SIMON NOTT betting blog: Towcester Saturday Greyhound Derby Third Round

The sun was shining and the crowd looked a lot bigger than the last time I was here, for the first round of the heats.

Unlike last time, there was no biting wind so the shorts and t-shirts favoured by many in attendance didn’t look the rick they did last time.

The team were unchanged as in Lofty and Charlie with me hovering about while Carly was roving collecting interviews. All looked set for a good night with eight third round heats.

6.20pm Star Sports/TRC English Derby – 3rd rnd – Heat 1 – 500m

The first heat featured hotpot Sword Rex from trap four which opened bottle-on 1/2 favourite with the four bookmakers present. It wasn’t until Lofty went 4/7 that the punters showed any interest, right in the hole. Bets struck included £400 – £700 and £800 – £1400.

I don’t know why the punters hung about, the way the jolly won 1/7 would have looked value. During the race Ben and ex-arch nemesis, now best mate, pro-punter Jerry Croxford turned up and immediately got collared by Carly for an interview.

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6.35pm Star Sports/TRC English Derby – 3rd rnd – Heat 2 – 500m

Heat two saw another short one, once again from trap four, Clona Duke which opened 4/6. The first bet in the book was €1200 – €100 each-way trap 6 Untold Zloty. As the dogs were going into the traps, the jolly was 4/5 but there was no flurry of money this time. The biggest bet was £150 at the price.

As is often the case when you struggle to lay the short one, it was beaten. Trap 3 Brinkleys Magic won the race easily from the jolly in second. The winner was 7/1 on the Star Sports board at the off but had been 8/1 and copped a carpet in the book.

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6.50pm Star Sports/TRC English Derby – 3rd rnd – Heat 3 – 500m

Next up, in heat three there were two head bobbing for favouritism opening 5/4 Romeo Command from trap 2 and 6/4 Boylesports Gift from trap 4. Those prices were 7/4 and 6/4 respectively after Lofty laid a bet of £4000 – £500 each-way trap six Savana Hero. There was a £600 – £400 hedge money forthcoming for Trap 4 while plenty of steady money off the floor for Trap 2 late on at 15/8.

They knew more than the market. Romeo Command absolutely bolted in, though he only won £123 in the win book the each way bogie was unplaced so resulted in a good cop.

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7.10pm Star Sports/TRC English Derby – 3rd rnd – Heat 4 – 500m

Heat four boasted the shortest priced jolly of the night so far in the opening show. Ballymac Marino running from trap four opened a carpet-on 1/3. Value seekers were looking each-way, Lofty laid a bet of €1400 – €100 each-way Drive on Lad. I’d have asked for €1500 – €105 each-way with the fractions, but that’s just me.

Nobody wanted to be on the jolly at 1/3 so ‘take 11/4’ was called and obliged to £300. The favourite won as the market anticipated, the each-way bogie was out of the money but qualified back in third. The book won £90 over the hotpot.

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7.30pm Star Sports/TRC English Derby – 3rd rnd – Heat 5 – 500m

Heat five came to life on the pitch, Lofty and Charlie laid £2200 – £2000 trap one Romeo Hanzo, £6000 – £750 each-way Savana Bailey and £1400 – £200 Ninja Kerry running from trap five with ‘no bad’ floor money to bulk up the book.

The favourite won nicely but the each-way bogie was out of the frame which eased the blow, but that blow was still losing £600.

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7.48pm Star Sports/TRC English Derby – 3rd rnd – Heat 6 – 500m

Heat six saw steady betting, £300 on Trap two Undulation at 9/4 topped up by a £700 – £400 as they were going in the traps and £4000 – £500 each-way Trap 4 Savana Beau.

There was very little interest in the favourite Gaytime Nemo running from Trap four which was prophetic. Trap five 7/1 chance Distant Podge won nicely copping nicely in the win book but Savana Beau finishing runner-up swiped the cream from the race but the book still won £600.

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8.05pm Star Sports/TRC English Derby – 3rd rnd – Heat 7 – 500m

There was a decent bet to start the penultimate heat seven off. €1200 – €150 trap two Jacktavern Bella. Trap one Maree Champion was installed at 13/8 favourite topping the general 6/4 in the ring because Lofty was desperate to get him in the book. There were plenty of £100 bets from people who evidently disagreed with the big fella. Ben hadn’t been sighted at the pitch since before the first, he was entertaining in the restaurant with mates Jerry and Max the Shoes, both top fellas.

He’d have been happy with the business down in the ring, Lofty got his wish and was filled in at 13/8 the jolly, the single bet that broke the price £2000. There was also good money for Signet Goofy in trap in clouding £600 and £400 bets at 7/4. This was the time for a result…

And I write these in real time. Boom! Trap six Burj Khalifa won at 12/1 and all of a sudden, the book was well in front on the night with just one heat to go. ‘There is God’ was Brian of BG’s comment. One for the good guys, at last. Lofty knew! The book won £4000.

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8.26pm Star Sports/TRC English Derby – 3rd rnd – Heat 8 – 500m

The first bet in the book for the lucky last heat was €1300 – €200 Fabulous Azurra running from trap one. Trap two Romeo Magico opened ‘tips’ 11/10.

If Lofty was hoping to box them up nice and tidy in the race a £4500 – £1000 trap five Ballyhimikin Leo scuppered that plan. ‘Time get stuck into the rest of them’ was his stoic response looking at a loser in the book for more than what it won in the last race.

A punter waded in with a £1500 – £1000 Romeo Magico to help ease the potential losses, that was topped up by a £1250 – £1000 twice hedge money the same dog from fellow bookmakers. It looked like there was a race on. There was too, but the first bet in the book €150 proved the shrewdest, it was Fabulous Azurra that got the money winning from trap one. ‘Happy to pay it’ called Lofty as he looked at a £3800 profit on the race, and £8500 up on the day. Aye Aye, has it turned?

We’re back next week.

Thanks for reading.

Ben Keith introduces #GreyhoundDerby2023

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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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