SIMON NOTT BETTING BLOG: Hereford Monday

I’m not going to go into a long winded description of my journey to Hereford, but it started with a road half a mile from me being closed, writes SIMON NOTT.

A diversion down single track Devon lanes, where every vehicle I met appeared not to have a reverse gear, a very wet and slow M5 followed by a massive queue into Hereford. I suppose on the positive side, there’s going to be a massive crowd at the race course. Let’s hope so!

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12:48 – Betting.Bet Free Racing Tips ‘Hands And Heels’ Handicap Hurdle (Conditional/Amateurs)

When I got to the course there were a surprisingly pleasing number of cars in evidence, judging by the number of children in tow it was half term in this area too so extra positive.

Star’s man on the stool today was Russ who was looking pretty lonely stood on the rails pitch facing into members, his neighbouring pitch was empty, its potential occupants had given the meeting the swerve.

That was a handy decision by them as Russ as he had the place to himself, facing a not deserted Members stand taking the princely sum of £216 on the opener with the 2/1 favourite Inca proving popular losing £140 on the race at the off. The jolly’s job was made considerably easier when the 11/4 second-in Prairie Diamond fell at the first going on to win easily, the book lost £216, the places having gone the firm’s way.

There was lots to be thankful for, main that it wasn’t raining.

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1:18 – Betting.Bet New Betting Sites Novices’ Hurdle (GBB Race)

Next up and a search for a coffee where Piglets proved popular, too popular for this impatient article who baulked at the idea of joining the queue that snaked around the room. Besides, there was betting on a race to relate where Kamille Au Kanada was odds-on to win opening 4/7 then trimmed in to 4/9 though it’s safe to surmise that was machine dough given that field money at the off amounted to £62 including the places.

The bogie at the off was Jetbob who sweated badly then attempted to live up to his name sending Ben Poste into orbit in front of the stands then proceeded to start jumping the fences. The jolly went on to win the race as it liked copping £41 for Star Sports leaving Russ with very few punters to pay out.

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1:48 – Betting.Bet Play Champion Tipster Juvenile Maiden Hurdle (GBB Race) (Div 1)

Waiting for the horses go to post and indeed the punters to come in for a bet I spotted a familiar face. Professional punter ‘Deaf’ Paul came wandering down from the paddock past the joint. He stopped for not a bet but a quick chat, he said he’d not been here for a while but nothing had changed, he laughingly suggested if you listen carefully you can still hear Paul Docherty offering to bet 1/10 as the jolly jumped the last. Paul was a Brummie tic-tac who’d try and bet 1/10 a clear leader and was often accommodated.

On the very rare occasion one got beaten he used to get mercilessly ridiculed, looking back on it imagine how much value and money he got over the years, Paul sadly died in a car crash several years ago, way before his time.

Back to this race, there was very little doing, £138 in the hod at the off, that despite Jerseygeordie going off 11/10, though had been hard to lay opening a shade of odds-on. The weakness of the jolly was justified as he only managed third behind the 3/1 second-in Houndswood Willow, which lost £94 in the book, some of that thanks to a punter betting £10 each-way the 25/1 runner-up Talka. It’s all academic now of course but the jolly returned even money but to be fair the winner was the same with Star as the SP.

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2:18 – Betting.Bet Play Champion Tipster Juvenile Maiden Hurdle (GBB Race) (Div 2)

Next up and another short one which drifted, Our Wee Horse opened 4/9 but was 4/5 by the time the horses went down to post where the book held £62. At the off that had risen to £72 with the 5/6 jolly losing £2. The drift on the favourite was another that was prophetic finishing unplaced, the 9/1 winner of the race Echo Valley copped £26 in the win book reduced to £12 after the places had been taken into account.

By this time dear reader you have probably realised the reality of some of these meetings, describing this as not workable would be rather under-egging the pudding. The only hope would be on a day like today is that a big punter who come along and do their money, not really the basis of a sustainable business model. Just imagine if it was raining!

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2:52 – Betting.Bet Free Bets Mares’ Handicap Hurdle

The race before the penultimate seemed to roll around quite quickly given the lack of anything much happening. Lucy The Wire opened 2/1 and 13/8 on the big screen, as the horses went to post the biggest bet taken on the race had been £60 on Getarose in a book that held £125. LucyThe Wire was a 7/4 chance with Star Sports at the off and won easily returning 13/8 favourite.

It appeared that the in-running punters haven’t latched on to the Matchbook in-play market on the exchange many of the bookies are now using, she was still 1.01 to over a monkey after jumping the last clear.

The book copped £111 due to having only fielded a fiver over the winner, worryingly people started to drift off. On the plus side, had anyone been here sticking on the short ones, the firm would have done it in cold blood.

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3:27 – tigerbet.co.uk Download Our App Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle (GBB Race)

Betting on the penultimate the book took £31, nothing to see here. Miss Kingston went off the 2/7 favourite winning £17 in the book. It’s not really even worth writing about is it but people do like a dose of reality.

The jolly won, the firm copped £14 having lost £3 on the places I suppose the opposite of ‘see what you could have won’ works best again here to keep everyone sane!

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4:00 – Halo Leisure More Than Just A Gym Handicap Hurdle

I’m pretty sure any request by yours truly to be despatched to Hereford to write another ‘betting ring’ blog by Star Sports will fall on deaf ears for some time so was hoping, though in honesty not expecting, the last race would come to life and we got a final flourish. Going into the last, the firm was doing £30 plus exes, so if you don’t take into account they couldn’t win anything given the results you’d take that!

The field money on the day so far had totalled £640, I can safely say it was thee most diabolical betting meeting I have ever attended and that includes during lock-down. At least on Cheltenham Gold Day Russ and I can proudly say to the 60,000 racing fans that we were here at Hereford on 26th October 2026.

All the money in the last was for Sandscape at 15/8 though a very well spoken lady did ask for 20/1 the 4/1 chance Bits Ballou, we don’t know how much she wanted but wasn’t accommodated so didn’t add to the £66 fielded, at the off Sandscape was a loser for £110. The jolly was beaten a long was out, the race went to 17/2 chance D’jo Dela Barriere, an absolute skinner, for £63! Aye Aye a £35 winning day, well played Rusty!

I’ll be back with Star Sports at Ascot on Saturday for their first jumps meeting of the season, it will be busier. Thanks for reading this rough with the smooth edition of my betting ring report.

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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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