SIMON NOTT BETTING BLOG: Newmarket Saturday

I had an excellent curry and a couple of pints with Quest Thoroughbreds’ Jordan Hopkins and his pals in Newmarket last night, so was set up ideally for today’s 2000 Guineas meeting, writes SIMON NOTT.

Mind you, I learned a lesson walking from the press car park into town after racing yesterday, it’s longer than you think. Mind you, I’m sure last night’s shenanigans packed a few calories, so hopefully negated some of them in the process.

There was an excellent atmosphere around the course, a real carnival of colour and fun under the glorious sun. People dressed up and enjoying their surroundings which were immaculate, well done Newmarket.

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1:10 – Oddschecker Ellen Chaloner Stakes (Fillies’ & Mares’ Listed) (Class 1) (3YO plus)

I’d like to report that given the size of the crowd and the fact touts were doing a roaring trade at £80 and £90 a pop business was brisk in the opener, but it was very poor, £350 poor to be exact.

However, the original favourite Flora of Bermuda won the race at an aftertimingly generous 7/2 resulting in the book losing just £142.50, which was probably a result. There were big punters about too, so Star’s unchanged team of Nick and Pam weren’t despondent, just cracked on.

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1:45 – Betfred Handicap (Heritage Handicap) (Class 2) (4YO plus)

Things picked up in the next, where Double Rush opened the 11/10 favourite, the Star Sports duo had taken more than they fielded in the first with 25 minutes to go, a monkey at 11/10 more than doubled that.

As the field went to post, the jolly had hardened into 10/11 with punters had to bet the tips-on after the Racing And Sports race predictor had the jolly bolting up on the big screen. By the time they got to post the jolly is an 8/11 chance, they’ve bet this one, as the old cliché goes, as if defeat is out of the question.

Right in the hole, a chap came in with £4000 the jolly at 8/11 all in tenners and scores, we spun the bundles and found them to be £100 light. At the off, the jolly was a 4/6 chance and won just as the predictor predicted. The £4000 punter was paid as a £3900 bet, the book which held £6102 blew £3109, one for the punters.

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2:20 – Betfred Suffolk Stakes (Heritage Handicap) (Class 2) (3YO plus)

Next up and they bet 4/1 the field, the punter that bet a monkey at 11/10 the previous winner had it on Distant Storm in the 2000 Guineas at 5/1. Betting on the current race was a little slow, 9/2 chance Mr Winston won the heat of the predictor 10 minutes before the race.

Near the off there was hardly a punter having a bet despite the crowd looking huge, the book held £1730 and Pam held the racecard, she didn’t hold it for the last race and look what happened.

The bogie here was Bullet Point a loser for £1872, he didn’t win the race, 17/2 chance Erzindjan did losing £198 in the win book, that became a loser for £456 after the places were taken into account. Still, I could have been a lot worse, Pam gets to hold the racecard for the next heat too.

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2:55 – HKJC World Pool Palace House Stakes (Group 3)

The first bet of note in the fourth was a trade bet of £10,000 – £2000 Asfoora, but the book had already taken a grand at that point in small bits and bobs.

During the lull, I was on a coffee, cokes and tea run, people were already walking around as if wearing blinkers which was precarious given they couldn’t provide me with a carrying tray but such were my balancing skills, I managed to navigate them to the pitch unspilled. Pam was impressed, though I reckon I’d be odds against the same feat after the seventh heat.

Meanwhile, Pam and Nick were working up a thirst grafting, taking bets and filling the hod. At the off, they held £3799 and had Asfoora a loser for £9228, I felt it prudent to give Pam the racecard given the gravity of the financial situation.

Boom! I’ve always wanted to boom one, but won’t do it again, sorry, but Night Raider winning at 9/1 copped £3257 which was a good haul, especially as he was 10/1 with Star Sports at the off, come racing. Pam holds the racecard for the rest of the afternoon.

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3:35 – Betfred 2000 Guineas Stakes (Group 1) (Class 1) (3YO only)

The crowd must have been up there with the highest they’ve had here, at the busiest times they were queuing up to get on, mostly with steady modest bets. The book had gone over the £4000 mark despite the card machine having poor signal problems by going down, even the gentleman’s card wouldn’t have worked late on, very frustrating in 2026.

Distant Storm won the predictor race on the big screen, the book wouldn’t look good if that happened in the actual race, we were about to find out. At the off the book held £4628 with Distant Storm now 3/1 losing nearly £3000, Pam held the card. Bow Echo won the race returning 9/2, the book copped £1392, the bogie was third. Aye Aye.

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4:10 – Turners Handicap (Class 2) (3YO only)

Possibly predictably, business was slower for the race after the feature, though punters were still betting, including one that bet a monkey on Sovereign Spell at 10/3, Nick was happy to get that one in as the colt had been hard to lay up until that bet having opened at 11/4.

Ultimately, that bet was just under 25% of the book which held £2080 at the off. 25/1 chance Ten Carat Harry winning under top weight was a cracking result for a modest book copping £1438.

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4:45 – Boodles Handicap (GBBPlus Race) (Class 2) (4YO plus)

Next up and there’s only three races to go, race seven, the race before the penultimate, I posted a photo on X with a message saying the ring was thriving, but was put in my place, it’s not apparently. Anyway, nine races on the day would no doubt affect business but Pam and Nick soldiered on as the sun beat down, a punter pulled up a rouf, £400 to have on Gamrai at 9/4 the first decent bet of the race.

During betting, a very smartly dressed gent named Mark came to say hello and that he likes our #BettingPeople videos, that was nice to hear, I hope you read and enjoy these too Mark.

Meanwhile, the book had amassed over £1900 in bets and people around us started to appear a little refreshed but in a good natured way.

At the off, there was £2011 in the hod from a book that boasted three fairly big losers, Gamrai, Bellum Justum and Nightime Dancer. Daiquiri Bay, 10/3 at the off with Star Sports came to the rescue, I think Nick had a lean up, copping £1134 on the race, which was a feat.

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5:20 – Air Charter Services ‘Confined’ Handicap (Class 4) (3YO only)

As Nick and Pam got to work on the penultimate and my bald patch sunburn got critical my 10 year old daughter Betsy just completed the 16 mile cross country Exmoor Challenge in torrential rain, news that Goodwood had been abandoned also reached us, it appeared we had been very lucky with the weather, still roasting at 5.05.

It wasn’t very busy, a very nice Scottish gentleman was looking for a price to a lump the Skelton yard to win next season’s jump trainers championship, there was no market formed with Star but I imagine that it would be short.

Meanwhile, eight races is often one too many, and so it seemed here in the 7/2 the field heat the book held £1238 with no noted bets, as they set off the sun vanished and a chill hit the air as well as mainly silence as 14/1 chance Velvet Rhythm won the race copping £914, once race to push…

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5:55 – National Stud Handicap (Class 3) (4YO plus)

Going into the ninth and lucky last race, the book was winning £4410, which Pam and Nick would dearly like to keep intact. It was a 4/1 the field getting out stakes so the hope was the firm could lay a fair spread of bets and and that punters not already upside-down would take advantage of their last punting opportunity of the day.

Mind you, a nine race day with 35-minute gaps is a fierce one when a race takes a couple of minutes to run, I suppose it gives the punters a chance for another pint, if any should need one which was from what I could see a big price. Stevie Stretch behind us had either got his and was off to the pub or into pitch rentals, either way, he was legging it!

There were still punters betting, field money bust the grand barrier just before the horses went to post though evidently there were no bets of note. The 3/1 jolly Man Of La Mancha was popular with the punters that did venture to the ring for a bet, the racecourse was suddenly echoing with football chants as news spread that Ipswich had been promoted, well done Ipswich.

At the off, the book held £1417 with the jolly losing pretty much that. They got away with it, Spanish Voice won and cost the firm a score, concluding a good winning day. I’m back with Star Sports for Ascot and Plumpton next weekend.

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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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