SIMON NOTT BETTING BLOG: Newbury Saturday

One of the trails of being a betting writer for hire is staying away from home and my adored family, however last night despite rooming alone, I was welcomed into the rails racing fraternity’s night out at a local Italian. We enjoyed a lively old night of which I was chuffed to be part of, the wine was flowing freely, which probably accounted for why I chose these for starters, writes SIMON NOTT.

Having enjoyed the snails, I shall not be ordering them again, there’s not enough meat in those shells after a day at the races. Talking of which, Star Sports’ team was bolstered today with Keiran and Kaan added to yesterday’s one-man bookmaking machine Lofty. Once again we were blessed with glorious sunshine and the crowd looked a healthy size which augured well for a lovely days business. Prior to that business starting, Justin who has come to say hello before, was kind enough to do so again and reiterate that he enjoys these blogs, thank you Justin. The first big bet was a grand at 15/8 on Mossy Fen Coolio over at Bangor, which was beaten.

That bet was just as well because with two minutes to go before the advertised off time, the book held £327 and that’s how it stayed, tragic business for a Saturday.

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1:15 – Castle Windows Newbury Anniversary Novices’ Hurdle (GBB Race) (Class 3) (4YO plus) 2m ½f

Kocktail Bleu justified 11/10 favouritism winning the race, costing the firm £98 which was a get out facilitated by no money in the hod, every cloud and all that, but the hope was that after a winning jolly, the punters would get stuck into the rest of the card.

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1:50 – Get Best Odds Guaranteed At BetVictor Novices’ Handicap Hurdle (GBB Race) (Class 3) (4YO plus) 2m 3f

Next up, and a bet of £10,000 – £1400 Doctors Hill – that’s 7/1 with the fractions – made the trio on the Star Sports pitch jump a bit. Very little else did though before the off, and with a lot of £2.50 each-way bets there was just an extra £394 in the hod with Doctors Hill losing £9976. That was really a crime to bookmaking, but an even bigger crime was committed during the betting. I’d placed a can of Diet Coke in the shade, when I went to drink it during the race, I discovered that Lofty had heinously half inched it, the rotter.

Luckily, the firm could afford to replace it after they copped £1633 when 10/3 chance Storming George won the race, it was a 7/2 chance on course at the off.

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2:25 – BetVictor Home Of The Saturday Superboost Handicap Chase (GBB Race) (Class 2) (5YO plus) 2m 4f

Next up, and Heltenham was an early popular choice with the smaller punters getting stuck into the early 6/4. They were still keen at 11/8 too with a couple of £400 bets at 11/8 helping the field money to £1966 at the off. The book kept £1714 when Prairie Wolf won the race at 9/2, another winner for previous #BettingPeople interviewee Roger Bush, who is on fire at the moment.

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3:00 – BetVictor British EBF ‘National Hunt’ Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 2 Limited Handicap) (GBB Race) (Class 1) (4YO plus) 2m 4½f

Next up and a hot heat where they bet 5/1 the field with Indannya heading the market. I had an email from professional punter Alan Potts this morning, in which he made a good case for Pismo Beach, so we all got involved at decent prices as we do when Alan is good enough to share his thoughts. Needless to say she was a winner in the book, so when she came to challenge at the business end of the race a cheer went up from the firm, sadly she found one too good in the shape of 6/1 winner Charisma Cat but ran a gallant race to be a clear second. Sadly, the book only held £546 and lost £375 thanks to £40 each-way and £25 each-way third place Shotgun Shirley. Thanks Alan, the place money was still very handy.

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3:35 – Goffs Hundred Grand Bumper (Open NH Flat Race) (GBB Race) (Class 2) (4YO to 5YO) 2m ½f

Next up and unusually a bumper as the fifth race on the card, but of course, this was no ordinary bumper, it was the hundred grand bumper. Diamond Harry won the first two runnings of this race, if I remember rightly, before going on to even better things. This looked a hot heat betting reflected that with Diamond Street the 7/2 jolly when betting opened. Sadly, the punters were not interested, well not many anyway, at the off, the book held just £475. As it turned out the punters did well to stand off because not many would have found the 33/1 winner Lady Hope which beat 11/2 second-in Madam Speaker home. The book copped £343.

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4:10 – John Haine Memorial Handicap Chase (GBB Race) (Class 3) (5YO plus) 2m ½f

The first question to the team when betting started on the five-runner sixth and penultimate heat was from a young lady who asked if they took card bets. When they answered affirmatively she had a fiver on Palacio, her male companion asked her why she’d backed the 5/1 shot she flashed him a smile and replied ‘It sounds a bit like fellatio’, his face was a picture and the three amigos burst out laughing, jolly immature of them I thought, but there you are. All the innuendo fun ceased when a bet of £10,000 – £5000 Escapeandevade was called in and laid, for anyone who wants to know what it was sticking out like please see yesterday’s betting ring report, there’s already too much nonsense in this paragraph. As the horses were going to post, young chaps were having fun singing in the Members’ Bar, disgraceful behaviour ‘He we going’, it’s not been the same since ties were no longer compulsory, I’m sure somebody said somewhere! At the off the book held £5570. Palacio won, the book copped £5175, it must have sucked for the punter who just blew £5000.

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4:45 – Win Unique Experiences At OLBG Prizes Handicap Chase (GBB Race) (Class 3) (5YO plus) 2m 7½f

Going into the lucky last, the book was copping a very healthy £9335, so it would take another out of the blue lump to put the firm in danger of knocking that lot out. Things were just pottering along with £132 in the hod when a sharply dressed rails bookmaker called in a bet of £10,000 – £4000 Havaila which would certainly make this race interesting, I typed too soon didn’t I. There was a lot of banter around the joint thereafter because there was hardly a punter in sight, the total field money of £4230 will illustrate quite how poor business was, but of course this the last race of the Newbury National Hunt season was the race that would settle the day. It was a painful last couple of furlongs watching the bogie jump like a stag and go steadily clear to lose £9777 on the race and £400 quid or so on the day. Still, the concluding two days at Newbury were still winners overall. That’s it for Newbury until the winter, unless Ben buys a flat pitch. I’m back at Exeter tomorrow.

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

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