SIMON NOTT BETTING BLOG: Cheltenham Friday
It’s always fantastic to be back at Cheltenham, today’s meeting boasted a competitive card with plenty of runners, the dry forecast an added bonus.
The team today were Nick, Lofty and head of on-course Steve. They photograph well, don’t they? Like a manufactured boy band aimed at ladies of a certain age. Too sexy for their new Star Sports jackets? Answers on a postcard.
The crowd didn’t look massive but as is often the case on the Friday of a meeting it’s the day the more serious punters turn up. At least one was spotted early, my favourite bagman, it’s a shame he has to stay incognito, he’s a nice chap. You’ll come second if you take him on mind, but there still appear to be plenty of bookmakers that will.
He can bet with Star Sports if the price is on the board but he didn’t get involved in the first, at least not with Steve and co.
12:05 – British EBF ‘National Hunt’ Novices’ Hurdle (GBB Race) (Class 3) (4YO to 6YO) 2m 1f
I was speaking to Robert on the George Cooper joint before racing, they’d done their money over the last few days. The short ones having gone in one after another offered them very little hope. I suggested they’d be due a change of luck today as it was Cheltenham, and it wouldn’t be so easy for the punters.
Maybe I shouldn’t really offer unqualified advice. Fergal O’Brien’s Dysart Enos was backed from ‘tips-against’ that’s 11/10, into 5/6 and bolted up under Paddy Brennan.
Anyone old enough to know the slang for 5/6 if there is any please let me know. Besides, there was plenty of ‘tips-on’ on the course at the off, come racing. The biggest single bet Lofty reported on the winner was £100, but there were a few of them resulting in the book doing £900 on the race, not a great start but at least they weren’t clobbered by something really lumpy.
12:40 – Cheltenham & South-West Racing Club Novices’ Chase (GBB Race) (Class 2) (4YO plus) 2m 4½f
Between races, I spotted professional punter Andy Gibson and his wife Emma talking to another well-connected face who’d probably rather not be mentioned.
Sadly, there were no pearls of wisdom forthcoming, not that I asked, I’m far too professional of course. Money talked though, the best-backed horse with Star Sports in the heat was Grey Dawning, Steve, Lofty and Nick laid a fellow bookmaker £2500 – £1000. The boss himself hopped away from the computer to have the bet so could well have laid a decent chunk himself.
At the off, Grey Dawning was a 9/4 chance and losing £2500 in the book, the only loser.
The bookmaker that had the bet brought the grand up when race was still running and the bogie going ominously well. Maybe it was a superstitious thing hoping he’d put the hex on the jolly. If it was then he’ll probably pay on during the race again, Grey Dawning would have surely won by half the track had he not clobbered the second last. He was only three-quarters of a length back in second behind Paul Nicholls’ Ginny’s Destiny at the line.
That was some feat after a mistake that would have knocked the stuffing out of most combinations.
The book won £600, ‘the best backed other horse in the race’.
1:15 – Catesby Estates Handicap Hurdle (Class 3) (3YO plus) 2m 1f
The third race was a good betting heat, at least in so much as the punters wanted to be on several horses, but not to big stakes. The first interesting bet wasn’t with Star Sports and was not actually a bet either. A punter asked the firm next door for a monkey each-way Thecompanysergeant at 20/1. He was offered a perfectly respectable half of it but wasn’t interested and wanted the lot on in one place. I’m sure he was accommodated elsewhere but I was always taught to always take what you are offered, evidently not everyone is of the same opinion.
The biggest bet Star Sports took on the race was a carpet, £2100 – £300 on the runner-up Doddiethegreat. Of course, the punter could have had a £2000 – £280 but didn’t. I was more pleased to see a punter back Nigel Hawke’s Donnacha £500 – £80 that’s 6/1 with the fractions, always ask for them, come racing.
Ultimately both of those were in the shake-up, Doddiethegreat runner-up and Donnacha dead-heated for third behind Olly Murphy’s Go Dante which won under a spirited ride from Sean Bowen. The winner took the book, which was OK and a bullet dodged as a touch had been landed, one firm were 9/1 this morning but was returned 7/2 favourite. Yes, another jolly old jolly.
1:50 – Cheltenham Racecourse Food Bank Collection Mares’ Handicap Chase (Class 3) (4YO plus) 2m 4½f
Spoiler alert, it was staring to get a little relentless. La Malmason the 11/4 favourite won the fourth race. The biggest bet Steve, Lofty and Nick laid was a bottle at 3/1. That was one of two £200 bets, the largest on the race, the second was £1400 – £200 Walk In Clover which looked to be going as well as any approaching the last but found little, ultimately finishing fourth.
After the places, the book lost £200 which seems to be a recurring figure in this paragraph.
2:25 – Unibet Middle Distance Chase Series Veterans’ Handicap Chase (Class 2) (10YO plus) 2m 4½f
The race before the penultimate, the 9/2 the field handicap was as these types of races often are, relatively quiet down in the ring. ‘Pretty dead to be honest’ was Lofty’s summing up of the race. At the off, the book had two losers, Storm Control the worst losing a neves, £700 and Top Ville Ben a monkey £500 with Le Ligerien a taker.
Cepage won the race returning 11/2 that was a spin around of the firm’s fortunes, not favourite and a winner for a monkey with two heats to go. Regular readers might be wondering why I have mentioned Lofty several times today but have not yet used the word grumpy. Well, here’s why, his old greyhound racing pal Sarah was at the races, and he’s always happy to see her.
3:00 – Glenfarclas Crystal Cup Cross Country Handicap Chase (GBB Race) (Class 2) (5YO plus) 3m 5½f
While the rails bookmakers waited, mostly forlornly for a punter to have a bet in the penultimate I had a chat with a betting ring legend. Gary Wiltshire was in a good mood, he had just come back from a break in Benidorm, after today’s results I got the impression that he wished he was still there.
It was a losing day so far for him, and I’m guessing everyone else. Still, there were two races to go so far too early to resign to defeat just yet.
A fly in the ointment was that the penultimate was the cross-country race. The race where there’s a massive surge in water usage at the racecourse as the betting ring empties of staff who make a leisurely trip to the ablutions. They can afford to amble and take time over their comfort break as the field go around and around and around until the favourite wins.
Today’s favourite, which won under Gina Andrews for Dan Skelton, was Latenightpass and returned 3/1. The book lost £100. It could have been much worse had the crowd been interested in betting on the race, or had the £1100 bogie Minella Indo won.
3:35 – Citipost Handicap Hurdle (GBB Race) (Class 2) (4YO plus) 3m
Going into the lucky last the book was losing a carpet, which given the results was probably quite good. Sadly, there wasn’t the hoped-for betting frenzy in the race. The one the punters wanted to be on to small money was White Rhino which was losing £822 at the off with Paricolor a taker and the rest ensuring a small winning day whatever won.
Talking of winning, I spotted two big winners in deep conversation, Stephen Little, one of the biggest bookmakers of his time and professional punter Andy Gibson. I wonder who would have come out on top back in the day.
I know who would have today, the punters. White Rhino the 3/1 favourite and bogie bolted up in the race and ensured the firm did their dough on the day. Looking positively, they only did £1100 after shelling out £900 in the opener.
Results are needed tomorrow when hopefully there’ll be a lot more business. Robert of George Cooper, I promise to keep my mouth shut in the future.
We’re back tomorrow.
As a positive footnote, I was sent this via Twitter:
That’s what I like to see, people reading the blog then asking for the fractions. Well done Scott Ryder for asking for a £250 – £45 the 11/2 winner and copping, come racing.
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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