SHERGAR CUP DAY BETTING BLOG

AUTHOR: Star Sports Content

SIMON NOTT BETTING BLOG: Shergar Cup Day Ascot Saturday

After three excellent, if not profitable for the on-course team, days by the seaside in Brighton, it was time to point the car towards Ascot this morning for the often maligned by the purists but loved by the public Shergar Cup, writes SIMON NOTT.

Today’s team, betting number two in the second row in Tatts, was Sophie and Kieran on the stool with ever-grafting Kaan at the helm.

There’s always a big crowd of people, many evidently that have rarely if ever been to the races. They were engaging and betting with a good half an hour to go before the first race. There were lots of questions, ‘how does betting work’, ‘do we have to fill out a form or just tell you what we want to back’ ‘what does each way mean’ and the like. Kieran and Sophie were of course very happy to explain. People that put this meeting down really don’t see the bigger picture; it’s a gateway to racing for so many people. It was so busy around the joint that Kaan had to switch the betting off to give me a chance to snap a photo.

Over on the rail, who I had completely forgotten about were Amberley, Steve and Tony who were betting in the number two spot.

🇪🇺🇬🇧🌎🗺️ 1:35 – Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Dash (Handicap) (Class 2) (3YO plus) 5f

I had a bit of a shock when I spotted a bagman, though less of a shock when he told me he’d not brought his bag and was just out for the afternoon and wouldn’t be getting involved today. The Tatts pitch were also offering betting on the teams as an added market on their second screen, at 1.30 they’d taken exactly zero bets on it; the team aspect of the day’s racing was lost on today’s crowd. They were betting though at the off the Tatts pitch had taken £1540 in very small bets and the rail £880. Sadly, all that hard work didn’t result in a profit for either team the 5/1 winner Vintage Clarets had been a popular choice and Sharp Betting top rated was the 33/1 into 16/1 runner-up Vespasian, which attracted plenty of small each-way money. Tatts lost £265 and the rail £115.

🇪🇺🇬🇧🌎🗺️ 2:10 – Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Stayers (Handicap) (GBBPlus Race) (Class 2) (4YO plus) 2m

You really never do know in this game, a punter wandered up to the Tatts pitch and had £8000 – £2000 on Spirit Mixer early in the betting.

The same punter came back shortly afterwards and had a money straight forecast on Spirit Dancer to beat La Vita Nova. Meanwhile, the team kept tapping the queues of punters’ bets into the computer. Apart from that two grand bet Spirit Mixer had been easy to back, going off 9/2 with Star at the off, the one the punters latched onto was the jolly La Vita Nova back from 5/2 into 15/8 at the off and had apparently been a huge price last night.

At the off the Tatts book held £4657 and the rail £1430, Tatts with the obvious standout loser. This time things went the firm’s way, the cheers from the crowd started much sooner than you’d expect than from a regular racing crowd. They were an enthusiastic bunch, when 13/2 chance Fireblade looked like winning, I was glad I’m on beta-blockers as a young lady stood directly behind my right ear, screamed so loudly I jumped, she had some lungs on her, but was on the winner, so why not celebrate. It was a great result for the Tatts pitch, copping £3471, Steve over on the rail didn’t have such good news to report copping £40, ‘a round of drinks’ as Roy Lynn used to say, though he never bought me one!

🇪🇺🇬🇧🌎🗺️ 2:45 – Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Challenge (Handicap) (GBBPlus Race) (Class 2) (4YO plus) 1m 4f

It didn’t take long for the big punter – Star may have attracted the only one on the track – to pile in again, not chastened by his second race reversal but maybe a little more cautious bet £1500 each-way Insanity at 9/2. Over on the rail the biggest bet they had taken on the race was £100, business was a little less frenetic but still busy enough to keep Amberley and Tony under the cosh. At the off the Tatts pitch held £4950 and the rail £1350. I didn’t get perforated ear drums this race but the roar was huge when 11/4 favourite Night Breeze won not least from the Tatts pitch which had the jolly winning over two grand. Those cheers were tempered when Insanity ran on to be third, the only positive was that he returned 5/1 so had laid the right price. Once the numbers had been crunched Tatts still won £855 and the rail £503, not bad over a market leader.

🇪🇺🇬🇧🌎🗺️ 3:20 – Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Sprint (Handicap) (Class 2) (3YO only) 6f

Next up, and two big punters played early with the firm on the Tatts pitch, the guy that bet the third in the last race had £1800 on Zayer at 9/2 and another off the floor had £5500 – £1000 each way Up The Pace and has evidently never heard of fractions which are a very punter friendly 100/18 for 11/2 if you ask for them.

Meanwhile, on the rails, it was business as usual and improving with £150 on Prince Of India the biggest bet in their book which was still nudging the £2000 field money mark as the horses ambled to post. The rails were nearer £7000 in the hod, boosted by the two big bets. There was another huge cheer from the crowd, getting more enthusiastic as the races went on, as 10/3 favourite Prince Of India won, which would have been a blow for plenty of books, including the rail, which blew £1270. Over on the Tatts pitch, Kaan was crowing having won £2268 over a jolly, it was a near thing though, the grand each-way bet was fourth.

🇪🇺🇬🇧🌎🗺️ 3:55 – Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Classic (Handicap) (GBBPlus Race) (Class 3) (3YO only) 1m 4f

The penultimate was upon us before we knew it. Kaan told me his team had taken over 700 bets, Steve wouldn’t say so; the guess was it was less. One of the bigger punters returned to the Tatts pitch and bet £12,000 – £3000 Mdawi, that was followed by a bookmaker hedging £1500 – £800 the well backed jolly Tenability. Over on the rail they had taken just under £2500, and Steve finally told me that they had taken 423 bets, you can forgive Tony, he’s nearly 80 and been slogging away at Brighton all week, the dear old soul must be knackered. They had laid an £800-£400 Tenability the biggest in their book, which turned out to be just as well, the Sharp Betting top-rated of the meeting won after looking unlikely to in running and returned 7/4 favourite, another blow for the ring. The rails pitch did £1800 though Kaan and co managed to cop a carpet on the heat, though you had to feel for Soph and Kieran, they had a queue of happy winning punters snaking up to the stands.

🇪🇺🇬🇧🌎🗺️ 4:30 – Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Mile (Handicap) (Rnd) (Class 2) (4YO plus) 1m

The bigger punter came to the Tatts pitch looking for 3/1 Urban Lion in the lucky last, which was 11/4 on the thumb so not accommodated, he stood off for a minute or two then was back in again when he saw that 11/4 evaporating so relented having £4500 on at 11/4. You can sit at home at moan about the Shergar Cup but if you were here you would see what an amazing shop window it is for new racegoers. 1000’s of mostly young people dressed up in their finest, enthusiastically engaging with the racing, betting and having a lot of fun.

Meanwhile, over on the rail they laid £1100 – £400 Urban Lion and £1500 – £300 Treasure Time. Their book had once again burst through the mostly small bets over £2000 barrier. Urban Lion was a solid 9/4 chance as the horses loaded the stalls, both books needed him beaten, especially Tatts, which had him red for a shade over £13,000. Kaan had actually been keeping a total of the teams, he’s enthusiastic isn’t he?

Ebt’s Guard won the race at 13/2 and was, as you can imagine an excellent result for the book the Tatts team held £7431 and copped £4894 winning £11,542 on the day with a mercifully small number of punters to pay out, the rail won £1700 but lost £880 on the meeting, ensuring a very good day at the office across the firm. Oh, and congratulations to Team Asia who won the Shergar Cup. Aye Aye! I’m on holiday next week but will be back in time for York. 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

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