SIMON NOTT BETTING BLOG: Chepstow Monday

One thing I won’t miss about the wonderful summer of 2026 we’ve all enjoyed is the ‘Midlands’ Navy’ blissfully sailing up the middle lane of the M5 reducing three lanes to two, and causing tailbacks for miles in their wake as white knuckled drivers peer over their steering wheels hauling a caravan often ironically emblazoned with the rubdown ‘Swift’, writes SIMON NOTT.

It wasn’t just them holding me up as they headed for their Dudley dry dock today, but racegoers headed for my destination today Chepstow, I’ve never seen the carpark so full so early. It was family fun day and the families certainly turned up.

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1:45 – DragonBet Welsh Racing Festival 9th-11th Oct Nursery (Class 6) (2YO only)

Were they punters though? A good percentage wouldn’t have been old enough to bet, but despite that, a total of £1055 taken over the three pitches, worked by Lofty and Clare, Russ and Becky and Alex all on the rail, on the first was a tad disappointing.

That was tempered by Naval Cop winning at 11/1 winning £457.50 was the best result in the book which was a good start despite the poor business. The well-backed odds-on 4/7 favourite Crystal Kraken wasn’t backed on course or placed either.

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2:20 – Eddie & Sandra Hayward Supports Noahs Ark Charity Restricted Maiden Stakes (GBB Race) (Class 4) (2YO only)

Ischgl, how do you pronounce that, opened the tips-on favourite to win the second heat on the card but there didn’t appear to be any more punters keen to get stuck in here than there was in the first. With three minutes to go, the figures over the three pitches limped over the £1000 field money mark.

Down on the bottom end of the rail, as opposed to the top two pitches occupied by Star Sports Alex, working alone, was enjoying explaining to novice punters how to bet. It was good to see so many people enjoying the racing and not just the K-Pop and Paw Patrol. Once again the firm got the odds-on shot beaten but didn’t benefit, knocking out £184 from their £1796 book when 2/1 second-in Washington Royale won the race, maybe people found that name easier to say than the jolly.

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2:55 – Paving Fields Construction Restricted Maiden Stakes (GBB Race) (Class 4) (3YO to 5YO)

There was a chance of getting three odds-on chances in a row kiboshed in the third heat, Persian Gate opened the ‘wrist-on’ 4/5 favourite in the four-runner heat. There wasn’t much happening but Lofty was excited anyway, at the prospect of greyhound racing at The Valley, assuming Prohibitionists don’t get the sport banned in Wales heaven and the Welsh forbid.

There was £1300 in the combined hods as the quartet went to post, Geemann the 3/1 second-in the only loser at that point. There was a late flurry across the pitches which became a field money total of £2008 at the off with once again the jolly winning despite having been backed into bottle-on somewhere in the world.

It was here they backed the 12/1 outsider of four winner, nose tap, Kodicall. Family funsters were delighted and soon to be flush as they queued to draw their winnings, the book lost £98.

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3:30 – Runtech Ltd Handicap (Div 1) (Class 6) (3YO plus)

The fourth race and those to follow from now on today were all handicaps, would the punters step it up now there were more horses to choose from? Yes, the answer to that particular conundrum was yes, the field money for the race totalled £2690 with plenty of horses backed all to small money which came as no surprise of course.

Jack Lynn used to say ‘Little fish are sweeter’, he was often right of course but when many of the small punters latched on to the 12/1 winner Prince Ali, the taste was a little bitter, Star’s famous five lost £1136 on the heat, the popular name rather than hours of form study on behalf of the punters their undoing on a day like today.

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4:00 – Runtech Ltd Handicap (Div 2) (Class 6) (3YO plus)

Next up the fifth heat where Rovinia opened up at 7/4 making her favourite. Everyone knows a Rovinia, right? No, exactly she was soon a bottle chance, Vape and Its A Mugs Game at 20/1 and 33/1 were potentials for this crowd to bet but we’d just have to wait and see.

While the teams were taking the bets, I headed off down to the other end of Tatts where a large number of racegoers were enjoying a pretty much full sized fair ground complete with hair-raising rides and side shows.

Mike Smith was betting down there and won best turned out for sure, at least in my book, though he was a little disappointed that he’d come in Lord of the Manor clobber while his brother Pete on his satellite pitch more the gardener. Talking of which back to the betting, A Rose Adaay was backed from 7/2 into 5/2 but surprisingly not with Star Sports, Lofty hadn’t been leaning, allegedly, but for whatever reason the punters left the firm out, so they kept £710 of the £3379 they’d taken on the race. A cop, had it turned?

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4:35 – LSL Racing Chepstow Mile Series Final Handicap (Class 2) (3YO plus)

The race before the penultimate, the feature was a 16 runner handicap where Revelance opened the 3/1 favourite. The punters came out of the woodwork early betting £5000 – £500 each-way Spirit Of The Bay and £2500 – £100 Law Of Design.

Meanwhile Clare was doing her very best to explain to a young lady ‘who didn’t understand maths’ that the odds were fractions, patience of a saint that girl. The team worked hard, to the extent that at off there was £5370 in the hod in a book with four losers for over a grand. Sadly, though not for you ghouls out there that like to read about bookmakers losing, the 5/1 winner Thanos was one of them.

On the plus side, the monkey each-way bet was unplaced so the ultimate damage done was only £671. Nasty, but not as nasty as it could have been, there’s always a worse scenario in this game. A losing day was definitely on the cards though if the business of the last few races held up a good winning day was only a result away.

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5:10 – Tom’s Big Bike Ride Handicap (Class 5) (3YO plus)

The penultimate featured seven runners, where Connie’s Rose headed the market at 5/2 when betting opened. The punters didn’t get stuck in as they did in the previous race; the money was all small but did take £2646.

Meanwhile behind the joint a bit further down the line there was a chap kicking off because he tried to pass a moody score then got the hump because he wanted it back and his request was declined.

Back on the turf, Level Up the 5/2 favourite won the race, the book copped a monkey, which was handy, all in real money too.

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5:45 – DragonBet Handicap (Class 6) (4YO plus)

Going into the last, the book was losing about £400, while the teams priced up the six runner finale in which Ghost Story was installed as 15/8 favourite, there appeared to be a mass exodus of people.

Spots of rain and rammed car parks can do this to a bank holiday crowd and an eight race card. ‘Thinned out a bit’ was Russ’ rather understated comment as he looked into a whole swathe of fresh air where punters had once been. Meanwhile the on-course market had nibbled the machine move for Ghost Story into 7/4 though off course you would be looking at 6/4.

At the off, the books held £1986 with a break even figure on the day the best the teams could hope for after a long eight races. As it turned out, they’d have settled for that the winner Zambezi Magic was the worst loser in the book for £896, ensuring a losing day. On the plus side, going racing is alive and well in Wales and long may it continue.

The next racing here we’re back to the jumps, bring it on.

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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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