SIMON NOTT BETTING BLOG: Royal Ascot Friday

So here we are, Ascot Friday and my last day of this meeting, writes SIMON NOTT.

Star Sports had a near half a million quid to try and claw back from the punters. Today was the day where, if things went the way of the bookmakers, there was a chance of getting plenty back, but should the well-backed fancied horses win things would surely go beyond recall for the meeting. But, of course, and as always, there’s never a last race.

It would be nice to have a winning Ascot all the same, deep breath, here goes.

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2:30 – Albany Stakes (Fillies’ Group 3) (Class 1) (2YO only)

The teams had two changes today, Jessica took over from Keiran who was here on a jolly and Flynn had found getting here a lot smoother than he did yesterday so was back down with Ricky and Lofty on the bottom rail.

The first race was a relatively quiet betting heat, that despite an even £10,000 on Sun Goddess to get the book going. The heat didn’t really live up to that promise. The jolly stayed steady but across the three pitches I can only report two further bets of an even £300 and £1000-£1100.

Field money at the off was £25,708 of which the firm kept £18,245 when Libertango landed an 11/1 into 6/1 gamble. Where are the £100,000 bets when they get beat? Still, that was some back and most welcome.

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3:05 – Commonwealth Cup (Group 1) (Class 1) (3YO only)

Venetian Sun was short for the Commonwealth Cup, opening 13/8 backed into 6/4 though once again not big money by Royal Ascot standards, just £2000, £1800 and £800 bets noted all on the jolly at 6/4.

The modesty of the bet size was a blessing this time as the jolly scrambled home getting the nod in the photo.

The book held £18,908 knocking out £9994 not quite a bullet dodged but that could have been a lot worse.

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3:40 – Duke Of Edinburgh Stakes (Handicap) (GBBPlus Race) (Class 2) (3YO only)

A punter bet £1250 Regal Ulixes early, happy to take 20/1 in this tough-looking 7/2 the field handicap.

The way business had been so far, hopes weren’t all that high for a big turn-over, those hopes weren’t dashed either, where were the punters? There were plenty of people here, clutching champagne and smoking big cigars but they were hardly betting.

Bets that were noted included £800 at 7/2 Hopewell Rock, £1000, £900, £400 and £300 Warrant Holder and that was it. At the off the book held £14,986 – remember that’s across three pitches. Opportunity winning at 6/1 was a cop in the win book but Regal Ulixes finishing third at 22/1 knocked any profit out of the water, the final figure was a loss of £416.

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4:20 – Coronation Stakes (Fillies’ Group 1) (Rnd) (Class 1) (3YO only)

The feature race was the only realistic chance of a monster bet today and it landed, £275,000 at 8/11 laid on the bottom rail. This was going to be the turning point or not of the whole meeting. The book held £289,110.

I’ll keep this short and sweet, Precise won unchallenged, the book lost £188,463 and that effectively, ladies and gentlemen, was Royal Ascot 2026 over…but of course it’s never over.

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5:00 – Sandringham Stakes (Fillies’ Handicap) (Str) (Class 2) (3YO only)

Onto the more gentle waters of the Sandringham Stakes, where they bet 7/2 Glyfada. The feeling writing these blogs this week is a bit like a few years back when the team would be grafting away then I’d get a message about a whopper bet in the office and it would make everything else seem insignificant. I don’t get office bets any more and am just here to report reality, the reality is Ben likes to take on the high rollers at big meetings, sometimes it pays off, but this year he and the firm were getting their arses badly whooped.

For fear of repeating what I’ve said all week, business fell off a metaphorical cliff after the feature, at the off the three books had taken £10,271 between them but kept £6422 when 8/1 chance Green Carrera won chased home by Symbol Of Majesty, now I have to stress Neil Channing isn’t fluffing me, but he had yet another 1-2 in his Betting Emporium tipping column from two selections, amazing.

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5:35 – King Edward VII Stakes (Group 2) (Class 1) (3YO only)

Despite maybe prematurely calling Royal Ascot over, there was the potential of a big bet in the five-runner penultimate, where Causeway opened 5/6 favourite. It took a while but that potential became reality when the lower rail took a bet of £300,000 – £330,000, this was now getting into very serious territory with the losses adding up.

A fellow bookmaker came up to me shortly before the off and said that the favourite had drifted near the off, sounding hopeful it might be a good sign having heard about the bet Star Sports had laid, I asked him what price it would have been had the firm hedged the £330,000. He took my point, probably not the even money he returned after winning a head, the book lost £298,052. Did I mention Royal Ascot might be over?

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6:10 – Palace Of Holyroodhouse (Handicap) (Class 2) (3YO only)

They bet 3/1 the field in the lucky last, there would probably be no big bets to sweat over. Going into the race the firm were losing a bracing £480,095, there was a ray of sunshine was a visit from Noli, Ben’s PA who was going racing for the first time, talk about starting at the top.

There was a delay to the lucky last as a fractious horse was reshod at the start, well they tried, Miss Yechance ended up running on three shoes, the delay didn’t aid turnover which was just over £11,000 as the field were loaded, £11,396 to be exact, the book won £2954 over a jolly a step in the right direction.

That’s it from Royal Ascot from me, good luck to the Star Sports team tomorrow, maybe I’m the Bock and they get it all back tomorrow. I hope so.

I’m back for Star Sports at Windsor on Monday week. Thanks for reading.

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Could it get worse for the ring…yes, at around 6.25 there was an announcement that there was an objection by the Clerk of the Scales over the winner for weighing in light, you couldn’t make it up.

Bookmakers had paid out over the winner, luckily the runner-up was a 40/1 chance but then they announced the stewards were happy that the winner HAD carried the correct weight, you couldn’t make it up, you really couldn’t!

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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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