SIMON NOTT AT ASCOT

AUTHOR: Star Sports Content

SIMON NOTT BETTING BLOG: Ascot Saturday

I look forward to jump racing back at Ascot. It’s one of those tracks built for their massive summer crowds so plenty of room to rattle around in during the winter game, writes SIMON NOTT.

The pitches are different for the winter and summer game, so all change, Star Sports bet number one in Tatts and number five on the rail thanks to a close-season pitch purchase. The teams manning them were Kaan and Keiran in Tatts and Tony and Dan on the rail. Given that today was advertised more about the fireworks and family than the racing, not a lot was expected but it would still be a good bedding in day for the teams and new pitches.

12:55 – Grundon Waste Management Conditional Jockeys’ Novices’ Handicap Hurdle (GBB Race) (Class 4) (3yo+ 0-120) 2m3½f (2m3f63y)

Business in the first heat was very slow on both pitches but a bet of £3600 – £200 Sage Green made things interesting, especially as his price collapsed into 12/1 shortly afterwards. The market confidence didn’t transfer onto the turf however, though Sage Green was still thereabouts turning for home. The race went to 5/1 chance Mount Anglesby which was a good result in Tatts given the lack of business; they won £720 while over on the rail they copped £97 from a £477 book. As things were so quiet, I had the chance for a chat with Jerry White who was telling me about meeting Joe Strummer of the Clash back in the day, racing and rock n roll, that’s the way I like it.

1:30 – Ascot Underwriting Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase (GBB Race) (Class 3) (4yo+) 2m3f (2m2f181y)

Next up, it was over at Wetherby where a punter bet £600-£400 Lightning Flash, which was just as well as there was very little of interest in the three-horse race here where Viroflay was the 5/6 jolly. Lightening Flash was beaten away, which was handy because between the two pitches at the off they held £1052 on the home race both with the jolly, backed into 4/5 somewhere a winner in their books. Sadly, for Star Sports the Paul Nicholls runner was no match for Ben Pauling’s 9/4 chance No Questions Asked which won hard held, blowing £419 over two pitches.

2:05 – Grundon Waste Management Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap) (GBB Race) (Class 1) (4yo+) 2m1f (2m172y)

The third heat on the card was a proper race on paper with Sans Bruit the 10/3 jolly in the 10-runner race. The punters, many of whom were evident novices, were betting but in small amounts. There was nothing of note to report, apart from a chap wanting a monkey on a dog, so far unnamed at Waterford tonight. At the off the rails book held £1266 and Tatts £970 mostly in fivers, tenners and shrapnel.

We were treated to an excellent race, where it looked like big drifter 25/1 chance Gabriel’s Getaway was going to pull one out of the bag for the books, but flattered to deceive behind 9/2 winner Teddy Blue. Star Sports did manage to win, the places went their way, Tatts blew £26 while Dan and Tony on the rails trousered £83 on the race. The mushes had gone up by this point, the weather which descended was something you might expect to find between Dogger, Fisher and German Bight, though the rainbow did offer some hope it might be short-lived.

2:35 – Gl Events Novices’ Hurdle (GBB Race) (Class 3) (4yo+) 1m7½f (1m7f157y)

Next up, they bet 4/7 Soomaroy, which winkled a big punter out of wherever they had been holed up until now. He bet £12,800 at the price in Tatts which followed £400 at 8/13 laid on the rail. The rail had also laid £1100 – £400 Military Alliance, hopefully to someone who knew more than the rest of us. He didn’t, but still copped. Soomaroy came with a wet sail, then jumped the last too well and went right up the backside of leader Military Alliance which knocked him back several strides. By the time he got going again, Military Alliance had kept on well to win and the Tatts pitch copped a possibly fortunate £13,077, the rail lost £850.

3:10 – Lavazza Handicap Hurdle (GBB Race) (Class 2) (3yo+) 1m7½f (1m7f157y)

Before the race before the penultimate, there was some interest in the Charlie Hall Chase away, a face had a carpet on The Real Whacker at 9/2 which was supplemented by some smaller bets bringing the field money for the race up to £425, all of which stayed with the firm when 11/4 chance Djelo got the money for connections but not Star Sports punters.

Back here at Ascot, they bet 11/4 the field with Alexi heading the market. A punter waded into the rail pitch and bet £1100 – £400 which appeared to be the start of the price tumble, tumble being a crash really but I don’t want to be accused of hyperbole but Joe Tizzard’s gelding was the only one backed in the market. One of my early betting people interviewees Roger Bush put it up to his clients and was spot on, the gamble, into 13/8 at the off was landed by three lengths or so. Despite the support the punters in Tatts missed Kaan and Keiran out, they copped £455 from the £908 they took, the rail did their dough, blowing £614. So, across the firm the race wasn’t a disaster, nor was the rain that started to fall again, but Dan on the rail might disagree as the rails mush was dripping right down his neck.

3:45 – Sodexo Live! Gold Cup Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap) (GBB Race) (Class 1) (4yo+) 3m (2m7f185y)

Next up and it looked tricky, there had been a tip from various sources for Neon Moon this morning, but that one appeared friendless, bets were steady in Tatts but there was nothing bet of note, though a gaggle of young ladies did appear to find backing Le Coq Hardi and Blow Your Wad titillating, can’t think why.

Neon Moon ran well but the market anticipated his capitulation when it mattered. The race went to Henry’s Friend, 14/1 this morning SP of 17/2, a good result for the book considering the field money, the rail held £630 and copped £503, Tatts held £1387 and held on to £850 of it.

4:20 – Ascot Round Table Open National Hunt Flat Race (Category 1 Elimination) (GBB Race) (Class 2) (4-5yo) 1m7½f (1m7f157y)

Going into the lucky last, not getting out stakes, thanks to a healthy buffer of £16,433 going into the race, hopes were high of a winning day. There were just five runners in a heavily truncated field with Run Away Joe the 6/4 favourite to cop the £6664 on offer to the winner. By this point, the punters who were actually mainly here for the fireworks appeared to have found somewhere dry to watch the display. The rails did reel in a grand punter when they went 7/4 Run Away Joe, bringing their field money to around the £2000 mark. Tatts held just £869, which was pretty much representative of the business the whole afternoon, punctuated by the odd lump. What followed was a farce of a race, race being a questionable word.

Basically, Loustic Du Chatel was allowed to go a distance clear by the other riders who never got to him thereafter. The winner returned 11/2, great for those who backed him, not so great for everyone else. Star’s Tatts book blew £259 though the rail copped £1082, the grand bet done in cold blood. Still, that was a concluding winning if unsatisfactory heat, maybe the winner was just too fast for them, we might know one day, but there was no time taken for the race due to a technical hitch.

A winning day for Star, Aye Aye! I’m back for the three-day Mackeson meeting at Cheltenham in a fortnight. Thanks for reading.

Views of authors do not necessarily represent views of Star Sports Bookmakers.

Simon Nott is author of: Skint Mob! Tales from the Betting Ring
available on Kindle CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS

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