SIMON NOTT BETTING BLOG: Glorious Goodwood Wednesday

Day two at Glorious Goodwood and it was once again beautiful weather, no storms so far, fingers cross they swerve us this week. There were seven races on the card, with an Arab race preceding it, writes SIMON NOTT.

Armaloft Alex told me the favourite in the race Al Ghadeer was the best Arab horse in a decade. Lofty decided to bet on it, went 1/5, laid a £1000 – £5000 then watched it win in the style Armaloft said it would. You might think that’s a bad start, but the firm had already knocked out £5000 before that, care of Holland winning the Quadruple Skulls, twenty grand staked at a rouf-on. That made it £6000 down going into the opener here, welcome to Glorious Goodwood’s Wednesday.

The teams were unchanged from yesterday apart Kaan replacing Steve who had pulled rank as head of on-course and ducked out for a couple days. Kaan seemed happy to be here though so everyone’s a winner, especially in this weather. Also hoping to be winners were the punters who bet £1750 – £500 Subsequent with Lofty and £800 at 10/3 French Duke and £4400 – £400 Clockmaker with Kaan’s team in early skirmishes before racing.

1:50 – Coral Daily Rewards Shaker Handicap (Class 2) 1m 4f

Before the race, #BettingPeople interviewee number 106 Andrew Michael came to say hello, it was nice to see him and good of him to take the time to get reacquainted. As the horses were going to post Lofty laid £1600 – £200 each-way Attila The Honey is what was otherwise a low staking race. Before betting got underway proper, a real shrewdie told me he fancied French Duke, I should have followed him in because French Duke won returning the 16/5 favourite. Of course I couldn’t because he was not only favourite but also the bogie, backing him would not have been cricket.

Kaan’s team lost just under £2000 but the blow was eased when Lofty’s copped £700 thanks largely to the last bet in the book being unplaced, though whichever way you dress it up, the day had started badly.

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2:25 – Visit Qatar Oak Tree Stakes (Group 3) 7f

Next up and an early £6000 – £1000 Vetiver gave the rails book something to try and bet up to, so Emily and Tony cracked on with Lofty tapping away. Over on the Tatts pitch Kaan was a little disgruntled with the USB fan he’d purchased, it was just recycling hot air which isn’t that much of a bonus, to make things worse business was what he described as poor.

My day was brightened when I bumped into a bookmaker I worked for from 1995 – 2000 and was #BettingPeople interviewee number 159, Dave Phillips and his partner Susan. Dave just makes a book at points these days so was enjoying a day out.

There was little else to report on the betting front, all small but there was drama in the race, the 5/2 favourite Jabaara won the race but appeared to hinder the 7/1 runner-up Raqiya on the run-in. Nobody was surprised when the bong bong for a Stewards’ Enquiry was called. With the result as it was both books lost over a grand not helped by the 100/1 chance Ziggy’s Dream filling third spot.

Rarely, at least for these days, good judges considered there was a fair chance the stewards could reverse the result which would be handy for both books. The negative side to that was business was being badly held up and would be further once the result was announced with people to pay and explain any reversal to. The Bing Bong seemed to come a bit quick so there was a bit of surprise when it was announced that the placings had been reversed, that meant the rails copped £3000 instead of doing a grand and the Tatts pitch copped a monkey which was of course a welcome change in fortunes!

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3:00 – Jaeger-Lecoultre Molecomb Stakes (Group 3) 5f

Next up and betting on the sprint was very poor, not helped by everything being held up a bit by the stewards. Neither team took much more than a grand. That was disappointing business as it was but compounded when 25/1 chance Big Mojo won the race, you have to take it to win it, Kaan’s team only copped £240, Lofty fared betting green for £800.

Not long after bookmakers started to pay out there was a cryptic announcement that stewards were reviewing the first three places, nobody really knew what that meant but held up the little there was for most firms to pay. As it turned out, nothing happened, there was no enquiry so as you were.

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🏆 3:35 – Qatar Sussex Stakes (Group 1) (British Champions Series) 1m

Next up and a two grand bet at 6/5 on Henry Longfellow got Lofty’s team started. That was followed by a monkey at 10/3 Notable Speech. Over on the Tatts pitch Kaan had just last £600 – £500 but that had been it so far. This race was worth a million quid and even best tuned out got a monkey, quite right too, sixth would have got £11,000 had six turned up, good money. When I got back to the rails Lofty told me he’d laid £2000 – £600 each way Notable Speech and ‘numerous bets, too many to list’ on the jolly, then declared it the busiest betting heat of the day and that he was ‘Up the front two’.

In hindsight the big man might have wished he’d gone up the front one. Henry Longfellow capitulated in the home straight beating just one home, unfortunately the first past the post was Notable Speech and the firm did £4000. It was also a sad story on Kaan’s pitch, Amberley and Nick tried hard but business was poor, the winner had been green in the book until a £900 – £300 the winner was bet right in the hole, Sod’s Law on a day of mixed fortunes so far.

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4:10 – British Stallion Studs EBF Fillies’ Handicap (Class 2) 1m 2f

Next up, the race before the penultimate and the sun beat down. I’m certainly not complaining but the heat did seem to have a detrimental effect on business. Some firms on the extremities were at their wits end how poor business was. Lofty’s team did lay £4000 – £1000 Al Anoud to a bagman but little else, though he did tell me that Roarin’ Success had been the best backed horse to public money. Kaan reported steady business, £40 and £60 bets, so not bad business when it came in but was very slow in doing so.

Al Anoud wasn’t slow, she was very fast and won the race. Lofty’s book blew £3000 on the heat, Kaan’s team fared better but still lost £200 on a race where they didn’t take a grand.

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4:45 – British Stallion Studs EBF Alice Keppel Fillies’ Conditions Stakes (GBB/IRE Incentive Race) (Class 2) 5f

Next up and Lofty laid £1500 – £1000 Coto De Caza, he did well to get that in the book because she was friendless shortly after, drifting to 9/4 near the off. The other bet he laid was Kuwaitya £250 each-way at 16/1, she finished fourth out of the money, Aye Aye, sadly the jolly won despite the drift and ruined the party, Coto De Caza returned 2/1 favourite and would have been a pleasant surprise for SP backers, though you could have had 9/4 on course, come racing. Lofty’s book lost £1300, Kaan’s won £200 but business was so poor he was considering starting an ‘Only Fans’ page. See photo, Amberley resorted to ice-cream which was probably a more profitable idea, but not for Kaan.

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5:20 – HKJC World Pool Handicap (Class 3) 7f

I was speaking to ‘G’ between races, he didn’t want his full name mentioned but said that he was in the Richmond Enlosure all week where he’s treated like royalty, but was looking forward to Butlins Bognor next week better. He’s on a £30 a day all you can drink deal, he added he feared that Butlins had made a rick, Lofty knowing the gentleman concerned, concurred.

Betting on the lucky last, a punter came to the rails joint and had two £50 bets and said that he was only doing so because of Emily’s ‘lovely smile’. Weirdly, that’s never happened thanks to Lofty or Tony’s sunny demeanour, funny that.

Even weirder, a bagman bet £7000 – £500 Dragon Leader, what’s weird about that I hear you cry, well it was running from draw 17, low numbers over 7f are universally accepted as being a huge advantage here, at least that’s what I always thought. The only other decent bet was £1800 – £300 Metaverse drawn seven. Over on Kaan’s pitch the punters had picked him out to bag rags with, he took £1200 with some outsiders losing plenty.

Blue Prince drawn five won the race at 14/1 but was the only low drawn horse in the frame. Kaan’s book won £17 which just about covered Anberley’s icecream, Lofty’s book fared better and copped £2500 on the race. Kaan’s pitch lost £6400 but most of that was the Olympics bet, Lofty’s blew £2500 on the day. We’re back tomorrow with all to play for.

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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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