SIMON NOTT BETTING BLOG: Exeter Friday

Armaloft Alex was at the helm again, Star Sports’ second time betting at Exeter from their new pitch on the rail, writes SIMON NOTT.

Everyone was no doubt hoping for better business than the last meeting which was pretty underwhelming.

Mind you, it’s never a dull afternoon at Exeter, today’s card looked competitive and the crowd was a very healthy sized so hopes were high.

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1:40 – CRS Building Supplies “National Hunt” Maiden Hurdle (GBB Race) (Class 4) (4YO plus) 2m½f

The opening maiden hurdle boasted 16 runners in what looked a very trappy race. Too trappy for the punters it seemed, field money was very poor, Armaloft only managed to take £148 despite his boyish good looks, cheeky smile and that fact he knows pretty much everyone.

The race went to Amatchmadeinheaven which had been a 12/1 chance last night but returned 13/2 so not unfancied.

A good judge of some repute said the gelding was lively enough in the paddock but won anyway, there might be more to come.

His backers had to wait a little longer to draw their cash after a Stewards’ Enquiry was called, spare a thought for one chap was evidently hopeful of runner-up Limier d’Arthel getting the race who pulled an entire bag out of a big and rummaged through presumably looking for his ticket, the result stood, he didn’t return the bag to the bin so so probably got the luck he deserved, Star Sports lost £27 on the race.

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2:10 – Klargester Handicap Chase (Class 5) (5YO plus 0-105) 2m3f

Next up and an equally tricky looking handicap chase, where Armaloft did his best to call the punters in. The rail at Exeter is below the stand and was a couple of decades ago afterthought when a self proclaimed big punter complained that he couldn’t get a good bet on, that despite Stephen Little betting in the ring, it must have been a pre-X trumpet to the racecourse manager at the time.

The trouble with the new Star Sports pitch is, until they know that you are there and established, punters only see you after turning around having had their bet in the ring. Despite all those drawbacks Alex managed to almost double the money to £226 then blew a pony when Joe Tickle’s 11/1 Kingcormac won under Taylor Fisher.

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2:40 – CT1 Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase (GBB Race) (Class 3) (5YO plus 0-130) 2m1½f

There were just four runners in the next, Harry Fry’s Kap Quest had been backed from 11/8 into 10/11 in the morning then drifted to 6/4 in the live market.

Given the geldings’ connections it was understandable that some might have seen the market move as a negative but turned out to be just a benevolent fund for BOG and on-course backers, hacking up so easily Bryan Carver had the luxury of a look at the screen to see how cosily he’d won.

Sadly, Alex was being ignore in the shadow of the stand, his field money at the off amounted to just a nifty, yes £50 of which he kept a tenner, to avoid confusion, not for himself, that’s what the firm won.

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3:10 – Brett Martin Handicap Hurdle (Challenger Two Mile Hurdle Series Qualifier) (Class 4) (4YO plus 0-120) 2m½f

Now, this is getting a little embarrassing.

Star Sports might have ambitions to bet at every course in the country and a lot of their business is fishing for the odd big punter, some places don’t have big fish in them. There didn’t appear to be any big fishes in the pond today, poor old Alex wasn’t taking a bet and I mean that almost literally.

10 horses went to post for the fourth race, there was just one pony in Armaloft’s hod at the off. After 7/2 chance Sherminator the book was straight across. I’ve never known business so bad, I suppose with Cheltenham on next week, the bigger punters could be keeping their powder dry, it wasn’t a poor crowd though, they just weren’t betting, at least not with Alex.

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3:40 – Unibet Middle Distance Series Veterans’ Handicap Chase (Qualifier) (Class 3) (10YO plus 0-140) 2m3f

There had been a word around Tatts for David Pipe’s Neon Moon which I tipped to my box customers prior to racing. Dave was non-committal when I happened to spot him, so my confidence was heightened.

Meanwhile, Alex was getting stuck in, the readies were piling up in the hod, the disappointing take of the previous race was banished by £192 lining the hod at the off.

‘I’ve taken 44 bets’ beamed Alex, ‘On this race?’ I beamed back, ‘No, day’ he replied. ‘I’ve only got two bogies here’ he added the veterans set off into the country. They, the bogies, finished first and second in heaviest losing order, 15/2 chance Genois got up on the line to beat 9/4 jolly Outlaw Peter, the book blew £247.

Neon Moon was travelling really well for much of the way, then wasn’t, one for another day perhaps.

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4:10 – Stowells Novices’ Handicap Hurdle (Class 5) (4YO plus 0-105) 2m7f

David Pipe had the very next winner, Harry Junior, which won at 5/1 but had been 8/1 last night, the trainer looked chuffed, not as chuffed as Armaloft though.

He’d had it spark off for the firm, having taken £207 on the race, he’d kept £157, had done his sums and found the firm to be £148 up on the day, with two races to go.

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4:43 – Keystone Handicap Chase (Class 5) (5YO plus 0-100) 3m

The penultimate boasted odds-on shot Ted The Thief, Alex said he wasn’t the most consistent horse pointing so was one to stand at 4/5. I suggested he stand up and shout ‘Take a £6000 to £4000’ Alex gave me an old fashioned look, looking at the crowd, I doubt if you shook them upside-down there’d be £600 between them, let alone £6000.

On the plus side, the stag do dressed as jockeys were having a by now well lubricated great time, a couple of their number were even doing press ups in front of the Ivor Perry joint, those on the joint didn’t seem to mind too much.

Archie and Ian on the backrow Bevan pitch said they were ‘Well in front’, that was the time for me to give Archie the old fashioned look, Archie laughed which was enough to abbreviate that sentence to just ‘In front’.

Ben Keith called and asked how it was. I had to tell him truthfully, he took it well, had he called after Lightonthewing won at 4/1 I’d have been able to give him a little better news, sadly Alex hadn’t been able to get the jolly in, though he did take £111 and kept £34 of it. Aye Aye.

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5:18 – Ludo Sports Mares’ Handicap Hurdle (Class 5) (4YO plus 0-100) 2m2½f

Betting on the last of what had been a quiet day atop Haldon Hill was kept flickeringly interesting when a punter who’d know the time of day bet £100 each-way Wispit Twob at 11/2 which helped take the eventual total of an otherwise frigid betting to £383. It was surprising to see the odds of the bet mentioned take a walk afterwards.

The market knew more than the punter; the filly was beaten a long way out. The tip of the race had been the Reel Orange backed from 10/1 overnight into 15/8 jolly, but in age-old style, there was a horse in the pack to make a fool of us all Sweet Serene 14/1 last night and 28/1 at the off, thwarted the gamble on the favourite and did it in style under Tabitha Worsley bolting up for Georgie Howell. ‘There is a God’ shouted Ian the helper on the Back Row Bevan joint.

The Star Sports pitch copped £341, a £525 winning day, not to be sniffed at.

I’m with Lofty for Ladies’ Day at Hereford tomorrow, it’ll be epic.

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

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