SIMON NOTT BETTING BLOG: Ascot Saturday

Back at Ascot today, the crowd was as expected up on yesterday’s meagre gathering, writes SIMON NOTT.

Star Sports boasted three pitches, two in Tatts manned by Russ on his tod, Kieran and Dan while over on the rail Tony and Jessica took on the punters in the members. The weather was warmer than yesterday too, just about shirt sleeve order in Tatts in the shade of the stand.

Star Sports’ staff greeted, I wandered down to the lower rail to say hello and welcome to the betting ring to 18-year-old Archie Bailey, working on the Stevie Stretch joint, the UK’s youngest bookmaker. Ahh, to be just starting out in this great game again; wishing you a bright future, Archie.

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1:55 – Schweppes Handicap (Class 2) (3YO plus)

The first race on the card featured a short one in Thunder Call. The rails pitch took a grand at 5/4 early, which was a good sign, at least one larger punter was in attendance. That was the only bet of anywhere near that size taken on the race though, at the off the book held £2341 over the three pitches.

The £1000 was well placed, the jolly won easily, returned evens and cost the firm £845. There were a few people about so despondency didn’t set in though not even in pitch number one where Mark was still smiling despite being shadowed by a bag man.

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2:10 – tote.co.uk Money Back 2nd Handicap (Heritage Handicap) (GBBPlus Race) (Class 2) (3YO only)

Things livened up somewhat in the next when Heyzoom attracted a £5000 bet at 15/8 then a £6000 wager at 13/8. There were other bets tendered in the race but no lumps, the total field money on the heat totalled £12,515 with the jolly red for just shy of £20,000, a result was needed.

Kieran got so excited when 20/1 chance Turty Tree just shaded out Neil Channing’s selection 7/1 Decade Of Time he nearly took out my right knacker, thankfully only delivering a glancing blow. Of course, the winner was a cracking result for the ring, not least Star Sports who copped £12,167.

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2:45 – tote 75k Guaranteed Placepot Today EBF ‘Confined’ Maiden Fillies’ Stakes (GBB Race) (Class 2) (2YO only)

Just the four went to post for the third heat where they were all guaranteed a squeeze of the ketchup from £12,189 for winning and £1524 compensation for bringing up the rear.

Favourite to win was Pensando A Te at 5/4. Let’s just say the race didn’t capture the betting public’s imagination; the race was off with rarely a ripple from the crowd who had invested just £1324 in the Star Sports’ combined hods.

The jolly won with barely a cheer from the crowd, but the firm copped £141.50, which would have made Ben smile standing just over the road at Kempton Park where Constitution Hill was about to run.

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3:25 – Silent Pool Gin ‘Confined’ Handicap (Class 3) (3YO only)

People appeared a beat deflated after Constitution Hill’s defeat at Kempton, though those people didn’t include the bookmakers that bet on the race, happy to lay the horse that appeared underpriced, but weight of money makes a market.

Meanwhile, Star Sports were concentrating on betting on the fourth home heat, where Gavriel opened 7/4 to win the race. It was a 15/8 chance when a punter invested £1875-£1000, not long after another bet £5000 – £1500 Kahin which came from a neighbouring bookmaker on the rail, started a roll on that one. Those were the two bets of note from a book that ultimately held £4223 with Kahin the solitary bogie a loser for just over what they’d taken.

The market got this race horribly wrong, the punter that bet Gavriel at 15/8 got it right, though might have wished he’d hung fire for the 5/2 SP he won at, meanwhile the bookie that hedged at 10/3 Kahin got the value he couldn’t eat, despite the gambled on colt the first one beaten. The book copped £725 over the original jolly which was very handy.

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4:00 – Download The tote App British EBF Premier Fillies’ Handicap (Str) (Class 2) (3YO plus)

The Food and Wine Saturday race crowd, although plentiful in number, weren’t supping on the delights of value betting in the ring for the race before the penultimate. Maybe they’d uncorked a second bottle, tucked into dessert or both but they certainly weren’t betting.

As the horses were going down takings looking pitiful only given an element of respect with a couple or three £100 bets late on to bring it to £1615 with a peppering of losers in the book. Poor old Kieran was looking at a nice few quid had True Test won, the 11/1 chance was beaten a head by 25/1 chance Applesandpears with the cheers of bookies who had taken any sort of money ringing in his ears, it’s a tough game.

The book won £995 which was handy but no consolation to the big lad.

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4:35 – Club26 Handicap (Class 2) (3YO plus)

Next up a 15 runner handicap, I went down to see Russ who looked underworked. He was gazing longingly at some bins. I asked why he was looking at bins frankly in a way he shouldn’t. He replied that the bins were occupying his first choice of pitch when he was asked to choose one, but the bins had been placed there instead. In all that time he’d not had a sniff of a bet, yes it was that poor I wrote a paragraph about bins.

It wasn’t a lot busier elsewhere on the firm’s on-course estate either; Dan and Kieran, Tony and Jess hadn’t taken much more than a grand between them. At the off the book held £1217, it’s hard to see how people even get their exes off such business without a big dollop of luck. Star Sports got their dollop, Havana Blue winning at 11/2 copped £499. Kieran didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, his each-way bet on Fifty Nifty struck at 33/1 finished runner-up at 12/1. He’s a bit of a judge on the quiet, our Kieran.

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5:10 – tote.co.uk For Racing & Sports Betting Handicap (Class 2) (3YO plus)

Going into the lucky last, despite my moaning and groaning about the poor business Star Sports had amassed £14,206 thanks to fortuitous results when they had actually taken some money.

The mop had flopped in favour of the good guys and with no big punters in sight and a 4/1 the field race to close the card hopes were high that there would be some in the hod to count after racing. There would be, at the off there was just £1176 in combined books, 14/1 chance Maelstrom won the race, the book won £265.50 topping off what had been in monetary terms a good day but in general very disappointing in terms of business.

I’m back with Star Sports at Fontwell 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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