SIMON NOTT BETTING BLOG: Cheltenham Friday

It was tipping down when I got into my car in the Shire, tipping down all the way to Cheltenham and tipping down in the car park when I got here, writes SIMON NOTT.

By the time betting got underway on the first, there was a glimmer of sunshine peeping through a chunk in the otherwise leaden sky, but the rain had stopped. Aye Aye.

I had a lovely surprise before racing, UK distance running champ and all round lovely chap Gary Payne brought me what he described as an early Christmas present, two racing annuals – one from 1948 and the other from 1952.

Thank you Gary, I’ll enjoy looking through them when I get home, very kind of you. I also bumped into Alan Potts before racing, he was drawing from a previous meeting, from Star Sports too, a bad start for the team who today were Tony and Lofty.

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12:05 – British EBF “National Hunt” Novices’ Hurdle (Qualifier) (GBB Race) (Cl2) (4-6yo) 2m1f

The aforementioned were kept busy in the opener, not least by a trio of fair bets. £15,000 – £6000 Old Park Star, £14,000 – £8000 Kingston Queen followed by £1000 – £500 also on the latter. The Star team bet number five on the rail thanks to a move up, Greg Hughes choosing to bet on the lower rail giving the lower picks a Christmas leg-up.

Despite the early rain, there was a fair crowd in evidence with a bit of a buzz about them too, though take the bets already noted out of the field money of £15,380 they bet less than a grand with Star Sports between them.

It turned out that it was possibly just as well as Old Park Star winning as it pleased at 5/2 was already a stinger for the firm for a loss of £6500 in the book. Lofty wasn’t grumpy as a result of the result, ‘the other one was worse’ was his on the bright side observation.

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12:40 – Santa – “The Visit” “Chasing Excellence” Novices’ Chase (GBB Race) (Cl2) (4yo+) 2m4½f

Next up and a three-horse race in which Alan Potts told me he didn’t fancy the jolly Califet En Vol for various reasons. That knowledge cheered Lofty, both of us take great note of Alan’s opinion, especially as he’d just laid £12,000 – £8000 the very same beast in the rail.

Tony and Lofty then got to work fielding another £2870 on the race including another grand at 11/8 the bogie. The race was a good one despite the lack of runners, of course that’s seen through the rose-tinted lens of someone being paid by the firm who copped £7060 when 2/1 chance Sixmilebridge won. Back in the game.

Pro Punter Andy Gibson came over to say hello and pointed out that the first winner came from the race at Kempton he’d highlighted as being a good one in a recent interview with me, which of course I’d forgotten about. I need to get a notebook.

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1:15 – Catesby Estates Handicap Hurdle (Cl3) (3yo+ 0-140) 2m1f ITV

While there has been lumps in the first two races, the third heat really came alive with a bet of £6500 – £1000 Iberico Lord, £10,500 – £3000 Fortune De Mer, £15,750 – £7000 French Emperor and £16,000 – £4000 Kel Du Large in a book that held £16,694 at the off with two bad losers French Emperor losing £7594 and Kel Du Large for £5302.

What was required was a good old fashioned result, jumping the last it looked like the firm might just get one when Continuance bet from 28/1 on course into an SP of 14/1 landed over it still in front and going well.

The books held their breath but unluckily for them the Skelton team were just getting their second wind with Fortune De Mer which once into gear was always looking likely to win and win he did, returned 16/5 and copped £1432. Yes you read that correctly, despite laying £10,500 – £3000 the winner the firm copped.

Before anyone had time to celebrate too much, a successful away bet of £9000-£4000 Kelijoe over at Sunny Donny kicked the lads in the financial goolies and dropped them back in it again.

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1:50 – Turners Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap) (GBB Race) (Cl1) (4yo+) 3m2½f

Next up and more betting action to get the blood pumping, starting at the top, £18,000 – £4000 and £2250 – £500 L’Homme Presse, £2000 – £320 and £22,000 – £4000 Henry’s Friend, £16,000 – £4000 The Short Go and £10,000 – £2000 Herakles Westwood the noteable bets in a busy book, the ring now bathed in winter sunshine.

This time, it went the way of the firm, a discrete fist pump from Lofty as Danny Mullins and Blaze The Way won the race at 15/2 from a £10,000 loser in the book L’Homme Presse was celebration enough for the firm copping £15,025 on the heat, they were back in the game.

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2:25 – Unibet Middle Distance Veterans’ Chase Series Handicap Chase (Qualifier) (Cl2) (10yo+ 0-150) 2m4½f

It appeared that the bigger punters had just been softening Lofty and Tony up, they came out really swinging in the race before the penultimate, it got a bit hairy as two of the big hitters had Eldorado Allen in their sights.

The first bet on the top weight was a crunching £16,000 – £4000, that was followed by £20,000 – £4000 Fugitif and £24,000 – £4000 Courtland then what real could have been a coup de grace bet of £18,000 – £6000 Eldorado Allen.

‘The perfect storm’ muttered Lofty considering that two respected punters had backed the same horse.

He needn’t have worried, though had plenty of time to do so as the bogie led for much of the race but had to ultimately give best to 7/2 winner Can You Call and runner up Torn and Frayed though still got third returning 11/4, come racing. ‘£19,000’ said Lofty before I could even ask, that was handy then.

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3:00 – Glenfarclas Crystal Cup Cross Country Handicap Chase (GBB Race) (Cl2) (5yo+) 3m5½f

Next up, the cross country race, and relax. People, OK one bloke, was walking around in a t-shirt as the sun came out for the race not many people seem to care too much about.

There was very little big bet or even betting interest in the race, though £4500 – £250 Favori de Champdou and £6000 – £500 Latenightpass were struck into a book that held £1496 at the off. As they were about to jump off I heard a bookmaker call at bet at 9/1 to another bookmaker, £150. Where was the fraction? Money without work ( no it wasn’t him ) missed, my work is not done if even bigger than the machine bookies don’t call fractions.

Anyway, back to the race, it always seems like the favourite wins this, it didn’t today, the race went to 16/1 chance Final Orders, the book copped £1080.

Between races I bumped into Sir Bob Cooper who appears to be enjoying his retirement, though you can still read his work in various publications including Racing Ahead and The Bloodstock Notebook.

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3:35 – Citipost Handicap Hurdle (GBB Race) (Cl2) (4yo+) 3m

Going into the lucky last the firm were a nice few quid in front ‘About £40,000’ smiled Lofty. The punters refreshed from their cross country break seemed keen to ensure that the firm didn’t go home with quite that much. Reports of a bet of £480 at 8/1 no fractions Kyntara depressed me, then another of £10,000 – £1200 Tranquil Sea with the bits restored my faith, then a monkey each-way at 11/1 blew that out of the window.

Anyway, I should be pleased punters don’t extract full value from the on-course team but they should. At the off the firm we’re going to win on the day whatever happened with Tranquil Sea the bogie for £8857.

It appeared that not everyone was in such a comfortable position, ‘We need one here’ smiled Barry the Tash. He’s a lovely fella, here’s hoping they and the ring in general got one. Star certainly got one, Titan Discovery winning at 15/2 suited Star Sports copping £2583 in the win book and with Pike Road just run out of it copped on the places too.

Incidentally, my previous #BettingPeople interviewee Roger Bush tipped the winner up to his Westcountry Racing clients, his only bet on the day. Nice one Roger, luckily your followers didn’t fill Star Sports in.

We’ll be back tomorrow where Tony and Lofty will be swinging into the course with the confidence of porn stars on Viagra.

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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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