SIMON NOTT Betting Blog: Royal Ascot Tuesday

There’s nowhere I would rather be this week than Royal Ascot…

But I have to go under the knife for a procedure in the hopefully near future. Given that it’s only weeks away it was suggested that I ‘Green Up’ and take no chances no matter how small in what is always a busy week. So, I’m covering one of the best meetings of the year from home.

My finger is on the pulse for the week though, the business from the Star Sports offices around the country, their main office in Hove and of course, where the action is, the pitches at Ascot.

‘Inlike’ Flynn is back on course all week taking a break from the lofty heights of office life and Lofty at the helm on the rail. Hannah was handy on course taking pictures. Recent #BettingPeople interviewee Dave O’Reilly and his wife Jackie came to visit the joint, they are celebrating 33 years married today. Aye Aye!

👑 2:30 – Queen Anne Stakes (Group 1) (British Champions Series) (Str) (Class 1) (4YO plus) 1m

Down on the lower rail, Lofty and his team were busy, he told me that they had taken more bets on the first race than they’d taken all day on the top rail last year. The biggest bet down there was a monkey at 2/1 Modern Games while up at Tatts it was just a carpet at the price. The 33/1 winner was a cracking start for the on-course teams, a skinner for Flynn and a good cop for Lofty.

Star Sports Mayfair office ran into a bet of £21,000 – £1200 each-way the third placed Light Infantry. The office reported that they had a good start to the meeting – telling me that all the morning money was for the front two in the betting, Triple Time was a skinner, and for all those who were disappointed to see Frankie beat, at least those who backed his mount to win with Star Sports, qualified for a free bet with our Split Second offer when she finished second.

The betting shops all did well apart from one bet, £1200 each-way Light Infantry at 18/1 which finished third.

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👑 3:05 – Coventry Stakes (Group 2) (Class 1) (2YO only) 6f

Next up and the betting came alive, the trouble was, most of it was for the one horse River Tiber, one of the offices laid a bet of £6000 – £4000, while the pitches on course took £15,000 and 13/8. £15,000 at 6/4 and untold grands at 6/4. When River Tiber stuck its neck out to win at 11/8 the books on course lost £61,000 between them and that included copping £2000 from a £1000 each way at 20/1 Fandom. A nasty reminder that this is Royal Ascot where the big boys come out to play.

Unsurprisingly, the office lost back what they’d won on the first, the winner had been well-backed. It was levels you devils with them.

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👑 3:40 – King’s Stand Stakes (Group 1) (British Champions Series) (Class 1) (3YO plus) 5f

The third race was much quieter on course as far as big bets go, but there was still decent volume of money flying about. Wagers with the Lofty and Flynn included a couple of £4000 – £2000 Highfield Princess but very little else of note.

Bradsell winning at 14/1 was a very good result for them copping £5000 over the firm but of course, they hadn’t taken the money of the previous heat.

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👑 4:20 – St James’s Palace Stakes (Group 1) (British Champions Series) (Rnd) (Class 1) (3YO only) 1m

Next up and the first bet that come through to me was one of £30,000 – £20,000 Chaldean from the Star Sports office in Hove, a £12,000 – £1000 each-way Royal Scotsman in one of the betting shops then a £7500 – £1000 each-way Isaac Shelby which made it look like we could be in for a good betting heat.

Then, wallop, £15,000 at 9/4 and £15,000 at 2/1 Paddington which was followed by not much else of size for anything else. Paddington didn’t just win, he made the rest look slow. Another disaster for the on-course teams.

It wasn’t all bad news, the office called to say that it had been their busiest race so far and that the bear with the hat had been a small winner with them.

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👑 5:00 – Ascot Stakes (Heritage Handicap) (Class 2) (4YO plus) 2m 4f

The word from Lofty for the 5.00 was that the favourite Bring On The Night was ‘Sweating like pig’. I’m told that’s a negative, Lofty reported bets of £1750 – £1000 and £1400 – £800 the perspiring market leader so am guessing he made a point of getting him in the book. At the other end of the racecourse, and market Flynn laid a bet of £12,500 – £250 each-way on Themaxwecan. At the off Lofty had the favourite the only loser in the book, for £3500.

I tried to get some info from Flynn but he’d nipped to the ablutions. Ahorsewithnoname won the race, hitherto known as ‘Aye Aye’. Lofty’s pitch copped £1200 thanks to his knowing a sweaty horse when he sees one. Sadly, it would have been more had it not been for the places clobbering him.

But where was Flynn? Steve messaged me, they won £3600 on the race. But still no Flynn. The office came on, telling me, ‘Finally a result worth shouting about, winning customers from earlier came in strong for the favourite’.

Finally, Inlike was back, he’d suffered the ignominy of being collared by a drugs dog on his exit from the toilets. The snuffling mutt took a shine to the readies in his pocket and took to nuzzling them. The canny canine’s handler quite rightly wanted to give Inlike a rubdown. Our hero told me that as the long arm of the law did its thing he protested ‘It’s the notes, it’s the notes’ only to be told ‘The dog doesn’t sniff for money’. Hmmm.

Anyway, our innocent man was finally released with nothing more than dog slobber on his previously immaculate morning strides and a pocket full of money that was attractive to dogs that like to sniff drugs.

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👑 5:35 – Wolferton Stakes (Listed) (Class 1) (4YO plus) 1m 2f

The penultimate went the way of the books again, but as often happened when you get to this end of a day’s racing, betting was a little more subdued. The Tatts pitch laid a bet of £2000 – £600 Buckaroo which was it as far in notable bets. Lofty reported that the King’s horse Saga was very popular as was Checkandchallenge, both losers in his book whilst the Tattersalls pitch just had Buckaroo losing, which tells you the strength of their business.

Royal Champion winning at 16/1 for Roger Varian under Jack Mitchell was a good result for both pitches. You have to take it to win much though, it was a similar story from the office who told me, ‘It was a small winner for the office which was a light betting event’.

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👑 6:10 – Copper Horse Handicap (Class 2) (4YO plus) 1m 6f

Going into the lucky last, Flynn had done the sums and the on-course pitches were losing £100,000 between them, he added that he was doubtful they’d be able to ‘get out’ on the race. Lofty agreed, but the teams set to work regardless, it’s only day one after all. There were a few bets though a couple of £2000 bets at 11/10 Vauban and £5000 – £1000 Ruling Dynasty.

As it turned out, it was lucky that the big punters didn’t come out to play, despite sweating up badly Vauban trounced his field. He absolutely sluiced in, providing Ryan Moore with a treble and compounding the day for Star Sports. That is Star Sports on course, the office had managed to win on the day telling me, ‘We had a one horse book in the last, as Vauban completes a Ryan Moore treble and takes the shine off our day – but we’re still in front and go again tomorrow.’

Flynn was quite stoic about a disastrous day on the turf, ‘Feels like it’s a Tuesday at Cheltenham, not Royal Ascot’. Horrific day, but at least we have four days to get back rather than three!

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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