SIMON NOTT BETTING BLOG: Sandown Saturday

I’d like to start by wishing everyone a happy and above all healthy 2026, writes SIMON NOTT.

I had a bug over Christmas which knocked me about a bit, and I don’t get ill, but it makes you appreciate how much we all take health for granted.

My bug was trivial compared to what friends and colleagues have been enduring this last year. Let’s hope the new year brings better fortune.

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12:15 – Watch The Unibet Racing Postcast Maiden Hurdle (GBB Race) (Class 3) (4YO plus) 2m

The first people I bumped into on course apart from the bookmakers were Stephen SD Darbyshire and Mike Parcej, who had travelled down to Sandown from Ayr. SD with a pocket full of Scottish notes, which he was keen to unload. Sadly, his attempts to bet each way in the four runner race where Sinnatra was 1/8 were futile.

Even the Star Sports team of Kaan, Tony and Kieran weren’t that benevolent. Despite there being punters in evidence that do sometimes lump on short ones they didn’t, the total field money for Star Sports in the rail was £30. The favourite won what was a soulless race, the book kept £30.

The race went from soulless to heartwarming when the screens came down from around the last hurdle faller Fouroneohfever to reveal him on his feet which resulted in a huge cheer from the sparse crowd.

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12:45 – Try Unibet’s Smartview Racecards Handicap Chase (GBB Race) (Class 3) (5YO plus) 1m 7½f

Next up and things picked up a bit but not much. The biggest bets taken in the next were a couple of £100 wagers, one on Keep Running the 13/8 jolly and another on Vanderpoel the 5/2 second in. At the off the book held £704 with the front two both losers in what was an old fashioned book.

Before racing, I had a text from forthcoming #BettingPeople interviewee Tracksuit Dave telling me Vanderpoel was his bet of the day here. Dave knew, the gelding bolted up, the book lost £166 and I’m guessing the cheers up Bromley way were quite raucous!

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1:15 – Try Unibet’s Acca Boosts Seniors’ Handicap Hurdle (Class 3) (8YO plus) 2m 4f

Next up and could it actually be getting colder?

Jerry White, down on the Kalooki joint, thought so and I wasn’t going to argue. This was a decent betting race though, punters came out of the warm to bet on it. The first punter of note had £300 each-way at 9/2 Bourbali and another £300 at 4/1 Henri The Second.

Plenty of smaller bets kept the Tony and Kaan’s frozen fingers active; Keiran’s weren’t cold, they are made of tougher stuff in Portsmouth. At the off, field money was £1955 with the two mentioned that attracted the carpet bets the two losers in the book.

Henri The Second did his best to ruin it for the Star Sports team but lived up to his name while 17/2 chance Range had other ideas and held on to cop £1787 for the good guys.

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1:50 – Unibet Middle Distance Veterans’ Handicap Chase (Class 3) (10YO plus) 2m 4f

Next up and SD told me that he’d been recorded again for ITV Racing which explained why he was wandering around the ring glued to his phone, not looking for each-way the forthcoming four horse heat, but for his recording to be aired.

Back to the race, Can You Call just headed the market at 7/4 from Jet Plane but it was 5/2 chance Triple Trade that attracted the money with Star Sports, though to modest amounts.

Those small amounts added up to a loss of £512 from a £845 when he out-battled Jet Plane to win going away after the last.

Not ideal for the lads tapping away on the rail but much of the ring might have fared better; it’s just the way it comes in sometimes, but less than a grand field money in a good pitch on a premier Saturday isn’t great.

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2:25 – Unibet Mares’ Hurdle (Fillies’ & Mares’ Listed) (GBB Race) (Class 1) (4YO plus) 2m 4f

I nipped over to the paddock side of the racecourse between races. It was degrees warmer out there in the sunshine, in contrast to the betting ring which was still icy in places gloomy in the shadow of the stand. On my return, the team had laid £5000 – £1500 Nurse Susan, and that ladies and gentlemen was pretty much all they took.

At the off, the book held £1775 in total, pathetic business. But, on the bright side, Star Sports are there to lay the bigger punters so mission accomplished in that respect.

They just needed to get Nurse Susan beaten, not lose the £4928 she was for and enjoy a good winning race. Well, that’s how you’d hope it might go, but no, despite looking in trouble turning for home, Harry Skelton rode a blinder on his mount and Star’s bogie to pounce after the last to win by a couple of lengths returning 11/4. Nasty.

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3:05 – Unibet Veterans’ Handicap Chase (Class 2) (10YO plus) 3m

As betting opened, and I mean opened, not actually underway, for the penultimate, Kaan described business as ‘diabolical’. It must have been quite bad as Sid Hooper better next door pitch four on the rail packed up and went home. For information purposes, Nocte Volatus was available at 11/4 heading the market should anyone want to back him.

There were very few takers backing anything with just £151 in the hod as the horses were milling around at the start, rising to £280 with a punting late flourish near the off, Credo and Copperhead were the two losers.

Nocte Volatus won the race, returned 11/4 jolly and was virtually unbacked with Star Sports copping £188 in the book, small mercies and all that.

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3:35 – Read Nicky Henderson’s Unibet Blog Handicap Hurdle (Class 3) (4YO plus) 2m

Just when it appeared the cold had tempered any remaining enthusiasm down in the ring, wallop, Dance And Glance attracted a bet of £5000 – £1500 in the concluding hurdle. Star Sports were already £3500 down going into the race so unless similar bets were to be forthcoming, which seemed a big price, a losing day appeared assured, it was just a case of how bad a losing day it was going to be.

In a similar pattern to previous races this afternoon, understandably the punters stayed in the warm until the horses went to post before coming out to have their bets, few and far between as they were.

At the off, Dance And Glance was showing a 3/1 chance in the ring so the punter had value, jolly at 5/2 was Hot Fuss.

At the off field money was £1653 so the bulk of it the big bet, Dance And Glance losing £4904 the rest winning nicely.

All eyes were on the bogie which looked like having a good chance winning until the last when he capitulated, the race going to All In You and 11/4 chance but a good winner in Star’s book. With hardly anyone to pay, the lads had the kit down in no time. They must have been frozen standing all day in the unforgiving wind.

It was a losing day, but it at least ended on a winning note. As SD said on ITV Racing, you could either be at home on the sofa eating Twiglets or be here in the fresh air. Quite right, we’ll be back in the fresh air at Kempton next Saturday. Thanks for reading.

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

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