SIMON NOTT BETTING BLOG: Cheltenham Saturday

In contrast to the recent meteorological mayhem, calm and sunshine had descended on Cheltenham Racecourse for trials day, ideal for the sport that we had in store for us, writes SIMON NOTT.

Things weren’t quite so calm in Tattersalls when the bookmakers discovered that the facilities were all closed which didn’t bode well for their business. After a few meetings where the drinks outside rule being relaxed there had done the layers a favour, today’s situation did them none

The team today betting on the rails were Amberley, Steve and Lofty. Amberley was to enjoy her last day working for Star at Cheltenham having just landed a plum job with the Jockey Club, congratulations to her, she’ll be missed by the team. As the guys got to work I got chatting to professional punter Alan Potts who marked my card for me in his usual thorough manner. He was against some of the shorter ones so gave Steve and co a bit of hope that they had chances in a racecard full of hotpots.

12:40 Timeform Novices’ Handicap Chase (GBB Race) (Class 2) (5yo+) 2m4½f (2m4f127y)

The betting on the opening race was poles apart from yesterday at Sandown. The Cheltenham contingent of punters evidently were here to have a bet, the crowd was a very healthy size, even in Tattersalls which eased the worries the bookmakers in there had prior to racing. On the Star Sports rails pitch, they laid one bet of note £4500 – £1000 Resplendent Grey in a book that held £3200 made up of mostly modest money. As they set off worst in the book was unsurprisingly Resplendent Grey losing £3500 and Jagwar losing £700. The bogie was never travelling during the race but ran on well to finish fourth behind 4/1 chance Jagwar. That wasn’t an ideal start to the day but the level of business for an opening race was encouraging and could have been worse.

1:15 JCB Triumph Trial Juvenile Hurdle (Grade 2) (Registered As The Finesse) (GBB Race) (Class 1) (4yo) 2m1f (2m179y)

Next up and the first of the hotpots where East India Dock opened at 8/13. That was the first leg of a £1000 double with Potters Charm in the last laid by the intrepid trio of Steve, Paulo and John up in the Sovereign Lounge. Meanwhile, down on the rail they’d laid £800 – £1500, the punter had no doubt hung around watching the 8/13 waiting for 4/6, snooze you lose. He didn’t lose though he copped, East India Dock won nicely returning bottle-on 1/2 which meant he still got value. Alan Potts tipped us up Nigel Hawke’s Torrent each way, Lofty and I followed him in a got 70/1, he finished third and returned 40/1, another reason in the same race to come racing. Insert after time trumpet here Chris Poole! The firm of course did their money, £2200 including a carpet on the forecast.

1:50 Betfair Exchange Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap) (GBB Race) (Class 1) (5yo+) 2m4½f (2m4f127y)

Next up and a bet of £4500 – £1000 each-way Imperial Saint was the feature of the race while the rest of the £3300 field money was modest but well spread around. The most popular with the public was Iroko, the worst winner in the book at the off where the book had just on loser sticking out a mile. It went the firm’s way though, sort of. Moon D’Orange the 7/2 favourite won the race by a short-head from 20/1 chance Grandeur D’Ame but still copped £1300 in the win book. Sadly for the firm but happily for the intrepid punter Imperial Saint was third, that knocked the book about a bit but there was still £600 in the hod once the dust had settled and everyone had been paid which wasn’t bad over a well-backed jolly.

2:25 Betfair Cotswold Chase (Grade 2) (GBB Race) (Class 1) (5yo+) 3m1½f (3m1f56y)

Between races Alan Potts came to say cheerio, he’d had it spark off backing Torrent each-way and topped it off with a winner at Doncaster, so he was off home to watch the remainder of the racing on TV. Lofty and I didn’t follow him in at Donny, not so clever as we thought we were. The next race was busy but there weren’t any lumps, the biggest bet was £1400 – £200 Chantry House with steady but not confidently lumpy money on the jolly L’Homme Presse. It was enough to make it a loser in a £2500 book though. 13/2 chance Stage Star would have been a decent winner in the book and looked likely to oblige jumping the last but was worn down and overhauled by the favourite close to him. The firm lost another £850 with what was expected to be a non-event betting wise next.

3:00 Unibet Hurdle (Registered As The International Hurdle) (Grade 2) (GBB Race) (Class 1) (4yo+) 2m1f (2m179y)

Next up and Constitution Hill which opened at a prohibitive to most punters 1-10. Many bookmakers offered forecast and distance betting as well as straight. Star Sports bet 5/4 over nine lengths to £1500 to a betting ring face but apart from that wager there wasn’t a lot of interest from a crowd who appeared to have adopted a watching brief. It was all going to plan, Constitution Hill was coasting until making a rick at the last and then allowed to coast home from a ridden out Brentford House to win by three lengths. The book copped £2300 leaving them £600 behind with two races left to bet on. The Sovereign Lounge team also laid a monkey on over 10 lengths as the winning distance.

3:35 Betfair Cleeve Hurdle (Grade 2) (GBB Race) (Class 1) (5yo+) 3m (2m7f213y)

The penultimate featured six horses and opened 11/4 each of three Crambo, Strong Leader and Gowel Road so a tight heat. Evidently not that tight in the mind of the punter that strode purposefully into Amberley, Lofty and Steve and had £5500 – £2000 Strong Leader. The team took £1830 more after that initial lump but nothing of that size so at the off Strong Leader was a loser for £5043 in the book, what’s the phrase again? Oh yes, shit or bust! When he was going through the card with me, Alan Potts said he didn’t like this race but gun to his head he’d back Gowel Road here. Thankful there were no guns to anyone’s head so no bets from Lofty or I but Alan was right again, Gowel Road won nicely at 5/2 and the book copped £2300. ‘We’re in front Si’ beamed Lofty from beneath his Minella Racing woolly hat, yes beamed, no doubt still glowing from his cop on Nigel’s third in the second.

4:10 AIS Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 2) (Registered As The Classic Novices’ Hurdle) (GBB Race) (Class 1) (4yo+) 2m4½f (2m4f56y)

Betting on the lucky last started in a lively fashion, a punter bet £300 on Gamesters Guy at 16/1 and didn’t ask for the fractions, and another had £800 – £1400 on the hotpot Potters Charm. It took a while but that bet was replicated as the jockeys got mounted. Between the two £1400 bets there had been a steady flow of smaller bets helping nudge the field money over £5000 for the first time today. Just before the off my pal Gary came over to say hello with his mates and harem, it’s only right to share the photo. Meanwhile, at the off, the book held £5532 but needed a real upset to keep any of it. Potters Charm was losing a grand, so whatever happened the day wasn’t going to be a disaster. During the race Ian Bartlett started to get excited, often the sign that a jolly looks in trouble and so it proved. 9/1 chance Sixmilebridge ran away with the race, breaking the hearts of favourite backers, foiled the grand double and copped the book £2495 despite being 11/1 with Star Sports at the off. Aye Aye, that added up to a good winning day!

As a footnote, the racecourse had really entertaining roving reporters on the big screen. They went to Champagne Bars, artificial horses and various stalls. Nobody ever seems to come to the betting ring which is of course the heart of the racecourse. How about it? Most of the bookies won’t bite!

We’re back at Sandown next week.

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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