SIMON NOTT BETTING BLOG: Aintree Thursday

Sadly, for me at least, I’m not at Aintree this year, but instead, we’re going to bring you bets and business from across the Star Sports’ empire for the three days, writes SIMON NOTT.

Well, that’s the plan anyway. Today’s early news from the Star Sports HQ in Hove was that ‘it’s more about The Masters’. The great and the good of the betting shop estate weren’t at the flagship Mayfair betting emporium, but at the newly opened Hove shop. Apart from that, all was well.

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1:45 – Boodles Anniversary 4-Y-O Juvenile Hurdle (Grade 1) (GBB Race) (4YO only) 2m 209y

Things were a little more as you’d expect up on the racecourse, minus me ploughing my way through the staff welfare budget, the rails pitch was being manned by the Star Sports A-Team, Lofty and Nick the anchors, with Ben Keith himself at the helm, on and off I’d imagine but it’s good to see the Captain leading the troops into battle. They’d done some business early too, not least a bet of £40,000 – £10,000 each-way Minella Study in the first and £17,500 – £5000 Impaire Et Passe in the third heat.

Business in that opener was what Lofty described as ‘steady enough’, where an extra £3477 field money was added to the £20,000 taken as a single bet with no further wagers of note to report. No doubt to the chagrin of the punter who opened his shoulders, the firm had little worry about that particular bet drawing from a long way out, so it was a case of how much they were going to win.

The answer to that was £22,166 when 5/1 chance Mange Tout did the business for Gordon Elliott under Jack Kennedy from the 9/4 favourite Selma De Vary which would have copped an extra bottle, the day had started on the right foot for the on-course team which is always a psychological boost for the guys.

💬 Office Quote: “A quiet start to the festival but a decent result, perhaps skipping Cheltenham gave him the edge to hold on.”

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2:20 – William Hill Manifesto Novices’ Chase (Grade 1) (GBB Race) (5YO only) 2m 3f 200y

Next up, and the idea of a punters’ banker for the first day, Lulamba so of course Ben and his deadly duo of Nick and Lofty were keen to get the short one in and were obliged with bets of £4000 – £6500 and £4000 – £7000 early in the battle, which got the book started nicely.

Meanwhile, William Kedjanyi, came to say hello to Ben. His comment to me was ‘No Coat, Gone Northern!’ Will is renowned for wearing smart whistles but no coat, the man has suffered on many occasions but never seems to learn, yes he was sans coat again today, in the frozen North.

Back to business, and the team had taken an extra £2199 in bets on the race which of course meant that the book was a very lopsided one, at the off Lulamba was a loser for £8379, business was once again described as steady.

Once again, the firm knew that they were going to cop a fair way out from Nico de Boinville’s unseat from the bogie in the backstraight to be precise. The race went to Henry De Bromhead’s Koktail Divin under Darragh O’Keeffe which returned 3/1 but was a solid 10/3 chance with Star Sports as they set off, come racing, the value is in the ring. The Star Sports rails book copped £14,805 thanks largely to the two lumps.

Despite the winning start, Ben and Lofty, who enjoy a love-hate relationship, had already started bickering. They are like an old married couple; there are some advantages of not being on course, not many, but that’s one. I just want to bang their heads together.

💬 Office Quote: ‘Small loss on the 2.20 but we will benefit from the multis’

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2:55 – Racing Welfare Bowl Chase (Grade 1) (GBB Race) (5YO plus) 3m 210y

Next up and what drama both in the betting ring and ultimately, the race. Ben sent me a voicemail relaying the business, enthusing that it had been an incredible betting heat.

The firm had already laid £17,500 – £5000 Impaire Et Passe, that was topped up by a further £10,500 – £3000 the same horse, then a punter had £8000 – £500 Pic D’Orhy followed by £11,000 – £2000 Protektorat then £5000 – £4000 the jolly Jango Baie, phew, it was an incredible betting heat with £18,207 in the hod at the off.

The team must have feared the worst approaching two-out when Impaire Et Passe looked to be going ominously well stalking Jango Baie only to fall dramatically, though thankfully unhurt, leaving the even money jolly to coast home. The way the mop had flopped, the bigger punters having it on the faller, which would have lost over £20,000 the book won £6437 over a short, you take your luck when it’s handed to you in this game.

💬 Office Quote: “Winning race – despite the favourite obliging comfortably.”

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3:30 – Randox Foxhunters’ Open Hunters’ Chase (Class 2) (6YO plus) 2m 5f 19y

The Foxhunters does have a place in a lot of people’s hearts with plenty of banter and some claws-sharpened interactions on-line regarding previews of the race. The highlight of the TV coverage was an appearance by flamboyant, larger than life bookmaker, pro-punter and purveyor of fine clobber and antiques Jerry White. Sadly, his enthusiasm wasn’t matched by punters in the ring who largely gave the race a wide swerve with just £2045 in the hod at the off.

Jerry had told ITV viewers that 7/4 favourite Barton Snow was a bigger certainty today than he was when winning at Cheltenham. Lofty can’t have watched him on the TV but had a book probably akin to Jerry’s anyway, leaning up the favourite which was winning £1230. Jerry knew and Lofty knows when to lean, Barton Snow won head in chest, you’ll rarely see an easier winner in a top class race, there were lovely scenes from connections on the TV afterwards too, not to mention Olly Bell cheering ‘Jerry, Jerry’ on ITV. Ha ha fair play, numbers not the names, we got him before he was a household name, you can watch his #BettingPeople interview here.

💬 Office Quote: “One horse book and unfortunately it was the easy winner / back to square one.”

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4:05 – William Hill Aintree Hurdle (Grade 1) (GBB Race) (4YO plus) 2m 4f

Ben appeared to have legged it before they set off for the race before the penultimate. There had been some decent bets in the race, which was handy after the previous poor staking heat, that business included £8000 – £4000 Brighterdaysahead and £2250 – £1000 and £1800 – £800 The New Lion.

This time, luck deserted the firm. Brighterdaysahead trounced the field for Gordon Elliott under Jack Kennedy, aided by a rick at the last by The New Lion, which was going well and was considered by some observers to have the measure of the mare at the time, we’ll never know. Both market leaders were losers in the book but the winner as £4000 worse, blowing £5495 in the book.

There was a silver lining, though. Luck might have deserted the firm, but Ben hadn’t. I’m told there were smiles all around from Lofty and Nick when he returned, an unexpected bonus.

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4:40 – Close Brothers Red Rum Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap) (GBB Race) (Class 1) (5YO plus) 1m 7f 176y

I was told that the team had laid £10,000 – £2000 Stencil very early in skirmishes but then encountered radio silence from the on-course team.

Always striving to be a glass-half-full sort of guy, it was in the hope that the intrepid Star Sports trio had been under the cosh. They had, but the stakes had been small, taking an extra £2222 on top of the original two grand bet.

Needless to say, Stencil was a loser at the off, for £10,102 but not the bogie, that accolade went to an outsider that the punters latched on to, 20/1 chance Boothill, which was red for £11,500. Neither troubled the judge, the race went to Fergal O’Brien’s 14/1 chance Ryan’s Rocket winning under JJ Burke copping £3100 in the book, some back from the £6000 the yard’s gamble cost the firm at Exeter on Tuesday.

Going into the last, the firm were winning £42,000 so not a bad afternoon on the turf so far. Ben now really had left the building.

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5:15 – Goffs Nickel Coin Mares’ Standard Open NH Flat Race (Grade 2) (GBB Race) (Class 1) (4YO to 6YO) 2m 209y

Ben might have legged it early, but luckily, not all the punters had. A bet of £11,000 – £4000 over Princess Day the proof of that particular pudding. The proof of a rather more peculiar pudding was that there are £1000 punters who like to bet straight forecasts in National Hunt Flat Races, in this case, the front two in the market.

Well, the Princess Day punters had the value, she went off at 9/4 but wouldn’t have raised the pulse of her punters trailing in behind 9/2 winner Nan’s Choice obliging for the Skeltons. When I say 9/2 chance, the winner was a 13/2 chance in the Star Sports book at the off. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, come racing if you are a serious punter.

The book won £4953, but it wasn’t over.

As the last race was running a punter sidled up to the joint, asked for and got £5000 on McGregors Charge over at Taunton, that was followed by a bookmaker’s workman having a further £2000 on, both were laid at 7/4 and both did their dough, the gamble ran well for a long way then dropped away tamely, those stick ons don’t always win.

That unexpected £7000 topped off a very pleasing day one of Aintree, the final cop figure of the day plus £53,784. Kaan was so chuffed that he said Nick and Lofty could have half a duck each for their supper tonight.

Don’t forget the dessert, lads.

💬 Office Quote: “Level in the last, Very quiet day – perhaps having the Masters on the same day distracts, no big bets.”

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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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