SIMON NOTT BETTING BLOG: Newbury Friday

Two days at Newbury, proper job, the first time that I’ve reported from Star Sports’ relatively newly acquired pitch on the rails, manned today by Kaan and Russ, the latter resplendent in a very fetching pink tie and pocket square ensemble, writes SIMON NOTT.

Before racing, I met up with professional punter Alan Potts; he was sat on the only white bench in members, which was quite fitting for a man who famously likes to bet against the crowd.

He has joined in with 99 others contributing to Paul Jones latest book, ‘100 Punting Feats and Bad Beats’ out in October, this is a shameless plug because Star’s owner Ben Keith and other friends of the firm also feature.

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1.47 – Kennet Valley Syndicates Nick Robinson EBF Maiden Stakes (GBB Race) (Class 4) (2YO only)

Sadly, Alan didn’t have a bet for me to follow him in with. The crowd seemed very large for a Friday but it was Dubai Duty Free Day, which always appears popular.

Despite the potential customers, bets weren’t plentiful; business was poor. The book held just £630, losing £255 when 4/1 chance Oakford won. Oakford is just down the road from Nigel Hawke’s yard, named after it I wonder, who knows.

Alan had been interested in watching the Raceshare horse Cornichon but didn’t bet him. The Roger Varian colt ran very well on his debut, quickening into fourth close home and appears one to note.

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2.22 – Dubai Duty Free Full Of Surprises British EBF Fillies’ Conditions Stakes (GBB Race) (Str) (Class 2) (2YO only)

Next up and Alan Potts came to the joint to say that Sorrengail the 5/6 jolly looked different class to the rest in the paddock.

You can’t lean up odds-shots in a four-horse race unless, of course, you are Lofty and it’s an Arab heat. Kaan and Russ laid £2500 – £3000, Sorrengail won like it was different class and the book blew £2755 over a jolly that returned 8/11. Come racing.

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2.57 – Dubai Duty Free Nursery (Str) (Class 4) (2YO only)

Next up and it looked tricky, it was tricky extracting money from the punters for the third race in a row too but it did pick up near the end of betting. Ben Johnson was in fine voice calling in the punters next door, he’d be handy if it was foggy, lovely chap though.

At the off there was just over £1500 in the hod. ‘I’m beginning to think Simon’s the bock’ was Kaan’s rather hurtful remark after Silver Sovereign the 3/1 jolly and loser for a monkey bolted up. That’s nice, isn’t it? Loyal readers will know the last meeting I was at with Star Sports, Fontwell was a winning day, embedded scribes must be the new floormen when it comes to bookies’ whipping boys!

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3.32 – Haynes Hanson & Clark Conditions Stakes (Str) (Class 2) (2YO only)

Alan Potts told me he never backs odds-on, though he told us that Bin Jahwar looked a certainty in the fourth heat and that he wouldn’t be surprised if he went on to be group class. Some of the bigger punters certainly agreed with him, Russ and Kaan laid £2500 at bottle on, £1800 and 4/9 and £300 at 2/5. Those punters copped but probably had more excitement than they’d bargained for, the jolly win but by just a neck.

To my mind, he never really looked like getting beaten, though it reminded me of a Johnny Lights story told to me by Andy Henderson, Johnny’d had a lump on a short one as he was his way, it was a close run thing, by the end of the race, which the favourite won Johnny was almost at a 90’ angle watching it. Andy looked at Johnny with a ‘He was always going to win that’ to which Johnny replied, ‘It looks a lot different when you’ve had £20,000 on son!’

Back to today and Star Sports, they knocked out £1879 on the race, I must have bocked it again.

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4.07 – Dubai Duty Free Cup Stakes (Listed) (Str) (Class 1) (3YO plus)

Did you know it’s 98 days until Christmas? No, me neither, but Kaan did and was telling us all about it and the star-shaped Eric the caterpillar cake he got for his birthday from Sainsbury’s. He declined to tell me how big a birthday it was but I’m guessing above average for the usual recipient of such treats.

The whimsical bubble was burst when a punter waded in with £3000 to heave in 9/4 chance Spy Chief, time to get serious. To make things worse, not long after Alan Potts came over to tell us that Catullus the jolly was sweating and edgy, not a good sign for paddock watchers. Bugger, the firm were in it, a bet of £1400 – £400 Elarak helped a bit but not much.

At the off, Spy Chief was a loser for £5800, there was little the deadly duo could do but sit and hope. Well, the firm cheered home Catullus, the 2/1 joint favourite, sweaty and edgy he might have been but veritably bolted up copping the book £3363. Aye Aye.

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4.40 – Dubai Duty Free Fillies’ Handicap (GBBPlus Race) (Class 4) (3YO plus)

Between races, whilst chatting to Ricky and Bo on the West End firm Trevor, pal of pro-punter previous #BettingPeople interviewee Andy Gibson came to say hello. We had a quick chat about Andy’s new ‘Eyecatchers’, yes proper jumping racing isn’t far off, there’s always something to look forward to in this game.

Sadly, the business didn’t really fire up in the race before the penultimate, where there were no big or even medium sized bets to report, at the off the book held £1170 with Littlecote the bogie losing £1275. The latter ran into third behind 11/2 winner Bintknight which copped £401 in the book.

The feature of the result was that the winner was 13/2 hawking on course, yes we all know off course bookies are on the ropes so feel they can return any price they like and how we feel for them, but if you’re a serious punter, you need to come racing.

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5.15 – Fitzdares Handicap (GBBPlus Race) (Div 1) (Class 4) (3YO plus)

The betting on the penultimate started very slowly, but was enlivened by a bet of £2000 – £1000 Loz Vegas via a punter with a grand in mostly tenners. Meanwhile a bagman was quietly going around the ring betting all the 16/1 Parlando but not with Star. Not a lot else happened apart from a group of young lads deciding it was a splendid time to starting singing, Welsh Male Voice Choir they weren’t, but it seemed that they were satisfied customers.

Undeterred by tuneless chanting, the horses did the business out on the turf, Parlando ran well, finishing third, Loz Vegas ran well finishing second but River Card won the race returning 15/8. At the off the book had held £1776 and copped £1526 on the race.

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5.50 – Fitzdares Handicap (GBBPlus Race) (Div 2) (Class 4) (3YO plus)

Going into the lucky last, the book was still losing £901.98 but a bet of £7000 – £2000 Empirical ensured the day was going down to the last stride, possibly.

The racecourse had thinned out a fair bit by the eighth as often happens, it was interesting looking around at what people had decided to wear. Those in shorts had done it wrong and there were plenty of them, most refreshed but no longer ‘singing’.

The metaphorical fat lady was singing, a sad sad lament after Empirical won at 9/4 from the 2/1 jolly Law Court under a great ride from Kieran Shoemark. It’s great to see these bigger punters on course but with them comes some razor-sharp money. We’re back tomorrow, where of course the firm gets it all back with interest.

We hope.

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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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