SIMON NOTT BETTING BLOG: Brighton Festival Of Racing Thursday

Once again a very decent sized crowd turned up to Brighton, dressed in their finery, inhibition cast to the wind, and there was me thinking my new silk scarf might turn heads, no chance today, writes SIMON NOTT.

Today’s team were Kaan and Tony, fear not Ed wasn’t given the heave-ho after losing untold bundles in the last yesterday; he was back in the office where he generally plies his trade. Peering around, I hadn’t spotted a bagman or a potential big punter today but in their place were an enthusiastic bunch of racegoers keen to have a bet with racecourse bookmakers, you love to see it.

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2:10 -⭐ Star Community Housing Apprentice Handicap (Class 6) (4yo+ 0-65) 7f (6f210y)

They certainly kept Kaan and Tony busy, many a glass of champagne survived being balanced precariously on the rail as handbags were rummaged in for readies. Business in the first race was devoid of a bet bigger than £150 but totalled £1395 at the off.

Not much of it was on the 11/2 winner, Poetic Force, one of a multitude of Tony Carroll horses in the race and seemingly one of the less fancied. The book won £1187 which was a very good start to the six race card.

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2:40 – ⭐ Star Insurance Handicap (Class 5) (3yo+ 0-75) 7f (6f210y)

The next heat looked to be going the same way, say what you like about Tony, but I think he’s OK. He’s a magnet for women of a certain age, one glance off his flashing smile and they are queuing up to bet with him, at least he doesn’t have to ID them. When the swathes of ladies subsided, a punter had £1000 on the 15/8 favourite Dannick then another bet £2500 – £50 each-way Monkey Miss followed by smaller bets at the price.

Incidentally, when the grand bet was struck 6/4 was showing on the big screen, whoosh, what’s that? Your pants being pulled down, stay at home punters. Another ‘Whoosh, what’s that? The collapse of the favourite’s price in the ring as the horses went to post 6/4 at the off with Star.

The hod was bursting with fivers and tenners. If you had time to add them all up, you’d find they totalled £2412, grafters today’s duo. Miakoda won the race having been quietly backed from 9/2 into 7/2, the winner was top rated in the Sharp Betting card, just a heads up, luckily not many racegoers appear to be hip to sharp betting, after everyone was paid out £2007 was still in the hod and cash tray.

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3:10 – ⭐ Alfriston Gardens Restricted Maiden Stakes (For horses In Bands B, C And D) (GBB Race) (Class 5) (2yo) (7f216y)

Kaan has become quite competent with media recording. When Star Sports, Lara and Emily came calling for an update from the rails, he gave a charisma-fuelled performance worthy of ITV racing any day.

I had to have a short stint at tapping in the bets, money without work that job is, I tell you, tap tap tap, not like the arduous toil of a wordsmith. There was drama at the start when Court Of Stars was withdrawn at the start, betting was readjusted with all bets stuck prior to the withdrawal were subject to a 20p rule 4, just as the field was about to set off a punter rushed in with a last gasp monkey at a repriced Cashbox at 5/4.

That was handy as the book held £1344 at the off and the jolly had been hard to lay, then enjoyed a magnificent result when 40/1 chance Swift Winds sprung a right old turn up, except that the winner had been well backed from 66/1 including a pony each-way at the price and was a loser for £2363 after the rule 4. There was a small tree that died to cover the payout sheet, maybe.

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3:40 -⭐ Star Property Group Brighton Challenge Cup Handicap (For The Brighton Challenge Cup) (GBBPlus Race) (Class 4) (3yo+ 0-80) 1m4f (1m3f198y)

The race before the penultimate was a poor betting heat, held up a bit by payouts the book’s take was just shy of a grand, £958 to be exact.

This time it went the firm’s way, Manara, the 11/4 favourite got up on the line to win the race and the book copped £62. It hardly made up for the previous heat, but the lads, still under the cosh, would take it.

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4:10 – ⭐ Sue Turner Diamond Year Classified Stakes (Class 6) (3yo+ 0-50) 1m4f (1m3f198y)

The penultimate betting burst through the grand barrier just before 4.10, which was an improvement at least. There was a popular horse with a particular group of ladies that had been betting like men all afternoon; their fancy in this race was Bird About Town.

There were no bets of any note with Star Sports, but at the of,f they had fielded £1370 with four losers in the seven horse race.

Kaan was getting quite animated at the finish, it appeared he’d had a bet, a multiple running up, sadly on the ultimately third, fighting poet, unlucky.

The race went to Silk And Steel which won at 6/1 another top rated for Sharp Betting, I’ve interviewed both Dave Hipkin and Chris Fawcett of that site for #BettingPeople and well worth checking out, their interviews and site. The book copped £774 which was handy but the drop in business after the very busy opening heats was confusing.

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4:43 – ⭐ alfristongardens.co.uk Classified Stakes (Class 6) (3yo+ 0-50) 7f (6f210y)

Going into the last, the book was still winning £1600, with a six horse race to conclude, first impressions were that the punters were sitting back.

The lull gave us time to wonder where the bigger punters had gone today, they certainly weren’t here. At least that’s how it looked until a punter came in and bet £4500 – £1000 Neptune Legend, from there on in the money was for the jolly B Associates backed from 6/4 into 11/10 but only small money with Kaan and Tony, then as the horses were being loaded a punter bet five monkeys Neptune Legend which was already sticking out a mile, that Kaan is fearless, at the off he was losing £7732 in the win book with £3199 in the hod.

He had to sweat, really sweat, he sweated so much that at one point he was stood on the rail, that point being when Neptune Legend hit the front, though ultimately a Dr wasn’t needed for Star’s plucky head of on-course, the 6/5 jolly B Associates came to win with some panache, save Kaan’s blushes and Star Sports’ money to win going away, copping £2835 on the race and £4720 on the day.

Aye Aye. We’re back tomorrow…for the grand finale.

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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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