, that was until the last bet in the rails book, £26,000 – £4000 Filey Bay, a bookmaker’s hedge bet.

Bridget Andrews winning on Faivoir at 33/1 was a fantastic result, though Ben was cheering on Star’s brand ambassador Davy Russell on the runner-up Pied Piper. Ben even watching a race let alone getting animated is a bit of a worry, is he becoming a bit puntery?

CHELTENHAM KNOCKOUT – THE FINAL

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2:50 – Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1) (Registered As The Spa Novices’ Hurdle) (GBB Race) (Class 1) (5YO plus) 3m

The next was dramatic in the ring and out on the turf. The Tatts pitch laid a bet of £5500 at 5/2 Corbetts Cross, £16,500 – £500 each-way Search For Glory and plenty of other decent bets.

Corbetts Cross crashing out at the last was terrible luck for favourite backers but 18/1 winner Stay Away Fay ran on well enough to win on merit and as you’d imagine was a very good result for the book. After three races, the firm were back in front.

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3:30 – Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup Chase (Grade 1) (GBB Race) (Class 1) (5YO plus) 3m 2½f

Next up, the big one. Has anyone ever been to Bampton Horse Fair down my way? It was like that, packed, when you are height challenged like yours truly, you never stop moving, big people see you as a gate! Punters were wading into Ben and Co in the right and proper manner for the biggest race of the meeting.

Galopin Des Champs was a very popular favourite, monkeys, six hundreds, grands, two grands were flying in so fast I was losing count. It wasn’t all about the favourite, but mostly. The rails laid £15,000 – £10,000 the favourite plus £8000 – £2000 A Plus Tard. At the off the firm had the bogie losing just over £30,000 across the two pitches.

The jolly won and Star Sports were back in the financial mire, £30,000 down again.

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4:10 – St. James’s Place Festival Challenge Cup Open Hunters’ Chase (Class 2) (5YO plus) 3m 2½f

The Hunter Chase was surprisingly busy, all the money was for the favourite Vaucelet. At the off, it was losing around £8000 across the pitches. You know the best sound in the betting ring? Silence as they pass the post. That’s what greeted 66/1 winner Premier Magic in a result some people describe as a ‘Placepot Buster’ 66/1 beats 28/1 beats 50/1. A virtual skinner.

Traditionally, bookmakers stand up and goad the punters by calling ‘Pay Pay’ but Star’s staff are too nice. Lofty had already legged it to the dogs at Oxford where Star sponsor a race tonight. The books got around £12,000 back, happy days.

CHELTENHAM KNOCKOUT – THE FINAL

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4:50 – Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase (Registered As The Liberthine Mares’ Chase) (Grade 2) (GBB Race) (Class 1) (5YO plus) 2m 4½f

I had an email from a professional punter last night, explaining why he was against Allegorie De Vassy.

As you’d expect, he made a very strong case against her. The punters on course evidently didn’t agree, she was the only one they wanted to be on. I asked Inlike about the bets he’d laid which had her losing ten grand. When he told me about all the £500 bets I replied ‘Oh more monkeys than a PG Tips advert’. Not a hint of even a smile, I keep conveniently forgetting the demographic of the firm.

Lofty would have got it.

Right at the off, Flynn laid a bet of £70,000 – £40,000 bookmaker’s hedging business, things just got interesting, let’s hope the pro-punter was right.

He was, only just, but we’d take it. Impervious won the race at 15/8 from the bogie but it was hairy stuff if you’d laid one to lose £70,000.

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5:30 – Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle (GBB Race) (Class 2) (4YO plus) 2m 4½f

Just when we thought all the excitement was over, there was a real gamble only just touched off in the lucky last, two punters had a monkey each way each on Buddy One at 33/1. There was also decent money for Irish Hill and Spanish Harlem. Jumping the last it looked as if the shine was going to be wiped off the last race’s cop as Buddy One led going well, only to be run out of it up that heartbreak hill. You have to feel for his backers who had the cup snatched from their lips.

The race went to 6/1 chance Iroko which was a winner in the book, but of course that book took a clobbering in the place market. It was quite a fitting end to the meeting which really did have its thrills, spills and financial undulations but ultimately went the way of the firm… just. Phew!

Next stop: Aintree.

SIMON NOTT

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

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

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