SIMON NOTT BETTING BLOG: Cheltenham Friday

The day started horribly for your scribe…

‘It’s off’ hollered Mrs Nott, I was pretty sure that ‘it’, being Cheltenham, wasn’t off, ‘Good, Good to Soft in places’ with not much rain forecast was the last I heard.

Needless to say, I still rushed to Mrs Nott as I’d always do when she was in distress. ‘Look’ she cried thrusting her phone at me. Indeed, a graphic did scream ‘Racing Abandoned Friday 27th October’, before devastation could set in I checked the ‘X’ Twitter account that posted it.

A certain Martin Chapman, aka Star’s favoured hired gun Lofty. Luckily, for Cheltenham at least, it was indeed ‘Sad news from Cheltenham’ but not referring to it, rather other less fortunate flat meetings. Yes, very funny Lofty, you wag. On top of that scare, sadly, for me at least, as you can see, I’m a non-runner for my intended return to the turf.

This should be the last time, it’s better safe than sorry in the health stakes.

1:35 – Foundation Developments Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle (Class 3) (3YO plus) 2m ½f

By the first time I heard from Lofty, Nick and Tony, the team on course they’d been busy and already bought a copy of ‘From Bicycle To Bentley’ from Stephen Little and taken a bet of £4000 – £1200 each-way Jason The Militant. Luckily for the firm Jason The Militant, by far the biggest bet on the race, was unplaced which helped a handy £800 cop in the book despite 9/2 joint favourite Our Champ absolutely bolting up. It’s clever standing them for more than you took when they get beaten.

The Office didn’t miss the winner, but weren’t too upset telling me, ‘It was a lively start with lots of each-way business driven by the five places on offer, we can’t gripe the race was only a small loser despite 9/2 favourite Our Champ winning comfortably.’

2:10 – squareintheair.com Novices’ Chase (GBB Race) (Class 2) (4YO plus) 2m

My Mate Mozzie sauntered up the Cheltenham hill to win the next so easily his SP of 4/7 looked absolute gift. I feared the worst for the on-course team. That was just the sort of winner that could have seen a bag man lump on at the racecourse. Phew, it was a relief when Lofty messaged to say that they’d only laid one bet of any note at all. £2000 – £200 Maid In Clover with just bits and pieces for the others. At the off, just the favourite was winning in the book. Did Lofty have a lean up? Hats off to him if he did, he couldn’t have been more right, this time. The Star Sports readies were still intact after two winning jollies.

The office had a similar story, maybe the ease of the winner’s victory was a surprise to the big-hitting punters, the message from Hove HQ was ‘The second race from Cheltenham was a light betting heat with a disappointing field of four, but probably just as well with My Mate Mozzie comfortably justifying his short odds.’

2:45 – TrustATrader Novices’ Hurdle (GBB Race) (Class 2) (4YO plus) 2m 4f

Loft messaged to say that there was a decent crowd at Cheltenham for a Friday. I can understand, it’s been a long time for the faithful to wait to get back on course. There was decent business on the rail as well as a few bets flying around to put the meat into blogs like this. In this race those included a monkey each-way El Elefante at 7/2 and £250 each-way at 16/1 Push The Button. There was money for the 11/4 favourite Encanto Bruno but only of the modest denomination variety. Once again, given the way the jolly won, the lack of serious support was surprising. Lofty reported that the win book lost £100 but the places, both each-way bogies out of the frame, saved the day.

The overall picture of the race was that the firm won £700 on the heat. Three winning races over three winning favourites, it’s not really playing the game is it Lofty, I do hope the team wasn’t giving it the ‘Aye Aye’ in earshot of his neighbouring bookies probably doing their cobblers. My old boss Jack Lynn used to enjoy shouting ‘Come on all of you’ when he was overs for a nifty and the jolly was jumping the last clear. RIP the king of the rubdown.

While the betting on course was brisk, it wasn’t quite the same in the office, they told me ‘This was another light betting heat, but a good spread on the front three resulted in just a small loss on the impressive Encanto Bruno.’

3:20 – 2023 Thoroughbred Census Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase (GBB Race) (Class 3) (4YO plus) 2m 4f

The weather was OK down here in Devon as I watched them go down for the fourth on the TV. It was a different story up at the coal face on the rail at Cheltenham where it was tipping it down. Nick, Tony and Lofty were doing their best to drag the punters in, but it was raining. Waterproof as tweed is when you are dashing to the bookies, the punters didn’t seem keen on risking it.

The team only fielded £750 despite working like heroes. As luck would have it, and luck did appear to be on the side of Star Sports’ good guys thus far, they kept £400 of it when 5/1 chance Idalko Bihoue won the race under Sam Twiston-Davies. ‘The rain spoilt the race, it was a nothing book with four small losers’ was Lofty’s summing up. He neglected to mention that it was also the fourth winning race in a row.

It wasn’t a good story from the Hove office, they reported ‘A poor result, not helped by laying a £10,000 – £2000 the winner’.

3:55 – Skybet Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 2) (Registered As The Sharp Novices’ Hurdle) (GBB Race) (Class 1) (4YO plus) 2m ½f

The race before the penultimate came alive across the firm. ‘Willie The Builder all the rage’ was the message from the office. They’d laid bets of £18,000 – £6000 and £6000 – £2000, while on course Lofty, Nick and Tony had taken £3000 – £1000 the same horse along with a bet of £4500 – £750 Kansimas. All the betting talk on the TV was the ‘gamble’ on Toto To backed into 13/8 favourite but neither the rails or the office saw anything substantial for it.

Approaching the second last the bogie Williethebuilder looked a real danger but making a Horlicks of that obstacle put paid to his chances, fourth place beckoned. Lookaway winning at 9/2 from Kamsinas was an excellent result for the firm in a race which could have knocked the day at HQ and on course bandy. Lofty didn’t bother with too many words, just saying, ‘We copped £2300 here, so escaped’.

The office summed the race up by messaging, ‘That was a warm betting heat and the first decent Cheltenham result of the day.’

4:30 – Close Brothers Amateur Jockeys’ Handicap Chase (Class 3) (4YO plus) 3m 1f

The penultimate looked a difficult race to solve but it didn’t stop the punters, possibly flush after favourable results, having a pop at it. Racegoers bet £3000 – £250 Court Master, the same bet Tim Pat and £1800 – £200 One True King with the rails team.

All those were donated to the good ship Star Sports but a punter who invested £50 each-way Wick Green at 40/1 was rewarded when his fancy finished third at 33/1. The 9/1 winner Mole Court was still a £600 cop in Lofty’s book, a clean sweep of winning races going into the lucky last.

The team working under a not fully extendable mush, wearing I’m told not so waterproof jackets and under a next-door umbrella that was doubling up as a shower on them were no doubt by now dreaming of a couple of pints and feed on staff welfare. Just one more race to push.

Once again, it wasn’t such a good result for the Hove office, they reported: ‘Another popular race for the each-way backers, Mole Court was well supported and delivered a level book at best.’

5:05 – Abu Dhabi Digital Markets Handicap Hurdle (Class 3) (3YO plus) 2m 4f

Anyone that reads these betting ring reports will know that it’s never a good idea to emulate my old mate Armaloft Alex and prematurely celebrate a winner or indeed winning day. The punters did their best to try and ruin Lofty, Tony and Nick’s day and good night out on the firm. Not least the backer that bet a £9000 – £1000 Rambo T. I know, I can hardly believe it myself, how many times do I have to say it, all he had to say was £1100 with the fractions and he’d have got an extra 10/1 to £100 an eventual 7/1 chance which finished third.

There was also a bet of £4500 – £1000 over 4/1 fourth-placed Soul Icon. The good news is, neither bet were each-way. The 28/1 winner Pinnacle Peak really was the cherry on the top of a great day for the team on course. They enjoyed seven winning races with this one a skinner for £2500. That’s a cracking winning day and a record of sorts, when did the firm have seven winning races in a row?

Maybe Stephen’s book was a lucky purchase, best buy another tomorrow!

The office copped too, their final message read: ‘Popular finale and hopefully bodes well for tomorrow, with Pinnacle Peak appearing to run through all four seasons to get the firm back on the front foot’.

The final winner of the day, at least for those who are planning a trip to Cheltenham this season, I’ve just read James Steven’s Racing Post piece, ‘Beer on course is not gong up this year’ – Aye Aye.

We’re back tomorrow.

SIMON NOTT

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

Simon Nott is author of: Skint Mob! Tales from the Betting Ring
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