SIMON NOTT AT CHELTENHAM

AUTHOR: Star Sports Content

SIMON NOTT BETTING BLOG: Cheltenham Thursday

I was talking to a fascinating chap before racing, Gary Payne, he still runs marathons in his 60’s and hasn’t missed a Mackeson meeting for the last 35 years…

He had some great stories to tell, and could well be a #BettingPeople interviewee in months to come. Despite going racing always having been and always will be better than a proper job, there was a bit of doom and gloom in the ring after yesterday’s poor crowd and subsequent business. I suppose it’s a bit different if you have to win to get your wages rather than just get paid. Mind you, there was stoicism and jollity too.

Barry the Tash was stoic after doing his cobblers in cold blood yesterday with a Wetherspoon meal and couple of shandies, by the end of that feasting he’d bought and sold a couple of pitches. That’s the way to do it Baz. The celebration was for racecourse commentator Ian Bartlett’s 57th birthday, it just illustrates what a trooper he is, working on such a milestone day and not putting his feet up.

1:30 – NAF Challenger Series Mares’ Hurdle Final Handicap Hurdle (GBB Race) (Class 2) (4YO plus) 2m 4½f

The Star Sports team remained unchanged, just Steve and Lofty on the rail. Yesterday’s poor crowd was partly explained in the fact that the meeting usually falls during Easter, the kids are back at school this week. The betting in the first was very competitive where they bet 6/1 the field.

That’s not the sort of race you expect much volume anyway, the field money was about £700, the biggest bet in the race a hundred quid each-way Dollar Bae at 8/1. The race went to 20/1 chance Malaita which was a virtual skinner in the book which was as good a start as you could hope for.

2:05 – British Ebf Mares’ Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase Final (Grade 2) (GBB Race) (Class 1) (5YO plus) 2m 4½f

I’m happy to report that after the second race on the card, Ian Bartlett still hadn’t commentated a winning favourite home.

Great news indeed for the bookmakers who were struggling to take money but not to the extent they were yesterday. One weird thing though, it was sunny with less of a wind than Wednesday, so quite warm but Lofty had decided to adopt the advice you hear on fashion shows, and layer up. The man was well-padded despite toughing out yesterday’s winterly conditions in heroic fashion.

Back to the racing, as you might have gathered from this paragraph’s opening line, the 10/3 jolly Le Renommee didn’t oblige for the punters by winning but did manage to finish in the money third to satisfy the accountants bets. The race went to Dan Skelton’s Walk In Clover which won at 16/1 despite being 14lb out of the handicap. Someone apparently didn’t consider being that wrong at the weights an impossible task, the mare had been 33/1 on course when betting opened.

Luckily, punters didn’t have it on with Star Sports who enjoyed their second near skinner of the afternoon. Even Barry the Tash won on it, though I was almost too scared to ask.

2:40 – Catesby Estates Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle (Listed Race) (GBB Race) (Class 1) (4YO plus) 2m 4½f

Next up and the money what there was of it was for Deeply Superficial, in normal times a bottle at 15/8 wouldn’t make the blog but today was an exception, that was the biggest bet tendered on the Star Sports pitch. It was getting warm in temperature if not in the ring. ‘Blimey, Lofty must be microwaving’ was Armaloft Alex’s not over-the-top observation when spotting our man Martin Chapman doing his impression of a tyre company’s well-known pneumatically unchallenged mascot. Lofty did look a bit warm but that didn’t stop shouting for the book’s result ‘I Spot A Diva’ as she looked to be in with a winning chance over the last, the trouble was, every time he shouted she appeared to resent it and drop back a bit.

Ahorsewithnoname won the race at 7/2. She copped what Lofty described as a ‘cup of tea’ in the book, even by racecourse standards £43 would have been a bit on the steep side. Before we could get into the accuracy of his comment, yes it was quiet, a bagman appeared, he was sporting the sort of grin that only people that just backed a winner sports.

Luckily, he’s picked off a book or two down by the paddock, I bet that smarted. Backers of the jolly were out of luck and not so chipper, she pulled up but they already knew she wasn’t going well as Ian Bartlett’s voice always goes up an octave when it looks like the favourite is unlikely to win. Our hero still hadn’t called home a winning favourite on his birthday, a better gift for the bookies than cake, that’s for sure.

3:15 – Sporting Agenda Challenger Series Mares’ Chase Final Handicap Chase (GBB Race) (Class 2) (5YO plus) 3m 1½f

There was a nice story on Twitter, Star Sports gave professional punter and former #BettingPeople interviewee Brett Lloyd a free £50 bet a day at the Grand National meeting, I’m glad to report that he copped a carpet which has gone to his chosen good cause The Penllergaer Children’s Unit. They are going to treat the poorly children to a day trip on the money.

Ian Bartlett still hadn’t commentated a winning favourite after the fourth. The race did yield its biggest bet of the day so far, £900 – £200 each-way Credo which was handy, especially as she was unplaced. My Silver Lining won returning at 17/2 and unbacked with Star Sports, a skinner again, four winning races out of four so far, keep it going Barty. Lofty unzipped his bodywarmer just a tad in celebration, or was that because some of his Cornish pasty had found its way down there?

The tasty savoury pastry snacks are far too good to waste so who knows, that could well have been it.

3:50 – Safran Landing Systems Fillies’ Juvenile Handicap Hurdle (Premier Handicap) (GBB Race) (Class 1) (4YO only) 2m 1f

Next up and it was all change. Lofty had removed his coat and was stood on the stool taking the readies from the punters while Steve, head of on-course was tapping away on the computer. It seemed to be going OK, the punters were coming into Lofty and Steve was getting all the bets into the book.

At the off, Under Control was a loser for £425 and Media Naranja for £382. ‘There you go’ beamed Lofty, adding, ‘An old fashioned book, up the front two’. Did you notice the little thread I had going through this blog regarding Ian Bartlett’s birthday and no favourites? Well, 10/3 favourite Under Control winning buggered that up a couple of races too early, and being the bogie losing £425 didn’t do the book an awful lot of favours either. Yeah, cheers Lofty.

4:25 – Stay In The Montpellier Town House Mares’ Handicap Chase (Class 3) (5YO plus) 2m ½f

Between races one of our favourite bag men came to the joint, seeing that Lofty was braced for a big bet he reassured the big fella that there was nothing doing, saying that he was off as ‘It’s all dried up’. Lofty nodded him on his way sympathetically. Well, has anyone ever said favourites are like London buses? Probably, the 9/4 jolly Pink Legend winning the penultimate made it two favourites in quick succession, ‘That’s two now’ beamed the chirpy birthday boy as he descended from the commentary box. There was a bit more to it as far as the book went.

Pink Legend had been the worst in the book, right up until the very last bet, a bottle on Royale Margaux at 11/4 made that one the bogie. Jumping the last it looked as if that bet was going to landed and knock the stuffing out of an already depleted but still winning book. Luckily for Star Sports, Pink Legend had other ideas and got back up to win on the run-in. She was still a loser for £249, but with the two red ones in the computer clear from a fair way out it was always a case of losing bar an act of God, so losing the least was almost like winning.

5:00 – Spreadex Sports Get 50 Bet Bonuses Mares’ Open NH Flat Race (GBB Race) (Class 2) (4YO to 6YO) 2m 1f

Despite the last two race reversals, the firm were still £950 in front going into the lucky last. Lofty was boxing them up nicely, there didn’t appear to be much chance of the firm losing, at least before exes over the two days.

Steve and Lofty had a regular punter coming into them all day, they affectionately nicknamed him ‘Trigger’ due to the suit he was wearing which looked a bit like the one his namesake was wearing in that famous bar hatch scene on Only Fools And Horses. Anyway, he came to the joint and had his tenners on a few horses and even bagged a few points above value.

His bets added to the tally but at the off the only loser in the book was Dontyawantme which would have been blown £342 the only loser in the book had she won. I say had she, as she didn’t. Micks Jet didn’t just win the race but absolutely bolted up at 66/1. That’s what you call a proper old-fashioned real turn up for the books. Aye Aye, a skinner and a great way to end the two days, a winning meeting.

We’re back for the season finale here a week tomorrow.

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