SIMON NOTT BETTING BLOG: Cheltenham Thursday

The weather forecast had tamed a bit over the last 24 hours, downgraded from Armageddon to a bit windy with some damp in the air, happy days, writes SIMON NOTT.

It was certainly windy and a bit damp too, but we had the clobber. Today’s teams remained unchanged from yesterday, with Flynn, Lofty and Ricky on the rail and Kaan, Nick, Hannah, Tony and Ben in Tatts.

Although with half an hour to go before the start of the first race, the latter had not been sighted, but of course he does own the firm.

---

⭕ 1:20 – Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 2) (Registered As The Dawn Run Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle) (GBB Race) (Class 1) (4YO plus) 2m 1f

Ben was on the pitch five minutes later, and battle commenced.

Early bets across the pitches for Bambino Fever included £5500 – £5000 and £1100 – £1000 five times. Then a walloping random even £28,000 on the rails nailed to the mast that the jolly winning or losing would set the scene for the day in a meaningful way. The big screen said 10/11, Ben Keith was screaming evens, the punters piled in. ‘Straight line’ he called, the money dried up so he went tips-against at the off, the Tatts book held £14,497 with the jolly losing £12,883 while the rail held £37,901 (Lofty wasn’t there so I didn’t get the round up) with the jolly losing over £32,000.

A result was required, and a result is what the firm got. White Noise winning at 40/1 was a dream turn up for the books, virtual skinners for both books, the rail copped £36,839 and Tatts £11,890.

Before I conclude this race, the Gambling Gods love an after timer. Despite chatting for a good half an hour prior to the race, knight of the realm Sir Philip Davies didn’t mention the winner, though it felt like only seconds after the horses passed the post, a wave of his phone showed proof that a score bet at huge figures had been successful. Aye Aye.

---

⭕ 2:00 – Jack Richards Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase (Grade 2) (Registered As The Golden Miller) (GBB Race) (Class 1) (5YO plus) 2m 4½f

Next up, and you wouldn’t know that Ben’s firm had just won the thick end of £50,000. Blimey, moan, moan, moan, moan, and one for luck, moan.

It didn’t help that this race didn’t really pick up, though there were some interesting bets laid. Ol Man Dingle attracted £250 each-way at 50/1, followed by £100 each-way at 40/1 on the rail. The Tatts pitch laid £14,000 – £1000 each-way The Bluesman.

One of Ben’s moans was that Lofty was having a lean-up. I mentioned lean-ups yesterday, and that they are only admitted to when they win. Lofty was leaning up Meetmebythesea the 9/1 winner. Kaan backed it, and former #BettingPeople interviewee Roger Bush tipped it. Aye Aye’s all round, the rails book copped £2800 and Tatts £254.

On a lighter note, Mason Brown came to the joint to say hello. He’s getting married in April, Ben is invited, you should have seen his face when Mason said it was Grand National weekend. It’s not, but it was funny.

---

⭕ 2:40 – Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle (Registered As The David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle) (Grade 1) (GBB Race) (Class 1) (4YO plus) 2m 4½f

Next up, and the punters meant business.

Lofty, Flynn and Ricky laid £40,000 at 10/11 Wodhooh, Tatts £10,000 – £11,000 the same horse plus £9000 – £4000 Jade De Grugy bookie’s hedging money. The market remained very static.

Hi to the Scottish punter who was kind enough to come over and say hello. Sorry we were interrupted, thanks for the kind words about the blogs.

The Tatts pitch went even money as the horses arrived at the start, laying an even monkey as a result, over on the rail and right in the hole, the rails laid a bookies trade bet of £45,000 – £20,000 Jade De Grugy, which meant Lofty was up the front two for £11,000 each.

During betting, Ben was talking to Paul Louis, whom he described as the nicest man in racing. A pleasure to briefly say hello, Paul.

Then attention was directed to the small matter of the action on the turf where the favourite beat the second favourite. Hear that? It’s the sound of the wheels coming off. Tatts lost £18,800 and the rail £14,000, the £11,000 loss in the win book added to by a face backing the forecast.

---

🏆 3:20 – Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle (Grade 1) (GBB Race) (Class 1) (4YO plus) 3m

Next up, and a quick happy birthday to Rails bookie Gregory Hughes, who’s a top chap and a pleasure to talk to. Of course, a gentleman never divulges his age, but my card was marked mid-50’s.

Back up in Tatts, Lofty described betting on the next as ‘just public money’, in other words, small. It was a similar story in Tatts, but a bet of £15,000 – £6000 Teahupoo livened that team up a bit. Give Ben his due, he’d stopped bleating and was up at the sharp end, taking bets from his public.

Over on the rail, Lofty and Co laid £50,000 – £10,000 Kabral Du Mathan, which livened that lot up too. Both books were lopsided but leaning in different ways. The Tatts book laid a £5000 double Teahupoo at 9/4 and Fact To File at 11/10.

Shortly after, Fact To File was declared a non-runner, which was met with a groan. As the horses lined up, the jolly was a £19,739 loser in the win book at the off. Over on the rail, their bogie Kabral Du Mathan was a loser for £45,000.

The firm was hoping for a result, but didn’t dream they’d get the 33/1 winner Home By The Lee they got. The Tatts book copped £10,453 and the rail just under £9000. The winner wasn’t unbacked, but it was still a cracking result.

---

⭕ 4:00 – Ryanair Chase (Registered As The Festival Trophy) (Grade 1) (GBB Race) (Class 1) (5YO plus) 2m 4½f

Fact to File being declared a non-runner was a disappointment for his fans and a shame for the market, making each-way an unattractive proposition for punters with just seven runners.

The plus side was that this was now a competitive-looking betting heat. Punters got stuck in early, Star’s Tatts pitch took a bet £50,000 – £2000 Matata and £55,000 – £10,000 Heart Wood.

And there was another plus. I’ve not been moaning about the weather, that’s because it had pretty much stayed dry throughout the afternoon, also Amberley came to say hello, it’s always nice to see her too. Over on the rail, they had taken £10,259 with half of that a £12,500 – £5000 Jonbon.

Pro punter Alan Potts emailed me Heart Wood as a sporting wager in this race. Meanwhile, punters weren’t really getting stuck in, the two big bets stuck out a mile. Alan knew, but, sadly, the Tatts pitch couldn’t benefit from that knowledge, they were there to lay them though a 9/2 winner costing them £50,440 was nasty. The rail clawed £6000 back but the race was a massive reversal for Star Sports.

---

⭕ 4:40 – Pertemps Network Final Handicap Hurdle (Premier Handicap) (GBB Race) (Class 1) (5YO plus) 3m

The penultimate was heralded in by a bookmaker’s mush hurtling through Tatts, propelled by wind that was upping its game, bringing some squally rain along with it. Still, nobody was hurt by the projectile and we’d really got away with it so far.

A bookmaker begged £7000 – £2000 Supremely West to get the betting underway in Tatts, who were now £51,500 down on the day.

Over on the rail, they were copping £40,000, so things weren’t as bad as they could have been, business was smallish and steady. But actually, things were about to get a fair bit worse, 10/3 jolly Supremely West found form when it mattered and bolted home in the style that had people once again checking that the race was in fact a handicap.

The rails blew £8081 and Tatts ‘£10,000 and a bit’ Kaan was clearly getting the needle with the day, then the batteries on the computer packed up, I went for a timely wander.

---

⭕ 5:20 – Rosconn Group Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup Amateur Jockeys’ Handicap Chase (GBB Race) (Class 2) (5YO plus) 3m 2½f

The chances of leaving the course in front for the third festival day in a row looked slim, but the team grafted on.

Jeriko Du Reponet was 5/1 favourite in what looked a desperately hard heat, so hefty betting wasn’t expected though getting some, if not all back in the last would have of course been most welcome.

Surprisingly, the Tatts pitch laid a couple of good bets £15,000 – £3000 each-way Kim Roque and £15,000 – £1500 each-way Herakles Westwood. Over on the rail, they were tapping away, fielding small money, which totalled just over £4000 as the horses went to post. Late on a punter bet £500 to win and £500 each-way Jeriko Du Reponet at 11/2, bringing their field money to £12,308 at the off, so plenty to play for.

Kaan fancied Road To Home here, when he took it up half way up the run-in and looked to have the race won, he did it, yes he gave the horse the premature Aye Aye to which the Cheltenham Hill took its traditional umbrage, and did its business. 22/1 chance Ask Brewster got back up to win by a neck and break poor Kaan’s heart, the last Aye still stuck in his throat.

On the plus side, the Tatts book won £4042 and the rails £2580 adding to their cop of £34,000 on the day. Sadly, once all figures had been tallied, the Tatts pitch blew £59,000. Still, at least it didn’t rain, and the firm was still up on the week with the big one to come tomorrow.

We’ll be back.

---

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

---

STAR PROMOTIONS