SIMON NOTT BETTING BLOG: Cheltenham Friday

The traditional finale to the Cheltenham season eluded me last year thanks to a smash on the M5.

I did fear history might repeat itself again when my trusty TomTom showed a 20-minute and growing delay today.

Luckily, it only hindered not scuppered this evening’s looked forward to Hunter Chase farewell to Prestbury Park. That despite a detour on route to Morrisons where Mrs Nott had left her handbag complete with phone and purse hanging on the back of a shopping trolly. It had been handed in and was certainly the first winner of the day.

4:50 – John Wyke Aka Mr Guinness Memorial Open Hunters’ Chase (Class 5) (5YO plus) 2m ½f

The team for Star Sports today were Lofty and point-to-point enthusiast Ed Dark. The crowd looked a decent one and the business bore that out. The book fielded over £1600, true that included an even monkey and carpet the jolly Fier Jaguen but it was still fair business. Ed Dark fancied Caryto Des Brosses so stuck it up the jolly and Envious Editor the best he could.

I felt a bit sorry for the punter branded an accountant by Lofty when he backed the latter each-way at 5/1, especially when Ed had a similar wager with Barry the Tash next door his own fancy. Those that backed the jolly had a few hairy moments as the gelding jumped right including at the last but his class saw him home, from Eddie and the accountant’s bet. It couldn’t have been much worse a result for the layers.

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5:25 – Lycetts Insurance Brokers Intermediate Point-To-Point Hunters’ Chase (Class 4) (5YO plus) 3m 2f

A couple of early bets on All Is True in the second, £1000 – £200 and £500 – £100 gave the impression that the race would develop into a good betting heat. Sadly, the only half decent bet after that was a hundred quid on Lift Me Up at 10/3. But it was still OK. At the off, the total field money was just over £700. Lofty and Ed did it right though, they kept a monkey of it when 18/1 chance (20/1 hawking on course) Quintin’s Man won for the Devon-based Heard team under Darren Andrews from 20/1 gallant runner-up Slievegar.

The rails appeared the place to be if you were a bookie. With a flat rate entrance for Tatts and Members the crowd understandably mostly congregated in the Members hence the rails bookies appeared to be doing most business.

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6:00 – KTDA Open Hunters’ Chase (Class 4) (6YO plus) 3m 1½f

Next up and the betting was of a similar level to the previous race, £700 odd in the bag all from modest bets. Barry the Tash next door to Star fancied Fairly Famous, maybe because that’s what he is. For whatever reason, he followed up his fancy with a bet of undisclosed size. I’m doubting it was the Pinno millions that forced its price from 9/2 into 11/4 though, it appeared to be a bit of gamble.

Eddie and Lofty didn’t lay it to any large sums, in fact they didn’t lay anything to even moderately large sums but still had Trio For Rio losing £561 at the off with the punt and favourite Marcle Ridge as takers. Armaloft Alex was on the jolly which led turning for home but as he observed, ‘This is like a slow death’ as Fairly Famous loomed up and eased passed then on to win as it pleased. Barry the Tash put his arm in the air and smiled a smug smile, he’d had it spark off, Star Sports did £13.

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6:35 – INEOS Grenadier Mixed Open Hunters’ Chase (Class 4) (5YO plus) 3m 2½f

The fourth race on the card featured a hot favourite in Premier Magic which opened at 4/6. The trouble was there didin’t seem to be a dinar for it on course. Ed and Lofty did their best to be best price without tearing it up but couldn’t get the short one in. Honestly, there was no going for the jolly Arabian style from our heroes in this instance, they just couldn’t lay it. Even though there wasn’t a copper coin for the short one there was support for others in the field. Dandy Dan was a popular selection with the punters at around 4/1 while Myth Buster attracted money at 25/1 down to 16/1, Rebel Dawn Rising was according to Lofty ‘very steady’.

As they set off Dandy Man was losing £1800 in the book just down to weight of small bets and Myth Buster a similar story losing just over £450. Given the lop-sided nature of the book it was a worry that the jolly was easy to back, it had drifted to 4/5 at the off but still no takers. Well, in the instance the market knew nothing, the jolly won as it liked and the book copped just under a monkey over an odds on favourite. The winner was returned 8/11 by the industry but you could have had what you liked on at 4/5 at the off on-course, come racing.

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7:10 – Barrie Wells Trust Box4Kids Mares’ Open Hunters’ Chase (Class 4) (5YO plus) 3m 1½f

Highway Jewel was another horse to open up short, 4/5 and prove impossible to lay to amounts of any substance. As with the previous race, there was plenty of money for others in the field. Ed and Lofty laid bets of £800 – £200 Sine Nomine and £600 – £200 Singapore Saga as well as a steady flow of cash for Kalabaloo. At the off they were losing £477, £602 and £957 respectively which by anyone’s standards isn’t a great book. As they turned for home it was apparent that the jolly wasn’t going to win. As the bogies ran down to the last, Armaloft Alex, assuming a beaten favourite made it a case of which one wins the most shouted over to Lofty and asked which he needed, to which he replied, ‘We need snookers’.

It was just a case of how much the book was going to lose, then Lofty went up with an ‘Aye Aye’, he’d spotted Miss Seagreen, third over the last finding another gear before going on to collar Sine Nomine, the lightest of the bad ones close home. Even better, shrewdie that he is, Ed Dark had backed the 33/1 winner, ‘Only small’ was his modest answer to my possibly intrusive question of ‘How much?’, still you don’t need a lot on at the price, nice one Edwardo. Of course, given the main main man fancied the winner it was only a 25/1 chance in Star’s book and the only other cop in it getting about £750. Aye Aye indeed.

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7:45 – Remembering Gabe Mahon Open Hunters’ Chase (Class 4) (5YO plus) 4m ½f

Ed and Lofty had high hopes that the penultimate might be a good betting race, there were plenty of runners who looked to have chances. Sadly it was a slow heat in the ring. This time the guys had the short ones, Shantou Flyer and Law of Gold in what old school bookies would call ‘in their place’ losing, but the absolute bogie was 14/1 chance Another Venture, that accolade due to a couple of £30 each way bets, as I said it was a poor heat.

They set off on the second attempt after a false start. The favourite, Law Of Gold, looked likely to win from a fair way out, his jockey allowed himself a leisurely look around as he eased into a winning position. The confidence displayed by Dale Peters, although often tempting fate over the years, was justified in this occasion, Law Of Gold went on to win cosily, returned 11/8 and lost £100 in the book.

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8:17 – Royal Gloucestershire Hussars Open Hunters’ Chase (Class 5) (5YO plus) 2m 4½f

The lucky last that concluded the meeting and another memorable Cheltenham season was a race where Lofty and Ed decided to ‘chuck it in the hod’ be up with the prices and let the punters bet what they wanted, get to work basically. The punters did their best to oblige but didn’t really read the script, business was better than the previous race but never really came alive. At the off the book had two 50/1 shots and a 10/1 chance of losing, the rest copping plenty. As they lined up Lofty declared that whatever happened the firm would leave the course winning, £850 up on the night.

He was right, it was a hell of a race though. The long-time leader Paloma Blue looked about to be collared several times but kept finding when challenged going on to win from 5/1 chance Fix At All which had been a taker in the book. The winner returned 9/1, but was a 10/1 chance on course, oh and the absolute bogie that lost £620 in the book. What a way to end the season at Cheltenham. It’s been a fantastic season that I have been very privileged to have been here to witness most of it. Thank you for reading, we’re back here in October.

In the meantime, there’s the flat season to get stuck into, starting with Ascot next week.

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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