SIMON NOTT BETTING BLOG: Cheltenham Season Finale

Well, the biggest racing certainty for what seems like ever, it was raining when the team got to work on the first here at Cheltenham. Of course it didn’t worry seasoned professionals Ed Dark on computer and form book, and Nick fielding the money. Though it might be a worry if you fancied a May evening post-racing outdoor dance set up for after the last, writes SIMON NOTT.

There was excitement though, the first bet in the book was on Ballyburn over at Punchestown £14,000 to win £4,000, amazing, that bet would probably make or break the night regardless of what was taken on the seven hunter chase races tonight.

4.35 – Congratulations Keith And Michelle Smith Open Hunters’ Chase (Class 5) 2m½f

I may have been underestimating the business expected in the first. The pitch laid £500 each-way Caryto Des Brosses at 11/4, £330 – £300 Fier Jaguen and £1000 – £120 each-way Missed Tee that’s 8/1 with the fractions plus another £1500 in smaller denomination bets, so not bad business.

If it wasn’t bad business on the rail the racecourse served up a terrific dish. The Cheltenham hill has seen some heart-stopping reversals in its time, this was up with the best of them, the jolly Fier Jaguen looked home and hosed jumping the last, only to be reeled in by 9/2 third-in A Jet Of Our Own for Nicky Sheppard under a determined ride Fredrick Philipson-Stow, getting up to win a neck on the line. Getting the favourite beaten was handy but the each-way bogie pulling up was even handier though the fractions bet was placed. That was a cop of £1650 in the first, the last meeting of the season here was off and running.

5.10 – Holland Cooper Intermediate Point-To-Point Hunters’ Chase (Class 4) 3m2f

Next up and they bet tight around the front three Iskandar Pecos, Latenightrumble and Wolf Walker, best prices, 9/4, 10/3 and 4/1 but business was all under £100 but several of them including £2000 – £100 each-way Coolagh Park. The last bet made that one the bogie at the off losing £1200 with Wolf Walker bad for a monkey.

Ed didn’t think that the five year old Wolf Walker would stay in the conditions against older horses. He was right, the gelding dropped out turning for home after trying to dictate under Will Biddick. The race went to the easy to back Iskander Pecos which had drifted to 3/1 and bigger if you looked, late on. ‘We won £600 over the jolly’ beamed Ed.

5.45 – Junior Jumpers Open Hunters’ Chase (Class 4) 3m1½f

Between races I bumped into racecourse bookmaker and formidable hunter chase pro punter Mark Hill. I didn’t ask for a tip but did enquire into if he’d backed anything, he had, this morning and his business on the day was done. That’s what racecourse bookmakers are up against, though I don’t suppose they miss Mark’s business too much on course, he’d not be easy to beat.

Needless to say, it wasn’t Mark that had £250 each-way Jetaway Joey at 9/2 but someone evidently thought Gina Andrews’ charge was worth the investment as did the punter that bet £6600 – £200 each-way Henry Oliver’s Earl Of Desmond. A well known bookmaking face from Tatts clocked the bet and said he’d laid the same horse at 25/1 and had been happy to lay it again at 40/1. Rather him than me at those prices.

He knew though. Which is more than you can say for most of the punters, 11/1 chance What A Glance was pretty much friendless in the ring but as commentator Martin Harris said, came to the last like he had just joined in. Tom Britten’s charge veritably bolted up winning unchallenged under Murray Dodd. When I said freindless, one punter did have £40 each-way at 11/1 with Star so would have been chuffed with that. The book still won £1100 so everyone in the last couple of sentences was happy, just the way we like it.

6.20 – Midlands Air Ambulance Mixed Open Hunters’ Chase (Class 4) 3m2½f

Next up and and the feature race of the evening, the feature of which were flip flopping favourites. Premier Magic opened 2/1 and Deise Aba 7/2 but by the time the field were heading down to the start, still in the rain if you were wondering, Premier Magic was 10/3 third in behind Deise Alba and Fairly Famous. There was also modest money for Lift Me Up at 8/1. The biggest bet taken by Star on the race was £1000 – £400 Premier Magic which they did well to lay, Eddie spotted a punter looking so called him in making his mind up for him. That’s the way Ed.

Speaking of Ed, he allowed himself a ‘Go on Gina’ as she surged clear on Fairly Famous which is also her charge under her married name of Ellis. The winner returned 10/3, Ed had fancied the winner so went for it in the book, which copped just under £400. Next up a long odds on shot here at Cheltenham, but first a little matter of the £4000 – £14,000 bet at Punchestown.

Well, the weather looked as bad at Punchestown, but the results or at least the result the firm were interested in were decidedly worse. Up until two out there was a hope that there could be a shock but as soon as Ballyburn struck the front it was all over. The punter had great value betting at 2/7, the winner returned 1/5 and as Ed pointed out, the firm were now losing on the night, and the rain came down.

6.55 – Cheltenham And South West Racing Club Mares’ Open Hunters’ Chase (Class 4) 3m1½f

In the race before the penultimate just four went to post with Regatta De Blanc opening at 1/4. Ed observed that had this been a race on a point to point card Will Biddick’s charge and mount would have been a 1/10 shot. The punters on course didn’t want to be on though, there was hardly a taker early. Maybe the punter that just had £4000 placed into his account from his Irish win might have a spin up? He didn’t, the biggest bet Nick and Ed took was £220 at 4/9 the short one which touched a bottle-on in a place, not with Ed, he thought it was value, on course. The jolly shortened again near the off but that appeared to be a machine led move rather than public money or bagmen. Spoiler, there were no bag men here tonight, maybe they like to keep dry.

Ed was right, the favourite had already bolted up, albeit giving her backers kittens with a rick at the last, before Daisy Yeats made an even worse rick at it, falling. Regatta De Blanc won by over 90 lengths from the only other finisher 40/1 chance Grenadine Save and returned 3/10. Ed knew, the book copped £133.

7.30 – Molson Coors Open Hunters’ Chase (Class 4) 4m½f

Well you never know at this game, the big punter did have a spin up, not on the penultimate but on a dog at 1/3 over at Romford. Remember punters, if you want a decent bet anywhere when you are on course, see the guys at the Star Sports pitch. They probably wished he’d not found them for Trap 2 at Romford though, it was like finding £2000 on the floor, won unchallenged and went off at 2/9. Anyway there was the penultimate being run as I watched the dog race.

In the meantime there had been some decent betting on the race here at Cheltenham. A punter bet £2100 – £600 Gaboriot and another backer had £1200 – £300 Law of Gold. That was in a book that held £2100 so there was still decent business from the floor in smaller bets too. At the off Gaboriot was the bogie losing £2500 and duly did the business for the punter that got the value at 7/2. The bogie won nicely from the hard pulling Master Templar despite Bomber Harris trying to make a race of it from the commentary box.

Ever the optimist Ed pointed out that the firm were still winning £1000 over business here if you ignored the £6000 done in cold blood elsewhere. Don’t feel sorry for them though, they want your business on course, any bet anywhere to size considered, you can be on. On an even brighter note, Cheltenham and Bath member Steve Williams came to say hello and said that he likes the #BettingPeople series and particularly enjoyed Harry Findlay. As did I Steve, thanks for watching and taking the time to say so.

8.05 – Royal Gloucestershire Hussars Open Hunters’ Chase (Class 5) 2m4½f

The rain that hadn’t really relented all afternoon got heavier during betting for the lucky last. It didn’t augur well for a big crowd for the DJ but at least it was fairly warm rain. Despite the rain and all hope of a winning season finale at Cheltenham all but down the drain, unless you ignore the away bets, Nick and Ed got their heads down and grafted like the professionals they are. At this point, the team decided for the sake of morale and the blog, we’d ignore the away bets. There was still chance of a decent winning day thanks to bets of £2250 – £1000 Cat Tiger and £1000 – £200 and £1000 – £200 Solomon Grey. At the off they lost £1958 and was a taker in that order, the rest winning nicely.

At the last it looked ominous, the aforementioned pair split by Rebel Dawn Rising, if the season we’d just enjoyed had been a hint to what was about to happen, the bogie was going to win. But no, Rebel Dawn Rising jumped the last and fought off Cat Tiger to win. Aye Aye a winning day at Cheltenham, the winner returned 5/2 but copped £1345 in the book, making it a Cheltenham business £2450 winning day. It’s turned, the firm are on a Cheltenham roll, it’s a shame we’ll have to wait until October to ride that particular wave….

Thanks for reading – we’re now headed for the flat, Ascot a week tomorrow to be exact.