SIMON NOTT BETTING BLOG: Doncaster St Leger Friday

Glorious sunshine with a brisk wind greeted me on arrival on day two of the Doncaster St Leger meeting, writes SIMON NOTT.

I’d slept quite well in the local version of Crossroads so all was well in the world as the unchanged team of Nick and Mandy got stuck into the first of another eight races on the card with The Doncaster Cup the highlight. I had a wander around as they got busy, one of the first bookmakers I got talking to was Barry The Tash who had been relegated to the back row of Tatts from yesterday’s front row pitch.

He was just about getting over that, demotion when he perked right up spotting Matt Chapman with full film crew heading toward him. His elation was soon replaced with a metaphorical knife to the heart when ITV Racing’s erstwhile presenter marched right past him towards the beaming smile and warm embrace of Spinning Mick, the coup de grace delivered to poor Barry as Matt laughed and shouted back to him , ‘I’ve upgraded!’ It’s a cruel game.

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1:15 – Betfred Mallard Handicap (GBBPlus Race) (Class 2) (3yo+ 0-105) 1m6½f (1m6f115y)

The first was a hard race for the punters to kick off with where they bet 11/2 co-favourites of three Maxi King, Shadow Dance and Synergism. The ‘get the winner and you’ve paid for the day tactic’ appeared to be the order of the day, with plenty of bets tendered, though mostly to very small stakes.

At the off the book held a tenner shy of a grand with Shadow Dance the bogie. The race went to 14/1 chance Subsequent, which Nick declared ‘the worst winner in the book’ copping only £90, that figure was enhanced to £166 once the places had been taken into account, a race where the firm didn’t get their whack.

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1:50 – Betfred Flying Scotsman Stakes (Listed Race) (Class 1) (2yo) 7f (7f6y)

When I gave the upbeat all was well in the world opening paragraph I should have mentioned, the world being the racecourse bubble we are lucky enough to cocoon ourselves in from time to time. The black cloud of reality didn’t take long to interrupt our little utopia looming dark and raining on the soon scattering punters down in the ring.

Nick and Mandy are proper grafters though, as I cowered under cover they took what they could from the floor, those hardy Yorkshire punters that weren’t deterred by rain obliged them with plenty of bets, including £700 – £400 Hankelow.

Five minutes later, the sun was beating down again. It’s a funny old month, September!

The business bloomed after the short sharp shower, at the off the field money had reached £1965 though the jolly was now a 5/4 so they hadn’t exactly done it right.

What a race we were treated to, with a furlong to run favourite backers would have been counting it, only to be mugged on the line in the last stride, though live most people thought the late rattle of Avicenna was a fraction too late, then a gasp went up as the slo-mo was shown seeming to refute that idea, the 11/2 chance had edged it by a nose, which was a £1500 turnaround for the book which copped £1032, some of the shine knocked off by 18/1 chance Sir Albert making the frame, though 16/1 was the biggest price Star laid.

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2:25 – Carlsberg Danish Pilsner Flying Childers Stakes (Group 2) (Class 1) (2yo) 5f (5f3y)

Next up and a punter came up to Nick for a bet, when asked for ID he showed one that started he was born in October 2007. Nick observed that he was still only 17 to which the lad replied that he was. No bet then! I don’t know about you, but that story made me feel very old for a moment.

Meanwhile, punters who were old enough to bet were betting bathed in glorious sunshine, it was so warm jackets were being discarded as quickly as they’d been pulled on, including mine.

The bookies’ mushes stayed put though, they’ve been in the game too long. The second decent bet of the day was £1500 – £500 Lady Iman placed as the horses were going to post boosted the field money to over £2200 with Lady Iman the bogie and Argentine Tango a loser for a nice meal for two in London.

They didn’t see which way Revival Power went, well they did, in front and clear winning at 17/2, bigger than Star were at the off. At first glance it looked like a good cop, £865 but once the numbers had been crunched and a successful £10 forecast was taken into account that was reduced to winning £530.

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3:00 – Betfred Howard Wright Doncaster Cup Stakes (Group 2) (Class 1) (3yo+) 2m2f (2m1f197y)

Before betting got going in the next, I had a surprise visit from DragonBet’s David Lovell celebrating his birthday at the races, it’s always nice to see him a proper gent of the turf. Meanwhile Sweet William opened even money in places to win the Doncaster Cup.

Levels you Devils lasted about as long as the rain did earlier. It wasn’t the jolly that the punters wanted to be on though, it was Hipop De Loire trained by Willie Mullins. The race was a strange betting heat, Nick was getting exasperated hearing punters betting the 4/5 next door when he was 5/6 and latterly 10/11.

At the off, there was £2039 in the hod with not a noted bet in the book with ‘Willies’ the four figure absolute bogie.

There was good news and bad news after Sweet William the 10/11 favourite scooted in. Due to punters seemingly being unable to work out fractions, the book won £63, that was on the win side, back out with the washing but still in the money third was Hipop De Loire, well backed each-way which toppled the book into the red to the tune of £473 blown.

Before the dust had settled, a trade hedge bet £1000 double two odds on shots the first in the 3.10 at Sandown and the second in the 6.45 at Salisbury spiced the day up a bit with a big handicap to follow.

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3:40 – British Stallion Studs EBF Premier Fillies’ Handicap (GBBPlus Race) (Class 2) (3yo+ 0-100) 1m4f (1m3f197y)

The good news from Sandown was that the 4/7 first leg of the double Enchanted Queen only managed third which was very handy.

As business had slowed somewhat, Nick dispatched me to get refreshments in the shape of tea and coffee, this is where I encountered problems, evidently two lattes and a tea delivered with a mild Devon twang was indecipherable by the local lad serving, we got there in the end thanks to his oppo translating I knocked the dust off Nick’s company credit card and made my purchase.

Meanwhile, there was little to report from the fifth heat. Little Dorrit was the bogie the book held £1488 in what had been a steady betting race.

The handicapper would have been pleased with how the race finish with four in the photo in which Cape Flora prevailed anticipated by Matt Chapman interviewing the winning jockey before they called it, to further enamour the handicapper second and third dead-heated, unfortunately Chilli Queen was one of them, her places adding to the £626 loss over the winner in the win book so minus £668 all told.

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4:10 – Coopers Marquees EBF Maiden Fillies’ Stakes (GBB Race) (Class 2) (2yo) 7f (7f6y)

We were treated to another brief shower prior to the betting on the race before the penultimate. Nick couldn’t reach to get the mush up, I’m no taller so no help, where’s Lofty when you need him? Making ‘artiste’ jokes on Twitter is where, the rotter.

As before, the rain didn’t last long. Between races, I was talking to bookmaker Pete Norris who’s always a pleasure to chat with. While the race didn’t come alive, Mandy and Nick did manage to stuff £1200 into the hod in a race where they had two for a monkey.

One of those two was the winner Classic Cuvee which lost £501 after the places saved some shrapnel with Splish Splash the each-way bogie just out of the frame.

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4:45 – Tanbry Construction ‘Confined’ Nursery Handicap (For Horses With No More Than One Win) (Class 4) (2yo 0-85) 6f (6f2y)

The final two heats were a nursery and an apprentice handicap, races where you’d have thought the bookmakers would have a chance but the issue would be getting the punters to part with their money betting on them.

There were bets, mostly small again, the biggest £120 on Art Lover at 13/2 as the horses loaded, Nick was still in good form. ‘That could be in the frame’, he quipped with a cheeky grin.

He wasn’t so cheeky when the 5/2 favourite Sword Maker won what looked like a tricky race, the book lost £54 from a £1257 book. We were chatting to one of the betting ring managers between races, he’d not known so many lost tickets in a day as today, luckily not with Star.

I blame it on eight races, that’s a lot of beer or wine if you are drinking and there were some very satisfied but good natured punters here today in that respect!

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5:20 – Danum Homes Excellence In Build Apprentice Handicap (Class 4) (3yo+ 0-85) 6f (6f2y)

As happened yesterday, the punters decided to have a go on the last betting opportunity of the day. Going into the race, the firm was £1140 in front so all to play for here. You might have noticed the lack of lumpy bets Star Sports are known for taking. It’s not because I forgot to make some up, it’s often just the everyday reality of the betting ring, even in decent pitches, it’s a tough old game.

Having said that, there was a monkey bet on Knebworth at 2/1 as the horses were loading for this concluding heat bringing the field money to just over £3400 which was by far the best take on a single race of the day and they kept on betting.

By the off, that total had grown to £3726 with Knebworth and Rock Opera up together losing about £1250 a piece with the field running for the firm. Well, good things come to those who wait, Nick had a lean up Charlie Mason and was only 17/2 on the board, hence hardly any takers. Charlie Mason won, the win book copped £2558 which was bumped up to £2992 after the places went the firm’s way too which was a cracking result.

Notice I said Nick had a lean up, the winner returned 15/2, I’ll leave you that to muse over. Great work from Nick and Mandy who braved the elements, rain and baking sun and ground out another winning day.

We’re back tomorrow for the big one, the St Leger.

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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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