BEN’S BLOG: ‘Every post a Winning Post’

[dropcap]I[/dropcap] never used to miss Clement Freud, in the RP. He always described a matter bothering him, so eloquently; so ‘just the way’ it was. The column I never miss now though, although it’s obviously totally different; is Jim Cremin’s ‘Betting Window‘. Jim is always properly up-to-date, and covers every spectre of the bookmaking game.

Last week, Jim reported that Ascot had moved aside the big firms, and instead, plumped for an ‘indie’, to run their on-course betting-shop, for the big week. Firstly, and I don’t normally praise Ascot; well done them. And secondly; who gave the Corporate People a good barging out of the way? ‘Winning Post’, a West Country firm, with twelve shops, who have started also betting at sporting events. We have mutual friends, and I caught up with the owner, Roy, before racing, on the Tuesday.

What a nice bloke, and so refreshing to see a member of the old-school, still getting on with it. MARCH ON, ROY.

In other news:

Lofty is one of our longest serving members of the team, at Star. I met him at Hove Dogs, when I was thirteen, and he taught me racing-language, tic-tac, and how to clerk. I told him then, that one day, I would be a bookie, and we would be a team, taking on the punters together. Well, for once, I wasn’t talking a load of bollocks, and it all came true. Lofty’s main purpose in serving Star, is telling me, ‘which one’, the favourite is, when we’re betting at the races. This week, I turned to him, as usual, and simply uttered the word ‘Favourite?’. He immediately told me the colours. We were really standing this one for a chunk, it was ‘Adelaide’, and a loser in the book for about £200k. All the way, I thought it was going to come through and win, but thank God, we got it beat. As we sighed a breath of relief, Lofty turned to me and said, ‘You know I’m getting married in November?’. ‘Yes’. ‘Well, I’ve known you for a long time, will you be my Best Man?’. Loft, it’ll be a pleasure. But please realise; this truly lovely gesture, does NOT mean, you will be left out of any future and deserved bollockings..!!

Over and out, B x