SIMON NOTT BETTING BLOG: Cheltenham Friday

It’s 42 years since I first set foot on Cheltenham Racecourse and it’s yet to lose the wow factor for me, and I hope it never will, writes SIMON NOTT.

It was great to be back for the first meeting of the new season, where hope springs eternal that this season will be the big one, no matter what sphere of the game you are in. It seemed plenty had relished the idea of a day on the turf, the crowd was a good one, as were the fields.

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1:15 – William Hill Each Way Extra Handicap Hurdle (Class 3) (3yo+ 0-140) 2m4f (2m3f200y) (Old)

Star Sports bet lucky seven on the rail with Tony on the front, charming the punters and Lofty on the tiller. Betting shop punters in the Sovereign Lounge were also catered for by Chris Steve and Paolo up there. Betting in the opening race was brisk without being sizeable. Lofty was happy with the £1600 they’d taken but not so chuffed at the £880 they lost when the Hobbs’ team’s French Ship won at 6/1 under Ben Jones. Very early #BettingPeople interviewee, tipster Roger Bush tipped the winner to his clients, which possibly didn’t help.

Meanwhile, Lofty and Tony laid a monkey each way at 9/1 Eye Of Dubai up at Doncaster, fractions would have been 100/11 if anyone wants extra value. Lofty informed me that the horse ran very well in defeat after pulling hard but there’s no payment for fifth.

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1:50 – Holland Cooper ‘Chasing Excellence’ Novices’ Chase (GBB Race) (Class 2) (4yo+) 2m (1m7f199y) (Old)

Next up, Lofty and Tony laid £2200 – £800 Country Mile, which was the biggest bet of the day so far. Records don’t last long in this game, a bet of £3500 – £1000 King Of Kingsfield soon usurped that wager. Lofty and Tony kept tapping away ultimately fielding £3331 on the race topped up by a steady stream of smaller bets. The big fella was happy with the book, the two he laid losing £1193 and £3835 respectively, did he have a lean up the 9/4 winner Alnilam?

Well, it had been as big as 3/1, our hero was staying modestly tight-lipped, but the bottom line was, the book copped £1800 which wasn’t bad going. The guys up in the shop laid £400 the winner at SP which put the Moet at the Ivy tonight on ice.

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2:25 – Foundation Developments Conditional Jockeys Handicap Hurdle (Challenger Two Mile Hurdle Series Qual) (Class 3) (3yo+ 0-140) 2m½f (2m87y) (Old)

Between races, I had a chat with Andrew Lowrie and Alan Potts. Andrew had backed the previous winner, Alan didn’t fancy today’s card much and thought tomorrow’s looked impossible so is going to Newbury instead, that’ll give the bookies hope. Meanwhile, Lofty laid two bets of note in the next £900-£200 Norman Fletcher and £5000 – £800 that’s 6/1 with the fractions. At the off the book held £2402 with just the two losers. There were plenty in with a chance approaching the last, but 14/1 chance Leloopa quickened clear after it to win nicely for Fergal O’Brien under Tom Broughton, no lean-ups needed for that one, the book copped £1800. After the race I had a chat with Gary Payne, UK runner of distinction, it’s always good to see Gary who hardly misses a Cheltenham meeting.

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3:00 – Oddschecker Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 2) (Registered As The Sharp Novices’ Hurdle) (GBB Race) (Class 1) (4yo+) 2m½f (2m87y) (Old)

Next up, and one of the first bets in the book was £2400 – £200 Fortune De Mer which kicked off a race of spirited betting. Quite spirited turned to very spirited when Lofty and Tony laid a bet of £13,000 – £2000 each-way Run For Mahler which, given the connections, was money to be respected. That bet ensured the Charles Byrnes mare was the only loser, hefty at £12,900 plus the places at the off with £5500 in the hod. Today wasn’t to be her day way out of the tight finish where Fortune De Mer got the better of a scrap with Dr Blue prevailing by a short head. Lofty was gutted and a bit chippy after the race, he’s a proper worker and treats the firm’s money as he would his own. The book won £300 but would have been £3000 more had the runner-up won the race.

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3:35 – squareintheair.com Handicap Chase (GBB Race) (Class 2) (4yo+) 2m (1m7f199y) (Old)

Between races, I was chatting to a bookmaker who’d rather not be named. He told me about a trotting meeting back in the mists of time. There were four runners in the next race on the card, before the bookie had priced it a gentleman approached him and asked if he’d lay an even monkey. The bookie asked him which horse he wanted to bet to which the gentleman replied, ‘You choose!’

Next up was a fairly tepid betting heat. At the off, there was only £1900 in the hod, with £1700 less than that after Calico won at 5/1 for the Skeltons – Lofty blamed a bet of £1800 – £300 the winner for most of the damage. Luckily, it was during this race that Jonners Henwood came to say hello, he asked me to mention the Hangover Ball he’s putting on and DJing at on Saturday 1st November in aid of Racing Welfare and GW Air Ambulance. If you fancy an evening in Gloucestershire just off the M5 here’s the info, there’s free beer and wine included as well as grub for those that eat – find your tickets here!

Incidentally, he tells me that 75% of the tickets sold so far are to young ladies.

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4:10 – Champions: Full Gallop Streaming On ITVX Novices’ Hurdle (GBB Race) (Class 2) (4yo+) 2m4f (2m3f200y) (Old)

The penultimate, sponsored by Champions Full Gallop, the new series that’s leaps and bounds better than the first one, saw a significant lump bet in it. £10,500 – £3000 Don Virginia, which was always likely to be impossible to bet up to, and so it proved despite taking a monkey at 9/4 Dalston Lad. At the off the book held £5207 with the bogie losing £8456 which should it win, would ruin a day which was around £3800 to the good for the firm. We were all treated to a great finish, even more enjoyable because the bogie wasn’t involved. Those betting in runnint might not have enjoyed it so much, especially those that bet the runner-up Percy Shelley and Sean Bowen into long odds-on up the run-in before getting chinned by 22/1 chance De Temps En Temps for Martin Keighley under Freddie Keighley copping the book £3382.

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4:45 – Santa – The Visit Amateur Jockeys’ Handicap Chase (GBB Race) (Class 3) (4yo+ 0-125) 3m1f (Old)

The getting out stakes (for younger folk, this is the old term for when betting was an earthy pastime and you were encouraged to lump yourselves out of trouble in the last), was a bit too tough for them and responsible stakes in 11/2 the field races would be deemed as quite low. Hence, this was the first heat where the field money was less than a grand, £985 to be exact, with a smattering of hefty red and a sea of green in the book, pot luck. On the plus side, the book was certain to win today.

Luck was on the side of the firm, or did Lofty lean again? Smugglers Haven won under Lily Bradstock for Sara Bradstock returning the 10/3 favourite and copping £180 on the race, so around £7000 on the day, Aye Aye.

It promises to be busier tomorrow, we’ll be back.

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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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