SIMON NOTT BETTING BLOG: Epsom Oaks Day, Friday

I know this is supposed to be a betting ring report and not a weather forecast, but come on summer, shake a leg, writes SIMON NOTT.

The team, Nick, Steve and Flynn were in winter clobber today, as was I, wearing a coat last seen at Punchestown, it’s flaming June tomorrow for goodness sake. Anyway, Star Sports bet on two pitches at Epsom for the Derby meeting, adjacent to each other six and seven on the rail today.

The firm were up and betting early, there weren’t many people in front of them early but they did catch a few punters. It seems word has got around that they are willing to take decent away bets, laying £4000 – £10,000 Hrgovic boxing tomorrow and £4000 – £6000 King Memphis in the ‘Top King or Queen’ Greyhound Derby market.

2:00 – Betfred British EBF Woodcote Stakes (Conditions Race) (GBB Race) (Class 2) (2YO only) 6f

Nick described betting on the first event as ‘steady’. As far as bigger bets went the punters only wanted to be on the favourite New Charter, thicker wagers included £3000 – £1500, £1000 – £500 and £600 – £300. Punters that waded in early missed out on a bit of value, 9/4 was available near the off which attracted a further bet of £3600 – £1600 at the price.

The only other money in the race was small on comparison, at the off the book linked to both pitches held £6000 with the favourite losing just over £9000. Despite the support in the ring, New Charter never really looked like rewarding her backers.

The race went to 7/2 chance Teej A which copped £4000 in the book, which is probably the firm getting more than their whack for the opener, in other words, a great start. It was also good news for those punters who were a bit hasty taking the bottle, it was all academic in the end.

Incidentally, talking of academics I had an email out of the blue last night from a speed figures creator who tipped me the winner. Excellent work Sir, I hope you were on.

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2:35 – Trustatrader Handicap (Class 2) (4YO plus) 1m ½f

Next up and the 6/1 the field big handicap of the day where Koy Koy headed the market. There were 16 declared and 16 went to post but only 15 took part in the race. Dancing Magic, 11/1 with Star Sports at the time was withdrawn at the start which meant each-way punters would only be paid out for three places not four and bets would be subject to a 10p rule 4, not ideal for anyone. The official price of the withdrawn horse was 9/1, come racing.

Business on the race was small, the book only fielded £2000 but kept £1000 of it when 12/1 chance Two Tempting won the race by a nose in a desperate finish.

Luckily the fourth home would have been a virtual skinner so there weren’t many each-way backers to disappoint though the rule 4 is often confusing for novice racegoers, always in their favour though!

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3:10 – Holland Cooper Coronation Cup (Group 1) (British Champions Series) (Class 1) (4YO plus) 1m 4f

The third race came to life with virtually the first bet in the book when the team laid £14,000 – £8000 Emily Up John then a further £700 – £400. She wasn’t the only horse backed to decent money, Luxembourg attracted a monkey at 11/4.

Business was held up slightly by a gaggle of well-refreshed ladies who were giving Steve the full treatment, handbags on the joint, rummaging for purses, then money, then forgetting what they wanted to back and dropping money, one came back before the race saying she’d lost her racecard. Luckily, Steve has the patience of a saint, it was a big price that little group of the fairer sex staying the seven race trip though.

At the off, the jolly was a loser for just over £15,000 with £11,000 in the metaphorical hod. What can you say, well two things really, Ryan Moore rode a terrific race and today, the bloke with a monkey did better than the one with £8000.

Luxembourg won the race under what commentator Simon Holt described as a Ryan Moore masterclass and the firm copped £8500 in the process. The winner returned 9/4, come racing for value.

Just as an aside from all the betting talk, it was excellent to see the King and Queen presenting the winning connections with the huge trophy. The royal couple appeared to be fully engaged with the delighted recipients and enjoying every minute.

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3:45 – Betfred Nifty 50 Handicap (Class 2) (4YO plus) 1m 2f

Next up and there was very little of interest in the race. As the horses went down to post the biggest bets up until then had been £100, then as they went behind £250 Haunted Dream at 15/2 topped that. Just for the record £260 would have been the fraction, my work in that respect still isn’t done.

Seconds before the off a bet of £3200 – £400 that’s 8/1 no fractions Derry Lad made that one the worst loser for £3700 and they were off. The backers of Haunted Dream which had no luck in running were a bit unfortunate, their fancy still managed fourth, Derry Lad finished with a rattle but had to settle for third behind the 5/1 rail hugging Bolster which won the race and copped £1200 in the book, another winning race, Aye Aye.

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4:30 – Betfred Oaks (Fillies’ Group 1) (British Champions Series) (Class 1) (3YO only) 1m 4f

Flynn, Steve and Nick had already taken £12,000 – £8000 and £6000 – £4000 Ylang Ylang and £18,000 – £2000 Rubies Are Red during the course of the afternoon so things could easily derail if the jolly won the Oaks. At least they were going into the feature well in front but their chances of winning on the day should the jolly oblige here would be slim, in short, everything revolved around this race.

It wasn’t all about the jolly though, the team laid £10,000 – £1200 Ezeliya but that was soon followed by £15,000 – £10,000 and £1800 – £1200 then £4100 at 11/8 Ylang Ylang. I’m guessing the odd £100 the last bet was to pay his bar bill.

At the off, the book showed the jolly the only loser, for £37,000 the rest winning plenty. It doesn’t take long for a rider to become hero to zero with the punters, the jolly with Ryan Moore on board was nearer last then first rounding Tattenham Corner, the writing was on the wall or a breathtaking finish would be required. Sadly, at least for favourite backers, Ylang Ylang found nothing out of the money behind Ezeliya winning at 13/2 from Dance Sequence. Her £10,000 – £1200 backer would have been in clover, that was 8/1 and with the fractions too, come racing to get on and get value. The book copped just over £21,000 on what with three races to go was shaping up nicely.

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5:10 – Aston Martin Surrey Stakes (Listed) (Class 1) (3YO only) 7f

The penultimate came unexpectedly alive, the business revolved around Balmacara, bets came in one after another £4500 – £2000, £4200 – £2100 then a whopping £15,000 – £8000, as the horses were going to post the team had only taken £240 out of the rest of the field combined. Not great bookmaking, but if you’re a layer you want to lay them regardless. As they were at the post Nick laid £700 – £200 Native American while Zoum Zoum went favourite on the machine.

Flynn went 2/1 the bogie again and laid £400 – £200. Meanwhile the St John’s Ambulance borrowed Star’s mush to cover a drunk collapsed lady.

While she was being tended to, they were off with the bogie losing just over £23,000 with everything else a good winner. Flynn and his team didn’t have to sweat for too long, Balmacara went off in front but was beaten at the two furlong pole. The race went to a tremendous duel between Native American and Evade with the latter getting the best of it by a short head, the 10/1 winner copped £12,000 in the book, £3000 better than the runner-up.

Flynn called it as they were running, the horses got a bit close together. After a few minutes, the bing bong went, announcing an objection by the second to the winner, then bizarrely minutes later the bing bong went again, the objection had been withdrawn. ‘Pay Pay!’

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5:40 – Molson Coors Handicap (Class 2) (3YO plus) 7f

Going into the lucky last the book was winning £49,000 on the day. The stricken lady had been cared for and the mush returned just as it started to spot with rain which was great timing, though Nick being a tough northerner didn’t bother putting it up anyway. They bet 11/4 the field Mission To The Moon but there didn’t appear to be a lot of interest in the race, at least not from the bigger punters. As the horses made their way to the start for the final time today a punter had a monkey on the jolly at 11/4, then as they were nearly off a punter bet £4500 – £500 Spanish Star making that the bogie for £4668 in a book that held £3400 including place money.

Laying the last bet was very handy as it turned out, 9/1 winner Rhoscolyn topped off an absolutely cracking day where the book won £51,700. I can’t hardly believe it, how many times do I write a blog where the firm won? Not many recently. Don’t tell anyone or nobody will read it, people only like it when the firm lose.

The team will be stepping high on the way into Epsom tomorrow, it’s the big one, the Derby, 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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