SIMON NOTT BETTING BLOG: Hereford Saturday

Contrary to Star’s X post, Lofty had already soft-launched their new Hereford pitch a couple of weeks ago but was indeed back today with bubbly sidekick Clare. writes SIMON NOTT.

Clare has helped at the Greyhound Derby before, so she’s no slouch, but this was her Hereford debut. There was a very decent crowd in evidence today, which had been marketed as Ladies’ Day, but very few of them found their way to the three books on the detached from Tatts rails pitches.

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1:42 – fairplaybet.co.uk Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle (Class 5) (4YO plus) 3m 1½f

She didn’t have to show her mettle in the first; the book held just £240 in the race where Welcheston Warrier was sent off 9/4 favourite. People that backed the latter had a thrill for their money coming a further stride from winning but 5/1 chance Jack The Savage just held on. The book copped £90, ‘it was the well-backed second in’ said Lofty rather defensively for no particular reason when I asked him.

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2:12 – Download The Fairplay App Maiden Hurdle (GBB Race) (Class 4) (4YO plus) 2m 3½f

Betting started in a similar manner for the next heat, small bets, steady if not spectacular, was Lofty’s summing up with about £400 in the hod when wallop, a bet of £9000 – £6000 Chasing Glance landed. It wasn’t over though, the horses were lining up a punter came running over to Lofty from Tatts and asked for a £1200 – £600 Neon Dream and got it. Those were a brace of bets that didn’t look likely during betting on the first, you really never can tell. Both punters left it behind when 7/2 shot Seamoon Story veritably ran away with the heat, the book kept £6760 of the £6900 it held. Aye Aye.

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2:52 – Check Out Fairplay’s Cheltenham Offers Handicap Chase (GBB Race) (Class 3) (5YO plus) 2m

Next up and a revert to type, the punters were friendly and keen to have their recreational bets, but at the off they amounted to just £250. Still, with the good cop in the hod already, Lofty and Clare weren’t too worried about the ebb in the flow. Largy Belter, the 5/2 second-in won the race, £80 was added to the winning tally.

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3:25 – Fairplay Daily Price Boosts Novices’ Limited Handicap Hurdle (Class 5) (4YO plus) 2m 3½f

Next up, and a competitive 3/1 the field where a punter waded in early and bet £1050 – £300 By The Grace on his card, that was the only ‘big’ bet in a book which ultimately held £820 from enthusiastic members of the public. Ben called during betting and was highly delighted to hear that the firm were a nice few quid in front, justifying the recent investment. At the end, By The Grace lost £802 and Neeps and Tatties £260 in the book. They knew (again) despite hitting a big price in running By The Grace did the business for her backers and knocked a £700 dent in the winnings, the book having copped £102 back on the place book, which was kinder.’

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4:02 – fairplaybet.co.uk Bet 20 Get 20 Free Novices’ Handicap Chase (GBB Race) (Class 4) (5YO plus) 3m 1f

The next bet wasn’t in the race before the penultimate but over at Sandown, the punter bet £1000 – £400 Calimystic. No sooner had Lofty and Clare issued that ticket struck in the Tatts side of the rail a punter had a monkey on the tips-on jolly Bective Abbey on the members’ side the horse topping the market on this four-horse heat. The Star Sports duo used that good start as a get to work signal and cracked on. News from Sandown Park was that the bet there was successful so another grand was knocked out. Meanwhile, business was steady, the total field money was £1076 at the off. ‘It’s not very competitive is it?’ was Lofty’s accurate assessment of the race as the jolly zipped home as if on invisible rails, the book only blew a bottle though thanks to a good old fashioned semi lean up from Lofty, which saved the firm from too much damage.

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4:37 – JN Key Logistics And Central Brick Mares’ Handicap Hurdle (Class 5) (4YO plus) 2m

The penultimate was a dead eight race which would hopefully tempt the punters in, Granny Hawkins opened the 2/1 market leader. It had got colder and quieter in the last few minutes but punters were still finding the firm with their fivers and tenners. There was an early bet of £400 – £200 the jolly which was the vanguard for another steady ‘workable’ amount of bets. Lofty enjoys the word workable, especially when it is. At the off Granny Hawkins was the only loser in the book, for £700 with the book holding £850. Next to us, the millinery stall had been doing a roaring trade all afternoon, flogging affordable berets, hats and caps, there would be more Peaky Blinder lookalikes leaving the course than entered it. The chap cheering for Granny Hawkins and Tom for a good five furlongs wasn’t disappointed, she won going away, much to his delight and those who backed her, of whom there appeared to be plenty.

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5:12 – Hereford Easter Monday Family Fun Raceday Mares’ Open Maiden NH Flat Race (GBB Race) (Class 5) (4YO to 6YO) 2m

Going into the lucky last, the firm were still £4320 in front, having dwindled a nice few quid back but unless there were lumpy punters lurking looked odds-on to leave the course in front on the day. The closing heat looked a competitive one and the punters bet accordingly. A punter that had been backing jollies all day scattered a trio of £100 bets around the field.

The horses went down to the backdrop of a whispered ‘It’s gone a bit quiet’ from Lofty, not tapping away but with £722 in the hod. A gentleman came over to say he enjoyed these blogs which made my day as it always does, thank you. Seven Stars, the well-backed 5/4 jolly was winner for a couple of hundred quid in the book at the off, not a lean up, they didn’t want to back, it the official reason from Lofty. With the favourite a winner, there were understandably several losers in the book but none to chunky enough figures to ruin the day. Seven Stars bolted up, the form copped a bottle and that day proved to be a £4600 winning one. Aye Aye, we’re back next week, just up the road.

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

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