SIMON NOTT BETTING BLOG: Goodwood Saturday

There was no debating whether a jacket was needed today; it really was glorious up at Goodwood, writes SIMON NOTT.

I got to the course in plenty of time, so I had a chance to wander around the ring having a chat with some of the layers. It was interesting to hear how they varied on how they did yesterday, one firm I’ll not mention had what they described as their worst day ever. Star Sports did well to win.

The first person I bumped into was gentleman of the turf, Michael Fletcher, who chastised me on not adhering to the members’ dress code, luckily I was allowed to just pass through in the clobber I was wearing.

Next up, I had a chat with bookmaker Laurie Bond, a lovely chap who it’s always a pleasure to see on course. By the time I’d stopped off at Big Jim, Paul Gold, Matt Ross and Bo Brown the first race was fast approaching, best get to work then…..

1:25 – Fitzdares Harroways Handicap (Class 2) (3YO only)

As you’d expect, the crowd today was much larger than yesterday but I have to be honest they weren’t falling over themselves to have a bet. It was a 9/2 the field handicap so understandable that states were modest, the biggest bet taken by Star Sports was £500 – £100 each-way Startled in a book that held a lot of fiver wagers from the ladies and gentlemen of the members’ enclosure.

That considered they did well to field £1178 on the race, sadly plenty of those small punters found the winner the 4/1 favourite Catullus and backed the runner-up Startled each-way 11/2 at the off with Star Sports but returned 9/2, the book blew £684, not the best start.

2:00 – British Stallion Studs EBF Cocked Hat Stakes (Listed) (Class 1) (3YO only)

Gentlemen in the Richmond Enclosure only had to wait until just after the opener to be told they had permission to remove their jackets which must have been a result. The second race on the card was a four-runner affair featuring an odds-on favourite in Saxon Street which opened at 4/6 which attracted a bet of £2400 at the price.

At this point I’d like to point out the tie that Dan Middleton was wearing today, no surprise one proudly worn by his late father, always fun for the wind up was Barry!

Meanwhile, betting continued with punters keen to get stuck into the now 4/7 jolly though only to modest sums. At the off the book held £3510 with the jolly losing £1861 not including forecasts. Golden Story had been weak in the market 7/2 out to 9/2 but that didn’t stop him just shading it in a photo with Del Maro copping £3214 in the book.

2:35 – Elston Consulting EBF Maiden Fillies’ Stakes (GBB Race) (Class 3) (2YO only)

Next up and a strange betting heat where Knock Three Times was a popular selection with the punters early including a bet of £4000 – £1000 with Star Sports only to drift alarmingly at 15/2 with them at the off.

That bet made up the bulk of the £2238 they fielded, keeping £1218 of it when 11/1 chance Dark Issue won the race, Keiran backed the winner, he’s a shrewdie that Keiran. Knock Three Times ran very well finishing second, she returned 11/2, it’s embarrassing isn’t it? Star had her losing £3800 and were still 15/2, come racing.

3:10 – Fitzdares Height Of Fashion Stakes (Fillies’ Listed) (Class 1) (3YO only)

Next up and real action on the rail where punters waded in to Brilliant Star, maybe with Star Sports for added coincidence value? Possibly, but unlikely, the sort of punters that bet £11,000 – £4000 each-way and £5500 – £2000 don’t often add sentiment into their calculations.

This was serious stuff now, if she should oblige the losses would smash the meeting to smithereens, though should she flop a good winning meeting would certainly be on the cards. She had the steady 5/4 favourite Earth Shot to beat along with a quality field so they didn’t look like too bad bets to take.

Fortune favoured the brave, Inis Moor did the business for the bookies, backed on course but only modestly. Brilliant Star was not only beaten but unplaced, happy days, though Dan was still wearing a frown thinking he’d not taken the firm’s whack out of the runner-up jolly, though the fact she returned 11/8 highlights how hard she’d been to lay. The cop on the race was £9747, jolly handy indeed.

3:45 – Darley British EBF Fillies’ Restricted Novice Stakes (GBB Race) (Class 2) (3YO to 5YO)

Everything calmed down betting on the race before the penultimate. Keiran looked at the book as the horses went to post, saw £840 in the hod and uttered the word diabolical. That was a bit harsh, but after the wild lumps laid in the previous heat, like I said, it had calmed down. At the off, what Dan was looking at was a very good book, exactly £1200 in the hod with St Hilda the loser for £100.

With hindsight, good books are always too good, Mother Dear winning at 11/2 was a very good result copping an extra £200, the winner had been a 7/1 chance on course, so not unbacked.

4:20 – Avastra Funds Handicap (GBBPlus Race) (Class 2) (4YO plus)

Just when it looked like the firm were coasting to a nice couple of winning days, wallop £12,000 at 7/4 Valedictory.

The horse then inexplicably started to drift, of course it may have been different if Star Sports hedged but of course they don’t, the ‘green up’ figure was about £4000 as the horses went into the stalls, but the button wasn’t pressed.

It should have been, the SP of 11/4 after Valedictory won was a real rubdown. Keiran summed up what everyone was thinking, ‘all that work for nothing’. The mop had just flopped. Bugger.

4:55 – Track Radio Handicap (Class 4) (3YO only)

Understandably, the mood around the Star Sports’ joint was rather deflated, both days’ profits had been wiped out in one hit, they’d done it all right, laying an 11/4 shot at 7/4 it’s just a shame the horse didn’t know the hoped for script.

Still, the lads hauled themselves back into action, it looked a million to take enough to get out but just finishing the meeting on a winning note would be handy. The concluding sprint handicap looked a hard getting out stakes but there were some decent bets still being tendered, the one the punters latched on to was Riley Rocks, wagers of £1000 – £200 each-way and £150 each-way at 9/2 got the ball rolling but the betting fare that followed was modest until a late £4500 – £1000 Riley Rocks made the bogie an even bigger one though in form Dylan Cunha’s charge was seriously on the drift.

Just as the horses were loaded, London Is Blue decided to squeeze under the stalls and make a break for it, finishing the course to the roars of the crowd who knew not what they did. The field were taken out of the stalls again, Star’s final fate and my drive back to the Shire delayed.

At the eventual off the book held £2942 with the bogie bad for £6184 plus the places. The race went to 7/2 chance Wedonttelllies which won £1272 in the win book, the cop enhanced to £1587 by the bogie being unplaced, a winning conclusion to a losing two days, file under unlucky.

I’m back with Star Sports at Epsom for the Oaks and Derby.

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

Simon Nott is author of: Skint Mob! Tales from the Betting Ring
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