SIMON NOTT BETTING BLOG: Plumpton Sunday

It was excellent to be back at Plumpton, it’s been a while and certainly not on my list of regularly visited courses, writes SIMON NOTT.

It’s a four hour drive from my house but spare a thought for Ian of Jack Bevan who had made the journey from Torquay this morning. The day started well for me having driven down here after Newbury yesterday then breakfasting with Michael ‘The Bullet’ and Armaloft Alex before racing, all very civilised and the perfect start to the day.

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2.08 – Dominic Hill Accountants & Thorne Civil Engineers Mares’ Handicap Hurdle (Class 5) (4YO plus)

Star Sports manned two pitches, one on the rails where Dan, Tony and Amberley did the business and Paul and Willy in Tatts. I was told that Plumpton can get a bit lively even on a Sunday. The weather was a glorious throwback to summer and we were all set fair for an excellent afternoon’s sport.

Things did get lively, a bagman was running around trying to bet Getarose at 2/1 when betting opened for the first, Star Sports laid him a £4000 – £2000 just before the price collapsed. It was an interesting race to watch, the gamble was landed. The book lost £3404 in cold blood.

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2.38 – Henners Gallop To Grape-Ness Maiden Hurdle (GBB Race) (Class 4) (4YO plus)

Next up and another three horse race, this time Arcturus Flame opened short, a bagman was keen to get involved betting £11,000 at 2/5 the second leg of a £2000 double the first of which was on at 2/1 and a further £2000 – £5000.

The firm appeared to have done that right 4/9 was freely available not long after. During a lull in the betting I got chatting to top judge Andy Ayres who told me that no trains from London were running today which might affect the crowd, which did seem a little light for such a lovely day.

It wasn’t so lovely when not totally unexpectedly the jolly collapsed into 2/7 and won unchallenged. The book lost a further £3842, there was a chill in the betting ring despite the beautiful sunshine.

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3.08 – Prestige Security Executive Protection Maiden Hurdle (GBB Race) (Class 4) (4YO plus)

So, wounds were licked and onto the next heat, bets were expected to revert to recreational assuming the stick ins had been stuck on, but there was a short one here too.

Premier Fantasy was a shade of odds-on when it opened then eased to 6/5 then back again by the off. A punter came in with £2500 but didn’t want it on the jolly but Akrramm at 6/1.

This time the punter left it behind, that’s where his fancy stayed throughout the race yielding the rear to neither man nor beast. The jolly was beaten too, by 11/4 chance One Dimensional the booked copped £2809, so got a nice chunk back.

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3.38 – Mansell McTaggart Mane Event Handicap Hurdle (Class 5) (4YO plus)

The fourth race saw more balanced betting though there was one they latched on to, Chris Gordon’s Jefe Triunfo attracted bets of £1500 – £500 and £600 – £200 while Mancero was also popular from the Dave Pipe yard with enough bets placed to make the gelding a taker at the off where the book held £2281 and had the bogie for £2303 in the win book.

I saw some punters connected to the Gordon yard in the ring so feared the worst given the way the day had been going, I was right to, they knew! Jefe Triunfo bolted up, returned 11/4 losing £2331 once the places and forecasts had been taken into account.

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4.08 – Friends & Family Remembering Norman Sharpe Handicap Hurdle (Class 3) (3YO plus)

You can imagine the Chris Gordon team fancied their chances of getting the double up with Nap Hand, the gelding was a bit weak in the betting despite Star laying a hedge bet of £3000-£2000 early on. There was also money for Mojito Des Mottes including a carpet at 7/2 and a bottle at 4/1 which made him a loser for £200 at the off as well as Nap Hand bad for £2299.

This time it went the way of the firm, Nap Hand went off a bit quick early and had to capitulate the lead in the latter stages, the race went to 2/1 chance Eternal Triangle which was a very welcome winner for £2881.

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4.38 – Only Horsepower Handicap Hurdle (Class 5) (3YO plus)

The penultimate saw a wide spread of bets despite Farhh Echo solid at the head of the market at half arm on 4/6. There had been takers early at 8/11 to the tune of £220 and £250 though Khalk’eau Spigao also attracted plenty of bets though the biggest was a carpet at 3/1 they added up to make him the bogie losing £1700 at the off with 12/1 chance Bread And Butter also losing a grand.

Back to the old drawing board, Khalk’eau Spigao won and the book did £1541 saving a round of drinks on the places. Going into the lucky last the book was what looked to be an unsalable £4527 behind including a cop of £900 on various away bets, you can be on at the away meetings with Star Sports on course, just wait until the firm are really under the cosh then ask the clerk.

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5.08 – Bob George Powered By Mansell McTaggart Open NH Flat Race (GBB Race) (Class 5) (4YO to 5YO)

It was unlikely that the firm would be able to take enough money in the last to get out on the day. Amberley and Tony did their best though, after all Tony does have the sort of cheeky smile and glint in the eye that might get women of a certain age throwing their flannelettes at him, if not money.

Talking of men of a certain age, Simon Banks came to say hello, always a chipper chappie too, he was off to catch the replacement bus back to London, don’t judge. Amberley and Tony did take a £2200 – £400 Missy Moises which given the rest of the business on the race so far was over and above the mostly very small wagers. Nobody could have needed to ‘get out’ after today’s results. I’d forgotten to mention that my previous #BettingPeople interviewee Roger Bush had tipped the last winner, never helpful, thanks Roger.

Meanwhile, back to this heat, the odds-on favourite Shane’s Spirit had been hard to lay opening 8/11 but drifting to 10/11 by the time the horses got to the start where there was £1701 in the hod with the jolly winning £824 and the bogie for £3779, a losing day was assured it was just how much yet to be ascertained.

At least it ended well, the market got it wrong Shane’s Spirit won at 4/5, 10/11 on course and the book copped £668 with a couple of hundred knocked out to a punter with a correct forecast. A losing day, but it’s only lent, I’m back with Star Sports at Fontwell on Tuesday.

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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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