SIMON NOTT BETTING BLOG: Epsom Derby, Friday

How time flies, we’re back at the newly reinvigorated Epsom where Star Sports ran three pitches, two on the rails, where Pam, Tony and Nick did the business and in Tatts where Lofty, Keiran and Dan were taking on the punters, writes SIMON NOTT.

There was a real buzz about the place as you’d expect with plenty going on via the big screen and loud racecourse tannoy which hardly stopped to draw breath.

ITV Racing tried to find a gap in the surround-sound cacophony to video The Oaks market at Star Sports’ Tatts pitch. They just about managed it no doubt geeing up the viewers at home for the big event of today.

1:30 – Win With Zyn 3yo ‘Dash’ Handicap (3YO only) (Class 2)

As far as business went, apart from laying £2250 – £1000 Amelia Earhart for the Oaks in the rails early, the punters were mostly interested in the opener. The first transaction of any note was a trade bet of £5000 – £800 each-way the namesake of this blog Wedonttellies that’s 100-16 which is 6/1 with the fractions fairly early on the rails.

In a lull between bets, it was the first race after all; I was talking to previous #BettingPeople interviewee Dave ‘Swampy’ Clarke about how fast time goes in racing. Jack Lynn warned me that when I decided to join the game life would go in a Cheltenham, Grand National, Whitbread, Derby, Royal Ascot, Glorious Goodwood and so on cycle, Dave and I both agreed Jack was right, hugely enjoyable sporting stepping stones to death, though both hastily also added we both had a multitude of annual racing circuits in us yet. No prices requested.

On a brighter note, I had a lovely surprise when I looked over from the Tatts to Geoff Banks’ pitch. He had tempted Naomi out of retirement to bet next to Mick on the front of the pitch, it was lovely to see her on course again she was a racecourse regular back in the day but hopped off the stepping stones to do more sensible things. I had a quick tour chat to Jerry White next door betting with Kalooki. He was dressed like Johnny Cash minus the Stetson. I didn’t like to ask if he was in mourning in case he was, he wasn’t, he was saving the pastel coloured clobber for Glorious Goodwood.

Back to the betting, it hadn’t been great, Tatts had taken £2117 at the off not including a yet to run £2500 on the 4/6 jolly of the first over at Musselburgh. The rails took £2986 between the two pitches including the £1600 trade bet. They lost £145 when the 4/1 jolly Naana’s Shadow won the opener, the places going their way. Tatts blew £930 though had taken another £5000 this time at 8/13 on Cascade Hall up in Scotland.

2:05 – Oddschecker British EBF Woodcote Stakes (Conditions Race) (GBB Race) (2YO only) (Class 2)

Before next up, Cascade Hall went off and won at 1/3 away, they knew, that knocked things about a bit, but its early days, next up, and a couple of bets £4500 – £1000 Wild Terrain laid on the rail and £6000 – £500 each-way Ardad Steve in Tatts. Business was steady again as punters started rocking the joints, a late £3750 – £1500 Possessive laid on the rail very late made things interesting.

The race went to 7/2 chance Hickory Lad who showed the field a clean set of hooves, the rails pitch, which held £5735 copped £1465, over in Tatts they got £2100 after fielding £4900 so back on the front foot, if you know what I mean.

2:40 – Betfred Diomed Stakes (Group 3) (Class 1) (3YO plus)

Next up and the punters were keen to get stuck in the Tatts pitch laid a punter £3000 – £1000 Persica and another £6000 – £2000 Seagulls Eleven while one of the away punters sportingly spun up £4166 on the next jolly at Musselburgh at 10/11, it was getting lively.

The jolly won away, the rail laid £12,000 – £4000 Persica and Tatts £2750 – £1000 Seagulls Eleven then Seagulls Eleven won, phew just like that, the rails pitch that held £7190 lost £325 and Tatts hold £8044 but still smouldering after the away bet were stung for another £6500.

3:15 – Betfred ‘Nifty 50’ Handicap (GBBPlus Race) (4YO plus) (Class 2)

When I tell you that someone shouted ‘I thought this was supposed to be a bloody handicap’ you’ll guess that what’s to follow isn’t great news for the firm. Let’s start with the good, the rails team kept the £200 each-way they took at 66/1 Kings Code.

That’s the good news, the bad news is the Tatts pitch laid £1750 and £1000 and Tatts £3000 all at 11/4 Sallaal the 5/2 favourite which won with tons in hand, to compound matters the rails also laid £200 each-way fourth placed Ammes at 16/1. Tatts blew £8000 and the rail £8118. In short, the race was a disaster, moving swiftly on…

4:00 – Betfred Oaks (Fillies’ Group 1) (Class 1) (3YO only)

Next up, the Oaks and as you’d expect, especially after such punter-friendly results so far, they opened their shoulders in the right and proper manner. Bets on Amelia Earhart on the rails pitch included £5000 – £2000, £1500 – £600, £9000 – £4000, £4500 – £2000 plus £7500 – £2500 Legacy Link while on the rail they’d laid Amelia Earhart £1250 at 5/2 then a couple of grand bets at 9/4, £880 at the same price and €2500 at 2/5 place only plus of course plenty of big enough lesser amounts.

At the off, both books were lop-sided, the rail had the jolly losing £9000 and Tatts £17,000, a result was needed. While I was stood watching the race, a nice chap in front of me said he reads the blogs and that he was on the jolly. I made sure I didn’t show any emotion when she was evidently beaten with a fair way to go; he didn’t deserve the rub-down. Hopefully, he was still winning at that point.

The 11/2 winner Thundering On wasn’t a ‘result’ on paper but was a turn up for Star’s books. The rail had fielded £8976 keep £7832 of it and Tatts kept £11,000 of the £15,000 they held. Yes, Lofty rounded those figures but they are near as dammit accurate and spelled ‘Back in the game’!

4:40 – HKJC World Pool Handicap (4YO plus) (Class 2)

Once the dust had settled, I got the up-to-date figures from the teams, Nick, Pam and Tony were winning £710 but Tatts were losing an eye-watering £14,000 which had just been added to by the away punter having £3500 on a 10/11 winner at Fairyhouse, he was having a good day. The race before the penultimate was fairly quiet on the rail though the top team tapped away eventually fielding £2965 on the race.

Over in Tatts, it had been poor too though a late bet of £9000 – £2000 Celeborn boosted their field money to £4400 at the off. In retrospect, that was a very handy bet to lay Mister Winston winning at 13/2 was an excellent result for both pitches despite providing Oisin Murphy with a treble, Tatts copped £2200 rounded by a slightly grumpy Lofty and the rail won £1740 a figure given with a smile by Nick.

5:15 – Cygames Surrey Stakes (Listed) (3YO only) (Class 1)

Tatts laid £5000 – £5500 Stellar Sunrise very early in the betting for the penultimate, not long after, the rails laid an identical bet. No sooner had those bets been struck a punter came to the rails pitches asking for an even £10,000, he wasn’t to know the bet they’d just laid and there’s no harm in asking but needless to say he felt the chill of Nick’s shoulder. The next decent bet laid on the rail was £2750 – £1000 Greek Mythology which was handy. By the off, the jolly was tips-against, hindsight is a wonderful thing.

At the off, the rails book held £9264 of which they kept £6089, after 17/2 chance Ellusive Butterfly won the race, sadly the last bet in their book was £150 each-way at the price which took the cream off though the SP was 9/1 so they still did it right.

Over in Tatts, they’d copped £6200 from and £8200 book which appeared to loosen the Lofty one who was back in good spirits even breaking into a sort of grimace which passes for a smile in such circumstances. Pam quite accurately pointed out that today had been a day of two halves, though the first half was still edging it going into the lucky last serenaded in by a distant but booming bass.

5:50 – Debenhams Handicap (3YO plus) (Class 2)

Dance In The Storm opened 2/1 for the lucky last, I don’t like to moan but the still not letting up constant broadcasting from the very loud public address and booming bass which appeared to be getting louder was getting on my tits. Could the predictor have predicted that? Maybe, as it was a short price!

Back to the short prices, bets of £250 at 2/1 then £250, £200 £1000 at 15/8 Dance In The Storm on the rail were headline bets. Over in Tatts, they had a double running on to the jolly Bill The Bull had already obliged at Bath £8000 at 8/13 all going onto this jolly at 7/4, a make or break bet for the day. Going into the race, Tatts were doing £10,816 and stood to loose a further £23,000 at least should the jolly oblige.

Over on the rail, Dance In The Storm was losing £5704. The books got the result they were looking for, the 12/1 winner Colombier wasn’t to be sniffed at, the rail copped £5112 and £13,599 on the day. Tatts copped £14,390 on the race and £10,253 on the day after an away loser at Doncaster, some comeback.

Talking of back, we’re back tomorrow and of course there’s the Star Sports-sponsored Greyhound Derby up at Towcester, some day!

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

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