ROYAL ASCOT 2024

AUTHOR: Lewis Williams

SIMON NOTT BETTING BLOG: Royal Ascot Thursday

We enjoyed our sandwiches last night, even if the crusts were a little crispy. However, today started full of optimism for a day of big bets and bookie friendly results, there was plenty of time to get yesterday’s not inconsiderable losses back. writes SIMON NOTT.

The Star Sports team had extra incentive to win as we had industry legend Matthew Trenhaile, aka ‘Trench’ with us today. He’s more used to laying bets from behind a computer screen, today he was going to be looking into the whites of the punters eyes with the smell of fear in his nostrils.

🎩 2:30 – Norfolk Stakes (Group 2) 5f

There were a variety of bets tendered early, a monkey on a golf two-ball market, a bet at Longchamp and a £500 each-way double Shareholder in the first at 17/2 and Kamboo in the second at 33/1 which stood win £161,000 on the win part should it cop. ‘If it does, that will constitute a bad day quipped Steve’.

Whistlejacket was a popular short one in the first and bets included £5000 at 11/8 £5500 – £4000 and £5500 – £5000 but certainly wasn’t the only one backed, Saturday Flirt attracted a bet of £16,000, £9000 – £500 each-way and £8000 – £500 each-way. While we were betting away a film crew of significant size following the Racing Blogger into Ben as he backed his fancy, no not with Ben’s money.

The joint was buzzing, pro-punter Roland De Wolfe came to the pitch, then Brian Gleeson with the ITV crew, meanwhile an even £8000 was laid the jolly plus a grand the daily special double. Then a £1000 – £1100, at that moment a very big player was spotted hovering, if he played it was going to be a lump, it was a case of will he, won’t he, he didn’t.

At the off the favourite was losing £24,251 plus some doubles. 12/1 chance Shareholder won the race and the book copped £20,000 and a big chunk was won back, but, and it was a very big but, there was the monkey each-way double to consider…

🎩 3:05 – King George V Stakes (Heritage Handicap) (Class 2) 1m4f

Despite taking under the odds the otherwise easy to back first winner, Kamboo was red for £161,000 in the next before a bet had been struck. Business was very hectic, the ladies were queueing to get on, so Ben decided that it was a good time to get Trench up in the joint taking bets. He did very well too, next up and a bet of £22,000 – £4000 Gilded Water which made that one a loser for over £16,000.

The race went to Going The Distance which winning at 9/1 was an excellent result, the each-way double was gubbed and the book copped £10,000. Trench was no doubt relieved to be relieved from his post after the race, on-course work experience done.

🎩 3:45 – Ribblesdale Stakes (Group 2) 1m4f

Next up and a couple of bets to get the race underway, £25,000 – £10,000 twice Diamond Rain, so the firm soon had a big bogie to try and get beaten. Today’s pushing and shoving was a far cry from the relaxed atmosphere of the first two days, but fun to be in amongst.

Bets flowed thick and fast £25,000 – £2000 Rubies Are Red, £13,500 – £3000 You Got To Me and £5500 – £2000 Kalpana. I managed to make it down to the lower rail, Flynn, Ed and Ricky won £9000 in the first race and a monkey on the second. Did I mention it was hectic? It was.

Port Fairy winning the race at 12/1 was another fantastic result, especially given the connections and the jockey combination. The Tattersalls book won £27,000 while down in the rails they chipped out another grand from the deficit. It was all going the right way so far.

🎩 4:25 – Gold Cup (Group 1) 2m4f

Next up and Ben got up on the joint and started to call the punters to action in his own inimitable way. In they came too, £7500 – £5000 and £19,800 – £18,000 Kyprios followed by £6500 – £1000 Vauban. At the off Kyprios was losing £27,000. The favourite had to fight for it, the runner-up Trawlerman battled all the way to the line but ultimately had to capitulate. In one race and out the other, £27,000 given back to the punters.

It’s a tough old game. Racing Blogger backed the winner behind Star Sports, which was a small mercy, but he and his entourage roaring in celebration was still the rub down. Down on the lower rail, they knocked out £2500 and needed pound coins.

🎩 5:05 – Britannia Stakes (Heritage Handicap) (Class 2) 1m

The impossible handicap still attracted some bigger players, bets included £2500 at 13/2 Qirat and £67,500 – £3000 Lautrec. Meanwhile Steve laid and £11,000 – £4000 a horse over at Chelmsford and got that beaten.

Back to Royal Ascot as the horses gathered at the start a punter had £3800 Qirat at 7/1 which made that one red for £39,700 while Lautrec was losing £60,000 with just £14,000 in the hod. In a race like this, it would be tempting to think like the pool collectors that used to pocket the money and just think that nobody is ever going to cop, and keep filling the hod. Mind you, going into the race £43,000 up, there was a cushion. Mickley won the race at 15/2 and was a good winner. ‘We don’t have many to pay, let’s get stuck into this one’ was Steve’s battle cry.

🎩 5:40 – Hampton Court Stakes (Group 3) 1m 2f

They certainly got stuck into it alright, or rather they got stuck in to. Kalooki bookmakers hedged £130,000 – £20,000 on Jayarebe and dispelled any further thoughts of aching feet or lower back pain, the penultimate had just got very interesting. The firm were hoping that a bet of £2000 – £1000 Kings Gambit late on was inspired money. That was followed by £20,000 – £10,000 the same horse which made that one a loser but still left the bogie losing over £117,000.

The rest of the field money was very poor, but in the meantime the golf and Longchamp bets mentioned earlier both copped. Small mercies. Meanwhile Tom from Australia came down to say hello, he reads the blogs and enjoys them. Today’s wouldn’t be an enjoyable one to write if this bogie obliged for the punters.

I felt a bit sick as Jayarebe took up it up kicked clear from the fast finishing but never going to get there Kings Gambit. The winner returned 7/1, but Star don’t hedge. The roar that went up from the bookmakers that had the bet suggested it hadn’t been a hedge bet but a punt. A sickener, the book lost £117,264.

🎩 6:15 – Buckingham Palace Stakes (Handicap) (Class 2) 7f

It takes some stoicism to get back up on the joint after a body blow like that, but there was still another race to bet on. The punters weren’t done with, the Star Sports team were given the chance to claw some back by a punter that bet £24,000 – £6000 English Oak.

As the horses went to post, the only other bet of note was £300 at 28/1 Sous La Neige but not much else. Going into the last, the firm were £57,000 down, the book was holding £8500 and had the favourite for £23,181 and the rag losing £1350, the rest all good winners. English Oak bolted up. Who’d be a bookmaker?

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

Simon Nott is author of: Skint Mob! Tales from the Betting Ring
available on Kindle CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS

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