SIMON NOTT BETTING BLOG: Ascot Saturday

Despite trees coming a cropper elsewhere in the UK, it appeared the worst effects of storm Amy were more bluster in this part of the world, writes SIMON NOTT

That said, bookmakers erecting mushes didn’t seem like a good idea in the tailwinds still prevailing as the troublesome miss headed her way up North, luckily so far there was no sign of rain.

Back up North is where Ed from up North had gone to, replaced by Ed from down south Dark and Tony working with camera-shy Joe in Tatts. Keiran on the rails off to the Arc had been replaced by Amberley with stalwart Lofty still at the helm on the rail.

So, those were the teams ready to take on the punters today and hopefully add to the decent haul the firm enjoyed yesterday.

My morning had started in a civilised manner, breakfasting with a gentleman of the turf, astute punter and plunderer of the stock market Michael Fletcher. He’d not decided whether to attend today’s six race extravaganza, though had one eye on the barometer so a possible if doubtful runner today.

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1:15 – BetMGM British EBF October Stakes (Listed Race) (Fillies & Mares) (Class 1) (3yo+) 7f

Unsurprisingly, there was more of a buzz about the place today than there was yesterday but the clients were more likely here on a day out than serious racing fans.

As the horses went to post, the teams were having more trouble coping with the wind than they were punters having it on. So far, there hadn’t been a sniff of a big bet though the rail had taken £602, Lofty shielded by Amberley, who’s been coming long enough to have layered up.

Camera shy Joe might have been a body warmer shy of full kit but looked very smart if a little chilly. Tatts had taken a monkey in total, poor business for a Saturday in decent pitches, but as always, the caveat is that the first race can be disappointing.

The race itself was anything but a let down, just a short head separated 9/2 winner Cajole from 12/1 runner up Dash Of Azure which I’m told touched 1.01 in runner, singed fingers somewhere in Internet land but of course, if someone blew it someone copped, the exchanges always get theirs.

The winner, despite being second in copped a monkey on the rail though was just the worst winner in Tatts copping £57, a winning start.

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1:50 – BetMGM Rous Stakes (Listed Race) (Class 1) (3yo+) 5f

Things were so bad betting in the next that Ed started told me about a £50 bet at 25/1 Elegant Erin, yes it had got to that point, but at least his team had taken £866 while Lofty’s team had yet to breach the monkey barrier.

A punter did wade into Lofty and Amberley with a £100 at 3/1 Beautiful Diamond, ‘Blimey, that almost felt like a bet’ chipped the big fella on the keyboard. Over in Tatts, Ed was literally having to hold his laptop to stop it blowing away but had taken £1050.

They had to pay out £1495 when Shagraan won the race at 3/1, which wasn’t ideal. Lofty’s team scraped a bit back copping a bottle on the race from their field money of £690. However, there was excitement on the joint, not for copping the £200, Lofty had laid £4500 – £2000 Cinderella’s Dream over at Newmarket, so there was money here after all.

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2:25 – BetMGM Cumberland Lodge Stakes (Group 3) (Class 1) (3yo+) 1m4f (1m3f211y)

Next up, and a home bet of note, Ed laid £1750 – £1000 Hamish in Tatts, over on the rail, the biggest bet they’d managed was £100 over the same horse.

Meanwhile, if you listened hard enough you’d probably have heard previous #BettingPeople interviewee Martin Raymond roaring home his leg in Jel Pepper winning the big two-year-old race at Newmarket, nice one Mart and mates.

At the off, the rails held a pathetic £462 while Tatts held £1262, it went their way though, Al Qareem winning at 9/4 copped £1070 for Tatts and £150 on the rail. Not great business though, was it, a premier Saturday betting number three on the rail.

Waiting to watch the two grand Newmarket bet on the big screen, a score flew by me in the wind, I missed catching it. Blimey, back in the old days I’d have short-headed my old pal Badger that one in mid air and had it in my pocket before you could say ‘scoop’. Coincidentally, it was Badger the bookie that copped it, quite rightly too, as it had been blown from his hod but I’m losing my touch that’s for sure.

Over at Newmarket, Cinderella’s Dream never looked like winning so the away £2000 stayed with the firm. Down at the bottom of the rail Rucker betting as Paul Wilkinson looked miserable, he described this meeting as the worst business he’d known in 30 years of coming here.

It was pretty desolate on the rail, its soul destroying when there’s hardly a soul in front of you to take a bet from.

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3:00 – John Guest Racing Bengough Stakes (Group 3) (Class 1) (3yo+) 6f

The race before the penultimate didn’t see things pick up much on the rail.

As the horses went to post, I left Lofty explaining the intricacies of a £2 reverse forecast to a punter with just £200 in the hod to see how they were doing in Tatts. They held double what Lofty did, but still less than a monkey and had resorted to accepting £1 each-way bets.

When I started in 1989, the minimum bet in Tatts was a fiver, it’s depressing on days like today when the halcyon days are still fresh in the mind.

Still, with business this pitiful the firm out to be able to hold on to most of what they were copping so far. The teams kept tapping away to the extent that at the off the rail held £360 and Tatts £519. Out on the track the race looked to be a rough old affair eventually going to 7/2 chance Annaf winning by a rapidly diminishing short head.

The firm saw mixed fortunes, the rail lost £200 while Tatts copped £165. I hope the realism of this betting ring report is gripping everyone, most people in the ring were having to hold on to their hats, I doubt my readers are.

Rucker’s a judge. He was on his toes and out of here before the fifty while the rest of the ring did their best to take a few quid from punters who didn’t appear to have a denar of betting money between them and those that did wanted change from the fiver they handed over for a ‘both-ways’. I love going racing but this being a six race card was a definite bonus today, you could fire shots and not hit a punter.

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3:35 – BetMGM Challenge Cup (Heritage Handicap) (Class 2) (3yo+) 7f

They bet 3/1 the field in the penultimate and business picked up a bit on the rail with a couple of £100 bets adding to the £600 field money as the field went to post. Tatts however, was beyond pitiful, not even £200 nestled in their hod a racegoers were regaled with racing from France on the big screen, showing at half mast as the wind appeared to up it a notch or two.

Back over on the rail, a punter begged £1200 – £400 Native Warrior despite 11/4 on the board, it’s always worth asking.

That bet nudged their field money to £1360, ‘The busiest race of the day, ’ Lofty informed me. Tatts held £455 as the field loaded, they were only 5/2 the jolly, which was red for £375. Native Warrior won, the places were kind to Lofty’s team, they lost £1100 while Tatts blew £439.

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4:10 – Ascot Racecourse Supports Berks County FC Handicap (Class 2) (3yo+ 0-105) 5f

So, going into the lucky, lucky last and Lofty on the rail had laid £450 at 13/2 Roach Power but didn’t ask for the fractions, which are of course 100/15, so had a £2925 to his money instead of £3000, a potential extra £75 for just saying ‘with the fractions’, money without work. That bet made Lofty’s £1500 plus figure on the day look a little precarious.

Meanwhile, over in Tatts, they were £445 in front and had fielded £750 in what Ed described as in ‘odds and sods’ at the punters were betting, ‘it’s the busiest I’ve been all day he added’. I wandered down to the other end of Tatts, they seemed to be busier in front of the beer festival.

Back up with Ed’s Tatts pitch, they’d taken £1681 with a couple of minutes to go, the rails had taken nearly £1900, at least win or lose on the day the meeting was going to end with a flourish after all my negativity. Lofty was up the front two while Ed’s had more losers than a Dutch cheese has holes.

None of his losers were the 7/2 winner Roach Power, his book copped £530, copping £977 on the day.

However, Lofty’s Roach Power punter might have missed out on a free £75 but still had the value. The rail lost a walloping for the day £260,0 leaving their total a Saturday loss of £1200. So after all that a small losing day across the firm but a good winning meeting.

Still…better than a proper job.

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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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