SIMON NOTT BETTING BLOG: Brighton Festival Thursday

Day Two of the Star Sports-sponsored Brighton meeting was Ladies Day and once again a very big crowd with the ladies, lots of ladies, in their finery, writes SIMON NOTT.

2:30 – ⭐ Star Property Group Apprentice Handicap (Class 4) (3YO plus) 7f

It didn’t take long for betting to get going, a punter had a monkey at 9/4 King Of War early. Unfortunately, there was very little else of substance offered to top the book up until late on when the team laid £800 – £200 and £2000 – £500 Local Bay.

Talking of the team today, they were Steve and Lofty with a star addition, Dave Clark who is more likely to be seen on Greyhound tracks than racecourses. He was having his first go at taking bets on course, ever.

At the off, Local Bay was the bogie for over £2000, he was beaten a long way out, a massive price in running. The trouble was he ran on well to win the race. Nobody could quite believe it, that’s racing and also a very bad start to the day’s proceedings.

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3:00 – ⭐ Star Insurance Restricted Maiden Stakes (GBB Race) (Class 5) (2YO only) 7f

The Jazz band were doing the rounds again this afternoon and were blooming excellent entertaining the crowds around the racecourse. The next race featured a 1-12 shot which looked a certainty, I advised Dave Clark that on his first day he should be a billy big bollox and shout ‘I’ll take a £12,000 to £1000’ at the top of his voice to endear himself the other bookies and punters alike, he didn’t seem keen.

He would have swapped that for the bollocking he got from a lady who owns a dog called Sunningdale, young Clark has called the dog ‘quirky’, she wasn’t happy but delivered her dressing down in a very dignified and pleasant manner, but dressed down he was.

During betting Tanya Stevenson and Nick Rust came to say hello to Dave Clark, they didn’t bollock him, which was a refreshing change for him I’m sure. There were unsurprisingly no punters wanting £12,000 to win £1000 Praetorian or even when the team went 1/9.

Ultimately the book had three losers two for £900 and one a monkey. The favourite won as expected and the book copped £85 so had the value.

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3:30 – ⭐ Star Community Housing Handicap (Class 6) (4YO plus) 1m

Next up and a much more competitive heat, though there are only six runners. The Star Social Media team of Amberley, Lewis and Jordan were roaming the racecourse interviewing interesting people and Lofty and Amberley appeared to be pretty good at cracking the metaphorical whip. Nobody needed the whip cracking at the joint, Dave Clark had gotten into the groove in no time and was fielding bets like an old pro.

The bets in this race were fast but not thick, the biggest bets were £750 – £300 OJ Lifestyle and €800 – €200 Poetic Force, Euros welcome on course. What wasn’t welcome was the rain that started to fall. That got punters dashing from the chairs they were enjoying the sun into the stands or below them.

One gentleman dressed for the sun heading for cover was good enough to stop and say how much he enjoyed the blogs and how they reminded him of the days you could read the big bets in the sporting press.

Thanks John, that was very kind of you to say. Sadly, I’ve already mentioned the big bets in this race and only one of them would have made the paper. That was the one on the winner, OJ Lifestyle, the bogie in the book which lost £1200.

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4:00 – ⭐ Star Construction & Maintenance Brighton Challenge Cup Handicap (Class 4) (3YO plus) 1m 4f

As Betting got underway for the fourth race, rain was teaming down and the betting ring was virtually deserted apart from those few hardy punters who ventured out. Less hardy was head of on-course Steve who pulled rank on poor Lofty who was now stood on the joint taking bets because he remembered to pack a waterproof.

Steve tapped the bets in on the computer which apparently isn’t a very arduous job and somewhat dryer under the mush. Linda betting on the Sam Harris joint asked where ‘fair weather’ Simon was. In the rain within earshot Linda!

Open Secret was the 13/8 favourite for the race, while the rain did understandably slow betting enough punters came out for a bet to ensure the race wasn’t a total washout. Then, as the rain teemed down and the horses were going down, just when the firm least expected it a punter bet two grand on Open Secret at 13/8, on the card machine which saved counting slippery notes in the precipitous conditions. As it turned out this race held the most money of the afternoon so far.

Salvation for the book came in the shape of Lexington Knight winning at 13/2, the favourite and absolute bogie tried to make all but fell into a metaphorical hole way before the business end of the race. The firm were then in the enviable position of it just being how much they were going to win. £1550 is the answer to that question and very welcome it was too.

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4:30 – ⭐ Alfriston Gardens Classified Stakes (Class 6) (3YO plus) 1m 4f

One of the first bets taken in the penultimate was £2000 to £600 Temur Khan which was the favourite in what looked like a very competitive and tricky to solve nine runner event. Behind the joint Dave Clarke now saturated in his suit and trainers was wondering why he had ever signed up for the job Lofty meanwhile in his raincoat was quite smug taking the bets on the front of the joint.

As betting was taking place for the fifth race, the best-dressed ladies were announced, the winners did very well to put a brave face on it posing it in their extremely soggy finery. Having said that, collecting their prizes bottles of champagne probably eased their chagrin somewhat. As the rain drizzled down, I feel I have to admit some responsibility. I was speaking to Emma on the Bob Stock joint earlier while we were bathed in sunshine saying I’ve never been here when it’s been bad weather, that’ll teach me.

At the off the book was holding £1010 including the places, Temur Khan was a loser for £2015, meanwhile Lofty declared the rain of the really wet variety, he wasn’t wrong everyone and everything was soaked. Out on the turf Foinix winning the race at 9/2 and copping £700 in the book eased the misery of the weather somewhat.

Credit too, new recruit Dave Clark was given the opportunity by Steve to take an early bath but the absolute trooper declined saying he’d not leave the ship, it wasn’t exactly sinking but definitely taking on water. It’s fair to say Dave had been given the full racecourse baptism, almost the absolute full treatment apart the fact the rain was warm!

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5:00 – ⭐ Alfristongardens.Co.Uk Classified Stakes (Class 6) (3YO plus) 7f

Thankfully the rain had eased off somewhat for betting on the lucky lucky last, a race where there were just seven runners but they bet 3/1 the field. Going into the race the book was losing £900 on the day so it wasn’t beyond the realms of possibility that they could get out on the day. Of course, it all depended on how much they could take and if they could keep some of it.

A bet of £1400 at 11/4 the favourite River Wharfe and then £200 each-way at SP Sir Titan assured that they could win on the day, the hard part was now to get the bogies beaten, which as the horses were going behind were bad for £3073 and £1422 respectively the latter losing depending on the SP should it be successful.

Sadly, and this is a sad ending, so anyone with a sensitive disposition may not want to read on. River Wharfe won easily rewarding his plucky backers and ensuring the book lost on the race, £2800 after the places so £3700 on the day, topping off a damp squib of a day in the turf. It’s still better than a proper job, we’re back tomorrow minus Clarky with whom it was a pleasure to work with.

They tell me tomorrow will be scorchio.

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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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