AUTHOR: Star Sports Content
SIMON NOTT BETTING BLOG: Greyhound Derby First Round, Saturday
The sun as shining, cars were streaming into the car park nice and early, plenty of pedestrians coming through the entrance and big punters spotted all added to the feeling of optimism that this was going to be a busy night, writes SIMON NOTT.
So much so, in fact, that tonight’s unchanged Star Sports team of Lofty and Kaan decided to price up the two graded races that preceded tonight’s first heat. Meanwhile, I’d had a right result before racing started, Max the shoes brought me a pair of Cheany shoes, the best shoes known to man I’m told. Max is a legend. Thanks Max.
Meanwhile, the guys didn’t take a bet on the opener so reverted to the plan from the first two days, to bet on the heats only.
There was excitement before the first heat, not on the remaining graded race but two ante-post bets on Headford Asher £25,000 – £1000 and £25,000 – £1000 each-way to win the Greyhound Derby outright. Now onto the real action…
Star Sports/TRC Derby – Heat 22
Kaan and Lofty were interviewed by the Gone To The Dogs channel prior to the 22nd heat of the competition. Both Star boys performed as well in front of the camera as they do on the stage that is the pitch.
They’d been working hard too, as well as laying ante-post bets to lose £50,000 they’d come up with a couple of enhanced doubles. The first bet on the first heat, which was a four-dog affair of any note was £1600 – £2000 Droopy’s Maximus running from trap two.
Max the Shoes had also brought sweets for the lads, by the time the dogs paraded, he’d eaten most of them himself, I put my shoes in the boot of the car! Meanwhile, a punter bet £400 – £200 Soul Choice the second in from trap one, that was followed by a bottle the jolly then a £4000 – £2000 Soul Choice and £1000 the first double of which Droopy’s Maximus was the first leg. Back To Black running from trap six gave the firm hope of a cracking start but the bogie Soul Choice collared him close home.
The book lost £2200 on the straight betting but got a grand back as the double went down; we thought it might be lively.
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Star Sports/TRC Derby – Heat 23
Next up and a five dog heat of which Lennie’s Desire running from trap six was considered a 4/6 by the bookies. The first bet in wasn’t for the jolly but trap one’s incumbent That’s It Jack to the tune of £700 – £200.
Not long after a punter with a debit card waded in for a bet of £3000 Lennie’s Desire at 8/11, followed by £400 – £600 so 4/7 it was, and the hare was running, only just faster than the jolly as it turned out, Lennie’s Desire first the rest nowhere, another £2500 blown.
Star Sports/TRC Derby – Heat 24
There were just four dogs in heat 24 and a hotpot in Barntick Bear which opened a carpet on chance to win from trap two. The team also bet on the forecast in this race, the bet proved popular with the smaller £2 and £5 punters who were in evidence for the first time this week.
Previously it had been hard to lay the very short ones but not tonight, a punter bet £1500 – £4500 the jolly, the bet was taken but the price remained on the board, briefly the rest of the bookies went 2/7 so Lofty went3/10, a punter was happy to take £300 – £1000 not long after, 2/7 the field it was.
The jolly made hard work of it but still did the business for the punters scrambling home in front, the book shelled out another £1700 reduced to £1500 after the forecast went Star’s way.
Star Sports/TRC Derby – Heat 25
The four runner 25th heat saw another short one, this time running from trap six 4/5 chance Ballymac Tibet.
However, the first decent bet was £2400 – £600 Bombay The Joker the three dog. Lofty went 10/11 to get the jolly in and laid £100 – £110 but politely refused the offer of an even £4000. The smaller punters were keen on Rapido Ali in trap one with a steady flow of bets at 3/1.
The punter who asked for the even £4000 was still lurking and waiting, then relented and bet £4000 – £4400 which was quickly followed by another punter who had a grand on at 4/5. Still, the top was popular which gave the guys hope, late on a punter bet a monkey Bombay The Joker at 6/4.
The night was shaping up to be carnage, but it turned when Rapid Ali lived up to his name from trap one winning to Lofty’s understated comment of ‘That’s handy’, very handy indeed Lofty, the booked copped £5660 on the win book and £410 without, how’s the phrase go again, oh yes, back in the game.
Star Sports/TRC Derby – Heat 26
Five dogs were priced up for the next heat, Droopy’s Plunge, with trap two the carpet-on hotpot. The question was would the punters would be keen to get stuck in after getting their fingers burned in the previous race.
The answer to that question was soon answered as a punter bet £1000 – £3000 while another bet £8000 – £500 each-way Savana Control, then the £1000 – £3000 wasn’t a bet as the punter’s card declined.
Meanwhile, in the melee, a punter bet £3500 – £2000 the six dog Deliveroo without and they were running. A couple of cheers went up a circuit later, one for the guy’s card being declined and the other for Scooby Pacemaker bagging second behind the jolly Droopy’s Plunge.
The win book copped £282 but the without market got the money, £2390 to be exact. Aye Aye, not just back in the game but going through the gears.
Star Sports/TRC Derby – Heat 27
The shortest priced dog of the night so far Bombay Pat opened 1/5 hotpot to win from trap six in this five dog heat. A fellow bookmaker was happy to bet £200 – £1000 while the punters were happier to stand back.
The betting without market was proving more popular, but that was still very thin compared to the previous races. The dogs were parading when a punter came in to bet £6000 – £500 each-way Wrighty from trap one.
Luckily, for the firm, not so much the each-way punter the favourite won from Kevin’s Rocket, which ran a blinder from trap two, the each-way bogie, qualified but out of the money back in third. The win book copped £301 and the without £435, Star Sports were still pulling away.
Star Sports/TRC Derby – Heat 28
Between races, a punter bet a £16,000 – £1000 Lennie’s Desire to win the event outright which added to the red glow in the ante-post book. Meanwhile, this five dog heat looked competitive with Clona Ice heading the market from trap six opening at 6/4.
One punter liked the look of the half arm and bet £900-£600 quite early. The last bet in the book, £1000-£500 to the trade Cooliogold trap one put an end to the winning run, the win book blew £983 while the without book added to that red for £230.
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Star Sports/TRC Derby – Heat 29
An early bet of £3000 – £2500 Ballinabola Joe ensured the race would be of interest with a few quid in the hod. Especially of interest as it turned out, the early punter certainly got the value, the jolly running from trap six opened ‘wrist on’ 4/5 in the live betting for the race which once again featured five dogs. The punter had excellent even better value as the last bet in the straight book £800 – £1100 the jolly and in the without book £3000 – £3300 trap three Barefoot On Fire.
We crowed a bit early, didn’t we? It couldn’t have been a worse result, Ballinabola Joe won the race, chased home by Barefoot On Fire, the book lost £6800 which was obviously a nasty reversal.
Star Sports/TRC Derby – Heat 30
This was an interesting five dogger heat as it featured the subject of the two early ante-post bets Headford Asher, running from trap four and priced up at even money.
It wasn’t even money for long after a punter bet an even £6000, so the likely bogie as well as a big liability for the outright Derby boom. There was also money for the six dog Boylesports Bob, bets of £1400 – £800 and £600 – £400 eased the liability on the bogie a bit.
While Kaan and Lofty had been happy to lay the latterly mentioned bets, they wished they hadn’t when Boylesports Bob came with a late rattle to win the race, while the win book copped £2180 the late bets took the shine off the race.
On the other hand, Headford Asher missed the break, finished fourth and so was eliminated from the Derby. Handy for the on-course ante-post book.
Star Sports/TRC Derby – Heat 31
Another five dog heat run after the sun had set on the day but not the prospect of a winning day, yet. This looked another tricky race, though Ballybough Nutz was a popular choice from trap one at 6/4 early, though not too big money.
Betting was a bit slow so gave Lofty and Kaan a time to tally up, they were losing £800 on the day so had chances of a winning night. The money continued to flow in for the one dog, bets of £350 at 6/4 and £400 at 11/8 topped up the liabilities but Lofty was keen to keep laying it.
A cursory look around hinted that the bigger hitters of the evening had taken an early bath, the smaller punters did their best to fill the void betting the bogie.
Their combined roars of delight as Ballybough Nutz shot from the traps like a rocket and won in splendid isolation were hardly music to Lofty and Kaan’s ears. The win book lost £4009, the odds of winning on the night now appeared to be longer than the queue of happy punters waiting to draw.
Star Sports/TRC Derby – Heat 32
The ‘lucky’ last was another five dog race where untold dollar was opened 5/4 favourite, but it was a bet of £1200 at 9/4 Churchfield Syd trap six that stuck out with very few other punters in front of the joint. Then a hammer, shit or bust bet of £7000 – £4000 the same dog right in the hole.
Six blasted out of the traps and went clear but his lead was rapidly diminishing as the line approached with the red jacket Sunnyside Broxi bearing down and looked from where we were standing like it might have been chinned, it went to a photo, the result was delivered with a suitably dramatic pause before it was announced that six had held on by the shortest of short heads, it was a £17,000 turnaround in favour of the punters, the book lost £9792.
A very nasty end to the night indeed…
We’re back next week.
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
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