SIMON NOTT BETTING BLOG: Epsom Thursday

It was a pleasant trip up to Epsom from the shire, it’s been a few years since I last travelled here for a meeting that wasn’t the Derby, writes SIMON NOTT.

I have fond memories of watching the Beach Boys, including Brian Wilson here and further back Leo Sayer. The stage used to be at the edge of the stands, but tonight’s turn, Platinum, and ABBA tribute act were to play out behind them.

Kaan bought me a burger from the staff welfare fund, which was very kind. I enjoyed it with this fella Lord Wigg, he was good company, though didn’t say a lot, well anything actually.

---

5:55 – Betfred ‘The Classic Bookmaker’ EBF Maiden Stakes (GBB Race) (Class 4) (2yo) 7f (7f3y)

On the pitch – Barry Dennis’ old pick – manned by Kaan and Dan, it didn’t take long to get lively, as a punter bet £18,000 at 8/13 Victorious One.

The lads were hoping that after the race, the name would have proved to have been a little over optimistic. Talking of which, ever the optimist, Michael Fletcher, the well-spoken pro-punter not to be confused with the octogenarian bookmaking legend, came to say hello.

He told me he’s taking Jerry White for dinner next week, oh to be a fly on the wall for that one, I bet Michael is eying up the dessert menu before his guest has finished his starter.

It was, but only in the last stride, Big Song winning at 11/2 put a smile on Kaan and Dan’s faces £17,860 stayed in the hod. The not-so-great news was that the field money only totalled £18,198.

---

6:30 – Steve Donoghue Handicap (Class 5) (3yo+ 0-68) 1m½f (1m113y)

Next up, and a big punter waded in, no, not the Epsom fare but £11,000 – £10,000 on Unwanted Attention in the 6.12 at Worcester, which was beaten a long way out. Kaan said it was far too early to start counting it, which of course was right.

Meanwhile, Jiff’s Army was the 11/8 favourite at Epsom, but there were no big punters showing any interest. As the horses loaded, the book held £881 with the jolly winning £338 among several middle pin losers.

There was a definite buzz about the place, but not from the sound of flashing readies. Jiff’s Army ran straight and true speeding along the camber to win nicely, the book copped £395.98 which was of course worth double the value, at least given he was jolly and big punters were lurking but just left the firm out.

Given the winner returned 6/4 we can hazard a guess there wasn’t much money anywhere for it in the live market.

---

7:00 – Chantilly Handicap (A Jockey Club Grassroots Middle Distance Qualifier) (Class 5) (3yo+ 0-75) 1m2f (1m2f17y)

Next up, just four runners in a race where the betting was tight and ideal for boxing them up. Giselles Defence was the 13/8 jolly, you’d have thought the punters would fancy this race but stakes were very small and the big money conspicuous by its absence.

Until that is, a punter came up under Kaan’s arm as the quartet were going to post and bet £8000 at 13/8 the favourite which was a bet to lay but unexpected at that point.

The race was a cracker, the two short ones, the other being Zarakerjack battled it out head to head on the run to the line, the latter went 1.05 in runner but went down a nose in the photo. The book blew £13,218 by the finest of margins. Remember what Kaan said about not counting it.

The winner returned 5/4, come racing, 13/8 laid.

---

7:35 – Miles Andrews Ladies’ Derby Handicap (For Female Amateur Jockeys) (Class 5) (4yo+ 0-75) 1m4f (1m4f6y)

There were seven runners in the ‘Ladies Derby’, no not the Oaks but a handicap for Lady amateur riders run over the Derby course and distance. The next bet of note wasn’t on this race but was on the fair sex of the equine variety, Betty’s Tiara over at Worcester, an even £6000 asked for and struck.

Luckily, Epsom were showing the away races on the big screen so the firm could Aye Aye Harry Cobden’s mount Call To Duty getting up to thwart the bet close home.

Given that he was lurking, it was no surprise when the big punter stepped in with a bet of £14,000 – £8000 Kotari. Business was steady despite that bet, Dan was working like a trooper on his dad’s old pitch, at the off the book held £8922 the rest of it mostly in small money.

The small money knew, though the sharp money off course appeared to as well. Gordon Grey ended up being the overall best backed horse in the race supported from 10/3 into 9/4 having touched a money scared 2/1 at one point.

The bookies had a right to be cautious, last year’s winner Gordon Grey scored a facile pillar to post victory under Brodie Hampson, of course the book won handsomely but Kaan and Dan had plenty of small cash punters to pay though still copped £7348.50.

---

8:05 – Miles Commercial Handicap (Class 4) (3yo+ 0-82) 7f (7f3y)

There was a dark cloud looming, flanked by blue sky, as betting got underway for the penultimate.

It looked evens each of two a brief soaking as Dan and Kaan metaphorically chalked up 8/11 Crimson Spirit to win for the Kubler yard.

A punter came to the joint wanting £4000 on as I was hunting around for a score’s worth of pound coins.

When I came back and looked into the screen, I was surprised to see that the jolly was still showing as winning in the book. The punter had backed Walk The Highline over at Leopardstown at 8/13, which was beaten.

---

8:40 – Tony Smith Memorial Handicap (Class 6) (3yo 0-65) 1m4f (1m4f6y)

The bigger punter didn’t bet on the home race, some said they’d seen him leave. If that was the case a good night should be assured. It’s funny how some meetings go your way, at the off the book held £753 of public money, the sort of public that didn’t want to back the sort of 8/11 price the favourite that just bolted up was, the book copped £545 over the jolly, don’t tell the other bookies or Ben for that matter whatever you do.

Going into the last, Star Sports were copping £32,884, Kaan ventured that the firm wouldn’t leave the track losing tonight, but you never know in this game…

You certainly don’t, with just the one race to go, the heavens decided to open on the amassed ranks of ABBA fans and racecourse bookmakers, that was the even money shot landed.

Meanwhile, betting continued, after all this was just a shower compared to the deluge we’d endured on Derby Day. In all honesty, it was little more than a shower but briefly hefty enough that the mushes went up. This straight eight race looked a tricky one to solve but with three places you’d have thought the punters would be happy to get involved. The trouble was, most of them were now half way up the stands despite the rain, warm rain at that, having stopped.

They did eventually make their way down to the joint, Dan was doing a tremendous job explaining how to bet to bemused punters concerned their money money money might meet its Waterloo, but of course with betting that’s the name of the game. Of course, Dan and Kaan are always polite to the punters, it’s never gimme gimme gimme with those guys. OK, I’ll stop now.

Dan worked so hard that at the off there was £1309 of small public money in the hod, 2/1 favourite Suzuka losing £450 and Apple Of My Eye £1205, the rest winning. Jersey Maverick bolted up, the book copped a grand and to top it all off Kaan backed the winner.

‘An enjoyable evening’ was Kaan’s summing up. Enjoyable indeed. I’m off back to the shire, next stop with Star Sports Windsor on Monday. Thanks for reading.

---

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