SIMON NOTT BETTING BLOG: Cheltenham Saturday

Tony and I enjoyed a civilised evening at our digs on Star Sports last night, a pint of Stella was £5.50 though being consummate professionals, we didn’t break the score barrier, after all, today promised to be a busy one, writes SIMON NOTT.

Today’s team remained unchanged from yesterday, with just Tony and Lofty taking the bets and yours truly recording proceedings for your reading pleasure.

Alan Potts warned yesterday that today’s meeting looked too hard so it remained to be seen if other larger staking punters felt the same way in the opener.

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1:10 – William Hill Each Way Extra Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase (GBB Race) (Class 3) (4yo+) 2m4f (2m4f44y) (Old)

It seemed they did, a bag man was in evidence without his bag which wasn’t a good sign.

The light showers weren’t a great sign either, though the crowd size appeared very healthy so betting business would likely improve as the day went on.

You’d hope so as field money in the first with Star Sports on the rail was £1329 in total.

There were plenty of losers in the book, in what was a competitive handicap. Henry de Bromhead’s 10/1 winner Zurich wasn’t one of them copping £570 in the win book, but that was knocked about by the places, the bottom line was a profit of £227 once the sums had been done.

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1:45 – Play William Hill’s Final One Standing Novices’ Hurdle (GBB Race) (Class 2) (4yo+) 3m (2m7f208y) (Old)

‘0% chance of rain they said!’ Bemoaned bookie Baz as rain from a notoriously ineffective rails mush down his neck, adding ‘I’d like a bet at their odds’.

Almost as soon as he said it, the sun came out again, it looked like it was going to be that sort of day.

The betting in the second picked up, the book held £2177 with no noted bets but did run into laying 12/1 Catchintsavo which halved in price thereafter. Lofty was going to be pissed off if that won, his words, not mine. He was still a bit sweary after the race despite the subject of his ire finishing unplaced after running well for much of the race. The trouble was, the eventual winner 4/1 chance Conman John was an even worse loser, blowing £1900 in the book.

Still, at least the sun was shining, but the deadly duo were under the cosh with the payouts.

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2:20 – William Hill Best Odds Guaranteed Handicap Chase (GBB Race) (Class 2) (4yo+) 3m1f (Old)

The Best Mate enclosure was closed yesterday but today looked rammed, another excellent reserved for students initiative, I’m told.

The next heat was another 4/1 the field race, so no big bets expected, so needless to say a few decent bets were immediately forthcoming, they included £3000 – £540 and £1800 – £300 Hyland and £2400 – £300 Backmersackme.

Not long after those, a punter bet £5000 – £1000 The Short Go but with the field money just shy of £3000 at the off so poor public money made up for by the bigger backers. Luckily, none of those bigger backs found the 6/1 winner Three Card Brag but Star’s Keiran on a jolly was on it at 12/1.

He didn’t bet it was Star though, the book copped £2000 on the race, which was hopefully a turning point.

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2:55 – Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle (Pertemps Hurdle Series Qualifier) (GBB Race) (Class 2) (4yo+) 3m (2m7f208y) (Old)

Next up, the sun was still shining and the bigger punters were wading in again, bets included £3200 – £400 Chart Topper, £2500 – £500 Long Draw, £2500 – £100 each-way Moon D’Orange, £5000 – £500 each-way Chance Another One, £25,000 – £500 each-way Watchful Protector.

That was lively wasn’t it with £4600 in the hod and plenty for plenty with potentially nasty places too, it was a case of watch and hope for Tony and Lofty.

The 4/1 favourite Ma Shantou 18/5 returned won the race, the places were kind the book copped £1500, ‘a miracle’ declared Lofty.

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3:30 – Masterson Holdings Hurdle (GBB Race) (Class 2) (4yo) 2m½f (2m87y) (Old)

Next up, the antepenultimate, featuring the short one. If there were any money buyers here it would be Gary and Josh Moore’s unusually named Give It To Me OJ they’d want to be on.

Tony and Lofty got the gelding in the book early, to the tune of £800 – £1300 twice and £1200 – £1800.

There was money for Loriko too though, £2800 – £400 laid which was encouraging in respect of prospects of getting the favourite beaten.

At the off, the book had basically laid a £2000 – £6000 the 4/9 favourite which was great value for the book.

The field set off in Indian fashion giving the jolly an easy lead letting him have it all his own way from the front, he was challenged up the run-in by Hamlet’s Night who got within a neck of the gelding but always looked to be doing enough to hang on to win. £2000 to the punters.

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4:05 – William Hill Extra Places With Bog ‘Chasing Excellence’ Novices’ Chase (GBB Race) (Class 2) (5yo+) 3m1f (Old)

The record crowd for the meeting today was no doubt bolstered by the huge number of students in the middle of the course, the plural of which is I’m told a ‘flunk’ or ‘cohort’ depending on which AI you ask.

However, those aren’t empty figures, those students were massed around the rails and on the stands engaged in every race, hopefully in years to come they’ll be over in Tatts and becoming members, it’s magnificent to see.

Meanwhile, yesterday’s students are today’s form beavers, some betting in grands £2000 – £1000 Intense Approach was laid twice making up the bulk of the £2744.33 the book held at the off of the penultimate, delayed by a low hanging sun. On the plus side, it’ll be nearly dark this time tomorrow, don’t forget to put your clocks back tonight. Back to the race, it was like a bumper close home with the second last and last fences omitted.

The race ultimately went to 9/2 chance Leave Of Absence but 13/2 runner-up Pied Piper must have traded short seemingly running all over them on the bridle until finding diddly squat when push came to shove.

The winner put Star Sports back in the game, a £2200 winner in the book and what the firm were in front going into the lucky last.

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4:40 – Oddschecker Open National Hunt Flat Race (Category 1 Elimination) (GBB Race) (Class 2) (4-5yo) 2m½f (2m87y) (Old)

The punters betting in the finale ensured that a winning or losing day for the firm would hang in the balance, Lofty and Tony laid bets of £2000 – £500 and £1200 – £300 Chicker and £2750 – £1000 Le Beau Madrik followed by £1500 at 7/2 Chicker right in the hole, ‘That’ll be the day then’ was Lofty’s comment after tapping that last wager in.

As the field set off, the hold held £4211 with Chicker the only loser for £6984 in the win book. Well, what can you say, Jonathan Burke earned his fee on Chicker, he was pushing and shoving from a long way out, turning for home plenty looked to be going better, but there was no stopping the combo, fair but costly play to them.

The book lost £4700 on the day, the last bet in the book was a killer, though for much of the race the dynamic duo Tone and Loft would have been glad to have laid it. Still, the firm were just in front over the two days, luckily Tony and I showed restraint with the exes last night or it might have been a close run thing.

I’m back with Star at Ascot next Saturday. Thanks for reading.

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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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