SIMON NOTT BETTING BLOG: Cheltenham Friday

It didn’t take long for Cheltenham Gold Cup day to kick in, writes SIMON NOTT.

The Star Sports pitches were up early and caught a lump, £120,000 – £20,000 each-way Minella Study laid by Lofty. The punter had initially asked Mike Smith on the back row, and Mike had offered him £1500 each way. The punter wanted it all on in one go, so Mike’s son Alex led him to Lofty. Just two hours before the first.

Today’s teams had undergone a small change. Emily was back, replacing Nick, who’d headed to Sunny Donny. Otherwise, it was as we were yesterday.

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⭕ 1:20 – JCB Triumph Hurdle (Grade 1) (GBB Race) (Class 1) (4YO only) 2m 1f

By the time the horses had gone to post, it became apparent that Lofty had done nothing wrong laying the big bet that had drifted to 8/1 in places.

The one the punters had latched onto was Proactif, bet into 7/2, including a bet of £9000 – £2000 in Tatts which fielded £13,000. God knows what the rails took, but it was busy.

Today, Tatts was heaving, so I couldn’t get anywhere near Lofty and Co given the huge crowd. What I do know is that, thanks to Minella Study finishing third, they lost £7000 despite the ring enjoying a tremendous 50/1 result when Apolon De Charnie won the race from Maestro Conti.

There was better news from the more placid Tatts pitch, which copped £12,123, so a winning heat across the firm, though it was certainly disappointing given the magnitude of the result. It was massive for the family firms who’d just got their exes and needed today for the wages.

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⭕ 2:00 – William Hill County Handicap Hurdle (Premier Handicap) (GBB Race) (Class 1) (5YO plus) 2m 1f

Next up, and volleys of decent bets were fired in, £36,000 – £3000 Wilful, £9000 – £2000 each-way Karbau trade and £33,000 – £3000 Murcia bet in quick succession across the two pitches.

Glennn with three N’s came to say hello, as did an empty Bollinger bottle that went rolling down through the ring. The party had started, Glennn with three N’s is a regular at big meetings and likes the blogs, thanks for coming over. The same goes for Simon, who reads them to get himself to sleep at night, keep reading them, thank you.

There was a time when the County Hurdle was the getting out stakes and people were keen to get stuck in, hoping to batter their way out of trouble on the lucky last. Now it’s the second race on the card, they aren’t so open-shouldered when betting on it though at 9/2 the field, you can hardly blame them. After the big opening bets, the majority of wagers were public money size.

At the off, Tatts held £14,750 and the rail just over £10,000. Once again, the result was a tale of two pitches, 14/1 chance Wilful winning was a £10,000 winner in the Tatts book, but I’ll draw your attention to the aforementioned bet over on the rail, despite laying it shorter than SP, they knocked out over £30,000 on the race. It was hardly surprising that there was decent money for the winner, as previous #BettingPeople interviewees Andrews, Lowrie and Gibson, put the winner up to their clients.

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⭕ 2:40 – Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase (Registered As The Liberthine Mares’ Chase) (Grade 2) (GBB Race) (Class 1) (5YO plus) 2m 4½f

Next up, and the first short one of the day in Dinoblue, bets were plentiful but small in the context of this meeting.

The Tatts pitch took £1200 and £1400 bets at 11/8 on the jolly, while with 10 minutes to go, the rail’s biggest bet on the jolly was £1000. Tatts laid £1500 – £500 Panic Attack, then £1100 – £800 bookie’s hedging, then a monkey from the floor the jolly.

Meanwhile, up in the stands, a lady had dropped her hat from the level above. The crowd did their best to bounce it back up, and they succeeded after around 20 attempts to a huge roar, though I’m guessing the millinery was mankier than when first donned.

Back to the pitches at the off, both were just up the jolly, the Tatts pitch held £13,000 and the rails £11,500. Alan Potts told me he thought Dinoblue would win but wasn’t at the price he’d be backing at, plenty did and plenty roared ‘Dino Dino’ when she won going away, Tatts knocked out £14,600 and the rail £9500.

Kaan was stoic, observing that they’d have something to play up before the big one. Ben left the building.

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⭕ 3:20 – Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1) (Registered As The Spa Novices’ Hurdle) (GBB Race) (Class 1) (5YO plus) 3m

Next up, and the Albert Bartlett which had no doubt been dissected to death at Cheltenham previews up and down the land, now it was time to find out who knew.

One of the first bets in Star’s Tatts book was £3000 – £1000 Doctor Steinberg from a cash punter followed by a bet called in over the punters’ heads by the trade, £15,000 – £5000.

Over on the rail, they’d laid a £12,000 – £4000 also to the trade, there was a whole lot more trade money flying about this year, which was handy. The rest was small public cash. A late £2750 – £1000 the jolly was also trade adding to the £11,385 Tatts book, the rail held £9218.

Johnny’s Jury won at 20/1, not many people would have tipped that one. It started to tip down icy rain during the race, and the crowd scattered for cover. Tatts copped £8595, the rail copped £7000, the worm had maybe turned?

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🏆 4:00 – Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup Chase (Grade 1) (GBB Race) (Class 1) (5YO plus) 3m 2½f

Next up was the Gold Cup, where the firm decided to get stuck into what most judges had described as a very tricky heat.

Kaan went 3/1 Gaelic Warrior and was soon obliged to the tune of £15,000 – £5000 and £6000 – £2000 off the floor, followed by £3000 – £1000 trade. The rain relented, which saw the public emerge from their cover and get stuck in too.

Over on the rail, Lofty had ‘had enough’ drips were dropping down his neck and was fed up with everything. I pointed out he’d been fun all week and only had three races to remain cheerful, which appeared to cheer him up. Aye Aye.

It was all public money, over there too smallish and plentiful. Back over on the Tatts pitch, they’d been asked for and laid £12,500 at 2/5 Ireland to win the Prestbury Cup; you never know what you are going to lay.

Over on the rail, they’d laid £2500 – £1000 Gaelic Warrior, which was the biggest laid so far, but they had still taken five figures and rising. Lofty said it was like a Saturday, and Flynn wanted snacks. Nipping off for snacks was a nice idea three minutes before the Gold Cup, but not all that practical.

The Tatts pitch were still tapping away, taking fivers, tenners and forecasts adding up to over £23,000 in the hod and the jolly red for over £41,000.

The Gold Cup was run in glorious sunshine but ended in misery for the firm. Gaelic Warrior won unchallenged, Tatts lost £40,800 and the rail over £8000, which was a massive reversal, so much for a fill the hod tricky heat. No worms turning here my friends.

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⭕ 4:40 – Princess Royal Challenge Cup Open Hunters’ Chase (Class 2) (5YO plus) 3m 2½f

While the professional jockeys headed for their cars, it was time for the amateurs and apprentices to do their stuff.  The Hunter Chase attracts the best riders from England and Ireland and punters who know their stuff.

The rail attracted what they thought was live business, £48,000 – £6000 and €40,000 – €5000 over last year’s winner Wonderwall. Then another punter waded in on the rails with £1800 on Golden Son at 20/1.

Meanwhile, over on the Tatts pitch, they were struggling to take a bet due to the number of punters who had backed the winner.  At the off, they’d taken £1777 on the race, poor by any Festival standards. The rail had fielded £18,119 helped by the big bets already mentioned.

We were treated to an excellent race in which 9/2 chance Barton Snow landed a gamble by a neck, getting the firm a few quid back when others might have lost. Tatts copped £400 and the rail £11,500, easing what had been a bad day a little, though going into the last race, the rails were down £35,000 and Tatts £26,000 so a Houdini-esque get out on the day looked unlikely.

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⭕ 5:20 – Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle (GBB Race) (Class 2) (4YO plus) 2m 4½f

So here we are, the lucky last, the 9/2 the field getting out stakes. There didn’t appear to be any getting out for the firm, but getting some back was certainly in the cards.

There was a buzz around the course regarding the previous winner, previous #BettingPeople interviewees were on fire, Darran Pearce put the winner up to his followers, and independently, Jerry White did to the nation on ITV Racing. It’s amazing there are any bookies left in business!

Back here, the betting had dropped off to a trickle. Some hardy punters were getting stuck in with small bets, but it didn’t appear that many needed to get out. Wagers were modest with no bets of any note on either pitch taken as the horses were going to post.

At the off, after another false start, the rails had taken £6000 and Tatts just over £5000. The race appeared to be a rough one with any number of horses in it jumping the last, eventually going to 10/1 chance Air Of Entitlement, which cost the Tatts pitch £850. Over on the rail, they copped £1600 so at least ended the meeting on a winning note.

Spare a thought for poor Rio shivering on the rail, he wanted runner-up Hot Fuzz for £10,000, but he did back it each-way. That’s the way the mop flops. Did Star win on the week? I think so, I’m not sure, but nobody knew!

We’re back at Exeter on Tuesday, where it might be a tad quieter!

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

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