SIMON NOTT BETTING BLOG: Aintree Friday

Blimey, yesterday’s £30,000 bet posted on Twitter/X inspired some incredible comments largely cast doubt on the authenticity of the wager. I don’t blame those people, but being called a donut was probably the nicest moniker. I can assure everyone, every bet I write about in my reports is genuine, writes SIMON NOTT.

Lofty and I had a good laugh about the topic over a very nice Thai meal last night, no Ivy in Knotty Ash sadly, the chicken, chilli and basil was lovely though.

Today’s betting got underway in glorious sunshine, perfect for Ladies’ Day with so many dressed in their finery. Asking around the ring it appeared that Star Sports weren’t the only ones to lose, more favourable results were hoped for today. The team remained unchanged with heavyweight stalwarts of the ring Lofty and Nick the nucleus with Ben Keith, Star’s owner parachuting in and out between networking and pressing the flesh.

---

1:45 – Huyton Asphalt Franny Blennerhassett Memorial Mildmay Novices’ Chase (Grade 1) (GBB Race) (Class 1) (5yo+) 3m1f (3m210y) (Mildmay)

There were a couple of decent bets laid early, with £4000 – £1000 Dancing City and £7500 – £3000 Handstands both bet before the withdrawal of 9/1 chance Stellar Story. That absentee reduced the field from eight to seven so changed the place terms to two places and resulted in a 10p rule four to all bets placed prior. The rest of the betting was relatively modest but amounted to just over £2500 on top with Handstands losing £5000 and Dancing City £1700.

Caldwell Potter made all to win at 11/4 and copped £3750 in the book. Even better, shrewdie Alan Potts tipped me the winner last night so I had me £2 on. After-timing trumpet to me!

---

2:20 – William Hill Handicap Hurdle (Premier Handicap) (GBB Race) (Class 1) (4yo+) 2m4f

Next up and they bet 15/2 the field, a punter had £6000 – £800 on Kopeck De Mee then came back and pressed up with £1500 each-way at 7/1, then was back for a further top up, £1500 each-way at 13/2, quite rightly nobody mentioned crimes committed against fractions. Star Sports had a bogie, then an even bigger one when the same punter had yet another grand on the same horse at 6/1 despite bigger prices available elsewhere, he must have liked the look of Nick on the joint. That all totted up to a £31,000 loser in a £10,000 book, Dave Pipe used to say only hedge if they shorten.

Dave Pipe was a shrewd man though the last 100 yards as the bogie bore down on 14/1 winner Wellington Arch seemed very long ones. Regular readers will know that Star Sports don’t hedge anyway but Dave Pipe was still a very shrewd man. Once the dust had settled and the numbers crunched the book won £1300.

---

2:55 – TrustATrader Top Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1) (GBB Race) (Class 1) (4yo+)2m½f (2m103y)

There was an early match bet in the next, a punter had £2000 on Salvator Mundi to beat Tripoli Flyer at 5/4. Not long after, a punter bet £20,000 – £10,000 Tripoli Flyer, the race would already be an interesting one. Even more interesting when a punter had £5000 on Romeo Coolio at 9/4. Just after those bets Donal from Cork came over to say hello, I see him at this meeting nearly every year and have bumped into him when working with AK in Ireland too, always a pleasure but his accent is so thick I could do with a translator. By this time Ben had hopped up onto the joint just before a punter bet £28,000 – £8000 Salvator Mundi which pleased him no end given the previous bets, that bet just fell into place. At the off there was £24,000 in the hod, Tripoli was losing £6000, Salvator Mundi £11,500 the rest winning, according to Lofty, ‘A holiday in Hawaii.’

Sadly, the passports stayed in the drawer, the worst possible result won, Salvator Mundi did the business for his backer, topped up by the successful match bet which totalled £14,000 blown in the book.

---

3:30 – My Pension Expert Melling Chase (Grade 1) (GBB Race) (Class 1) (5yo+) 2m4f

Next up, the four horse feature where Jonbon opened 8/13 favourite and immediately attracted a bet of £10,000 at the price. That was followed by a further £3000 – £4500 Jonbon and £2000 – £240 Protektorat which is 8/1 with the fractions, aye aye! Then a punter bet £25,000 – £10,000 El Fabiolo which elevated the gelding to bogie in the book. The firm needed a result, they didn’t get one, Jonbon won the race, his task eased by El Fabilio falling, the book lost a bottle, but not its bottle. That was a welcome get out result which might hopefully change the firm’s fortunes going into the race before the penultimate.

---

4:05 – Randox Supporting Prostate Cancer UK Topham Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap) (GBB Race) (Class 1) (5yo+) 2m5f (2m5f19y) (Grand National)

Next up and a 30 runner extravaganza where they bet 7/1 the field. It looked tricky but not tricky enough to deter the punters who bet £5000- £500 each-way James De Berlais, £17,500 – £2500 each-way and £7000 – £1000 Blue Lord and the £33,000 – £1000 each-way The King Of PRS trade bet. It went a bit quiet before another trade bet, the £22,000 – £1000 each-way Soul Icon was called in. This was going to be a case of spin the equine wheel and hope it comes up green. Right in the hole, what Lofty called an interesting book got more interesting when a punter bet £2500 each-way topped with a further £1000 on Blue Lord at 6/1 just as the tannoy was calling it 5/1. ‘They are getting thoroughly rumped off course’ declared Lofty maybe not 100% politically correctly. At the off Blue Lord was a loser for £45,000 the worst of the losers, the rags laid being the others.

‘That’ll do’ hollered Lofty as Gentleman De Mee landed the spoils at 14/1 the big fella totting up the winnings as he passed the post, £18,500 to the firm putting Star Sports about £9000 in front on the day.

---

4:40 – Oddschecker Sefton Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1) (GBB Race) (Class 1) (4yo+)3m½f (3m149y)

Next up and the penultimate where one of the first bets in the book was £27,500 – £10,000 Califet En Vol, so no snapped elastic bands around the winnings yet. It wasn’t until the horses were going down that another lump came in, £28,000 – £8000 Mister Meggit so up the front two they were. Old fashioned result required. ‘Good book up the front two’ was Lofty’s summing up as he topped up his head tan in the late afternoon sunshine, my ever expanding bald patch was getting a bit red too, lucky I didn’t splat the grease on this morning or you could have done a fried egg on my bonce. Anyway, enough of that nonsense, they were off.

Well, what can you say, what a race, especially as it was a cracking result for the book. With two to jump Lofty feared the worst, the two bogies, losing around £20,000 a piece, looked to be the most likely winners, then a rick at the last (pictured above) gave the team some hope before Julius Des Pictons found gears under Gavin Sheehan to spring a 14/1 surprise and cop the book £19,500 which was a £39,000 turnaround had one of the bogies won. It was going to take a lumped landed in the last for the firm to lose on the day now. Was that tempting fate? Probably but Lofty and Nick do like to live on the edge!

---

5:15 – Hallgarten And Novum Wines Handicap Hurdle (Conditional Jockeys’/Amateur Riders’ Race) (GBB Race) (Class 2) (4yo+) 2m½f (2m103y)

10 minutes before the off of the last Lofty reported betting was ‘very quiet’, I got the feeling that Nick and Lofty would be happy enough to coast home with the winnings intact. Of course the bigger punters could still be lurking and betting 3/1 the field a well placed lump could still ruin the day. They were. A bet of £5500 – £1000 Afadil would dent but not spoil the day. Then a negotiated £6000 at 3/1 and £6000 at 11/4 Celtic Dino certainly could knock it about a bit, but thinking positively, as of course it’s always best to do, could put the cherry on the top should it be beaten. It was going down to the wire again.

It looked ominous jumping the last, the bogie was going well enough after being called ‘beat’ by the bookie next door. Then Slugger looked to be on the bridle ready to go past as he liked but came under the cosh. Just as the writing appeared to be on the wall for another cup snatched from the firm’s lips in the last salvation in the shape of 25/1 chance She’s A Saint came from the clouds to overhaul them both, record a famous victory and cop £13,000 in the book and a £43,000 cop on the day. ‘Steak tonight’ was Lofty’s summing up, well if the big man says so, who am ate to argue. We’re back tomorrow, by the sound of it well fed and ready for the National.

---

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

---

STAR PROMOTIONS