SIMON NOTT BETTING BLOG: Royal Ascot Wednesday

Wednesday started with aching feet, no, not because of standing for seven races yesterday but being led on a wild goose chase around a strange town by elderly member of staff Ricky.

He’d seen a curry house he fancied eating in, the trouble was he didn’t recall the name or the street. We found it eventually but eating at 10.15 after a long day wasn’t ideal. Anyway, less of the moaning its Royal Ascot. Star Sports had been hoofed out of yesterday’s number two on the second row and were betting number four on the front.

Whilst the crowd was as big, there wasn’t the buzz today as yesterday, at least not on the firm. Inlike Flynn and team had priced up a special which was proving almost as popular as the first heat itself. Frankie Dettori to win one race or more.

Whilst the pitches on course were relatively quiet, the office were busy ….

2:30 – Queen Mary Stakes (Fillies’ Group 2) (Class 1) (2YO only) 5f

Due to the lack of substantial business Dramatised the 5/2 favourite winning wasn’t the catastrophe it could have been. ‘We won on the race, small but won’ beamed Lofty. Meanwhile Ben was tapping away on the number one rails pitch.

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3:05 – Queen’s Vase (Group 2) (Class 1) (3YO only) 1m 6f

There was a fair bet in the second £1500 each-way Anchorage which had that sticking out. Business was better than the first race but there was no betting up to the bogie, a loser for £9000 on the Tatts pitch. The race was ultimately a cruel one for the bookmakers. Nobody knew the result of the desperate photo between 5/2 favourite Eldar Eldarov and 20/1 bookies result Zechariah.

The slow-mo camera didn’t know and neither did the machine. The bookies would settle for a dead-heat although it wouldn’t be idea, the ‘result’ was what they were hoping for. The announcement came just a little too soon for a split decision, it was the jolly, by a nose. It wasn’t such bad news for the Star Sports book, they got the each-way bet out of the frame. ‘We won again’ chirped Lofty, those around him didn’t look like they’d got away with it so cheap.

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3:40 – Prince Of Wales’s Stakes (Group 1) (British Champions Series) (Class 1) (4YO plus) 1m 2f

Next up and a punter had £1500 each way Lord North at 7/1. Then another an even £6000 Bay Bridge, then an even £4000 and an even £2000. Things were hotting up.

At the off, Bay Bridge was losing £11,500 in the Tatts book. Kyle reported business very poor on the rail but plenty of accounts were being opened. They were off, and it turned. Lord North missed the break and it’s chance then the heavily-backed jolly couldn’t reel back the 5/1 winner State Of Rest which was a cracking result, hopefully for all the betting ring.

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4:20 – Duke Of Cambridge Stakes (Fillies And Mares’ Group 2) (Str) (Class 1) (4YO plus) 1m

Bolstered by a result, the firm got to work. They’d already laid an early bet if £11,000 – £4000 Bashkirova which was now 9/4, so in it but at least got the book rolling. A punter came to the joint and asked for £800 at 5/1 Sibila Spain, when Inlike spun the money there was £40 extra in the bundle so he had that on too.

There were just steady bets after the excitement, so on the race. Sibilia Spain was withdrawn at the start so stakes returned and resulted in a 15p Rule 4 message and a reduction in places. Ascot were tremendous and gave a very clear message explaining situation to punters, many of whom may have been novices and been confused by the reduction. It was very welcomed by racecourse bookies. Was was less welcomed was the manner in which Saffron Beach, the 5/2 joint favourite hosed up. It was handy for Star though who kept the £4000 bet on the other joint favourite which ran too bad to be true.

Despite the announcement there were several punters who wouldn’t accept that their third placed horse was now a loser or the 15p deduction wasn’t the bookmakers trying to short change them. The betting ring managers are worth their weight in gold in these situations and are imperative to the smooth running of the betting ring.

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5:00 – Royal Hunt Cup (Heritage Handicap) (Str) (Class 2) (3YO plus) 1m

‘I’m losing the will to live’ said a still grinning Lofty, adding, ‘nobody is interested’. The Royal Hunt Cup looked too hard, that with off-course firms offering place terms that the expenses heavy on-course bookies can’t match made this a quiet heat. Lunar Space was the bogie care of a bet of £8000 – £80. Win only.

The 13/2 winner Dark Shift pretty much won what the book took. Lady Luck continued to smile on Star Sports.

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5:35 – Windsor Castle Stakes (Listed) (Class 1) (2YO only) 5f

One of the old sayings nose-tappers in betting shops used to say, and maybe they still do, was ‘The bigger the field the bigger the certainty’. I’d bet anyone with Proform would probably be able to disprove that. Backers of Little Big Bear, generally 11/8 favourite in a big field must have been hoping it was accurate.

We can assume that the punter who had £900 at 10/1 on Bolt Action had poo-poo’ed that notion, or on the other hand may have considered his bet, the certainty. Anyway, that was the early story of the betting.

The story of the later betting was a general 6/5 chance and a punter was happy to have £800 at the price. Possibly in the bar when the bigger prices were available, but was have a great time and got two cigars from Lofty, who was still grinning.

Bolt Action went off the bogie for £5000 with Little Big Bear losing just over £2000. The sound of tapping noses in betting shops all around the country heralded in the end of the winning streak as the purple colours of 6/5 favourite Little Big Bear flashing past the post a neck to the good extinguishing the purple patch. However, looking on the bright side, the winner wasn’t the absolute.

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6:10 – Kensington Palace Stakes (Fillies’ And Mares’ Handicap) (Rnd) (Class 2) (4YO plus) 1m

Lofty’s cheerful demeanour didn’t waver even when his computer packed up during betting for the last. Next door Brian Gleeson was interviewing our neighbour Rob Waterhouse for ITV Racing. While was earwigging, Steve called me over, his computer was still working, they’d just taken a bet of £7500 – £690 Farhh To Shy, a horse named specifically to send automatic spell and grammar checkers mad?

At the off the book held over £2000 with three hefty losers. None of them the winner, Rising Star which won at 40/1. In fact nobody backed the winner. Known in the trade as a ‘skinner’ and traditionally celebrated with an…

Aye Aye!

We’re back tomorrow.

SIMON NOTT

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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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