SIMON NOTT: Newton Abbot Betting Report Friday

It was glorious down south at Newton Abbot today. Proper summer jumping weather, sunny but not too hot. The crowd was enthusiastic and in good spirits having apparently dug the shorts and other seasonal clobber out for the eight-race card. The bookmakers reported good business too, there were seven of them here today and saw plenty of £40 and £60 bets as opposed to the smaller wagers of previous meetings.

1:20 – Racing Partnership TRP Maiden Hurdle (GBB Race) (Class 4) (4YO plus) 2m 5½f

Thirteen went to post for the opener, Rory in the office said they’d laid bets of £3000 at SP and £1200 at 15/8 the favourite Fama Et Gloria but not much interest in anything else. The favourite could only manage fourth behind eventual winner, 6/1 chance Every Breakin’ Wave.

Local trainer Claire Hitch’s charge won by a convincing half a length under jockey Ben Godfrey. Talking to Mick Fitzgerald of At The Races the winning pilot told him that they thought that the winner had every chance prior to the race. He said that his mount likes to get on with it so at the shorter distance today from when he was second last time, he let him go hard from the start. He added that he wasn’t worried when the runner up came to him as he’d been idling a bit in front so just ran on again, concluding that it was very nice for the local trainer Claire who had only recently started trainer under rules. Claire would be a familiar face to anyone who races regularly in the West Country and a very popular winner with the locals.

1:55 – newtonabbotracing.com Handicap Hurdle (Class 3) (3YO plus) 2m 1f

Chez Hans made it two wins under Ben Bromley for the delighted members of trainer Paul Nicholls’ Owners Group 038 in the second. The gelding was sent off the ‘bottle on’ 1/2 favourite but was made to work for it, the runner-up Thahab who fought all the way to the line under Fergus Gillard. Talking after the race the winning jockey said that his mount travels and jumps lovely and kept himself out of trouble. The owners that had been granted admission to the parade ring were ecstatic with their winner and evidently getting great enjoyment from their involvement. One punter got involved in the office too, they got the value as well betting £3000 on the winner at 8/13. The runner-up attracted a bet of £2800 – £800.

2:30 – St Austell Brewery Novices’ Handicap Chase (GBB Race) (Class 4) (4YO plus) 2m 5f

Down in the ring Dave Spice told me that he’d laid a bet of £500 – £400 the winning forecast the last race, it was good to see there were some punters about, not so good for Dave that it won though. There was a gamble landed in the third. Noel Williams’ charge That’s A Given was backed from 9/4 into 7/4f before bolting up by 12 lengths.

Jo Williams on the Ivor Perry joint said that they just chased the machine down, there was hardly any money in the ring for the winner with him. I foolishly suggested he copped on the race, no, he’d laid it at the bottom price on the exchange to have it in its place in the book.

Winning jockey Robert Dunne (pictured below) only just made it on course in time to take the ride having fallen victim to Friday traffic. He said that his mount’s confidence has grown and that he was pleased that the trainer and owner’s patience had been rewarded. The winning trainer was also pleased for the owner and said that the gelding has a certain amount of ability at this level but is tricky to get right, he added that a wind operation had helped.

He added that he thought that he found Worcester a bit too far last time and that this was his optimum trip, concluding that cheek pieces had sharpened him up. Jo Williams might have dodged the gamble but Star Sports didn’t, Rory told me that they laid a £20,000 – £10,000 and £1600 – £800 the winner.

3:05 – Racing Partnership TRP Juvenile Hurdle (GBB Race) (Class 4) (3YO only) 2m 1f

Dave Pipe’s Koi Dodville was the hotpot to win the fourth, sent off at 8/15 favourite, he had to settle for third behind Bill Turner’s 22/1 winner Scrappy Jack. The winner had been 50/1 when I scribbled my prices down from Oddschecker earlier. A quick nip down to the ring confirmed that there had been money for the gelding. Poor old Jo at the Perry joint had laid it to lose about £5000. He said that a queue of lads that looked to be on a stag party all backed it, ‘Everyone knows a Jack’ he laughed. He could afford to be chirpy though he’d laid the favourite to a few quid too.

Unlike Star Sports, Rory told me that they’d had a very quiet race and hadn’t been able to get the jolly in the book. The biggest loser on the race was, yep you guessed it, Scrappy Jack laid to a single punter £4000 – £100. Talking after his length and a quarter victory jockey, 21 year, old Jay was chuffed to bits, it was his first winner from 23 rides. He said that he’d started riding ponies, supported by his grandparents, did a couple of years with Philip Hobbs and was now with Bill Turner to whom he was extremely grateful. Nice work Jay, may it be the first of many winners.

3:40 – Emily Davies 21st Birthday Race Handicap Hurdle (Div 1) (Class 5) (3YO plus) 2m 5½f

Stanley Stanley made it a double at the meeting for trainer Paul Nicholls under Harry Cobden getting the better of the 15/8 favourite Lapford Lad by a length at the post. Harry Cobden said his filly was improving and had learned a lot but feared they had got to the front too soon. He added that when she got there, she pricked her ears and didn’t really know what to do and that she was a little bit green but had plenty of speed.

There had been money overnight for Joe Tickle’s Demon Fou but sadly the confidence was misplaced this time, Bryan Carver pulled the gelding up on the final circuit. The news from the Star Sports office was that it had been another quiet race with nothing of note to report, it had been fairly busy down in the ring but not as busy as the bar who appeared to be doing a roaring trade in fine St Austell Ales.

4:15 – Emily Davies 21st Birthday Race Handicap Hurdle (Div 2) (Class 5) (3YO plus) 2m 5½f

Espinator justified support winning the race before the penultimate for Adrian Wintle under Kevin Brogan. The gelding had been 2/1 before racing started but was backed into 6/4 favourite. He was most popular in the office, bets laid included a £2000 – £1000 and £3000 – £2000. They also saw money for Tim Vaughan’s Blunder Bus in the morning, backed from 14/1 into half those odds, the gelding was pulled up but we can assume more was expected given its very shrewd connections.

Down in the ring Paul Metcalfe of the Jack Bevan (est 1897) firm told me that they’d laid a £600 bet the winner too. Paul also told me a funny story from a recent meeting. His right-hand man Ian (pictured below) had dropped about 17p in shrapnel on the floor. As he scrambled about (he’s not as dextrous or flexible as he was) trying to pick it all up it didn’t go unnoticed. A group of lads began rummaging in their pockets for change and started to chuck small coins in the general direction of the poor old bugger. How cruel, but I bet he came back with more money than he dropped!

4:50 – William Hill Leading Racecourse Bookmaker Handicap Chase (Class 4) (4YO plus) 3m 2f

The penultimate went to Martin Smith’s charge, 7/2 chance Friends Don’t Ask which hosed in by five and a half lengths under Nick Schofield. Talking after the race the winning jockey said that his mount is a natural, jumps well and even saved a bit for himself at the end. Business in the Star Sports office had been quiet again, a wager of £1800 – £400 Heavey was the only bet of note. Incidentally, I did find the race title a little curious as did some of the layers plying their trade at Newton Abbot today. William Hill haven’t had a presence on course, at least in the betting ring for quite some time.

5:25 – Sky Sports Racing On Sky 415 Open NH Flat Race (GBB Race) (Class 5) (4YO to 6YO) 2m 1f

Just three went to post for the lucky last. The crowd had thinned noticeably though maybe that was more to do with the temperature dropping somewhat rather than the perceived uncompetitive nature of the final event. Kubinski, the 4/9 favourite to win the race, unshipped Bryan Carver on the way to the start. While the stricken pilot was being tended to by racecourse medics the announcement was made that Mitch Bastion was to ride the market leader instead.

The race was delayed until Bryan Carver could be moved from the course, he was, worryingly by stretcher into an ambulance. They eventually set off around 15 minutes after the advertised off time. It appeared that despite being a three horse National Hunt Flat race whoever was flying the drones thought it was worth staying in the air. The bets in the office were all, or should I say both were for the favourite £800 – £2200 and £400 – £1000. The jolly won going away. A fortunate winner for Mitch Bastion but as the horses pulled up after passing the post the ambulance which Bryan Carver had been taken to was still static on the inner of the course. Let’s hope he’s OK, a sobering end to an excellent afternoon on the turf.

SIMON NOTT

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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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