SIMON NOTT BETTING BLOG: Royal Ascot Tuesday

I am lucky enough to get sent tips from some good judges on an almost daily basis, today I was inundated. There were so many tips from good judges that I just couldn’t cope. I did a few life changing multiples then the Ascot Internet stopped working, so that at least took the decision making out of what to do with all the bets, writes SIMON NOTT.

On the other hand, I’m being paid by Star Sports this week, my allegiance is with the bookmakers on course of course, all those differing opinions surely augured well for the layers, hardly any shrewdie agreed on a single race.

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

The Internet going down also meant that there was no exchange information on the bookmakers’ computers, they managed just fine. But, card payments were affected so business was too. There was a hope that the mysterious signal collapse was a security measure for the royal procession, which went off very well. Nope, Archie Metcalfe had to run up from the bandstand for a bet, it wasn’t even possible to get a phone call out at times. Business was quiet so I had a wander around, Rob Waterhouse was betting on the rails so had a chat with him which is always a pleasure. Back over on the pitch, it seemed the Ray Mulvaney firm were optimistic, they came over asking for elastic bands, and that was before the first.

Betting picked up as the horses went down to the start, countless debit card bets had to be refused, it’s too soon to make racecourses cashless, their Internet they provide evidently can’t cope on the busiest days. Luckily most still punters bet in readies even though they can’t send it on a celebratory bottle of champagne if they win, mad isn’t it.

At the off the Tattersalls pitch, number two in the second row Ben, Steve, Tony, Nick and Emily had fielded just under £3000 and had two losers for a grand, and one of them was the 10/3 winner Charyn. Down on the Lower Rail, Lofty, Flynn and Ricky lost £2600. I was tipped the winner by a gentleman who gave me good reasoning from a pro-punter mate of his why it would win. I didn’t follow his advice, well you can’t back the bogies can you.

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

Back in the old days, a favourite call from bookmakers if you were at a midweek track and asked for a big bet was ‘Where do you think you are, Royal Ascot?’ Well next up there were a couple of Royal Ascot types bets struck. £44,000 – £4000 Al Qudra and and £24,000 – £980 that’s with the fractions, Star Anthem. The next decent bet was £4500 – £1000 Camille Pissarro in a hectic betting heat.

There was still no internet, no machine to look at and no card betting, the betting ring still copped but business was badly impacted. At the off the two big bets made those horses bogies with the favourite a taker. The race was run right across the track and after a photo went to 80/1 chance Rashabar which won by a nose. That was a very pleasing result, but given the noted bets and enjoying a win book skinner, the book only copped £7103.

Then at 3.22pm it was like the lights just came on, only better, Ascot wi-fi was back! Oh how we missed you, but the betting ring coped. The revisiting of the coping bit is for the clever people that think it would collapse with no ‘machine’.

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🎩 3:45 – King Charles III Stakes (Group 1) (British Champions Series) (Class 1) (3YO plus) 5f

Next up and a Royal Ascot bet £50,000 – £3000 that’s 16/1 with the fractions Crimson Advocate was laid in Tatts which was by far the biggest bet and at the off losing £46,700 in a book that held about £7000 in total. Big Evs the 11/4 favourite was also a loser for a couple of grand which apart from a bet of £1100 – £400 was just thanks to weight of money.

Asfoora won the race and despite being 5/1 second favourite copped £4000 in the race, an excellent result. It wasn’t all one way however, down on the bottom rail they blew £1500. Ben was still enjoying himself on the pitch teaching new staff member Emily how to field money from the punters.

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🎩 4:25 – St James’s Palace Stakes (Group 1) (British Champions Series) (Rnd) (Class 1) (3YO only) 1m

Next up and things lit up, are you sitting comfortably then I shall begin. Bets included £11,000 – £500 each-way and £10,000 – £500 each-way Almaqam, £6400 – £400 Alyanaabi, £22,500 – £5000, £15,000 – £3000 each-way and £9000 – £2000 each-way Henry Longfellow, £10,000 – £400 Metropolitan and £3250 – £2000 Notable Speech. Those chunks were followed by steady betting then a bet of £12,000 – £8000 the favourite and a monkey straight forecast to beat Henry Longfellow. At the off the latter was losing £28,000 and the jolly £10,000.

The race was a bit of a heart-stopper for any bookmaker that had stood Henry Longfellow for plenty. He shot clear and looked very likely to win before 5/2 Rosallion came out of the pack, went through the gears and won the race. After the places were taken into account the Tatts book copped £21,000. The lower rails team added a grand to that. Can we have those elastic bands back please Ray’ team?

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🎩 5:05 – Ascot Stakes (Heritage Handicap) (Class 2) (4YO plus) 2m 4f

Next up the race before the penultimate, a tricky handicap.

Not that lucky, the Tatts book took £4000 and lost £5000 when 20/1 chance Pledgeofallegiance won the race, thanks to a bet of 16/1 monkeys.

Star Sports are keen to lay away meetings and other sporting events when on course. A punter took advantage of that betting United Rugby Championship Bulls ‘Win Draw No Bet’ – 3/10 & Germany to win Group A – 2/9. £13,500 win double.

At the other end of Tatts our Australian friend Warren Woodcock was interviewed by Brian Gleeson for ITV racing on the Rob Waterhouse pitch. Well, if you come that far, why not!

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🎩 5:40 – Wolferton Stakes (Listed) (Class 1) (4YO plus) 1m 2f

There wasn’t anything like that sized bet when the sixth heat went up on the board with Botanical installed as the 11/4 favourite. The first horse to attract a bet of note was Israr £5000 – £1500 followed by another grand at the price which ensured that one would go off bogie, bad for over £8000. I think I might have asked for the elastic bands back a bit prematurely. Israr won and the firm knocked out £8226. Nasty.

Down on the bottom rail the team also lost, though £3000 rather than £8000, still it was adding up.

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🎩 6:15 – Copper Horse Handicap (Class 2) (4YO plus) 1m 6f

Luckily, the lucky last had come before the £19,500 so far winnings could be all knocked out. At least you’d hope so. The first decent bet in the book was £750 at 9/2 A Piece Of Heaven. As an aside, by this point the sun has appeared from over the stand and was beating down on the second and third rows, lovely and about time too. That bet was followed by £4500 – £1000 Fox Glory and £4000 – £1000 Belloccio then one nobody expected £12,500 – £250 each-way Kihavah.

The last race came just quick enough, Belloccio won, and the Tatts book lost £3500 but still won £16,500 on the day. The bottom rail copped £1100 on the race and won £5000 on the day. A pleasing first day and a sunny one too, we’re already looking forward to tomorrow.

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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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