Royal Ascot Wednesday: Simon Nott’s Tales from The Ring

ROYAL ASCOT DAY TWO: Simon Nott is back on course for day two. It was 1-0 to the layers after Tuesday but it’s five marathon not a sprint. Which way would the fortunes flow on Wednesday on the Star Sports pitch ?

2:30 Queen Mary Stakes (Fillies’ Group 2)

Apart from Cracksman, the card didn’t look like it would attract the heroic bets of yesterday. The first race at least put paid to those ideas. A punter came in for £80,000 – £10,000 Each Way So Perfect on the joint, then the office called, they’d struck the same bet, and similar again. The big hitters were all on the same horse. Getting beaten and out of the frame would kick the day off nicely. Fourth was a bit close for comfort but 25/1 winner Signora Cabello was a start better than dared hope for.

3:05 Queen’s Vase (Group 2)

Ben was pacing around looking at other pitches rather than celebrating the cop in the opener. Business in general appeared to be lighter than yesterday so he was keen to make sure it wasn’t just us. The next looked another competitive affair but after the opener he was prepared for anything. The office called early in the betting having laid £70,000 – £20,000 Nelson.

Ben was right, it was a quiet betting race, maybe it was too hard for the punters. Whatever the reason Field money was very poor.

A big punter came in very late asking for 7/2 Kew Gardens, it was 10/3 on the board so was politely declined. Some times when it’s going your way it goes your way. Kew Gardens won and the on-course book copped a round of Royal Ascot priced drinks, a hefty loss avoided.

3:40 Duke Of Cambridge Stakes (Fillies’ Group 2)

If there was going to be a monster bet today it could be on the jolly in this race, Hydrangea. Then disaster stuck, the computer system collapsed. Holding up betting at a crucial time while Ben paced around the joint. The RDT technical guys got to work as bets flooded in to pitches around us. Most frustrating when it was all going so well.

We were back as the horses were going down, then it happened £60,000 at 7/4 from one commission agent then another at the price same stake, similar bets were laid in the office, another horse for around £500,000.

Lofty was sure it was beaten, Ben wasn’t, Lofty was right. The big bets stayed with the good guys, that’s us.

Next up was Cracksman. Would the big punters pile in at 1/2 to get some back?

4:20 Prince Of Wales’s Stakes (Group 1)

The short answer is no. Ben did lay a couple of grand bets off the floor but the big-hitters kept their powder dry. Which was a real shame because he was fairly easily beaten which was the chance of a cop which went astray. Given the lack of interest in the jolly it would have been better to call a great horse home instead.

5:00 Royal Hunt Cup (Heritage Handicap)

The penultimate cavalry charge was almost a non-event as far as on course bets went at 9/1 the field it was just too hard for the punters to have anything more than token bets on.

We laid a £8,000 – £500 each Settle For Bay to a bookmaker, that’s 16/1 and he didn’t ask for fractions. It doesn’t matter when they win. That was a bit of a blow when we were just coasting along.

5:35 Jersey Stakes (Group 3)

The lucky last was a very slow and tepid betting afair that is until late office and money off the floor came in for Could It Be Love at 11/2 leaving the book very lopsided with just the one very bad loser. It looked at one point like the bogie was going to make all but capitulated inside the final furlong just hanging on for third behind 8/1 winner Expert Eye which got a four-figure sum and topped the second winning day off very nicely. It’s too early to start counting it, but so far so good.