SIMON NOTT BETTING BLOG: Doncaster St Leger Thursday

Today was my first visit to Doncaster Racecourse and first impressions were very good, writes SIMON NOTT.

It was Ladies’ Day, the sun was shining (I dressed for Cheltenham on a wet day, which was a big rick), the bands were playing and the punters singing along, an excellent atmosphere setting the scene nicely for four terrific days of sport on the turf and punting action in the ring where today Nick and Mandy were braced to do the business, on Nick’s birthday too, 54, happy birthday Nick.

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1:15 – British Stallion Studs ‘Carrie Red’ EBF Fillies’ Nursery Handicap (Class 2) (2yo) 6½f (6f111y)

People were telling me not to expect too much in the way of big bets today, so I wasn’t. So, it was with some surprise that early in the opening skirmishes Nick informed me they’d just laid a punter £50,000 – £3500, that’s 14/1 with the fractions, Siouxpersonic in the opener. That was some bet to lay on a Thursday afternoon even by Star’s standards. The punter didn’t bet in cash and certainly wasn’t going to get paid in cash if she won, if anyone was wondering, this is 2025 after all. The bet Star laid wasn’t the only one, I also heard of a £10,000 – £600 (16/1 with the fractions) laid elsewhere for the same horse. There must have been some hope that the subject of the bets would run well, she did shape with some promise, but ultimately never looked like winning, behind 9/4 winning favourite Half Sovereign. You might have guessed the book only had one loser, so copped £3290 on the race, a great start but when you consider that apart from the big bet the book only held £651, the business was very modest.

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1:50 – Weatherbys Scientific £300,000 2-Y-O Stakes (GBB Race) (Class 2) (2yo) 6½f (6f111y)

Next up, a 21 runner two year old sales race where Aidan O’Brien saddled Brussels, which opened 3/1 jolly to win it. There were no big lumps helping Brussels harden into 2/1 but plenty of bets which burst through the £1000 barrier with minutes to spare, and there were plenty, eight races with staggered timing throughout the day on top is a real atmosphere killer.

The first and biggest bet in the book was £1000 – £200 Calendar Girl, which proved to be cleverer money than that for the jolly as she won nicely. Looking at the SP of 7/2 you might think that some sort of punt had been landed but no, 9/2 was the price on the board at the off, stay at home punters really do appear to be getting rogered. Talking of being rogered, the book blew £693 from an £1116 book, so some back to the punters.

Betting next to Star today were familiar faces Glynn Jones and local Doncaster firm William Price run by third generation bookie Andy who was very friendly and welcoming. He’s been coming racing since 1981, putting me to shame.

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2:25 – Betfred May Hill Stakes (Group 2) (Class 1) (2yo) 1m (Str)

I’d had an email on Tuesday from pro-punter Alan Potts who’d marked my card as to Aidan O’Brien’s poor record here with two year olds, he’d got that right in style, thanks Alan. Next up and the punters piled into the 5/4 favourite Moon Target, when I say piled in, they did so with responsibility and restraint but in numbers. The biggest single bet on the jolly was £250 – £200 in a book that ultimately held £1513 with the favourite theoretically losing £1329 at the off. You might guess by the aftertiming use of the word theoretical, the short one was beaten out of sight. The race went to 11/2 chance Aylin, well 5/1 off course.

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3:00 – Betfred Park Hill Fillies’ Stakes (Group 2) (Fillies) (Class 1) (3yo+) 1m6½f (1m6f115y)

Between races Sir Philip Davies came over to say hello, not to me initially though, to Andy next door, Sir Philip’s dad used to teach him, happy memories of big race day scampers abound! It’s a small world in this game isn’t it, I also had a quick word with Baz The Tash Pinno, he’d been all over the media doing tremendous PR work for the game, star of TV and radio that he is, personable, charming and dressed to impress, what more could you ask for?

Meanwhile, back on the rail Nick and Mandy had been doing fair business, albeit modest again with the biggest bet fielded just a bottle. The one the punters wanted to be on, most each-way was Crepe Suzette with Danielle the jolly also unsurprisingly popular. The one Nick and Mandy were struggling to lay was Santorini Star with 4/1 hawking at the off. ‘We need Tony Bloom to do us a favour’ (Tony Bloom being part-owner of Santorini Star) as they set off. He certainly did, well, she certainly did to be more accurate, his filly was tenacious in victory fending off all challenges to win by a neck under Tom Marquand. The only fly in an excellent result ointment was that Crepe Suzette scrambled home in a photo to be third, which took the shine off a good win. Still, a cop of £405 from a modest £1360 book over a 4/1 second in wasn’t to be sniffed at, though an SP of 7/2 was.

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3:35 – Oddschecker Handicap (GBBPlus Race) (Class 2) (3yo 0-105) 1m2f (1m2f43y)

Oh and Alan Potts put up the last winner, thanks Alan though I’ll move swiftly on as nobody likes an after timer. Gary came up to say hello, he loves the #BettingPeople interviews, but I don’t think he reads these blogs because he was asking if racecourse bookies take fractions, maybe we should cross-pollinate the YouTube audience to the blogs. Anyway, thanks Gary. Next up and Respond was the jolly for the fifth heat, business had remained pretty static, with £1216 in the hod and no bets of note to report. It had been going pretty well, you’d have thought that 20/1 winner Devil’s Advocate (22/1 with Star at the off ) would have been a great result, wouldn’t you? Well think again, a £40 each-way wager at under the SP 18/1 flanked by a posse of smaller bets on the same beast ensured a loss of £1672 on the race, levelling up the winning books on fancied horses earlier on the card.

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4:10 – JHA Architecture Nursery Handicap (Class 3) (2yo 0-90) 7f (7f6y)

The race before the penultimate, where business had slowed somewhat, I was started to feel a bit better regarding my attire, it was getting quite chilly, my hat and jacket were back on and ladies around me started to look decidedly chilly in their frocks. There were funny scenes on the rail when a punter walked down the line asking for 4/1 the solid 7/2 chance Mr Writer, he wasn’t obliged and by the time he’d got to the end of the row it was a 3/1, asking for 7/2 now he met a blank again as it was trimmed into 5/2 evaporated with his fist still full of money still not bet.

He saved his dough, and if he retired back inside, was saved from getting soaked. The race went to 3/1 second-in Wechaad which on the face of it was an OK result, a couple of hundred quid win from an £835 take, but You Sexy Thing, popular with the crowd each-way finishing third at 25/1 knocked that figure into £43. Then the heavens opened, and I mean a short, sharp all soaking downpour, did I mention I’d dressed for Cheltenham. Aye Aye. Poor Mandy got drenched, Nick was faffing about with the mush and not able to put it up quick enough, Star’s lady wasn’t happy.

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4:43 – Yates Drywall Ltd Nursery Handicap (GBBPlus Race) (Class 3) (2yo 0-90) 1m (Str)

At the top end of the rail, Spinning Mick wasn’t happy either bemoaning the business but happy to be winning despite it having been hard work, being a bit damp probably didn’t help much either. Then bang on cue, the sun came out again and it was no longer grim up north. The perking up of the weather seemed to do the same to the betting, £1017 in the hod at the off, still pretty small business but just about workable.

The feature of the race was the late collapse from 2/1 into 13/8 the jolly McMurray, though it was a machine based move not cash on course. Late machine money is often very lively and so it proved here but those that got stuck in have jockey Billy Loughnane to thank, winning despite everything appearing to go wrong. A bit like the Star Sports book really, it copped £494 over a stick on. Nick was just telling me the firm were £3000.12 up going into the last when a stewards’ enquiry bing Bong was announced.

It wasn’t much of a surprise that the result stood but did hinder betting on the last somewhat.

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5:15 – Yates Drywall Ltd Nursery Handicap (GBBPlus Race) (Class 3) (2yo 0-90) 1m4f (1m3f197y)

It was very encouraging to see that people were still keen to bet on the eighth and final heat. There was no sign or sound of the guys who were singing along to the band before the first, but they’d have to have been top of the Yorkshire drinking team to still be vocal by this time. A time which would be a good opportunity to report what a good-natured bunch the punters were here today. Talk between bets was the news that ChesterBet had managed not to win this season, despite occupying some cracking pitches with an even more cracking built in margin, maybe they should have let bookmakers run it. Anyway, back to the lucky last, where it was doing its best to rain as the horses went to post.

The field money had stood up again, with over £1500 in small money getting soggy in the hod as the field lurked with intent down at the start. As the final two were loading, the book held £1893 which was the biggest field money of the day if you ignore the lump in the opener. Explode was the bogie for £1259 with Crowd Quake losing £202 so a winning day was assured. It’s something when the firm were cheering home the 5/2 jolly Munsif home to edge out Crowd Quake to cop £147 on the race and £3147.25 on the day. That was great going given the results but the last seven races were hard work to knock out £143!

Still, today was an excellent introduction to Doncaster races, I’m back tomorrow, a veteran and still dressed for Cheltenham!

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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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