SIMON NOTT BETTING BLOG: Ascot Saturday, Shergar Cup Day

Shergar Cup day, some love it, some hate it, but I’m a fan, there’s always a buzz, writes SIMON NOTT.

There was a really great atmosphere as soon as the doors opened today. Star Sports had three pitches: Lofty, Callum and Tony on the rail, Kaan, Sophie and Keiran on the 1st Tatts pitch, with Amberley and Russ on the newest spot halfway down in front of the stands. It was excellent to see one time Westcountry rails Rep for William Hill Ray Emery working on the rail for Jack Bevan. Ray’s a selfless top chap who used to give me lifts all around the country.

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1:35 – Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Dash (Handicap) (Class 2) (3YO plus)

We weren’t expecting the big punters to turn up did anticipate a huge number of novice punters betting enthusiastically in small stakes so having plenty of staff, small change and plenty of patience to service them was important.

The betting on the first race was, as it often is, slowish. The field money amounted to £2978 over the three pitches at the off. The day started well for the firm when Tuco Salamanca won the race under Jerry Chau, apparently not fancied by the public despite an industry SP of 4/1; the book copped £1218.

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2:10 – Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Stayers (Handicap) (GBBPlus Race) (Class 2) (4YO plus)

Things picked up fast, Amberley and Russ were under the cosh in their pitch, punters were queuing up to get on, many of them younger ladies needing to be ID’d, so double the work. Tatts main pitch was a similar story, though they took a monkey on jolly Shrimp Shady at 13/8 fairly early, despite the public evidently liking the name; it took a £2000 bookies hedge bet at 15/8 to halt the price’s upward trajectory.

The trade accounted for the next decent bet in the Tatts book, £5000 – £400 that’s 12/1 with the fractions Lavender Hill Mob. One striking thing about the crowd was the young demographic, the Shergar Cup really does attract a plethora of what are hopefully the future of the game. Yes, they were betting in small amounts but they were betting, and watching the racing, roaring their fancies home, great to see.

At the off, Shrimp Shady was solid favourite and an 11/10 chance, losing £8765 in the win book with £8326 in the hod. The roar that went up when the jolly hit the front was soon drowned out by the slightly classier cheers of 17/2 Dancing In Paris backers as he stormed past. The bookies were cheering too, not least relieved at not having to face the huge number payouts had the jolly won. The book copped £4995, aye aye.

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2:45 – Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Challenge (Handicap) (GBBPlus Race) (Class 2) (4YO plus)

Next up and I was on a mission to get water and Haribo to keep the troops sustained so missed most of the action, but of course getting to see their grateful smiles and Lofty on delivery was worth the pushing and shoving to get around the racecourse.

I saw Stephen Darbyshire was here fresh from sparring with Nick Rust and had a chat, I wouldn’t fancy his chances of doing one of his running around videos today, such was the compact nature of the crowd in his natural habitat.

Meanwhile, on my return there had been no big bets but the combined hod held £5225. This time it was Star Sports turn to cheer home Ryan Moore, his mount Asgard’s Captain winning at 13/2 for dual former #BettingPeople interviewees Dylan Cunha and Quest Thoroughbred’s Jordan Hopkins copped another £1296 in the book.

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3:20 – Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Sprint (Handicap) (Class 2) (3YO only)

A punter bet £600 Thunder Call at 15/8 in Tatts in the fourth heat fairly early on, he made a rick there because support for Red Spells Danger saw that one talk a walk out to 9/4. That was the only bet of note but the field money made up of shrapnel and small notes mounted nicely, at the off the book held £5679 from 364 slips.

The money for Red Spells Danger was evidently hot, cheers of ‘Go on Saffie’ abound, mainly from Keiran as she scooted clear on the 2/1 joint favourite from Thunder Call, the late support hadn’t troubled Star Sports on course unduly, the book copped again, £1391 added to the total.

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3:55 – Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Classic (Handicap) (GBBPlus Race) (Class 3) (3YO only)

Next up and I’m found myself on cameraman duties for SD, he had a go but we couldn’t get far; the ring was still pumping.

The customers appeared to be well refreshed and having fun and happy to talk to a posh northerner in a pair of Star Sports glasses, all of which was of course excellent to see. Also excellent to see was that the pitches had remained busy, Tatts had laid a grand at 13/8 then £2000 – £1000 Hoseki followed by a hedge bet of £3000 – £330 King Of Berkshire.

Keiran also roared home Ryan Moore on the 11/4 winner Archers Bay, nobody minded because from a book that held £7752 it kept £3261 another good result for the book, King Of Berkshire was runner-up the winner returned 5/2, come racing.

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4:30 – Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Mile (Handicap) (Rnd) (Class 2) (4YO plus)

Going into the lucky last, the firm were £12,000 in front and hoping for a clean sweep of six winning races, but just knocking it all out would be handy too.

The ring was noticeably quieter people-wise, but the field money was still growing nicely helped along by £4000 – £1000 Ozat and a hedge of £1200 – £300 Bullet Point.

A horse popular with the public was 33/1 chance Serengeti, which was a loser at the off along with the aforementioned. Archie from Jack Bevan had a bet, asked for the next price up, then the fractions, that’s the way Archie, get the value.

The bogie in the win book as they were running was Ozat bad for £4902, a winning day was assured, though Ryan Moore’s mount would knock a nasty dent in it, but didn’t, 10/1 (9/1 with Star) chance Crown Board won the race which was handy to the tune of copping £4968 from an £8490 book capping off an excellent day on the turf for the firm.

I’m off on holiday and back in a week.

Thanks for reading.

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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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