WINDSOR IN THE RING

AUTHOR: Star Sports Content

SIMON NOTT BETTING BLOG: Windsor Monday

This evening at Windsor was ‘Flavours Of India’ night, lucky early racegoers got a free Indian flag to fly, writes SIMON NOTT.

I spoke to ATR’s cameraman Clive on the way in who told me Luke Harvey was on duty tonight, I’m guessing he’d be wary of anything too spicy after his York chicken wing experience!

Tonight’s team for the seven-race card were Lofty and Kaan, recovered from the beating they took at Towcester at the weekend and keen to get some green in the ledger. It was similar weather to Towcester minus the cold wind so all tee’d up nicely for a good night of sport.

5:20 – Weekend Winners On At The Races Handicap (Class 5) (4YO plus) 5f

The first heat wasn’t exactly busy but Lofty said it wasn’t the worst book but it only held £450 including a single bet of £120. The race went to the 2/1 favourite Nogo’s Dream which lost £65.

There were six races left for it to pick up and the bookmakers had a decent number of punters in front of them.

5:50 – Juddmonte EBF Restricted Maiden Stakes (GBB Race) (Class 2) (2YO only) 6f

Hope always springs eternal in maidens, on both sides of the fence, those old enough will remember Reference Point got beat first time up and got John McCririck into all sorts of trouble telling TV punters he ‘Would win’ who then cried when they lumped on and he didn’t. I was told by a respected member of the press corps that Rising Empire was considered a certainty by those in the know.

He was priced accordingly and attracted a bet of £1200 – £1800 early in the live betting. That wasn’t the only bet of note, another, £11,000 – £1000 each-way over Coyy was potentially more damaging, but the punter didn’t ask for fractions, which is a Timeform squiggle.

The was a nibble for Dapper Charm too a hose that Westcountry bookie Mike Smale who was sniffing around the ring has an interest in. As the horses went to post Rising Empire had eased to 8/11 having touched 4/5 for a while. It would have been worse, but also a lot better. Rising Empire won, from Dapper Charm and Coyy back in third. The winner returned 4/6, 8/11 painted on course at the off and the third placed each-way bogie 17/2. Come racing. The book did £2000 thanks to the places.

6:20 – British Stallion Studs EBF Fillies’ Novice Stakes (GBB Race) (Class 2) (3YO plus) 1m

Next up was a very tight looking race and was bet accordingly, there was £605 in the hod at the off with Starlit Spice the worst in the book losing £758 if she won. She didn’t, Blue Bolt did the business landing a treble for Oisin Murphy, last price the winner in the Star Sports book was the same as the SP, 10/3 and copped £170.

I was talking to Gary Wiltshire during the race, he was commiserating regarding Star Sports doing their dough at the dogs, adding how clever the punters were these days, he did add that ultimately they won’t beat the chalk, let’s hope you’re right, Gary.

With Oisin Murphy racking up the winners, the night could get interesting from here on in, prices on his mounts could start to tumble off course.

6:50 – Fitzdares Sprint Series Handicap (Class 2) (4YO plus) 5f

The fourth race looked another tough race where they bet 3/1 with Oisin Murphy on Regal Envoy on which a punter had faith enough to bet £1750-£500, hopefully for him at least he wasn’t a bit late to the Oisin party. Another punter had other ideas, betting £2700-£300 Existent. As the horses were going behind the stalls, Star bet 7/2 the field before Jumbeau was withdrawn as the field was being loaded.

Well, what can you say, it was all coming up Oisin Murphy winning on Regal Envoy by a fast diminishing head from Existent. The book lost £1200 after the 15p Rule 4, ‘More than we’d have liked’ admitted Kaan. Do punters still place jockey multiples these days? Back in the good old days the ring would have been braced for a slew off-course hedging money, not any more.

7:20 – Knightsbridge Circle Handicap (GBBPlus Race) (Class 4) (4YO plus) 1m 3½f

Murphy was on Fast Steps in the race before the penultimate, which opened at 8/1. It was noted that he didn’t have a mount in the last, but six winners were still a possibility. There didn’t seem to be bookmakers running scared, maybe punting habits have changed.

The first decent bet the dynamic duo took on the race was £2500 – £1000 Kingkeer. Next up a punter bet £4500 – £500 Macari, he didn’t ask for a £5000 – £550 which he could have had as the fractions for 9/1 are 100/11, always ask for fractions when you come racing.

Fast Steps was also a 9/1 or 100/11 chance on course but 7/1 scrolling on the big screen, come racing.

It did look for a while as if Oisin might do it on Fast Steps in what looked a rough old race but ultimately it was a smooth late up the rails run from Hollie Doyle on Educator that put and end to the Murphy roll-up.

Looking at my racecard, I had a mark next to the winner, given to me by a shrewd member of the press room, no I didn’t back it or even mention it to the team but they did cop back £1625. Fast Steps finished third and returned 7/1, 100/11 on course, come racing.

7:50 – Follow Fitzdares On Instagram & X Handicap (Class 5) (3YO only) 1m 3½f

It was a bit of a shame that Oisin didn’t win the last race because the buzz that had been developing around the place had vanished. The ‘do the firm’s dough duo’ of Kaan and Lofty were quiet enough to take the mick out of me as I sat on the footings typing this. Lofty tic-tac’d me that they’d laid a grand at 15/8 Kingmaker which was the mount of Murphy.

The other bit of excitement was that someone came up to try and draw from an already paid and ripped ticket, due to the wonders of modern technology they were politely told that there was nothing to come. At the off the favourite, backed down to 13/8 was the only loser for £2500.

‘Surely not’ shouted Lofty after the bogie which had looked beaten suddenly looked not beaten, but was ultimately chinned by easy to back 11/4 second-in Schemaya which copped £1470 in the book.

That meant the firm were doing £100 on the night ‘That would have been £90 if you hadn’t had that burger’ chimed in Kaan looking at me. Seven hours in the car to write a blog promoting the firm and our illustrious five losing meetings on the trot head of in course and that’s the thanks you get dear reader. Lofty just smiled and added that it had looked a bit rare too and wished me good luck on the M4, beastly pair aren’t they?

8:20 – Play At The Races StableDuel Handicap (Class 6) (4YO plus) 1m 2f

Betting on the lucky last was slow, very slow, then a punter bet £3300 – £3000 Crowd Quake as the horses were going to post. ‘Got it cheap’ commented Lofty, he was right, the favourite had been a 5/4 shot when betting opened. Not quite so cheap as the gelding nudged into odds-on 5/6. Kaan was getting bullish announcing, ‘If we get this beaten, I’m going to do a lap of honour around the betting waving this Indian flag’.

There was hope as the jolly bounced out to even money at the off, a shade bigger on the machine. I was all set to video Kaan’s victory lap to conclude this blog, but sadly the bogie bolted in. The book lost £3300, Kaan and Lofty landed an unenviable six-timer of losing meetings on the trot. ‘Nearly’ muttered Lofty as they got the winnings ready for the punters.

£3400 blown in the night, punters, the next time the ‘Do the firm’s do duo’ are out together is at Towcester on Saturday night for the third round of the Greyhound Derby, you’d better not miss it, these guys are on a roll.

I’ll be there too.

Views of authors do not necessarily represent views of Star Sports Bookmakers.

Simon Nott is author of: Skint Mob! Tales from the Betting Ring
available on Kindle CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS

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