SIMON NOTT BETTING BLOG: Newmarket 1,000 Guineas

Fresh after a very civilised and enjoyable dinner with bookmaker Dan Hague last evening, I was up early and ready to rock for the 1000 Guineas today, writes SIMON NOTT.

The Star Sports team today were Dan, Nick and Emily Wallis replacing Chris from yesterday. The other change was the team were betting number two in the second row as opposed to number five in the front row. I was told that today wouldn’t be as busy as Saturday – and also that it was going to be cold.

Heeding the weather warning, I added a half zip layer to my clobber, something I was regretting as betting got underway for the opener, under a balmy sun.

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1:45 Betfred Pretty Polly Stakes (Listed Race) (Fillies) (Class 1) (3yo) 1m2f

While betting on the first race got going, I bumped into Stephen, the tipster from the Races Now channel that can currently do no wrong so asked for a photo. I do like to meet winners, and also Star’s own Jayne Leggett at her local track.

There was a buzz about the place, too. Business on the opener was much better than yesterday’s supposedly busier day. At the off the book held £1080, bet sizes were similar to yesterday no lumps to report.

The favourite Falakeyah was the bogie for £803 with Qilin Queen losing £196. Falakeyah went off in front and was never headed drawing first blood for the punters. The winner was returned 6/4, the biggest price Star Sports laid was 5/2, it was still 13/8 at the off, come racing.\

 

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2:20 Betfred Dahlia Stakes (Group 2) (Fillies & Mares) (Class 1) (4yo+)1m1f

There were just five runners in the next but it looked a tight betting heat. Once again, business picked up from the previous race, a punter bet £300 at 11/4 Elmalka which was the only bet of any note among a slew of scores and tenners. Bets continued, thin and fast with £1974 in the hod at the off with just the one loser, Elmalka for £1678.

While the money with Star was in the latter, the best backed horse in the race was Cinderella’s Dream supported from 7/4 into 11/8. Anyone who backed her saw a fairytale run from their fancy, easing into an easy and unchallenged lead coming out of the dip to win easily.

The book copped £880, did Nick have a Lofty lean-up? He says no, he just didn’t let the price roast when it was gone and the punters left Star Sports out. Aye Aye.

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2:55 Betfred Handicap (Heritage Handicap) (GBBPlus Race) (Class 2) (4yo+) 1m6f

Next up and a ten-runner handicap where they bet 4/1 the field with Liam Swagger heading the market. A punter was straight in with a bet of £400 – £100 which he showed me and asked if it could make the blog. Your wish is my command, different fairytale I know but I do like a theme.

Then at last, a bet of £5000 – £700 each-way Kihavah, credit bet to the trade, the trade always know to bag the fractions, be like the trade. So now the firm had a proper bogie for over £5000, not just the one either, Liam Swagger was also losing over a grand, just weight of public money, that £100 still the biggest bet on the jolly with 10 minutes to go. It’s hard to believe these days, but when I started on course, the books would only price up 10 minutes before the off.

Between racing bets, a punter had £40 and £50 wagers on racing at Towcester this afternoon. Star will happily lay away and sports bets on course – just ask.

Incidentally, the rest of my on-course work for Star Sports this month is all at Towcester, I’m there for the first and second rounds of the 2025 Greyhound Derby, that’s all three days next Thursday, Friday and Saturday then Friday and Saturday the following week and am really looking forward to it.

Back here at Newmarket, field money bolstered by the trade bet had crept above the £3000 mark, the other feature of the race was that Emily had to capitulate and put her coat on as the temperature dropped. She lasted two races longer than I would have!

Well, it went the way of the firm, the bogie was not only beaten but beaten out of the frame. The race went to Story Horse the 9/2 second-in winning by a short head and copping £1334 in the win book boost to a total cop of £2026 once the places came into the equation. Another Aye Aye called for.

 

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3:35 Betfred 1000 Guineas Stakes (Group 1) (Fillies) (Class 1) (3yo) 1m

Next up, the big one, Nick asked if I’d like a coffee, I replied in the affirmative so he sent me off to get them. A flat white, two cappuccinos and a tea with three sugars later I was back to find they’d laid £1250 – £500 Lake Victoria and £1250 – £1000 Desert Flower the biggest bets among well over £3000 worth of bets and counting.

There were more £100 and £200 bets in evidence than had previously been the case, though understandably on the jolly or second in, the book was a classic up the front two with a result required, classic apart from the fact the second-in was the worst loser for £1721 and Desert Flower £363 holding £4830.

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4:10 Tattersalls £40,000 EBF Fillies’ Novice Stakes (GBB Race) (Class 2) (2yo) 5f

Next up, the race before the penultimate which four runners contested and one of the first bets in the book was £400 on Twilight Star at 11/8. Between bets Nick had a visitor, greyhound trainer, Savva Roberts who is based in Newcastle and has runners at Star Pelaw, he seemed like a very nice chap who appears to know his horses too.

The money kept pouring, well trickling in for the jolly, by the time the quartet headed to post it was evens and losing over a grand in the book. The Appleby and Buick wheels finally came off when Spicy Marg showed her trio of competitors the way home returned 7/2 and copped the book £680, £60 of that from place money, Nick bet 1/5 the odds 1-2 the four places on the race.

After the race, Stephen from the Races Now channel came up for another chat, he’d been having a cracking day having put up Story Horse at 10/1 and runner-up in the Guineas, Flight at big prices without the favourite. Luckily, he left Star out on course, the man is flying!

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4:45 Tattersalls Online £40,000 EBF Novice Stakes (GBB Race) (Class 2) (2yo) 5f

Next up, the six-runner penultimate where an early bet gave the team something to bet up to, £1500 – £150 French Affair. Meanwhile, both dogs at Towcester were beaten adding £90 to the day’s haul.

For fear of being repetitive, business remained the same, steady small money though as the horses were loading the team did lay £500-£400 Moonfall while French Affair had halved in price to a handful, there was also money for Sovereign Spell so it did look like punters were expecting good things of a few of these, always a good thing, at the off the book held £2297 of punters’ hard earned.

Rising Power had attracted a few quid early at 2/1 then drifted ominously out to 3/1, but didn’t stop him winning, which was handy, the book kept £370.

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5:20 Nyetimber Handicap (GBBPlus Race) (Class 3) (3yo 0-95) 6f

Going into the last, the firm were winning £3040 so within touching distance of a winning two days at HQ.

However, there was the odds-on Merchant to get beaten or at least not lose too much on in the lucky last. That was all down to the punters and if anyone was going to wade in with a wad and risk ruining the day. It seemed that Nick was in a tempting fate mood, he put his head above the parapet, went even money the generally tips-on 10/11 jolly and got it shot off by a monkey-sized wad. That was Merchant in the book then.

By this point the firm were flanked by a large group of chaps not betting but drinking and talking absolute bollocks, satisfied customers all.

The weather forecast had put us all away, the sun beat down on the group of babbling but not betting buddies while Emily and Dan called bets and Nick tapped away. He’d got his shot off head back as the market had followed him out to evens, so he followed suit, laying an even carpet for his troubles. Having only taken the two aforementioned larger bets, I was surprised to see the field money had topped £2800 as the horses went to post.

There was over £3000 in there as the horses went behind for the last 16th time this meeting, Nick had them boxed up nicely with Merchant and Hallelujah the two losers for £309 and £159 respectively, you’d like to be half in. You would especially after Lightening Mann won at 15/2, the best winner in the book winning the team another £1500.

At least that’s what we initially thought. a couple of successful forecast bets took nearly £600 of shine off that total, but it was still worthy of an ‘Aye Aye’.

I’m pointing the car back to Devon. Newmarket, it has been a pleasure.

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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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