SIMON NOTT BETTING BLOG: Ascot Friday

It was nice to be back with Star Sports on course after a few weeks’ hiatus from the firm, where better than Ascot to make my return, writes SIMON NOTT.

Not least because the firm were mob-handed, a pitch on the rails manned by Lofty and Keiran and another in Tatts with Ed from up North and Joe who’s doing work experience on the firm and was enjoying it so far.

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2:20 – Thames Materials Amateur Jockeys’ Handicap (For Male Amateur Riders) (Class 4) (3yo+ 0-80) 7f

I’d only just arrived at the Tatts pitch and said hello to Joe when a punter came in asking for and getting £8000 – £1000 each-way I Still Have Faith, he could have asked for £960 each-way with the fractions, stood to win the same money and saved £80 should the beast be unplaced, always ask for them racegoers. Over on the rail a punter bet £150 each-way Northcliff at 33/1 but didn’t ask for the fractions rather, have I been away that long?

Meanwhile, the Tatts pitch laid £250 each-way at 6/1 Dannick, he could have asked for £240 each -way, fractions lesson over and they were off. Well, the grand each-way punter may not have been in the know with fractions but he was on a live one.

I Still Have Faith came with what looked like a winning run only to be denied a short head by 11/1 winner Rainbow Nebula.

The runner-up was still a loser in the book and a winner for the punter, but a fair old swing, the Tatts pitch held £3475 and lost £565 while the rail held £750 and won £570 so a sky dive profit on the opener across the pitches.

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2:55 – Colliers Business Rates Experts Handicap (GBBPlus Race) 2m

Unusually for me, I’ve neglected to mention the weather. It was damp, a bit damper when betting got underway for the second heat. The Tatts pitch laid £300 each-way Francesco Baracca at 25/1 to a shrewd bookie early, hedge or bet, who knows, but he was laid.

Over on the rail Lofty and Keiran had laid £2250 – £1000 and £2000 – £1000 Double Meaning and £500 – £200 Novelista, meanwhile over in Tatts they’d laid £1200 – £600 Double Meaning.

There were some proper punters about the place this afternoon which was good to see. Young Archie Metcalfe was running around asking for a hedging price the jolly, Lofty said he’d lay him but Swampy next door’s hand was out to grab the readies quicker than the late James Tennant, who was lightning and would have been impressed. At the off the Tatts pitch held £2356 and the rail £2740, I took the liberty of asking the shrewd book if his bet had been a bet or hedge, he informed me the latter.

That probably accounted for the horse being tailed off a long way out, a wealthy punter having a guess up was probably the source rather than an inspired lump which went astray.

The race went to 13/2 shot Blazeon Five which was handy for both pitches, Tatts copped £1787 and the rail £2170, Lofty was happy with that but still rued having taken £80 out of the winner.

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3:30 – BetMGM Novice Stakes (GBB/GBBPlus Race) (Class 3) (3yo+) 1m4f (1m3f211y)

Next up and it was a race of two significant bets, £10,000 – £200 each-way I’d Go Maniac and £7000 – £4000 Race To The Stars. That last bet, laid by Lofty on the rails looked a bit of a stinker to lay as the price collapsed not long after.

There wasn’t much the teams could do but hope for the best. The Tatts pitch was steady with smallish bets, but the rail struggled to take a bottle on top of the lump, given that most of the business was for the short one.

At the off, the Tatts book held £975, a rouf of it that one bet and the rail £4205 you can do the maths on that one. There was little doubt about what was going to win the race from a long way out, Godolphin’s blue colours streaked clear, but no doubt, much to the chagrin of the £4000 punter, they were topped by a red cap.

The other one won, 4/1 Aegean Prince ridden by the recently unstoppable Oisin Murphy, evidently hadn’t got the memo and flew home, the jolly was well beaten. The firm got the money, the rail copped £3934 and Tatts £115.

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4:05 – BetMGM Noel Murless Stakes (Listed Race) (Class 1) (3yo) 1m6f (1m6f34y)

It was a similar format in the betting in the race before the penultimate. A bookmaker that had laid £13,000 – £8000 Push The Limit then hedged half of it with Lofty and Keiran on the rail.

That was pretty much their book while over in Tatts Ed from up North and Camera Shy Joe were grafting away in the drizzle, not laying anything of note but at the off it amounted to £913, the rails team eventually took another £430 which was an improvement on the previous race.

At the off, which was a rare front of the stands job, the team just needed the jolly beaten, it would pretty much ruin the day should it win.

Spoiler, not only did he not win but the ring got a 20/1 ‘result’ in the shape of Fantasy World.

The Tatts book had laid it but still copped £421 on the heat, Lofty and Keiran had a cop of £4320 to savour, as Kenny Rogers said, you can’t count it, well, you might not be able to count it but I did, going into the fifth Tatts were copping £1758 and the rail £11,000, two races to push and things were looking rosy.

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4:40 – BetMGM Handicap (Class 2) (3yo+ 0-105) 6f

The going had been declared soft between races, hardly surprising given the steady rain we’d enjoyed all afternoon.

Over on the rail, Lofty had laid £2500 – £500 Tuco Salamanca while Tatts hadn’t laid much. I had a surprise, Dean Valentine, wife Alison and daughter Millie came over to say hello, coincidentally they had a share in Tuco Salamanca though pro-punter Dean stressed the monkey hadn’t been his.

That was just as well as although running respectably, he wasn’t in the shake-up, it’s always great to see the Valentines, a lovely family.

The race went to Aramram which prevailed in a photo, both books copped a bit more, the rail £940 from a grand book including the monkey bet and Tatts £298 from £548 in the hod, the rain looked to have dampened business as well as the turf.

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5:15 – Victoria Racing Club Classified Stakes (Class 3) (3yo+ 0-90) 7f

The rain stopped as betting took place on the lucky last. Business was slow, well I say slow, very slow except a small matter of £18,000 – £300 each-way Shihoku in Tatts. It was bookie’s hedging money so hopefully another pin sticker rather than someone who knew more than everyone else.

Down by the rail, the new RDT person otherwise known as Scott, was being trained by old sweats Dominique and Grant who appeared to be doing a great job, though the deadly duo’s drinking advice, Old Rosie Cider and double Kraken Rum chasers might not be ideal on a work night, I’m sure the lad will do well.

Meanwhile, the rail had fielded £314 and Tatts £1974 in small money apart from the carpet each-way so not bad. The beer festival appeared to be in full swing up in the stands so Ed from up North and Camera Shy Joe did well.

The cherry on the day’s cake came in the form of 8/1 winner Angel Hunter winning which was a cop in both books. The Tatts pitch copped £1526 and the rail £230 which totalled a pitch combined just shy of £17,000 cop on the day. Very handy indeed on what really was a quiet Friday in the betting ring.

We’re back tomorrow.

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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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