SIMON NOTT BETTING REPORT: Glorious Goodwood Saturday

One of the problems for young revellers staying over for Glorious Goodwood’s gone by was the relatively early closing of pubs and bars in my venue of choice, Arundel. It was 10 years ago, probably the same year as the Geoff Banks story, when I latched on to the night out of some of the younger element of the bookmaking community. Offspring of bookmakers and all delightful young people. They were having such a great night they didn’t want it to end but the bars and pubs were closing.

Luckily for them, this older boy had a plan. I suggested that the Norfolk Arms, being a hotel, would probably still be serving residents drinks. All we had to do was befriend them and offer them cash to buy their drinks on their room account. The bar was smattered with residents who seemed quite happy to welcome some young people (and me) into their throng and more than happy to provide the drinks required for cash reimbursement thus circumventing the lack of booze problem and prolonging a great night out for all.

A few years later and I was lucky enough to be staying in the very same hotel. One particular evening, probably near the end of the week, I decided to dodge the festivities and have an early night, I know, what was I thinking. Previously sound asleep I was jolted out of bed by my reflexes reacting to a thunderous fire alarm which led to an evacuation of the hotel. It transpired that some other revellers had the same idea as I did years previously but were met with a less than cooperative set of residents, none of whom were happy to enable a drinking extension. The group of people left somewhat miffed, one of them decided to exact retribution on the miserable bunch by setting off the fire alarm. The rotters, evidently not such a polite bunch as young people as I’d had the pleasure to share my evening with.

Back to the present and the crowd looked to be the biggest of the week, that is once they’d emerged from sheltering from the brief deluge about half an hour before the first. Flynn’s first observation was that they were more of a ‘Saturday’ crowd and not a ‘punting’ one as they had been in the week.

1:20 – Thames Materials Handicap (Class 2) (3YO only) 7f

They were piling in to bet though, just in smaller denominations. Not many of them found the winner 10/1 Oo De Lally with Flynn who said it was the best result in their book. A few did back it with Lofty though but was still a winning race for his team too. Ed Dark in the Star Sports office told me that in the first race that they’d had two losers having laid a £2000 – £400 Dark Shift plus a couple of bottles at the price and £1100 – £400 Farazi Lane in what was a generally low staking heat.

1:55 – Unibet Stewards’ Sprint Handicap (Consolation Race For The Stewards’ Cup) (Class 2) (3YO plus) 6f

The consolation race for the Stewards’ Cup looked as tricky as the main event. It was a case of letting the punters back what they wanted and make the book. Mr Wagyu winning at 16/1 was a great result, at least on paper. Lofty hadn’t laid it to much but Flynn had and lost on the race. Poor old Flynn had been hopping about for most of the betting desperate for pee. He eventually had to succumb and stop betting a little early to find a toilet.

As often happens on racecourses, the words of my sadly missed first bookie boss Jack Lynn rang in my ears from beyond the grave. ‘Don’t drink too much on the pitch Simon boy, you can’t work with your cock in your hand!’ Wise words from the racecourse guru.

Listen up Inlike. Ed Dark in the office told me that they’d only laid one horse, First Folio heavily, a bet of £27,000 – £6000, which got stuck in the mud so straight into the hod.

2:30 – Summer Handicap (Class 2) (3YO plus) 1m 6f

It was all going on down at Flynn’s pitch. On my return I was told he’d inadvertently covered a waiting punter in a quantity of water described as a ‘bucketful’ whilst taking down the mush. Even worse, none of the team recognised Jodie Kidd and entourage when she came to have a bet with them.

Despite readies from a supermodel field money was light, 13/2 winner Prince Alex beat the 9/2 favourite Urban Artist but was the worst loser in both Flynn and Lofty’s books. Ed Dark in the office told me that it was getting livelier, they’d laid a £27,500 – £5000 My Frankel, £8800 – £1600 Aaddeey but also a £30,000 – £5000 and £3750 – £500 twice the winner Prince Alex.

3:05 – Qatar Lillie Langtry Stakes (Fillies’ And Mares’ Group 2) (Class 1) (3YO plus) 1m 6f

The office was braced for a monster or two about the odds-on favourite Wonderful Tonight. They laid a handful of decent bets, £2000 – £3000 three times and £800 – £1200 twice but nothing colossal as there had been in the week.

Flynn couldn’t get the favourite in his book but Lofty got bet it on over on the rails pitch. Wonderful Tonight won by two lengths returning 4/5, the office did a few quid, but nothing compared to what they could have done, Flynn won about £800 and Lofty lost most of which he was in front.

3:40 – Unibet Stewards’ Cup (Heritage Handicap) (Class 2) (3YO plus) 6f

There was a public gamble on Ejtilaab, backed from double-figure prices in the morning to 11/2 favourite at the off. The office laid a bet of £220,000 – £40,000 each-way, they also laid Hurricane Ivor £65,000 – £10,000 and most importantly the winner Commanche Falls, £120,000 – £10,000 each-way which cost them £150,000.

The on-course pitches both won on the race, Lofty reporting a good winner and Flynn a small one, both figures a drop in the ocean, but at least pluses. Sadly, the favourite appeared to go wrong and was pulled up.

4:10 – British European Breeders Fund EBF Maiden Stakes (GBB Race) (Class 2) (2YO only) 7f

As betting started for the penultimate Flynn became a bit concerned about a couple of comments and messages he was getting. When he’d initially priced up the second race, he made a mistake and displayed and set the place terms as 1/5 rather 1/4 the odds it should have been. The error was only displayed for around 15 seconds with no bet laid before the eagle-eyed BRM (Betting Ring Manager) pointed out the misdemeanour. He’d just like to point out that it was a genuine mistake, it won’t happen again, no punters were harmed in the incident and that it wasn’t a heinous plot to short-change the good folk of Goodwood as it appears to have been amplified to in some quarters. As the legendary Barney Curley used to say, ‘Never listen to racecourse rumours!’

Lofty was made to jump during betting on the sixth heat, a punter came up with £400 and asked for a bottle each way Starspangledjama, he laid the man then saw that the beast in question was a 50/1 chance and it now stood him to lose £10,000 in the win book. There were no such wagers over in Flynn’s pitch. Business remained as it had been for most of the day, brisk but modest. Imperial Fighter winning at 9/1 was a winner on both joints. Small for Flynn and better for Lofty. Sadly for the intrepid 50/1 backer, his fancy finished last. No news from the office was hopefully good news.

4:45 – Signature Apprentice Handicap (Class 3) (3YO plus) 1m 1f

Going into the last Glenn, having taken over from Ed, told me that they had laid £8000 – £500 and £14,000 – £1000 Sweet Reward £3000 – £400, £6000 – £1000 Whipmaster and £5600 – £800 Overwrite in the office. On the rails Lofty had laid £4200 – £300 Maori Knight which made that his worse. Flynn was still tapping away taking on the smaller punter with Turntable and Fantasy Believer his bogies. Rebel Territory the 7/2 favourite won the race and it appeared all three books came out of it unscathed.

So that was it, Glorious Goodwood thoroughly enjoyed and over for another year, dare I say it wasn’t even Badwood for the bookies. It was also fantastic to be at a race meeting packed with people. Time to get the man from Delmonte suits and loud blazers you’d never wear elsewhere a dry cleaned and stored away until next year and start shopping for a bargain replacement Panama to the shrunk one. Next stop Ascot and the Shergar Cup.

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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