SIMON NOTT BETTING REPORT: Bath Wednesday

While the rest of the racing world had their eyes on York, I’m at Bath, yes bucking the trend but where there’s still some cracking racing to be had. There was a good crowd turn out too, despite it feeling more like October than August. Mind you, it’s high up here at Lansdown a bit like Exeter climate wise, probably why they don’t have jumping up here, now that would only be for the hardy.

1:40 – Cazoo Handicap (Class 6) (3YO plus) 5f

There had been money for one in the first race here today, highlighted in the Star Sports ‘Starters Orders’ daily feature. David Evan’s Zulu Lander had been the subject of support backed from 16/1 into 10/1. The bookies on course reported some fairly tidy bets for the gelding too. The money stayed with the bookmakers though, the gamble only managed sixth place. The gelding returned 9/1 so the punters that got on early can console themselves that they had value.

Sadly, for those layers, all that money won on that misplaced faith would almost certainly have been just handed back plus some to those that backed the winner, 2/1 favourite Cherish trained by Tony Carroll and ridden by Mollie Phillips. The winning jockey told Hayley Moore that her mount jumped a bit slow from the stalls and slightly hampered so had to come wide but then had the legs off their rivals coming off a fast pace. Ed Dark in the Star Sports office only had one bet of note for me, a bet of £1650 – £300 Moonshiner which finished one place better than the gamble in fifth.

2:15 – Cazoo Maiden Stakes (GBB Race) (Class 5) (2YO only) 5f

The ‘Starters Orders’ column highlighted another mover in the next race. Tyson was backed into 10/11 and duly bolted up. The racecourse bookies didn’t see a lot of money for the winner, that despite being even money pretty much to a man. Ed Dark told me that the office laid a bet £3000 – £3300.

Richard Hannon’s winner was ridden by Thor Hammer Hansen who said after the race that he rides him at home every day, he added that he can be a handful but did nothing wrong today and did it very well. He concluded that his mount did lose his balance a bit when he went clear, but the win would have given him confidence. Previous #BettingPeople interviewee Rod Millman (CLICK HERE) saddled the Rod Millman Racing Ltd owned Miss Anaco to finish third at 18/1. The trainer and throng of owners appeared to be delighted with the way she ran.

2:50 – Follow At The Races On Twitter Handicap (Class 5) (3YO plus) 1m 2f

The punters didn’t need ‘Starters Orders’ to find the next winning favourite. French Conquest ridden by Kieran Shoemark and trained by Clive Cox justified being sent off at 5/2 market leader shooting clear to win by 2 ¼ lengths. Watching the race unfold, one of the rails bookies said that the jolly had gone odds-on in running turning for home. I thought that was a bit soon, what do I know, not a lot as it turned out, those in-running guys got it right. Talking after the race they have had to be patient with him and that he’d missed the break a few times in the past but today he’d won with pricked ears.

3:25 – Chris Scott Memorial Handicap (Class 5) (3YO plus) 1m 3½f

Manor Park landed a 9/2 into 3/1 touch for trainer Brian Barr under Thomas Greatrex in the next. The victorious pilot told At The Races that his mount loved it today and that as he’d been doing all of his winning over jumps so his welter weight didn’t bother him. He added that he’s very genuine and did it well and that the connections had chosen the right race for him. He concluded that the further they went the better he was going but with the caveat that the horses are facing a strong headwind today and that it’s hard going for them. Ed at the Star Sports Office told me that they’d laid a bet of £5000 – £1500, luckily not on the winner but Ascot Day.

4:00 – Sky Sports Racing Sky 415 Handicap (Class 5) (3YO plus) 1m 6f

Not a lot on a racecourse gets past my old pal Armaloft Alex. He was on duty for the Sid Hooper Organisation today. Just prior to the race before the penultimate he pointed out that the owner of Bernard Llewellyn’s charge Cogital had just arrived on course via helicopter. Not a cheap conveyance, so a fair assumption that the gelding was fancied. Needless to say, being a cynic I didn’t back up that assumption with a bet, despite the race boasting only five runners. Punters betting into the Star Sports office probably didn’t know about the helicopter. If they had probably wouldn’t have been put off as they must have been quietly confident that Nibras Gold was going to do the business, bets of £27,500 – £10,000 and £40,625 – £25,000 were struck. 4/1 chance Cogital beat the 15/8 market leader by a head, no doubt to the mutual delight of the Star Sports’ office and the connections with aviation fuel to pay for. Did Alex back it? I hope so.

4:35 – Get Hugh Taylor’s Tips On Attheraces.com Handicap (Class 6) (4YO plus) 1m

Top tipster My Little Tip put up Bronze River in the penultimate whilst Armaloft Alex had a word for Bright View, both big prices. I was on both and chucked away a couple of quid on the reversed forecast, well you never know do you. We did today, they finished nearer last than first, both MLT and Armaloft don’t leave much behind though, so it’s only lent. Let’s forget the betting for a minute, the real story was in the winners enclosure. Jockey Alice Bond won her first race as a jockey on James Ferguson’s 4/1 joint-favourite Rectory Road, a horse owned by her parents. Alice was very emotional after the race and told Hayley Moore that her mount just travelled and travelled, just kept going and that she never needed more than hands and heels to win the race. It was lovely to see how much the victory meant to her.

Down in the ring one of the bookmakers probably wasn’t quite so chuffed having laid a monkey each-way the winner at 9/2.

5:10 – Download The Free At The Races App Handicap (Class 5) (3YO plus) 5½f

The lucky last boasted six runners of which Trevor Whelan’s mount Sarah’s Verse was sent off 2/1 favourite but could never peg back front-running 7/2 chance Al Simmo under Dougie Costello which beat the jolly by a couple of lengths. It’s not often you see two ex jump jockeys finishing first and second over five furlongs (credit to senior Betting Ring Manager Andrew Collins for pointing that out) – so we saw something unusual and the bookmakers got a favourite beaten in the last. That was a nice way to conclude a very enjoyable afternoon on the turf up at Bath. No word from the Star Sports office which hopefully meant that they hadn’t done their cobblers either.

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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