SIMON NOTT BETTING REPORT: Glorious Goodwood Thursday

Still harking back to Glorious Goodwoods of years gone by, I got to thinking about a memorable night out. It must have been about 10 years ago now. I was working with Turf TV and staying in Arundel for the week.

My colleague and I were invited to dine out with bookmakers Dave and Jane Hazell and friends. We both accepted, but later on that day my female colleague changed her mind having been also invited out by the Geoff Banks Organisation.

Much to her slight chagrin it transpired that both parties had booked into the same restaurant and after a quick pow wow with Geoff, Dave and the manager we amalgamated and sat at the same large table. The night was a very jolly affair, the food was lovely and the wine flowed, I feared it was way richer than my expenses allowance, but threw caution to the wind such was the fun we were having.

It got better, at least for some of us, when the Hazell family, all four of them, burst into song. Their tunes of choice were various ditties from The Sound Of Music. Of course, most people are familiar with at least a few lines and a chorus or two of those, so we joined in, everyone was having a great time singing along and having a good old sing song.

When I say everyone was having a great time, I’m not sure Geoff joined in with the rest of us. I don’t think his intended sophisticated night out with his glamorous team panned out quite how he imagined it!

I had a good walk around Tattersalls talking to the bookies before racing. It was terrific to see some of them for the first time since at least Cheltenham 2020. When talking to Swampy and Pete on the rails it appeared that a least one floorman had gotten a bit ring rusty. They told me that he came bounding into their Sid Hooper joint and asked for and got a £14,000 – £1000 back bet. Now you might wonder why that’s a sign of being ring rusty.

Well, he could have asked for fractions. 14/1 is to win ten grand is £10,000 – £700 so to win £14,000 he could have asked for £980 with the fractions and backed the horse to win the same money thus saving his boss a score. On the other hand, he could have asked for £15,000 – £1050 and bagged himself or his boss a bet of £50 at 20/1.

Win or lose, in the old days a severe bollocking would have ensued, the bookie telling the floorman than getting the ‘bits’ the way he earned his pay.

There was drama in the Magnolia Cup which took place before racing proper. Well, when I say drama, a dead heat between the pillar to almost post leader She Got The Jockey ridden by Thea Gosden Hood, and Mine Behind partnered by Candida Crawford who joined the long time leaders on the line.

Mine Behind (real name Good Earth) and She Got The Jockey (real name Batraan) shared the spoils, with Fashion and Furious ( Strawberry Jack ) back in third. Around half the on-course bookmakers bet on the race, Thea Gosden Hood’s mount was well touted and went off around 13/8 so saved the ring a few quid dead-heating.

1:50 – Unibet ’15 To Go’ Kincsem Handicap (Class 2) (3YO only) 1m 2f

Betting on the first race on both the Tatts pitch, Inlike, Tony and Ben, not Ben Ben, and the rails, Lofty on the computer with Ryan and Steve on the front, was brisk but modest. The biggest rails bets were a couple of ‘bottles’ (£200 wagers), less in Tatts but lots of fivers.

Over in the office, Ed Dark told me that they had two losers in their book having laid £8000 – £1000 and £4000 – £500 Taraashoq and £8000 – £2000 Patient Dream. 8/1 chance Qaadar won the race, backed by both Lofty and Inlike, hence a good winner in both books. Great minds eh, not to mention a great start.

2:25 – Unibet Richmond Stakes (Group 2) (Class 1) (2YO only) 6f

The good start didn’t last long, both Lofty and Flynn reported steady but small business in the next. Flynn described it as good getting a few quid into the hod despite it mostly being in small denominations. On the other hand, Lofty said the rails business was poor. Either way they both had one loser in their books and that loser was the winner and 11/4 favourite Asymmetric. Worse news was to follow from Ed Dark in the office, they’d laid a bet of £110,000 – £40,000 with a couple of grand bets to top it up. That was the firm back down to Earth with a big bump.

3:00 – John Pearce Racing Gordon Stakes (Group 3) (Class 1) (3YO only) 1m 4f

It didn’t take long for the punting pendulum to swing. It was a similar story to the previous race on course, small but steady money. That is until a punter came into Flynn with and bet a £30,000 – £4000 Zeyaadah in the next race after this, the Nassu Stakes.

Over on the rails, Lofty was in top form telling me that they were ‘Up the front two’. He added that Sir Lucan was popular with the each-way punters so was hoping that one would go missing. Boom Boom, see what he did there, I don’t care what everyone else says, he’s not always miserable.

Ed Dark came through from the office where they had been hit by the mega punters. They laid bets of £90,000 – £40,000 Third Realm, £450,000 – £100,000 Yibir and £525,000 – £175,000 Wordsworth. That’s a fair betting heat and the perfect race for ‘result’ 11/1 chance Ottoman Empire to pop up in. Sir Lucan finished third to mess up Lofty’s each-way book but I’m doubting that dented the monumental office cop much.

3:35 – Qatar Nassau Stakes (Fillies’ Group 1) (British Champions Series) (Class 1) (3YO plus) 1m 2f

I have to great news to bring you. The on-course betting market is alive and well. There were plenty of decent bets flying about, and by decent, I mean £100, £150 and £200 bets. In addition to the £4000 bet already laid on Zeyaadah Flynn also laid a £1650 – £600 Audarya, Lofty who declared that the rail ‘had taken off’ had also laid that one, to the tune of £4500 – £2000 and then a £4000 – £2000 Joan Of Arc.

In contrast to the near telephone number office wagers of the previous race, things had quietened up in Hove. Just looking at the results in the form book, Lady Bowthorpe winning at 10/3 could have been a losing race but was a perfect result for Flynn and co. I’m guessing head of on-courses’ heart was going a bit when the bogie Zeyaadah looking dangerously close to winning inside the final furlong but eased off when she ultimately had to settle for runner-up spot. As my old boss Jack Lynn used to say, ‘Those big layers need rings of steel!’

4:10 – Goodwood Racecourse Patrons Nursery (Class 2) (2YO only) 7f

The on-course team were pretty chuffed with themselves going into the race before the penultimate and keen to get stuck in. Flynn laid a grand on Adjuvant at 10/3 which got the book started nicely. Lofty was still chirping about his previous race but couldn’t follow up with similar amounts here but business was still brisk.

In the office Ed Dark reported a bet of £36,000 – £3000 each-way South Audley and £6000 – £1000 each-way Highland Premier. Aswan won at 13/2 from Blue Collar Lad at 66/1 and 50/1 Bastogne, drawn high, over 7f how did that happen? That was another cracking result for all three books.

4:45 – Tatler EBF Maiden Fillies’ Stakes (GBB Race) (Class 2) (2YO only) 7f

Pretty much the first bet Lofty laid on the rail was a £2000 – £1000 a trade bet on the favourite Wilderness Girl to a sharp firm. Flynn had already laid a bet of £10,500 – £1500 Shoutout, so both books were in it. Lofty with a little bit more chance of betting up to his bet than Flynn.

By the off Lofty had the jolly ‘In its place’ but Flynn’s book was fairly lopsided. It was good in Tatts but not betting up to £10,500 good. Ed Dark in the office told me that they’d laid £10,500 – £6000, £3000 – £1500 and £2000 – £1000 twice. Flynn’s bogie never looked like winning but the jolly did the business for the punters, returning 7/4. Ed came back after the race confirmed what that all the bets were for the winner, sadly a one horse book.

5:20 – World Pool Handicap (Class 3) (3YO only) 5f

The firm were going into the lucky last nicely in front, they only had to appear unscathed financially from the final race and they have copped nicely on the day. Well, sometimes it’s out of your hands.

Flynn had two losers, the 5/2 favourite Twilight Calls for a couple of grand and 8/1 chance Whenthedealisdone for about £600. Lofty’s team had the latter for over £6000 having laid an £8000 – £1000. Due to the no hedging policy of the firm they just had to sit and hope it didn’t win.

It did win, easily, at 8/1.

There was a bit of swearing going on near the joint on the rails. So much so I nearly didn’t like to ask exactly how much they’d done but it appears they knocked out much of what had been a hard worked winning day. Thanks to the big bets he’d laid that got beaten Flynn was still in the green on the day so it wasn’t all bad news. In fact, it was very good news, the last word from Ed Dark was ‘Indeed a lucky last we laid £15,000 and £4000 at 5/2 Twilight calls plus loads of smaller bets.’ Aye Aye.

As a footnote I’d just like to say to bookmakers that might read these reports. Please don’t take them too seriously. When I’m giving Lofty a little rubdown regarding going for favourites or mentioning ‘green up’ buttons it’s a bit of fun.

The last thing I want other bookmakers to think is that I’m every having a pop at their way of doing things. I’m a supporter of the betting ring and always will be, it’s never a dig or a criticism at anyone else.

We’re back tomorrow.

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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