SIMON NOTT BETTING BLOG: Star Sports Sponsored Sandown card!

Tonight started with me going through the card with Anthony Kemp prior to racing, writes SIMON NOTT.

My pal Alan Potts had kindly marked my card but decided to give the meeting the swerve as he couldn’t find a bet. That boded well for the firm who were sponsoring for the night. The office reported steady but fairly modest business during the day so here was hoping.

The great and the good of the Star Sports team were here tonight including of course Ben who was very proud to be sponsoring a meeting of this magnitude.

The sun came out, so an excellent early summer’s evening of racing looked on the cards. On the rail for the firm tonight were stalwarts Tony and Ed, keen to get stuck into the six race card, Ed sporting his controversially lucky green tie.

6:05 – ⭐ starsports.bet Handicap (Class 4) (3YO only) 1m

Betting on the opener was brisk and included a bet of £1000 – £400 the jolly Rockin The Boat. As it turned out they were lucky to get that one in the book as it was a carpet chance at the off. Ed as also keen to tell me that a fractions bet has been called in and laid, well done to that punter, always ask for them.

At the off, the book held £1100 and kept £233 of it when 9/2 chance Wicked won the race, the winner was roared home by Ed who tipped the victorious Gosden winner in the City AM podcast with Bill Esdaile: https://www.cityam.com/the-punter-podcast-episode-32-star-sports-brigadier-gerard-evening-at-sandown/

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6:35 – ⭐ Star Sports National Stakes (Listed) (Class 1) (2YO only) 5f

Next up and Clear Force had been all the rage this morning and tipped up by some shrewdies but Tony and Ed had to go 7/4 to attract a monkey at the price. That was followed by a £450 – £200 First Legion, by which point Clear Force had hit 2/1.

Star’s office had reported morning money for Dylan Cunha’s Kamakameleon support, which continued on course but not to chunks.

The race was a good one, especially for the layers, Rod Millman’s Anthelia sprang a 25/1 surprise winning under Lewis Edmonds. It wasn’t a surprise to everyone, however, 40/1 had been freely available on course when betting opened. Come racing. The Star Sports book held £1655, £1180 of which they kept.

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7:05 – ⭐ Star Sports Henry II Stakes (Group 3) (Class 1) (4YO plus) 2m

The lights had hardly been turned on for the third race when the Star Sports team were hit by bets of £4000 – £1000 Burdett Road and £800 – £1300 Trawlerman in this four horse heat. Those bets were dwarfed by a bet of £4000 – £6000, not a bad bet for the firm to lay after an early £1300 at shorter odds.

Between races, greyhound man and former Star Recruitment head honcho Simon Banks came over to say hello, it’s always good to see him, you never know where he’s going to pop up.

The betting continued to be spirited but there were no more lumps. At the off the jolly was a 4/5 chance having touched 10/11 and Burdett Road 11/4 with £9216 in the hod with the favourite the bogie losing £3365.

Sadly, for the firm at least, the drift on the jolly wasn’t prophetic; there was no reeling him in, the book did its dough in style.

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7:35 – ⭐ Star Sports Brigadier Gerard Stakes (Group 3) (Class 1) (4YO plus) 1m 2f

Next up and the feature, Almaqam was the easy to back 15/8 favourite when a punter off the floor bet £2500 – £1000 Ombudsman which got the book going. While betting was underway I had a chat with the incredibly dapper gentleman of the turf, Michael Fletcher. We’re meeting up for dinner shortly, he was keen to know what sort of champagne I like, I’m easy, any with bubbles!

Meanwhile, betting was steady if not spectacular with Ed and Tony. As the horses went to post, there was £2200 in the hod, no other lumps had been forthcoming. They’ve absolutely smashed this Ombudsman up was Ed’s anguished cry as he called me over to look at the book, he was up the front two in a book he couldn’t get out of having laid £400 and £300 Almaqam at 15/8 while Ombudsman was now a 5/4 chance.

The fly in the ointment was the huge drift on Military Order 9/2 out to 12/1 which was ominous. At the off the book held £2992 with three losers, the worst for £1596.

The crowd let out a roar when Ombudsman came with a wet sail to challenge Almaqam and the gamble looked likely to be landed. That roar was soon as enthusiastic as the horse it championed was to go past the leader.

Oisin Murphy kept Almaqam up to his work, which stayed on more resolutely than his would be usurper to win the race. The book still lost £667 but the blow wasn’t as bad as it could have been.

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8:05 – ⭐ Star Sports Heron Stakes (Listed) (Class 1) (3YO only) 1m

Next up and the penultimate, where Opera Ballo had been all the rage having been a 2/1 chance last night and as short as tips-on at one point today. There was plenty of interest in the live betting too, punters got some value on course, Ed and Toby lad 6/4 not to lumps but to enough.

The jolly pulled quite hard and looked to be in trouble a furlong out but went on to win going away. The book held £2500 and lost £1264. Going into the last race the book was losing an unenviable £3594.

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8:40 – ⭐ starsports.bet Whitsun Cup Handicap (Class 3) (4YO plus) 1m

The lucky last looked a very tricky getting out stakes, so tricky that Star Sports actually fielding enough to get out looked a fairly big price so damage limitation was probably the best they hope for. Still, troopers as they are Ed and Tony got their heads down.

One of the first bets they laid was £2000 – £60 each-way Atlantic Gamble, that was bookies hedge money, they always ask for the fractions. Between bets, I had a quick chat with Lester, he’s usually at the dogs, so nice to see him at the races too.

As Chuck Berry once warbled, it goes to show you never can tell. A punter waded in with £3000 and had it on Whip Cracker at 11/2. ‘That’s the make or break bet’ was Ed’s observation, the break certainly would be more than just a fracture, that’s for sure, but you’d have to fancy your chances with one against the field in a race like this.

That was until another punter had £3000 on Surrey Shadow at 9/2.

At that point Whip Cracker was losing £13,150 and Surrey Shadow £11,126 so two against the field but with the potential of turning what looked like a certain losing night into a winning one.

At the off, the book held £7637 with two losers for plenty more than the firm fielded but there were chances, at least on paper.

And on the turf too as it turned out. ‘Never in doubt’ pronounced Eddie and ‘You just need to keep the faith’ as 12/1 chance Hafeet Alain hit the front quite some way out and stayed there, which was just as well as the bogie Whip Cracker was runner up.

The winner copped £6400 which made it a £2800.98 winning evening. Aye Aye.

I’m back with Star at Windsor on Monday.

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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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