VIEW SHOPS

SIMON NOTT AT TOWCESTER

16 June, 2025

AUTHOR: Star Sports Content

SIMON NOTT BETTING BLOG: 2025 Greyhound Derby Final, Towcester

Mike Davis and his team had certainly made a huge effort to make the Greyhound Derby 2025 something special, writes SIMON NOTT.

The course had been open all day and boasted a proper festival-sized stage and a fairground, all rides free. There were plenty of faces here, the regulars like Max Shoes and the greatest dog punter that ever lived Jerry Croxford, but from the racing world too, Dr Simon, Julian Head and John Hunt there early to say hello.

The course was bathed in glorious sunshine when I arrived, just as forecast, but by the time betting got underway for the opener, it was raining, and due to zero chance of rain forecast by my weather app, my coat was in the car. Schoolboy error. There was a distinct chance of getting soaked at both Derbies double up.

5.44pm Jimmy Wright Memorial Stakes

By the time I got my Mac out of the car the imminent threat of a drenching appeared to have passed. By the time I got back to the Star main pitch, manned by Lofty, Kaan, Flynn and Tony, they’d laid a bet of £4000 – £6000 Faypoint Harvey running from trap two.

Star had two pitches tonight on the other was Eddie, Amberley and Kieran with Tony floating for when Ben turned up. Another bonus was seeing Michelle, she was clerk on the Star Sports team when I worked for them full time but has ‘retired’ of late so it was great to see her back ‘on the turf’.

6.01pm Starsports.bet Trophy

Ben was here and up on the pitch, ready for the betting on the second race. Faypoint Susie opened evens. The first shout of ‘Let’s get gambling!’ from Ben was met with a cheer from in front of the joint, proper punting ensued. As did another roar and losing race when Faypoint Susie won unchallenged after being backed into 4/6. ‘Get it ready Martin!’ was the cry.

I spotted another couple of faces from the racing crowd, Alan Delmonte was here enjoying the buzz, there was some buzz already with the sun back out and shorts back to appearing sensible attire for the night. Down to the nitty gritty, Ben’s team blew £2363 and Ed’s £1500.

Hobbsy comparing announced the Matt Chapman was flying in from York via helicopter, a boo went up from the dog crowd, a lighthearted one obviously, at least I think it was.

6.17pm Pcs Legal Stakes

Next up, the bet a bottle each of two Kevins Rocket and Table Toppers. Wallop in came an £8000 – £4000 Kev’s and 7/4 it was. ‘What a race’ cried Ben, I wasn’t able to keep up with the smaller bets, they added an extra £3000 to the field money, at last the cheer wasn’t quite as raucous as the first two races, that’s because the 7/2 six dog won, not the two market leaders, the firm got some back, £7000 on Ben’s pitch but Ed’s pitch lost a bottle.

6.35pm Star-Pelaw.com Trophy

Next up, bish £5000 – £2000 Val Tashadelek, trap one, bosh £4000 – £2000 the same dog, bash, Basher (Watts, that is), one of Star Sports’ brand ambassadors, came to the joint to say hello to Ben, who wished him good luck after turned down a huge $2,500,000 offer for his syndicate horse She’s Perfect. Balls of titanium, both of them, Basher and Ben that is.

Meanwhile, a £9000 – £4000 Slick Sentinel trap six as the dogs were going into the traps was a great bet to lay, until he won.

Yes, that roar went up, the other bogie was runner up, the book had no chance, £3500 was blown on Ben’s pitch though Ed copped £700, it must have been that lucky green tie he was sporting.

6.51pm Derek & Mark Burridge Trophies

Meanwhile, tensions were high behind the joint as computer problems caused some fierce language to emanate from big Lofty, I knew better than to go near him. Normal service was resumed in no time and the next race was priced up. Jerry White came to say hello and Gary Wiltshire was being interviewed over the loud speakers, it was like being at Epsom, though Towcester actually felt like there was a special event taking place.

March On Freddie won from trap five, Ed’s team lost £400 but Lofty’s won £2000 despite laying a £1000 – £300 the winner in the hole. I was almost too frightened to ask Lofty the bets lest I got my head bitten clean off but plucked up courage and was told they’d fielded £5500.

7.10pm Star Pelaw Stakes

Next up, a short one running from trap three Romeo Empire which opened 4/7. It all looked set for another fierce betting heat, then I was sent off to buy some drinks for the teams, at least that was less dangerous task than asking Lofty for bets.

When I got back he was more placid, they’d laid £2000 at 4/7 and £4000 – £8000 the jolly. Chris Pitt came to the joint, he said hello but backed off from the maelstrom but was back when things had calmed down. The team meant business and went 4/7 the jolly again.

Romeo Empire didn’t really have a race, he just won, Ben’s book did £6000 but Ed’s copped a monkey.

7.28pm Jr racing Puppy Trophy Final

Next up and Matt Chapman was in the building posing for selfies around the joint with plenty of people very happy to see him, I told you the boo’s were in jest. There were five dogs in this race, in which Headford Asher fronting the market at 5/6 which attracted a bet of £5000 – £6000 so was clipped to 4/5. Chickens. Spinning Mick turned up and expected the firm were losing.

No flies on Mick, one of the shrewdest, the night was still young, at the off there was £19,000 in the hod. It turned, and turned in style trap one Romeo Ability won the race, the pitch that Lofty had suddenly stopped being grumpy at copped £14,659, Ed’s team won £700.

7.46pm Greyhoundtrader.com Stakes – Final

Next up and a dog that would resonate with some Gary The Arb was sent opened at 5/4 favourite to win from trap two. I’m pretty sure the punter that nearly fell done the steps in the rush to get his £10,000 – £8000 isn’t an arber, the team, meaning business took another £1000 – £800 before they went Evens.

At the off the jolly was a loser for £15,000, and missed the break and from there on in wasn’t going to repeat his victory of last year. Radical Scoby running from trap three was the best winner in the book and got up to win in a photo. The book that Flynn was now fronting , Ben had gone to dinner, copped £16,750 while Ed’s team got £3000.

8.06pm Time Greyhound Nutrition Sprint Trophy – Final

Next up, a sprint, Shadow Storm opened 8/11 to win from trap one, but there wasn’t an initial stampede to get on. Meanwhile, Lee who reads the blogs came over to say hello, thanks Lee.

A known big player came over to the joint and had a lump on, not the odds on shot, but bet £10,500 – £6000 trap six Not So Slow. There was sustained money for the jolly too, monkeys all over the shop.

You rarely see betting like this apart from maybe the Cheltenham Festival, it’s quite a buzz. At the off, the main book held £15,000 and had Not So Slow losing getting on for £4000 everything else winning.

Blink and you’d miss it, they were off and it was over in a flash, Shadow Storm won the race and Lofty’s book copped £261 over an odds-on winner. Ed’s team did better copping a grand.

8.22pm Allied Site Services Bitches Trophy Final

I missed a selfie opportunity when Jimmy Pursey of Sham 69 was interviewed by Hobbsy, Jerry White got one, but I was too slow. Bugger. Anyway, Icemans Girl was a 4/5 chance to win from trap two. But the punters had other ideas, £5500 – £2000 Fabulous Aria and £19,500 – £3000 Coppice Ella two bets of note in another frenetic betting heat.

At the off the book was one listing to trap six but they were saved by the jolly, Iceman Girl led and was never getting caught. Flynn’s team got £2403 but Ed in the green tie with Kieran and Amberley blew £1200.

8.39pm Allied Site Services Bitches Trophy Final

Just five went in the next, Romeo Tomcat opened the even money favourite, Ben was back on the stool and Matt Chapman was on the microphone again giving away flags. It comes to something when I don’t write about individual monkey bets, there were a few of them and grands too all on the jolly.

Racing Blogger, Stephen Power, came down to say hello to Ben and do a bit of filming just as the dogs were off. The roar that went up from the crowd when Romeo Tomcat got up to win was enormous. Ben just looked over, smiled and said ‘I think the favourite got up’.

He wasn’t wrong, the favourite had got up, his book blew £6474, Eddie’s team lost £3500, a reversal ladies and gentlemen.

8.57pm Betgoodwin Challenge Trophy – Final

The Sun was getting low in the sky when Vhagar open the 8/11 favourite to win from trap six in the next. That was backed into 4/6 after an avalanche of bets including several monkeys and a £2000, so up the arm on became half arm on.

Over on Ed’s pitch, Kieran was asking for more elastic bands, after the last race, presumably to pay the punters tidily rather than to stack the winnings neatly in the hod.

Meanwhile, the money kept coming and coming for the jolly, it was like bet bukkake, at the off Vhagar was losing £16,978, at the line that’s what the punters won, trap six won as the punters expected she would, Eddie’s pitch blew £1800 to top it all off. Nasty, especially that it was the big one next.

🏆 9.15pm The 2025 Star Sports & TRC English Greyhound Derby Final 🏆

Bockos Diamond opened even money to land the Greyhound Derby, and a deluge of bets followed. I had a result too, Jimmy Pursey came to the joint and I bagged him for that selfie.

Meanwhile, the bets just poured into the firm. Here are the bets, that’s some betting heat.

Droopys Plunge won from trap one. The book copped £44,542.

9.39pm Bgbf Truframe Champion Stakes – Final

The show rolled on, Romeo Steel opened 4/5 at which a punter had £3000 on, the biggest of several decent bets 4/6 it was and promptly laid £4000 – £6000 then were bushwhacked by a £32,000 – £8000 Keefill Goose running from trap one, though as it turned out they were happy lay it as Romeo Steel did the business for favourite backers costing the firm £3326 the liability eased by the lump on the red jacket.

9.55pm Fox Sports Surfacing Dorando Marathon

Betting on the lucky 15th took place as the draw took place, aided by the Racing Blogger, while the greyhound bettors got stuck in. £6000 – £500 trap four Salacres Belleza an early bet topped up with a £10,000 – £1000, somebody thought they knew.

They didn’t, Alright Patricia won from trap six, the book lost £3500, they nearly did though, trap four was second, Ed laid it each way and did £4500 on the race, blowing £9000 on the night.

The final score for Lofty and Co was cop £35,000 on the night. The greatest that ever lived, Jerry Croxford was on the runner-up at 33/1 each-way. What a way to end the night! What a night. The busiest buzziest betting ring of the year bar none.

I’m back for Royal Ascot with Star next week.

Views of authors do not necessarily represent views of Star Sports Bookmakers.

Simon Nott is author of: Skint Mob! Tales from the Betting Ring
available on Kindle CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS

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