SIMON NOTT BETTING BLOG Sat: Ascot Champions Day

Back on course with Star Sports, it’s been a while, York to be accurate. Champions Day wasn’t a bad one to return and say farewell to the flat season at the same time. The team today, Flynn, Lofty and Hannah. Where was Ben today? Who knows but his charisma was missed.

The team today. Inlike and Hannah on the front and the quivering bundle of joy that’s Lofty on the keys.

1:25 – Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup (Group 2) (British Champions Series) (Class 1) (3YO plus) 2m

It didn’t take long for a bigger staking punter to hand a wad of readies over to Flynn. A fair wad too, £5000 on Trueshan at 15/8, which was to be topped up later with a monkey from another punter at 6/4 but nothing much in between. The other bet of note early on was £6400 – £400 Trawlerman. The rain didn’t deter the punters but it did bugger up my Crombie somewhat.

Not as much as Trueshan winning in a desperate finish from Coltrane did the book though. The latter was tipped up by Clare Balding on Radio 4 this morning, close but no cigar. Unless you were betting with Star Sports of course, Flynn had dished out plenty. The only positive thing to take from the race is that it was an excellent one and that the Trawlerman bet was win as he finished third.

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2:00 – Qipco British Champions Sprint Stakes (Group 1) (British Champions Series) (Class 1) (3YO plus) 6f

I was asked to get an RDT guy after the first, the team needed a hand. They fix bookies computers when turning them on and off doesn’t work. They wear bright red jackets. The trouble was, the queues to the bookies to draw over the favourite were so thick, I could see who I was looking for but couldn’t get there. Of course I managed eventually. Having done the thick end of £10,000 in the first, Inlike and the team needed to get stuck into the next. Business was brisk and occasionally lumpy. Bets included £11,000 – £2000 Art Power and £13,000 – £2000 Rohaan, which gave the firm the chance of getting out some back.

As did the bookie’s hedge bet of £50,000 – £5000 Perfect Power, a fair one to lay.

Kinross, the 3/1 favourite winning the race by a couple of lengths under Frankie Dettori would have been a terrible result for most of the ring, but not Star Sports. A cop of £7500 in the book.

Between races, there was a chap walking around looking quite forlorn, looking for a bookie that would take £1 each-way. I said that I was sure someone would accommodate him if he had the right money. The note in his hand might have made life more difficult on a busy Saturday.

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2:40 – Qipco British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes (Group 1) (British Champions Series) (Class 1) (3YO plus) 1m 4f

Next up and the big punters had closed up shop. Hannah, Lofty and Inlike were under the cosh but the bets were small, ‘Little fish are sweeter’ Jack Lynn used to coo. That maybe true but when the well-backed 3/1 favourite wins ridden by Frankie Dettori it’s hard going paying out and getting to work on the next. Still, the Star Sports team are grafters. The book only held a couple of grand, mostly in shrapnel and paid double that out.

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3:20 – Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (Sponsored By Qipco) (Group 1) (British Champions Mile) (Str) (Class 1) (3YO plus) 1m

Next up, the potential for some big bets with Inspiral opening ‘wrist’ 5/4 and jockey on a roll Frankie Dettori on board.

The firm didn’t see a huge flood of public money but did field £2000 at 11/8 and bets of a grand and monkey on the jolly at 5/4. Flynn looked into the screen and said that this was literally a one horse book. Just the one to get beaten. There was hope as Inspiral missed the break. You can never write off Frankie but he’s not Superman and couldn’t make up the ground he’d lost or even strike a blow. Getting the favourite beaten was all that the Star book needed to cop well, but 33/1 winner Bayside Boy was a cracking result, there were just half a dozen bets to pay out, the book copped £6000.

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4:00 – Qipco Champion Stakes (Group 1) (British Champions Middle Distance) (Class 1) (3YO plus) 1m 2f

Next up and the highlight of the day for many, but from a bookmaking perspective a long odds-on shot, no matter how much a public favourite, isn’t ideal in front of a Saturday crowd. Baaeed opened 2/9 and surprising saw a few people keen to back him, £300, £80 and the like.

Nearer the off a punter came in with £4000 to win £1000 Baaeed and another bet a £21,000 – £1500 My Prospero. Those were by far the biggest bets in a busy but modest book. The race itself was a real anti-climax for those punters that were hoping to see unbeaten Baaeed stay unbeaten by bolting up in commanding fashion. He never really looked like winning the race and had to settle for fourth behind 10/1 winner Bay Bridge.

Lofty was happy behind the joint, ‘That’s amazing, the odds on shot is out of the frame and we still copped on the places.’ That is indeed a bookmaking feat though My Prospero returned 22/1 so it was fortunate to get that bet in the book at the price.

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4:40 – Balmoral Handicap (Sponsored By Qipco) (Str) (Class 2) (3YO plus) 1m

The last race betting came to life early with a cash bet of £13,000 – £2000 Bashkirova which gave the team something to bet up to.

The punters were keen to help in that quest, the team laid a bet of £7000 – £500 Sweet Believer, the same horse saw another bet of £4500 – £500 later on. During racing, a punter came to the joint to say that he’d backed the wrong horse. He was told that if it was for this race he could change it. He’d had £50 on Shelir at 50/1 but had meant to back Escobar, of course that was no problem, the bet was voided and he was presented with the wager he wanted. The bets kept coming in thick and fast but no more of any size. As the last horse was going into the stalls, Lofty told me that the book was winning £9000, Bashkirova was losing £11,000 and Sweet Believer £9000.

There was a chance the shine could be knocked off the day yet, but hopefully not. The bogies were second and nowhere. We’ve all heard the phrase ‘turn-up for the books’ well this race certainly was one of them, and a skinner, it nearly wasn’t though, a punter backed it and then changed his bet, Shelir won at 80/1. You couldn’t make it up, the Gambling Gods are a fickle bunch.

We’re back jumping, Cheltenham Friday and Saturday. Never change your bets punters!

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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