SIMON NOTT BETTING BLOG: Ascot Saturday

When I woke up in my Travelodge this morning it sounded as if someone was having an early shower in the room next door, then I realised it was rain, tipping down it was too, I’m sure that wasn’t forecast, writes SIMON NOTT.

Luckily, by the time I got to the racecourse, it had stopped, and wasn’t too cold either. The first result of the day.

Star Sports had two pitches in operation today, Kaan, Keiran and Tony were betting on number one in the second row of Tatts and Lofty and Amberley down on the lower rail ensuring I’d get my steps in today, which was probably just as well after Armaloft and I hammered the exes on a steak and cheeseboard dessert last night, so calories need to be burned.

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12:25 – BetMGM Juvenile Hurdle (GBB Race) (Class 3) (4YO only) 1m 7½f

I was chatting to pro-punter Alan Potts before racing who made a real case for Talakan though with the caveat the horse had only been with Toby Lawes for a few weeks but at 16/1 I thought he was worth a couple of quid with the fractions.

Meanwhile, punters were going around the ring backing Novelista each-way 7/1 in 7/2 while there were plenty of takers for Winston Junior at 11/10 including £2000 at the price and a punter getting £400 at 6/5, down on the rail Lofty laid £1100 – £1000 too but with the opposition to the jolly hopes were high there could be a chance of getting it beaten. There wasn’t.

The bogie absolutely dotted up with Alan Potts’ fancy running a promising race to finish third, Novelista was unplaced. Tatts knocked out £3428 and the rail £1700 which was a bad start in anyone’s book, but onwards.

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1:00 – BetMGM Handicap Chase (GBB Race) (Class 3) (5YO plus) 3m

Between races, I bumped into Irish punter Andy who I last saw at Newbury. He was looking forward to Ascot today and Windsor tomorrow; he couldn’t believe the value for such good quality racing.

Several people came over to say they enjoy reading these blogs which is always very nice, Graham I remembered your name, another familiar face was Dylan Cunha owner Richard, last seen at the Ivy at York! If you do enjoy reading my work, please spread the word to your racing mates, it all helps, thank you.

Meanwhile, business was slow with just 34 slips in Tatts, but that did include a £4500 – £1000 In d’Or bringing the field money to £1630 but down on the rail they were busy, fielding only £1500 but taking more bets including £1800 – £400 also on In d’Or.

This time the race went the way of the firm, punters had appeared reticent to back the 13/8 jolly The Jukebox Kid so when he bolted up, relishing the soft going. Both books copped, Kaan’s band of merry men and Tony trousered £1338 while Lofty and Amberley kept hold of a monkey, Lofty likes to report a round figure.

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1:40 – BetMGM Warfield Mares’ Hurdle (Grade 2) (GBB Race) (Class 1) (4YO plus) 1m 7½f

Next up a punter came to the Tatts pitch and bet £5000-£6000 Old Park Star over at Haydock, Kaan was initially happy to lay such a lump given how poor the business was, but was not to chuffed watching it win unchallenged on the big screen.

Meanwhile, there was nothing doing, despite a smattering of punters milling about, the ring was desolate for a while then things picked up a bit. A punter bet £800- £1100 early another waded in for a later £500 – £600 La Conquiere in Tatts which at least made the race interesting, the team perked up when a known lumpy punter came to the joint, they stood easy again when he asked for 5/2 Joyeuse, a solid 9/4, so refused but were back to attention again when he evidently failed in his quest and had a grand on at ‘top of the head’ though that was a fairly modest bet for him. A trade hedge bet of £1000-£1200 ensured the jolly would go off the bogie but was easy to back at the off, evens with Star in Tatts losing £1492.

Well, I’ve not heard too many shouts of ‘Ooh Betty’ since ‘Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em’ was all the rage, younger readers will have to Google it, the 7/1 outsider of four Ooh Betty winning was a cracking result, copping £4360 in the Tatts book.

I walked briskly down to the Lower Rail expecting to hear Lofty talking in telephone numbers only to find Lofty copped just £150 from a £1500 book, lots of people know a Betty.

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2:20 – bet365 Handicap Chase (GBB Race) (Class 2) (5YO plus) 2m 5f

While I was still down on the rail, a punter bet £1750-£1000 Vincenzo, which shut Amberley and Lofty up having previously been taking the micky out of my clobber, the rotters. Several steps towards my daily total later I returned to the main ring to discover that they had been busy, Kaan, his merry men and Tony had laid £5000 at 13/8 Vincenzo plus a brace of trade grands at the same price, as someone used to say online, they were in it balls deep, even deeper when a face bet a further £2000 at 13/8 as the horses set off.

Oh dear.

Vincenzo won, he had to battle but won nonetheless, and the Tatts book lost over £15,000. Nasty. Down on the rail, Lofty and Amberley added to that by blowing a further £1900, it was shaping up to be a bad day, though at least it wasn’t raining.

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2:53 – BetMGM Holloway’s Handicap Hurdle (GBB Race) (Class 2) (4YO plus) 2m 3½f

Next up and once the punters had been paid out the Tatts pitch was deathly quiet, not just due to the somber mood of the team but the lack of punters. At the off they had taken just £1506 which included a £3000 – £1000 the winner Came From Nowhere.

Down on the rail, there was further misery to report, Lofty and Amberley had laid £7000 – £1000 each-way the runner-up, Tripoli Flyer so did their dough too, to the tune of £2200.

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3:30 – BetMGM Clarence House Chase (Grade 1) (GBB Race) (Class 1) (5YO plus) 2m 1f

There were just four runners for the feature race, with Il Etait Temps opening the 4/9 favourite. That price attracted a bet of £2000 – £4500, then 2/5 another £2000 – £5000 followed by £11,000 – £2000 Jonbon, those bets ensured that the possibly of plunging deeper into the red was real but partially getting out also on the cards with that much money in the hod. Down on the rail, Lofty and Amberley took a further £2000 Il Etait Temps at 4/9 in their ultimately £4200 book.

The punters who lumped on the jolly did their money when he fell two out, Gidleigh Park had already pulled up leaving Jonbon and Thistle Ask to battle it out for the spoils, Jonbon did the business for his loyal backers, the roar from whom you could have been excused for thinking he was the market favourite, Lofty’s book lost £100 and Kaan’s £1194, they had bet without too but only attracted £45 in bets.

Ominously, the dreaded black screens went up around the stricken jolly but thankfully he was up on his feet after a fretful wait where I’m sure the worst was feared.

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4:05 – BetMGM EBF ‘National Hunt’ Novices’ Hurdle (GBB Race) (Class 3) (4YO to 7YO) 2m 5½f

After all the drama and excitement, the meeting fizzled out like a soggy firework, Lofty and Amberley fielded £1300 while Kaan and the lads took just £688. You could predict that given the amounts bet in the last the ring would enjoy a result, 14/1 winner Whiskey Yankee providing it.

The Tatts pitch copped £205 and Lofty a grand, even though it was a step in the right direction back, a £32,000 losing day isn’t great for a January Saturday.

I’m told there’ll be a decent crowd at Windsor tomorrow, read all about it.

Simon Nott

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

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