SIMON NOTT BETTING BLOG: Newbury Saturday

The gentleman in the feature photo is Steve Wheeler, writes SIMON NOTT.

He was here last year and appeared in the blog, so here’s how traditions start. Nice to see you again, Steve.

Today, I woke to the sound of hammering rain on my digs window, it was still hammering when I arrived at the racecourse but by the first it had stopped and was forecast to stay that way. Happy days considering last night’s forecast was a drenching for all.

As you’d expect today, the crowd was a large and enthusiastic one with the excellent atmosphere perpetuated by music from a colourful transient band popping up and honking their tunes all over the gaff.

As with yesterday, there were several punters who like betting in decent sums circling in the ring. The first evidence was a grand at tips-on Le Beau Madrik, which obliged at Newcastle, winning at 8/13.

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11:55 – Play Coral ‘Racing-Super-Series’ Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle (Listed) (GBB Race) (Class 1) (4YO plus) 2m ½f

One of my previous #BettingPeople interviewees odds compiler Brad Barry came to say hello prior to racing, it’s always good to see Brad though he wasn’t having it on.

Meanwhile, there were some decent bets firing in on the opener here £800 – £400 and £600 – £300 La Conquiere, the punter that bet the winner at Newcastle spun it up having £900 on Whimsy at 9/2.

Kaan was keen to get La Conquiere but not at 2/1, punters were still happy to be on to smaller amounts at 7/4. By the off the book held £3325 with the aforementioned duo both losers.

Of the four in contention at the business end of the race, two of them were the bogies, of which the 7/4 jolly went on to win for Jamie Snowden under Gavin Sheehan, costing the book £1720. ‘Continuing where we left off’ was Kaan’s miserable quote after the race, forgetting that the lucky last yesterday had been a winning race. Onwards.

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12:30 – Coral Sir Peter O’Sullevan Memorial Handicap Chase (GBB Race) (Class 2) (4YO plus) 2m 6½f

Poor old Kaan, he doesn’t take it well when a bogie goes in. To be fair, he’s had plenty of them oblige to get him used to it over the last couple of days. Booster Bob was the bogie here, mainly due to a bet of £2500 – £500 with little else of note to report, so we’ll cut to the chase, see what I did there.

The business had been brisk as a field money total of £2939 will testify, plenty of small bets adding up nicely from a crowd here to get involved and bet. The problem for poor Kaan was that Booster Bob was going exceedingly well throughout the race thus trading short in running for much of the heat.

Star’s head of on course was getting more despondent with every going well stride, culminating in a proper old moan up when the bogie won costing the book £3772. Nobody likes to see the firm doing their money of course, but Kaan gets really upset.

Needless to say, there were plenty of punters queuing eager to draw their winnings, most of whom couldn’t resist a personal rubdown, as is their ancient right, as they drew.

Kaan took it sort of well, even when winner backing Shaun drew and asked if he could be in the blog, only bemoaning there was no fraction for his bet struck at 4/1. My pleasure Shaun, thanks for reading the blogs, you’re in.

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1:05 – Coral ‘Daily Rewards Shaker’ Novices’ Hurdle (GBB Race) (Class 3) (4YO plus) 2m 4½f

Next up and there was good business at the joint. Kaan, Keiran and Dan were grafting fielding a multitude of bets over several horses, the biggest of which were £500 at 9/2 early Kocktail Bleu, a carpet on Kalkbrenner at 15/8 and £1400-£400 Buddy Holly.

Field money totalled £4533 at the off where Kalkbrenner was the bogie for £3964 down to lots and lots of smaller bets. Kaan was at it again as soon as they were off, fearing the worst, the jolly was going well etc.

Luckily, I had the company of Andy Henderson to distract me from all the negativity which was building to a climax as Kalkbrenner was going well enough for people to be betting 1.06 in running.

If you are sat in a darkened room tapping away backing winners in running, can anyone hear you scream when you are collared close home? Not if the Aye Ayes from the bookies in the betting ring were as loud as they were when 9/1 chance Klimt Madrik got up to win this one.

Kaan cheered too and cheered right up when the green figure of £4253 shone bright on the screen, a virtual skinner. I’m putting it down to lucky Andy Henderson, visit any time Andy, the firm were back.

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1:40 – ‘Join Coral Bet 10 Get 50’ Handicap Hurdle (GBB Race) (Class 2) (4YO plus) 2m 4½f

Appearing as if to celebrate Kaan’s now cheerier, though not quite cheery demeanour, the Sun came out as betting got underway for the fourth. ‘Nothing’s happening’ was his sadly accurate description of the betting on the race as the horses went to post. At the off there was just £1170 in the hod, disappointing.

What wasn’t disappointing was meeting a very personable Irishman named Andy who’d travelled over especially for the racing, what an enthusiast and lovely to talk to. He reads these blogs and came to say hello – thank you and safe journey home tonight.

Sadly, this Andy wasn’t as lucky as the previous one when it came to halting the flow of fancied winners. French Ship winning at 11/4 from 7/2 wasn’t handy, the firm lost exactly a monkey though the lack of business probably saved them a heftier loss over a well backed winner.

On the plus side, Irish Andy had backed the winner at the top price, not with Star either!

Kaan had the much-awaited Fighting Fifth at Newcastle and the next here on the board prior to 2pm.

The punters were keen to be on, there was £850 in the hod when they set off but was such a disappointment to see Constitution Hill fall at the second. A real anticlimax, but brilliant to see Jeremy Scott’s Golden Ace win the race at 22/1.

The winner was put up by Rupert Mackeson last night, sadly I didn’t get involved though excellent to see Jeremy win the race. The book copped £650.

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2:15 – Coral Racing Club Intermediate Handicap Hurdle (Registered As The Gerry Feilden) (Premier Handicap) (GBB Race) (Class 1) (4YO plus) 2m ½f

Back to the home race, the book had a very strange look to it as it included a bet of £3000 – £210 Tutti Quanti struck to a very shrewd man yesterday.

The same horse opened here a 10/3 chance, Timeform squiggle applied to the punter in question.

There was an even bigger squiggle after he bolted up at 85/40 losing £813 from a £3304 book, the punter’s shrewdness had been heeded however, the winner wasn’t the bogie despite being a loser in the book that honour going to Indemnity which finished third, the winner had mainly ducked today, but the firm endured another losing race.

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🏆 2:55 – Coral Gold Cup Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap) (GBB Race) (Class 1) (4YO plus) 3m 2f

‘Where’s Dan gone, this is the biggest race of the season’ went the cry, though such was the huddle behind the joint I’m not sure from whence it came.

It mattered not though, while Dan was on his phone, Keiran coped. Business hadn’t really picked up for the feature race, the market headed by 4/1 chance Myretown might have accounted for it, too hard for them. ‘Where’s Kaan?’ cried Dan, nowhere to be seen but he was soon back, Dan and Keiran coped.

The reason they all coped is that, at the off, the book held £2355 with the biggest bet in the hod £2000 – £200 each-way Resplendent Grey, disappointing business for the race formerly known and loved as The Hennessy. The race itself was dramatic and lived up to its billing with a famous victory by 16/1 chance Panic Attack.

There was a hold up to paying while the ring waited to hear if The Doyen Chief which planted itself at the start was deemed a runner.

There was no announcement, nothing so the books eventually started paying the winners out when ‘All 24 ran’ notice came up under the official result which was a little unsatisfactory. The winner copped £1643 which was handy for the firm.

 

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3:35 – Coral ‘Pipped-At-The-Post’ Payouts Handicap Chase (GBB Race) (Class 3) (4YO plus) 2m ½f

It wasn’t until 3.12pm that the racecourse confirmed over the PA that The Doyen Chief was officially deemed a runner.

Going into the last, Star Sports were losing £1015 on the day, which added to yesterday’s bad results almost certainly ensured that this two-day meeting would be a losing blip in the long game of on-course bookmaking.

The larger-than-average lady wasn’t singing on the day, at least not yet, though a bet of £3500 – £1000 from a shrewd rails operator on Javert Allen saw to that.

Apart from that bet the course had a last race feel to it, people were double parked with their beers rather than betting, that despite the racecourse being bathed in winter sunshine. Business did pick up enough for the field money to total £2642 at the off with just the one loser.

Aye Aye, did you see the rotund lady packing up her kit, gig cancelled? You did, that’s because 18/1 chance Ryan’s Rocket winning the last from the bogie saved the day, if not the meeting.

Kaan, celebratory arm in the air, boisterous in victory, veritably beamed as he told me that they had copped £2774 on the race and £1720 on the day, before exes of course. A great end to the day for the layers.

I’m back at Sandown on Saturday. Thanks to everyone who came and said hello today, thanks for reading the blogs, please spread the word, it means a lot. Thank you.

SIMON NOTT

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

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