SIMON NOTT BETTING BLOG: Royal Ascot Friday

I’m sure that after yesterday, most people will be bored reading about bombardments of whoppers landing on Star Sports costing them untold bundles, writes SIMON NOTT.

Well, the team is certainly jaded with the same old story, but certainly aren’t going to duck any lumps that might come their way today. You’d like to think that a few will be off target on what will be a busy Friday.

As the Royal Procession made its way down the racecourse, propelled by the calming narration of Mike Vince, the pitches were relatively tranquil. There had been two bets of note, a monkey each-way at 66/1 Bibi Dahl down on the rail in the first and £20,000 at 15/8 Shadow Of Light in the second race here.

Meanwhile, there was a birthday on the firm Ian ‘Ricky’ Rixon, the man who took my first ever on course bet £5 at 9/4 Sweet Mandy in the first at Cheltenham Mackeson day 1983, ( 5/2 hawking behind ) was 78 today, Australian Bookmaking legend Rob Waterhouse was also celebrating his birthday ‘approaching 60 but from the wrong direction’ and Mick ‘The Asparagus Kid’ Fletcher 80 years today but not present, probably on a beach somewhere…

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🎩 2:30 – Albany Stakes (Group 3) (Fillies) (Class 1) (2yo) 6f

As the horses got to the post, the Tatts book held just over £4000. The best backed horse in the race was Venetian Sun, but not with Star. Kaan spotted the move, didn’t leave the price to roast, and ended up having it an accidental winner. That was handy as she won.

While much of the ring were reeling, Star’s Tatts pitch copped £3493. Down on the rail, they’d taken £6000 and kept £1300 of it – another result.

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🎩 3:05 – Commonwealth Cup (Group 1) (No Geldings) (Class 1) (3yo) 6f

Next up and the Tatts team had already laid Shadow of Light to the tune of £20,000 15/8, the first decent bet in the live market was £6000 – £3000 hedge money so they’d done nothing wrong. The next bet was £6000 – £3000 off the floor, next another £20,000 at 15/8 off the floor. It was heating up.

Talking of which, I got a message from Armaloft Alex working with White Sunderland on the front row, not what I’d usually expect, it read ‘Classic line from female here ‘I have to back Strong Warrior ‘cos that’s the name of my vibrator’ You always get a better class of customer at Royal Ascot!’

Frivolous titillation aside, the punters would not be denied Shadow Of Light, which was being smashed, now a 6/4 chance in the ring. Meanwhile, some tic-toc tipsters came behind the joint for a £1000 treble, the first one running in the 3.23 at Redcar, Kaan would keep his eye on that, but in the meantime, Shadow Of Light was a loser for over £91,000 on the Tatts pitch. The hope was that yesterday wouldn’t repeat itself.

As the horses loaded, some books went 13/8 again, so there was opposition and a bit of hope. There certainly was, Time For Sandals sprung at 25/1 surprise and the Tatts book trousered £50,221, sadly there was no buzz about Strong Warrior finishing poorly, such a disappointment for a girl.

Down on the rail, Lofty told me they’d taken £10,000 and kept it. This was more like it.

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🎩 3:40 – Duke Of Edinburgh Stakes (Handicap) (GBBPlus Race) (Class 2) (3yo+ 0-105) 1m4f (1m3f211y)

Next up at 4/1 the field with Ethical Diamond heading the market. The Redcar bet Marhaba Ghaiyyath won, that’s easy for you to say, I was surprised to see the tic-toc guys come to draw, they’d also had £2000 on at 13/8 to win, which I hadn’t clocked.

The second leg was running on Zarigana in the feature here. It was nice to see some guys having a go. Meanwhile the first bet of note in this heat was a bookie hedging £4000 – £1000 Ethical Diamond, it was 4.9 on the machine but the price was still there and he was on, come racing, to be fair the bookie that had it displayed an impressive turn of foot for his advancing years.

The next bet was a bit lumpier but another bookie hedging £20,000 – £6000 the same horse Ethical was losing £28,000 in Tatts. Bugger, back to yesterday’s script. £28,000 done. Come on Willie Mullins, the bookies suffer enough during the jump season, leave them out on the flat.

Down on the lower rail, they lost £2285 to top it up. Lofty was up front down there, Star’s secret weapon to attract the ladies of a certain age in. Ricky had the silver pound under control.

Apparently the Lofty up front bit worked, I’m told a lady came in all dizzy to meet him but was a bit deflated when she found out he wasn’t Tony Calvin.

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🎩 4:20 – (Rnd) Coronation Stakes (Group 1) (Fillies) (Class 1) (3yo) 1m (7f213y)

Business in the next was relatively quiet, Zarigana was well bet from 7/4 ( £7000 – £4000 ) into 11/8 chased down by some bookie hedging money including £2000 at 13/8. Whilst those bets were decent the really big punters were conspicuous by their absence.

When they don’t bet, I can be an ominous ode, and so it proved, Cercene sprung a 33/1 surprise and scuppered the treble in the process though the field money was nothing like it had been yesterday, the book copped £9128.

Some bookmakers around us were cock a hoop, Mike Christie boss of the Roy Christie firm came running over shouting ‘Put it in your blog I was up the front two’ the often morose Mike appeared to be grinning but Gordon next door confirmed that it was just wind.

I was quite relieved as a grin would have sounded a bit far-fetched to put in this blog. Down on the rail, they had also found it hard to lay the jolly but still copped £2200.

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🎩 5:00 – Sandringham Stakes (Fillies’ Handicap) (Class 2) (3yo 0-105) 1m

The first bet in the book for the next was from the trade, £17,000-£2000 Silver Ghost. The next being a 3/1 the field race with Miss Nightfall heading the market.

Meanwhile, the tic-toc tipsters were back and bet £3000 at 6/5 Last Galileo in the 8.25 up at Newmarket.

A punter caused a ripple when he bet £50,000 – £1000 each-way Bassadanza but nothing else of any note. One X user suggested that there was much bigger online, I’ll just remember the words of the late Harry Metcalfe, ‘Go and get what you can on with them and come and have the rest with us’, us in this instance being Star Sports.

At the off the book held just over £6000. The 25/1 winner Never Let Go was a handy result, the Tatts book kept £4221 of it. Down on the rail, they won £3000 though did well to get it, having struggled to lay the favourite.

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🎩 5:35 – King Edward VII Stakes (Group 2) (Colts & Geldings) (Class 1) (3yo) 1m4f (1m3f211y)

Next up and Kaan had a rush of blood to the head ‘Let’s bet like men’ was his battle cry as the team of Tony, Emily and Nick squared up to face the punters in the penultimate.

‘Half-Arm’ 6/4 it was Amiloc but were hardly knocked over in the testosterone-fuelled rush, a limp for the meeting £450 at the price the best the punting males could muster. It was a while later that another punter bet £600 at 6/4.

At this point, I must mention Max The Shoes, he’s a dog man but his shoes are superb, my feet took a bashing this week but the Cheney Brogues have been brilliant. Kaan, on the other hand, was suffering in his £40 plastic pair, so much so that he was threatening to wear his Union Jack Crocs tomorrow. I won’t be able to stand the shame if he does.

The last bet in the book was £1500 – £1000 the jolly taking the field money to £4642. The meagre take was a blessing, in fact they could have done without taking that last grand, the book lost £2470, but could have been a couple of zeros on that had the punters been wading in like yesterday.

Down on the rail, they copped £1100. Yes, TC was back on the computer and had a lean-up. What a judge.

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🎩 6:10 – Palace Of Holyroodhouse Stakes (Handicap) (Class 2) (3yo 0-105) 5f

The hope was that the punters who get stuck into the big prices on offer in the getting out stakes. I could hardly move for people milling about so hopes were high they’d wade into the race, where Realign headed the market at 7/2.

Well, we never expected what happened next. An overseas punter, verified as genuine, came to the joint and asked for £800,000 – £200,000 each-way Realign, the trouble was, it was a solid 7/2 chance 10/3 in places at the time.

He was offered 7/2 but declined, waiting to see if it touched 4/1 again at which it was agreed he could have the bet, all eyes on the market.

Meanwhile, back in the real world, the Tatts book was struggling to hit the £2000 mark but tipped over it when a bookmaker hedged £4000 – £200 each-way Bodhi Bear then more hedge money, £1500 each-way Dark Cloud Rising at 14/1.

Still no sign of the 4/1 or the £200,000 each-way punter. Fittingly, it was so hot that Kaan was genuinely concerned his computer screen might burst into flames. At the off, the field money was £5600 and not the £400,000 it might have been.

Adrestia won the race at 10/1, the Tatts book won £4343, the muted bet was unplaced, did he ask for an impossible bet knowing he’d not get on? Who knows but he was verified genuine and seemed serious, his price sensitivity saved him and cost Star Sports £400,000, it was an exciting end to the day.

The Tatts book ended up winning £54,000 but Lofty and co did their money over the winner having laid £5000 – £350 each-way the 10/1 chance, come racing they lost £1701 but still copped £13,202 on the day. It was a winning day but an absolutely colossal one is needed tomorrow to win on the meeting. Final word went to Nick, a man of few words, ‘Well that was an improvement on yesterday’, very astute is our Nick.

We’re back tomorrow after blowing out 78 candles tonight for Ricky.

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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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