SIMON NOTT Betting Blog: Star Brighton Festival Wednesday

It’s only the second time I’ve been to Brighton so was really looking forward to today and the three-day Star Sports sponsored meeting, and after Friday, well, I’ll be an old sweat.

It was the A-Team today, just Flynn and Lofty on the newly purchased rails pitch while Hannah and Kellvin were roaming getting some excellent video content. And the racecourse, itself, is as charming as it is historic.

Thankfully, there are no signs of razor gangs or yore here anymore, it’s picturesque and peaceful with sea fret occasionally rolling over the course. There are still plenty of old bookmaking families plying their trade on the course, Laurie Bond, Peter O’Toole, Tony Styles, the list goes on….

⭐ 1:40 – Star Property Group Handicap (Class 4) (3YO plus) 5½f

Nobody was expecting Royal Ascot type wagers, but there were some pro-punters spotted, Tracksuit Dave and Alan ‘The Beard’ Francis were lurking with intent. The punters kept Lofty and Flynn busy on the pitch, though the biggest bet was a bottle, £200. That was on Antiphon at 10/3, later to be backed down to 11/4 clear favourite, at least in the industry returns. The other backed, was Holbache, nibbled from 15/2 to 11/2 on course. ‘Lofty fancies it so he’s kept it up his sleeve’ Inlike informed me near the off with about a grand in the hod.

The opening heat of this Festival may have only been a Class 4 Handicap but it produced a thrilling finish, just a short head and a nose separated the first three home, the literal nod going to the favourite Antiphon a nose in front of 14/1 result Street Parade with 6/1 chance The Defiant a short-head further away in third. The cameraman briefly focused on the runner-up which would have copped £600, then decided on the favourite losing £400. A grand turnaround but excellent sport in the opener.

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⭐ 2:10 – Star Construction And Maintenance Classified Stakes (Class 6) (3YO plus) 1m

The was a right old touch attempted in the next race. Somedayonedaynever was a 6/1 chance last night, then 5/2 when the market opened on course, backed into 11/8 favourite at the off. The biggest bet on the pitch was once again a couple of hundred quid, on the jolly, at the shortest odds. The bag held about £600 at the off, most of it on the favourite. To be honest, the gamble never really looked like being landed, despite finishing runner-up.

Nothing got near Vitesse Du Son, the 4/1 second-in which made most on the far rail and went clear.

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⭐ 2:40 – Star Property Investments Classified Stakes (Class 6) (3YO plus) 1m 2f

The third race set off, as course commentator Simon Holt told the very decent-sized crowd, ‘shrouded in mist’. It had been a very modest betting race. The bogie at the off was the outsider Glencoe Boy, which probably tells you more about the size of the book than any real fancy for the horse.

The only other loser in ledger was 2/1 favourite Kelapa which lost just over £100. 10/3 chance Thunderoad made the most of the far rail under Jason Watson for Tony Carroll to win nicely from 5/2 hope Asense and copped the firm a bottle back.

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3:10 – Kevin Arthur Selling Handicap (Class 6) (4YO plus) 1m 4f

Flynn and Lofty had only just put the prices up for the fourth when a cash punter came up to the joint and bet a £10,000 – £2000 Turn Of Phrase. That was an unexpected surprise. Lofty looked up in that sardonic way of his and observed, ‘I doubt we’ll bet up to that!’ They didn’t bet up to it but did lay another decent bet, £2000 – £600 Temur Khan which won this race last year.

He won it this year again too, this time under Mollie Phillips returning 7/2, the book had the value but the punter still won £2000. It wasn’t all bad though, the book was still copping a carpet. The winner was up for auction after the race, the opening bid asked for was £4000 but try as the auctioneer might, there were no takers.

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3:40 – Carlsberg Danish Pilsner Brighton Mile Challenge Handicap (Class 4) (3YO plus) 1m

The antepenultimate saw 13 runners go to post and The Covex Kid sent off the 6/4 favourite. Amy Murphy’s gelding opened 2/1 but, despite shortening, was in reality hard to lay. Star Sports on the rail were the top price without going over the machine throughout. Try as Lofty and Flynn did it was only right in the hole that they managed to lay a £350 – £200, as they did, right over their shoulder the big screen told us that the jolly was 6/4, it was hawking 7/4 in plenty of pitches on course as they set off. Serious punters, get yourselves to the racecourse if you want the value.

The shortening was justified as The Covex Kid won the race under Stefano Cherchi by half a length but didn’t appear to be the almighty gamble landed that it was played up to be, at least not on course.

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⭐ 4:10 – Star Community Housing Handicap (Class 6) (3YO plus) 7f

The only bet of note in the penultimate was a significant one if not super large. Lofty and Flynn laid a bet of £2000 – £100 Christines Angel. In the meantime, the jolly Redredrobin had opened tips-on 10/11 was friendless. There was precious little money for anything else. There was so little in the hod that as they went to post Christines Angel was still losing £2000 in the book.

There was hope that she might not run as well as her backer, though not the row of duck eggs in her form, thought she might, she was very mulish going to the start, but did eventually get there after being dismounted and cajoled to do so. She wasn’t that much keener coming back the other way, despite going off at 9/1 the ‘gamble’ was never in danger of being landed.

The 6/1 winner Amathus had been nibbled in the market but not with Star Sports and decisively beat eventually 5/4 favourite Redredrobin into second. The winner copped £150 in the book.

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⭐ 4:40 – Star Insurance Handicap (Class 6) (3YO only) 6f

The lucky last was a lively enough race, the one the punters wanted to be on was Tony Carroll’s You Are My World, one backer had a bet of £1500 – £300 on top of some £50 and a £100 bet. The others backed to small amounts, but big enough to make them four-figure losers in the book were the outsiders including Rod Millman’s On The Border at 66/1, well it is a long way from Cullompton to Brighton.

At the off, the bogie was You Are My World, losing enough to ruin the day which was evaluated at being £600 up. The bogie did give the team a scare but ultimately ran out of juice. Bear To Dream, the ‘top of the head’ 9/4 favourite won the race. Lofty looked into the book and announced the jolly had copped £450 in the book and that they’d taken over 400 bets on the day. The consensus is that today would have been the quietest day, I’m looking forward to tomorrow.

We’ll be back with Day Two of the Star Sports sponsored festival.

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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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