SIMON NOTT BETTING BLOG: Kempton Saturday

The first observation today was that it was a lot warmer than the last meeting when we froze our nuts off. It may have been a false dawn but it felt like spring had arrived, whatever we’d take it for the day, writes SIMON NOTT.

Star Sports were operating from two positions, Tony and Lofty on the Tatts pitch and Kaan on the rails. The sun was shining and there appeared to be a few punters lurking so all looked good for seven excellent betting heats out on the turf.

1:15 Ladbrokes ‘Big-Value You Can Bet On’ Handicap Hurdle (Class 3) (4yo+ 0-140) 2m5f

The first race was a competitive 12-race affair where they bet 4/1 the field. The business wasn’t that lively but there was a move for Tapley 20/1 into 12/1 though the biggest bet with Star was £50 each-way at the top price in a book that held £600 in Tatts. They did better on the rail, which was now also manned by Ben, a late arrival, they’d also laid Tapley, £125 each-way at 25/1 into a book that held similar to the Tatts field money.

In hindsight, the lads did well to get those bets in the book as the gamble never really looked like being placed let alone landed. The race went to Saint Anapolino which had opened joint favourite but eased to 5/1, both teams won copping just over a monkey between them.

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1:50 Ladbrokes Pendil Novices’ Chase (Grade 2) (GBB Race) (Class 1) (5yo+) 2m4½f (2m4f110y)

Next up and early action, the rails took £2000 Rubaud at 11/8 to a punter and Tatts £2200 – £1600 the same horse to the trade. Bigger liability action was yet to come as a punter asked for and got £16,000 – £1000 each-way Egbert in the 2.10 over at Newcastle, shrewd punters will know that 16/1 is 100/6 with the fractions, this one didn’t ask for them.

Then real drama, resplendent in a white suit sporting no socks a well-known punter marched up to the joint and asked for a price Kopek Des Bordes in the Supreme, he was offered even money, accepted and had £21,300 on at the price. I didn’t think he was ideally dressed for Kempton in February, the rumour was he was jetting straight off to Dubai from here, how the shrewdies live, eh?

Meanwhile, back to this race, not a lot more of note happened on Tatts though the rails did lay another monkey at 5/4 the jolly. Then we were treated to a cracking race, not quite so cracking if you were a bookmaker, it looked as if Rubaud was there for the taking with two to jump but he bravely saw off all challengers to win very gamely. I’m told he went 20/1 in running, that’s the rubdown, Lofty called him beaten a long way out. Tatts blew £2300 and the rail £3267. Nasty.

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2:25 Ladbrokes Adonis Juvenile Hurdle (Grade 2) (GBB Race) (Class 1) (4yo) 2m

Next up and betting started on the third here as the field set off at Newcastle for the Eider and that grand at 16/1, no fractions bet Egbert. As they raced, Kempton wasn’t to be outdone, a punter bet £7500 – £1000 each-way St Pancras here. For anyone that’s interested, 15/2 is 100/13 with the fractions, not asked for in this instance. After looking likely to be placed, the Eider bet was down away so the firm kept the money.

Back at Kempton, after the lively start it never actually came alive. That was a real shame, there wasn’t a dinar in the ring for Mondo Man which finished unplaced, St Pancras finished second at 9/2 so in the money for the punter who took 15/2 come racing. Hardly anyone found the 10/1 winner Mambonumberfive but as nobody much bet on the race either so the Tatts only copped £350 and the rails blew £700 thanks to their unfavourable places.

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3:00 Ladbrokes Dovecote Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 2) (GBB Race) (Class 1) (4yo+) 2m

Next up and the rails laid £11,000 – £1000 each-way Fivethousandtoone over at Southwell in the all-weather. That punter could have asked for £11,000 – £990 each-way as the fractions for 11/1 are 100/9, but they didn’t ask. Here at Kempton Roadlesstravelled was a late absentee leaving seven runners of which they made Miami Magic the 2/1 jolly. The listed AW Southwell bet was fourth run without being watched by the Star Sports team who were busy tending to modest bets and dishing out sweets and free bet cards.

At the off, Tatts had limped, as Lofty described it, over a grand in field money while Tatts fell a bottle short of that target. As 5/2 second-in Tripoli Flyer jumped the last quickening to win Lofty allowed himself a little cheer, did he have an intentional lean-up? We’ll never know for sure but the Tatts book did cop £695 while the non-cheering rails team knocked out £35.

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3:35 Ladbrokes Trophy Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap) (GBB Race) (Class 1) (5yo+) 3m

The race before the penultimate was another that looked like coming alone. Kaan laid £8000 – £1000 each-way or £8000 – £960 had the punter asked for fractions, you know the score 8/1 is 100/12 Our Power, Lofty laid £1600 – £200 Beachcomber and £5000 – £1500 Hyland to the trade so at least there was money to be won in the hods. There wasn’t a lot of in-between money so at the off the jolly was losing £5200 in the Tatts and the rails nearly £8000 plus the places if Our Power obliged.

Well, the Gambling Gods, or rather Charlie Deutsch did the firm a favour stealing the race on 11/2 chance Katate Dori from the running on far too late Hyland which copped the Tatts pitch £2600. There was a fly in the ointment though, Our Power managed third which knocked the rails book about losing £911 but a winning race overall.

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4:10 Ladbrokes ‘Get Rewarded With Ladbucks’ Handicap Chase (GBB Race) (Class 2) (5yo+ 0-150) 2m4½f (2m4f110y)

Next up, the penultimate, underneath the stands the bar was already closed, drunk dry rather than due to lack of interest, at least judging by the size of the queue earlier. Sadly, it wasn’t the same in the ring. ‘It’s not really livened up, I’m over the industry price the top three in the betting but they still aren’t piling in, but I have laid a few horses small’ was Lofty’s summing up looking at an £800 book.

Kaan and Ben took less than a monkey on the rail, that youngster they had on the joint, Ben Keith really wasn’t pulling his weight, was he? He’d better buck up by the Festival or it could be office only duties for him. Bad won the race at 6/1, Lofty’s book lost £30, Kaan’s copped £150.

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4:45 Ladbrokes ‘Best Odds Guaranteed On Racing’ Open National Hunt Flat Race (Category 1 Elim’) (GBB) (Class 3) (4-6yo) 2m

Going into the last there was just the exes in it, Lofty and Tony were £1400 to the good while Kaan was losing a carpet. Young Ben had already legged it before betting got underway, I’m still not sure he’s got the mettle for the game. Our Boy Stan opened 6/4, are there many Stans about these days? The last one I remember was the ‘How do you do it Stanley?’ Stan from the Double Diamond, which ‘Worked Wonders’ adverts, so a while back.

It wasn’t Stan the early punter wielding £400 wanted at the Tatts pitch though, it was Moneygarrow, £1000 – £400 laid. That bet was followed by £160 and £240 bets on the same horse, over on the rail Kaan had managed to take just over a monkey with My Boy Stan a winner. Lofty was up a small front two book with Moneygarrow the worst. How did you do it Stanley!

Very well as it turned out, Kaan won enough to break even on the day and Lofty lost a round of drinks.

A winning day, just.

Aye Aye!

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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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