SIMON NOTT BETTING BLOG: Cheltenham Thursday

It was a glorious morning when I walked up to the course from our board and lodgings this morning, writes SIMON NOTT.

A quiet night befitting the professionals that we are had precluded today’s re-engagement with the punting public at Prestbury. The team remained unchanged Nick up front, solid as a rock, calm and dependable, Lofty, er, being Lofty on the computer and me lurking about creating content.

Two shrewd connections of mine, one who concentrates on hurdles and the others chases had deemed today too tricky to recommend a bet of any confidence.

That surely augured well for a day the punters remembered how hard it used to be to beat the book…

1:30 – Ktda Fillies’ Juvenile Handicap Hurdle (Premier Handicap) (GBB Race) (Class 1) (4YO only) 2m 1f

I’ll have to stop writing grumpy stuff about Lofty. I think the Ben-proclaimed shop steward of the firm is trying to get me the tin tac. Further to Gary Wiltshire, a non-runner today, calling me the bock yesterday I had a shock when I got to the rails. Lofty was busy telling all the bookies that the last time the firm had a good day was at Ascot when I wasn’t there!

I protested that he’s the one who takes the bets and goes for the wrong horses. It was now getting serious, I needed the firm to win today for my own financial well-being. If the first race was anything to go by there wasn’t going to be much in it either way at the end of the day.

At the off, the book held just £450, which included £700 – £100 Dameofthecotswolds.

Between races Gary the runner came to say hello with young lady friend Steph, also a runner, Gary had won punting yesterday, luckily not with Star. Back to the racing, Dameoftgecotswolds ran very well, only going down by a neck in the last strides to 11/1 chance Emotivo.

It was a good result for the ring, or so it looked, Star copped £60, on a result, not really like winning considering what they might have got in similar races yesterday. Anyway, Armaloft Alex was the next visitor to the rails, he’s always the sort of person to cheer the mood, he was looking forward to Exeter tomorrow.

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2:05 – Sporting Agenda Challenger Series Mares’ Chase Final Handicap Chase (GBB Race) (Class 2) (5YO plus) 3m 1½f

Next up and the betting was worse than the opening race. Field money amounted to £474 with the biggest bet £60. There’s not much you can say to spin that lot up, so I was off around the ring looking for gossip and soundbites, unsuccessfully as it turned out.

As they set off, the bogie was Juniper losing £489 in the win book with La Renommee bad for £94.

La Renommee won, she cost the book £100 with the places. It wasn’t over though, a bag man had been spotted, just the one, probably the only person that might have a few quid on in attendance today.

The bookies might not usually be too keen to take his bets, but business as poor as it was today I half expected a Benny Hill closing sequence type chase with him the prey!

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2:40 – Catesby Estates Mares’ Challenger Series Final Handicap Hurdle (GBB Race) (Class 2) (4YO plus) 2m 4½f

I’m pleased to report a monkey bet in the next. Yes, the firm laid £1750 – £500 Pretending to Barry next door, who’d also laid Pretending. That bet aside the book held £250.

Pretending the 5/2 favourite won easily for Lucy Wadham, under Bryony Frost, another well-judged race by the top lady jockey who deserves more rides.

Sadly, the book didn’t appreciate Bryony’s skill in the saddle and lost £1800, it was adding up again.

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3:15 – British Ebf Mares’ Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase Final (Grade 2) (GBB Race) (Class 1) (5YO plus) 2m 4½f

Next up and a bet of £420 – £350 Malaita got the ball rolling and was hopefully the precursor to a better betting race.

Another bet of £330 – £300 on the jolly helped double the field money which had swelled to over £1200 at the off. Things were picking up. Well, if taking money is things picking up. Malaita danced home and the book lost £800 eased slightly by the places going the firm’s way.

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3:50 – Changing Young Lives At Jamie’s Farm Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle (Listed) (GBB Race) (Class 1) (4YO plus) 2m 4½f

Then in race before the penultimate the bet we’d all been waiting for, the one that could turn around the day if the lads could get it beaten. Nick and Lofty laid £2800 – £7700 bet on Jeremy Scott’s Golden Ace just before she started to drift on the machine.

They were off, they only had to get the odds on shot beaten to win on the day, jumping the last a hush descended around the ring, the unmistakably cold tones of Star Sports doing their dough. Golden Ace didn’t win, she bolted up, at 4/9.

Hopefully nobody said ‘At least you laid it at the right price’ to Lofty, they’d need to be a braver man than me.

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4:25 – NAF Mares’ Handicap Chase (Class 3) (5YO plus) 2m ½f

Betting on the penultimate started with a bit of dark humour, Barry the Tashe Pinno next door was asking around for the number of the Samaritans. Lofty replied that the last time he called them they were engaged that was how unlucky he’d been. A bet of £1000 – £1200 Somespring Special burst the bubble or mirth and the team got to work trying to bet up to it, or more accurately take more on the jolly.

The trouble was the crowd in front of them was thin, to say the least. In the good old days on days like this, and there were plenty, Roy Lynn would look around exasperated and declare that ‘you could fire shots and not hit a soul’ he had a way with words did Roy. As does Lofty, ‘I can’t give it away now’ bemoaned our hero who added that he wasn’t exactly beating them off.

I suggested he rephrase it, but no he was happy with his original statement and went 11/10 the jolly which he described as ‘hawking’. There were no extra takers and they were off with £1484 in the hod including the place money.

As Somespring Special passed the post in first place, Rob betting on the George Cooper joint walked past sombrely shaking his head just muttering ‘I never thought it would come to this’.

In stark contrast, a punter came running over to me gleefully saying that he couldn’t wait to read the blog tonight, punters love bookie Schadenfreude, but I’m glad people read the reports, for whatever reason. Meanwhile in hindsight Lofty was as pleased as the rest of us he’d not been beating them off, if you can’t take it and all that. The firm did £900, Ben called to get the lowdown, he didn’t seem too perturbed and thankfully didn’t call me the bock for what looked certain to be yet another losing day on course.

To break up the gloom, the Tash had happy news regarding one of his punters who had so far landed three from three in a betting shop Yankee. Already quids in with already £3000 copped whatever happened he was looking at over £15,000 if I’ve Madeupmymind won the lucky last. With that Lofty burst into Bucks Fizz’ song of a similar name, yes dear reader, you’re lucky you weren’t here.

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5:00 – Join Racing TV Now Mares’ Open NH Flat Race (GBB Race) (Class 2) (4YO to 6YO) 2m 1f

Meanwhile, back in the jungle the biggest bet of that Lucky Last so far was struck, £2000 – £120 Zarhanya. With minutes to go, both Anno Power and Asian Star the 11/4 market leaders were both winning in the book which held £420.

‘Very meagre’ reported Lofty, quite chuffed he’d dredged the word up from somewhere. It’s great when Ian Bartlett is commentating, he likes to remind the starter it’s off time.

Barty is known for being half way to the car park before all the runners have passed the post in the last.

Sadly, for Barry’s punter, his fourth selection didn’t oblige, Anno Power, the 9/4 favourite did and the Star Sports book won £372 at least concluding another losing day with a winning race over a market leader. Maybe that’s the game, or rather a game changer, the bookies might need to start having the jollies winning in their books, it might be the way forward.

The final figures for the day were bad £5653 and 34p. It could be worse, we could be Barry driving to Scotland ready for Ayr tomorrow, nasty after a losing day.

I’m off back to the shire, we’ll be back for the concluding Hunter Chase meeting here in a couple of weeks, I’m told there will be at least 5000 students in attendance, excellent news, see you there.

Racing Post results…

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

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Simon Nott is author of: Skint Mob! Tales from the Betting Ring
available on Kindle CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS

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