SIMON NOTT BETTING BLOG: Sandown Saturday

Sandown Parks are like London buses, I’ve hardly been up here in years then it’s two meetings in as many weeks, writes SIMON NOTT. The carpark looked heaving and the crowds were queuing to get in which was a good sign. There were plenty of racecourse bookmakers here too, a brace of rows in Tatts and only six pitches vacant on the rail. That number of bookies seemed a bit optimistic until about 10 minutes before the first and the betting ring filled as punters surged in.

12:50 Virgin Bet Daily Extra Places Novices’ Hurdle (Novices’ Championship Hurdle Series Qual’) (GBB Race) (Class 3) (4yo+) 2m (1m7f216y)

There were four runners in the opener but the market made it a virtual match where they bet 4/5 Diamonds For Luck and 11/8 Old Cowboy 16/1 bar. Star’s team of Kaan, Steve, Tony and Ben Keith would you believe, found business tough, punters stood back, well most of them, one pulled a monkey up having it on Old Cowboy at 11/8, just before 6/4 was called in places. As the field set off to race the book held just £920 including that £500 bet. The race was a good one, it was 14/1 ( 16/1 hawking on course ) chance Noble Luck that gave the jolly Diamonds For Luck most to do, but the 8/11 market leader was still too good for them winning nicely. Luck is the right word though the £394 the book won over the unbacked jolly wouldn’t have bought many diamonds, still race one was a winning one.

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1:25 Virgin Bet Daily Price Boosts Novices’ Handicap Hurdle (GBB Race) (Class 3) (4yo+ 0-125) 2m4f (2m3f173y)

The next race started with a bet of £3300 – £600 Kalif D’Airy struck almost as the prices went up. That punter evidently thought he was looking at a bit of value and so it seemed. While there wasn’t another bet of that size with Star Sports the price was slowly whittled in to 9/2 by the off, by which point the book had taken another £900 in modest bets. Kalif D’Airy was understandably the bogie losing £2450 while the jolly Sole Solution was also red for £655. There wasn’t much hope for the book when the two bogies kicked on together but at least the lesser of the two, Sole Solution won the race.

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2:00 Virgin Bet Every Saturday Money Back Handicap Chase (GBB Race) (Class 2) (5yo+) 1m7½f (1m7f99y)

Six went to post for the tight looking third heat. Ben and I went for a wander around and a chat to ensure all was well with the world. It was. When I returned the hadn’t been any excitement on the betting front. The team had tapped away taking bets resulting in a book that intimately held £1350 including a biggest bet of £100 on Martator. Steve was cheering home Etalon the jolly, not a sacking offence this time as he’d kept it a small winner. He was to be disappointed but the rest of the ring weren’t, the race was won by the outsider of six 11/1 shot Gunsight Ridge, chased home by 8/1 Dr T J Eckleburg, a Placepot buster were it not a race tempting to perm. It was an excellent result for the betting ring assuming the layers had fielded enough money, there were a lot of books for the punters to choose from so not guaranteed. The Star book copped £800 nudging them back in front on the day.

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2:35 Virgin Bet Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase (Grade 1) (GBB Race) (Class 1) (5yo+) 2m4f (2m4f10y)

Next up, a four-horse race and an odds-on favourite Jango Baie which opened 4/5. It wasn’t until the team went 10/11 that there was much interest and then there was little. The big money had been on Ben leaving before the third, the clever money was on before the fourth though. Sure enough, as the quartet lined up for the 57th running of this race with just £1081 in the hod Star’s head honcho was heading out of the door. Kaan jumped up from the trench onto the parapet and got to work trying to field a few quid. At the off the jolly was losing £124 and outsider of four, Mark Of Gold, popular with the punters, bad for £3420. Racegoers were treated to a cracking duel after the last where Handstands and Jango Bay thrashed out a battle royal, one in which Handstands got the better of the scrap by a short head, the firm won £353 in a £477 turnaround.

 

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3:07 Virgin Bet Masters Handicap Chase (GBB Race) (Class 2) (5yo+) 3m (3m37y)

Going into the penultimate the firm were £2600 in front. Mind you there was still a fair bit of moaning coming from the joint, and Lofty wasn’t even working, it was Steve Brewer evidently trying to steal the big man’s mantle, not one to drop anyone in it but having a ‘big night out’ previous to a Saturday working in the ring isn’t often conducive to spirits as high as they evidently were the night before. Confidence although maybe not humour was obviously high though, they must have been as I was asked to book an April meeting Cheltenham room for 77 year old Tony, non refundable! Meanwhile as the horses went to post, ‘just weight of money’ had made O’Connell a loser for over a grand. There had been fair bets for In d’Or and Dreaming Blue too making them a shade of red in the win book as the field set off. Stood next to me down on the rails there was a punter who had evidently backed O’Connell, you’d have a job to count the number of expletives he adorned his pilot Gavin Sheehan with as he raced off the pace with seemingly too much to do. In fairness he did look to have given his mount a stiff task, but then found gears to storm up the hill to win nicely. In doing so appeased his sweary critic who went from f’ing and blinding to ‘Go on Gav’ in a matter of strides. The book was helped slightly by favourable places but still managed to blow £950 on the race.

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4:12 Virgin Bet Best Odds Daily Open National Hunt Flat Race (Category 1 Elimination) (GBB Race) (Class 2) (4-5yo) 2m (1m7f216y)

Going into the last I was told that the firm were still £1800 in front thanks to copping a few quid on the aways. Star Sports are always happy to take bets on racing at other meetings, even if the prices aren’t displayed, just ask the friendly team, they maybe moaning but still always happy to please. There was still a possibility of knocking out what they were winning. A Pai De Nom was the 4/5 jolly so there was always a chance of a lump to ruin the day. Before they set off Amberley came over to say hello, she’s started her new job with the Jockey Club, she even had a walkie talkie. Meanwhile, there were no lumps forthcoming for the jolly, that despite calling even money at the off. The book held £1526 in small bets as the horses set sail. The lucky last turned out worth waiting for, it wasn’t Friday, nor 5 o’clock but it was 16/1 Crackerjacque that obliged, the second best winner in the book copping £1222. Aye Aye, that ensured a long grinding but a winning Saturday. I’m off back to the Shire, we’re back at Kempton on Friday.

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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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