SIMON NOTT BETTING REPORT: Cheltenham Saturday

The racecourse certainly did their best to instil Christmas spirit with festival tunes sung by a bevvy of ladies piped around Prestbury Park. The weather played ball too, thankfully not with the traditional snow, but glorious winter sunshine, writes SIMON NOTT.

Unsurprisingly, the crowd appeared much bigger than yesterday’s so all was set for a busy day taking on the punters and enjoying the sport. The teams today were as yesterday in the Sovereign Lounge with the addition of Ricky Rixon on the rails pitch.

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12:10 – JCB Triumph Trial Juvenile Hurdle (GBB Race) (Class 2) (3YO only) 2m 1f

The rails pitch was a target for an early-bird grand punter who had it on Total Look at 2/1 followed by another backer who wanted and got £700 – £200 Lavender Hill Mob. The rest of the business was steady but modest at the off the book held just over £2000.

While business may not have been phenomenal but I got the sport bit right. The first race was cracker, the jolly looked to be cruising into the race two out only flattering to deceive. 6/1 shot Quantock Hills then looked to have put the race to bed only to be collared close home by the fast finishing 20/1 chance Teriferma. At least that’s how it looked, after the judge deliberated for some time, a dead-heat was called. Both horses were winners in Star’s book though the bigger-priced fast finisher was worse thanks to a £1000 – £50 trade bet laid late on. Once the dead-heat was announced and the numbers crunched, the book copped a grand.

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12:40 – Josh Wyke Birthday Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase (GBB Race) (Class 3) (4YO plus) 3m 1½f

The next heat hotted up. A punter bet £1000 on Peaky Boy which was good to get the jolly in the book. Ultimately though, decent bet as it was it was dwarfed by the £13,500 – £9000 which followed it on the same horse. That was pretty much it apart from an interesting £2000 – £100 each-way Beachcomber.

Well, the punters certainly opened their shoulders and bet like men, but this time they left it behind. Despite running a gallant race in defeat Peaky Boy wasn’t good enough on the day, he ultimately finished third at 11/8 behind Haiti Couleurs the 4/1 second-in. The book copped £10,000 which depending on if the big punters decided to come out swinging or keep their powder dry for another day could put the firm well on the way to another winning day. Too soon? We’ll see. There was more good news from Doncaster from Nick, where they’d taken £600 on Bucksy Des Espieres who ran into ready 11/4 winner The Kalooki Kid.

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1:13 – Quintessentially Mares’ Handicap Chase (Class 3) (4YO plus) 2m 4½f

Next up, and no sign of any lumpy punters, the only bet Lofty was able to give me was £1000 – £500 over Coco Mademoiselle. At the off the book held bang on £1500 with just the jolly losing. That’s not great for a Saturday. ‘It’s terrible, it’s going our way but it’s terrible’ was veteran of the ring Ricky’s summing up, adding ‘Allowing the punters to bring their booze into Tatts is great for the bookies in there, but it’s done us no favours.’ Game On For Glory winning at 22/1 did the whole ring a favour, Star copped a grand on the race. Mind you, my good mate and top judge Andrew Mount tipped the winner in his GG column so may not have been a great result for everyone, Andrew has his followers. Over at Doncaster, there was more success for the good guys as £1000 on the pulled-up Snowy Clouds at 5/1 never looked like collecting.

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1:50 – 🏆 Nyetimber December Gold Cup Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap) (GBB Race) (Class 1) (4YO plus) 2m 4½f

The sun was shining down on the betting ring but business on the rail was still only modest at best. There were a couple of bets to keep Lofty, Ricky and Tony on their toes, £1500 – £500 Madara and £2000 – £200 each-way Grandeur D’Ame. The book took £2090 over 50 bets with four losers, Madara the worst. Jumping two out the bookmakers must have feared the worst as the jolly looked to be travelling well but wasn’t able to live with 11/2 winner Gemirande. The book won £1600 which was a bit of a feat as the winner was the best backed horse as far as odds tumbling goes in the race. Lofty said they’d laid £200 – £20 early but were left out thereafter which was handy. Speaking of handy, Adveram being beaten at Donacaster put another £1000 into Nick’s hod.

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2:25 – BetMGM Handicap Chase (GBB Race) (Class 2) (4YO plus) 2m ½f

The sun had gone in and the temperature had dropped by the time they set off for the 2.25. Bet numbers were still pretty much the same but there were a couple of bets of note. £2100 – £600 Libberty Hunter and £1100 – £400 Master Chewy tendered by the team at least illustrated that the bigger punters were still in evidence. Those two bets aside it was tepid stuff – at the off the the front two in the book held £2002. Despite being weak in the betting after the £600 bet was laid Libberty Hunter went on to prove that the market knew nothing by bolting up. The gelding’s win knocked the book about a bit and showed red for £2030 which put the firm on a still well in front back foot going into the penultimate. Over at Doncaster, the firm were having a fine day, with £2000 on the never-dangerous Gabriot a welcome tonic.

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3:00 – Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle (Registered As The Bristol Novices’ Hurdle) (Grade 2) (GBB Race) (Class 1) (4YO plus) 3m

Skyjack Hijack was a popular favourite in this heat, Lofty and team laid £1750 – £1000 and £1300 – £800 whilst there was £3000 laid by Nick and Eddie at Doncaster. As the betting warmed up so did the temperature, a little, as the sun made a reappearance. I took a photo 10 minutes before the race which illustrates the lack of business on the rail where drinking is banned compared to Tatts where it’s now allowed. There’s so much room in members you’d have thought that area could also benefit from the removal of alcohol prohibition. That’s an opinion not just for the benefit of the bookmakers, though given the business over the last two days, it wouldn’t hurt to support the racecourse layers. Speaking of which, there was very little happening to report on. At the off the book held £3408 with Skyjack Hijack losing £5400 which was the book sticking its neck out.

Did the roar from Lofty when Jet Blue flew up the hill to win tell the story? Did our man have a lean up the winner and subsequently go down the book with the jolly? That sounds a bit like a trailer for a Saturday morning pictures series doesn’t it, I’m not one to judge, but he was tapping in the bets and making the market. ‘I backed that’ beamed the big man. No shit Sherlock!

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3:35 – BetMGM Mares’ Handicap Hurdle (GBB Race) (Class 2) (4YO plus) 2m 4½f

Going into the last, the team were £15,000 in front so hopefully weren’t going to give it all back. It didn’t mean that they weren’t trying though, Lofty, Steve and Ricky laid £3000 – £240 Wodhooh which is 12/1 with the fractions 100/8 and £3300 – £300 Molto Bene that’s 11/1 without the fractions 100/9. Apart from those two bets, the last heat never really took off. At the off there was £1725 in the hod with the two noted bets the bogies for just shy of a couple of grand each, the jolly Joyeuse losing a carpet and the second in a taker. The punter who knew to ask for fractions not only knew how to bet but also the winner. Wodhooh won the race, returned 10/1 and cost the book £1900. It would be churlish to say the result took the shine off the day, but £1900 is still a fair whack to lose over a middle-pin. Anyway, that was day two ticked off, the second winning one on the trot. Here’s hoping they can get the treble up at Windsor tomorrow, I’m looking forward to it. There was a better ending at Doncaster, where the biggest bet of the day was beaten as Altobelli just failed to land a £4000 wager despite flying late on for second.

The last word goes to well-liked and respected veteran of the betting ring Rob, on duty today with George Cooper. He’s been under the cosh health-wise recently but is hopefully taking the first step to getting it sorted next week. Wishing you all the best and good news mate.

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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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