SIMON NOTT BETTING BLOG: Sandown Friday

If the worst thing that happens to me all day is getting delayed an hour getting to Sandown by the end of the summer holiday traffic driving in the middle lane and people rubbernecking Stonehenge on the A303, it won’t be a bad day, but I still had to mention it didn’t I, writes SIMON NOTT.

I’ll have a word with myself.

Anyway, today at Sandown Park, Star Sports were represented by Eddie Dark sporting a fate and Ben Keith tempting green tie and Amberley, fresh from a weekend’s raving, though being a Friday, she’d had a while to get over it. The second team had been dispatched to Fontwell Park to take on the jump racing fans. Today had been billed as ‘Family Festival Friday’. There were plenty of youngsters in evidence, many queued for what looked to me a fearsomely steep bouncy slide, mind you, heights have never really been my thing.

Prior to racing proper, there had been a Shetland Pony race. Benevolent bookmaker Adam Crowne was the only layer on the track to bet on it. Adam didn’t tell me how much he copped when 5/2 shot Beeftub Felix won, but they had been queuing, it was enough for him to be able to donate £100 to Bob Champion’s Cancer Charity. Hats off to Adam.

2:15 Woburn Partners Nursery Handicap (Class 4) (2yo 0-85) 5f (5f10y)

Meanwhile, over on the rail, Ed and Amberley tried their hardest to take bets on the opener. Have a look at my profile photo and that’ll give you an idea why they only fielded £75, yes you read that right, £75 on the race. No, I didn’t scare punters off, there just weren’t any in front of the joint in the first place, no amount of Ed’s charisma and Amberley’s beaming smiles could charm money from nobody, maybe the members didn’t fancy a family day. The good news was that they kept all of that £75 when 17/2 chance Lebron won the race, a skinner Aye Aye, sort of.

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2:45 Killik & Co Handicap (A Jockey Club Grassroots Series Sprint Qualifier) (Class 5) (3yo+ 0-68) 5f (5f10y)

Next up, and a big friend of Star Sports – Bill Esdaile – had a runner in the shape of Lipsink, so the team were wishing Bill good luck and it was better news on the pitch too, Eddie Dark said business was up, helped by the race going off over five minutes late. ‘Over double the first race takings’ he beamed as the field set off with £160 in the hod. This really was desperate stuff; there was literally hardly a bet to be had. Luckily, the mood of the firm was boosted when Bill’s Lipsink won the race, everyone was happy for him, apart from maybe Simon Banks who was roaring home the fast finishing 3/1 jolly Charlie Mason, the rotter. Luckily for everyone, apart from Banks, he didn’t get there. Needless to say, Edwardo kept the winner onside and copped £46 for the firm.

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3:15 Chasemore Farm EBF Maiden Stakes (Class 4) (2yo) 7f

Next up, and an extremely happy Bill came over to say hello after collecting his winning owner’s bootie. Even better, he said he’d meant to come over and back his winner but didn’t have time. Aye Aye. Let’s hope he backed it elsewhere but I didn’t feel it prudent to ask.

Meanwhile, Ed was bursting with excitement and called me over adding ‘I’ve got a bet for your blog’ I was excited too until he elaborated ‘£1000 – £100 Mr Wonka’ but if that’s the strength of it on the day, that’s the strength of it. And so it proved, at the off the book held exactly £400 and kept £352.50 of it when 11/1 chance Sticktoyourguns won the race under Saffie Osborne providing her with a quick-fire double having ridden Bill’s winner in the previous heat.

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3:50 Hwfa Williams – Founder Of Sandown Park Handicap (Class 4) (3yo 0-80) 1m

The race before the penultimate, and there was an early bet of £600 – £100 struck on the pitch with Ed and Amberley, that was on Whizz By but there was nothing of that size thereafter. Ed was trying offering a stand out 9/4 the jolly Man Of La Mancha meaning that one was losing £504 at the off. That was a bit of a shame because the jolly won the race returning 2/1, you could have had top of the head to plenty, come racing. The firm were now behind going into the penultimate, no starter tonight by the look of it.

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4:25 Franc James Ties Fillies’ Handicap (Class 5) (3yo+ 0-70) 1m

Trying to lighten the mood, Ed informed me that he and Amberley weren’t working tomorrow. Then looking at me in a way he shouldn’t he added it was the OAP team in attendance, naming Tony and Lofty is the two members. Maybe seeing the shock on my face and hearing Amberley’s gasp of horror he amended that OAP prefix to A. The damage had already been done Ed, wait until Old Lofty cops an eyeful of this. Then, as if in sympathy it started to rain, something Ed had confidently predicted wouldn’t start until at least 5pm. I feared the worst for the last two heats as the mushes went up.

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4:58 National Racehorse Week Handicap (A Jockey Club Middle Distance Series Qualifier) (Class 4) (3yo+ 0-80) 1m2f (1m1f209y)

As betting got underway, or at least the prices went up for the penultimate at Sandown, racing at Fontwell came up on the big screen – it looked sunny there. Ed reported that ‘The rain has killed it’, then mused that it hadn’t been any good before. For whatever reason, the race actually turned out to be the second busiest of the day despite the rain but of course ‘busy’ is relevant, with £560 in the hod at the off. Tronido won the race at 5/1, a quick look in the book showed that was one of the losers in Ed’s book, bad for £260 a result as damp as the conditions.

The sun had come out again as betting got going in the lucky last.

With one race left on the card, a betting frenzy of monumental proportions was hoped for with a loss of £290 before exes going into it that needed rectifying. While hoping for a deluge of bets akin to the rain was unrealistic, the team did field enough to get out on the day before exes, £468 in the hod at the off. Most firms were packing down their kit as the race was running, not doubt keen to get the hell out of Dodge and who could blame them. For independent firms trying to get a living from their pitches, today’s business was turgid. 18/1 chance Beach Point getting up on the line was just what they needed, the book copped £393 which meant a before exes profit on the day. The OAP team and their spritely scribe will be back tomorrow where it promises to be better than the sobering dose of realism dished up today.

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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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