SIMON NOTT BETTING BLOG: Windsor Monday

I’m chuffed to bits to get these Windsor Monday evenings with Star. They really are a lovely place to be on a balmy summer’s night like tonight, writes SIMON NOTT.

My journey up was a stress and holiday-traffic-free three-hour toddle listening to podcasts and all was set for a good night. The team on the rail was Kaan and Tony, expectations of lumps weren’t high but business was expected to be brisk.

5:40 – Download The Raceday Ready App Confined Handicap (Won No More Than One Race) (Class 5) (3yo 0-75)6f (6f12y)

It wasn’t. The first race was an absolutely diabolical betting heat. Despite Kaan’s charisma and Tony’s rugged good looks to draw the punters in, at the off the book held £134. 6/1 chance Fleetwater won the race and the firm copped £78. For people who have been complaining that I don’t report reality, there you go.

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6:15 – British Stallion Studs EBF Novice Stakes (GBB Race) (Class 4) (2yo) 6f (6f12y)

The next race started a bit better, a bagman bet two grand at 13/8 Blue Orbit which was the first bet in the book. They usually bet them at the right price, we’d soon find out.

Hopefully, there’d be similar bets to keep us interested for the rest of the evening. The firm had a bit of hope as the jolly was playing up at the start. When I say favourite I meant Blue Orbit which was out to 5/2 with American Gulf the jolly. Then the metaphorical wheels came off though was hardly unexpected as the Blue Orbit was withdrawn so the £2000 went back to the bagman.

The official announcement was a 30p rule four deduction which would be applied to the £507 remaining bets. The extra hope was the bookies would get a skinner because explaining rule four to the largely recreational crowd would be tricky.

No such luck, American Gulf won as it liked, returned a reformed market 5/4 and cost the firm £265. More reality.

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6:45 – Download The Fitzdares App Now Fillies’ Novice Stakes (GBB Race) (Class 5) (3yo+)6f (6f12y)

Fair play to the bagman, he spun up his returned stake from the previous race and bet £2100 – £2000. Before anyone has a scream up about the football price, he bet a grand at a negotiated 11/10 and a grand at evens, the chaos had already laid £2200 – £2000 to a different punter.

Remember I said the bagmen often get the value prices, five minutes before the off a punter was happy to have £10,000 on the jolly at 8/13. So not quite so quiet after all.

It can’t have been much fun for those who lumped on the jolly. She didn’t look like winning at any stage, I’d go so far as to say the bogie, a loser for £10,686 was the first one beaten.

The race went to 17/2 chance Cuban Lady, the book copped £14,296, not the reality for most books but Star take big bets and pay me to write about what happens in their books.

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7:15 – Fitzdares Sprint Series Handicap (Windsor Sprint Series Qualifier) (Class 3) (3yo 0-95) 6f (6f12y)

Next up and a race where they bet 4/1 the field with Master Technician heading the market.

Business had certainly picked up with some £150 and £250 bets on various horses then a monkey bets, on Strong Warrior at 9/2, So Darn Hot at 9/2 and Mythical Composer at 11/2.

As the horses were going into the stalls, Strong Warrior was a 9/4 at which a punter bet £4500 – £2000. It seems the big punters got here late! So Darn Hot thwarted the gamble on Strong Warrior winning at 4/1 from the 9/4 stick on quite comfortably.

The book copped £1486 and I cheered up a bit, even though it’s not my money.

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7:45 – Fitzdares Telephone Betting Handicap (GBBPlus Race) (Class 4) (4yo+ 0-85) 1m2f

Next up and the sun was getting lower in the sky when they priced up the five-runner fifth and a punter bet £1875 – £1000 Westridge early to get things moving. The next bet or note was £750 on Morcar at 11/2, I’d have asked for the fractions had it been me, but that bet but it still made Morcar the bogie for £3160 so the punter probably already had enough value.

He did get tremendous value but he didn’t win, though did get a thrill, Morcar went off at 9/2 and led until passed by the ultimate winner Westridge, now that grand backer didn’t have value, he was a bit trigger happy maybe, his SP was 9/4. The punter was no doubt happy he backed a winner anyway.

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8:15 – Get Raceday Ready Handicap (Class 6) (4yo+ 0-55) 1m3½f (1m3f99y)

The penultimate saw the crowd appearing to thin out a bit but a punter did bet £875 at 10/3 Fravanco. That wager was followed up with a bet of £2500 – £500 Trojan Truth which had been 7/1, just after the bet was struck a nice chap named Nish came over to say hello and that he reads the blogs. It’s always nice when people come over to tell you. Here’s Nish and I.

At the off there was £2083 in the bag, the money horse, but not with Star was This Time Maybe backed from 11/2 into 3/1. The firm had two bogies, Fravanco for £2000 exactly and Trojan Truth £2952. The Trojan horse won though didn’t spring a nighttime surprise the bogies often win. A bagman had £200 on the winner at 7/1, he was like a dog with two dicks and proudly boasted the advice ‘Chasing does pay’*.

He wasn’t that clever because if he’d had £210 with the fractions he’d have copped £1500 instead of the £1400 plus his stake he drew, the winner returned 6/1.

*Under no circumstances chase, it’s neither big nor clever and you must bet responsibly at all times.

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8:45 – Fitzdares Handicap (Class 5) (4yo+ 0-75) 1m (1m31y)

Talking of which, the getting out stakes only had seven runners so to bet properly it had to be fearlessly head down win only. Talking of which, where are the City boys and girls these days? They always used to be here, I’m told there are plenty that still work there.

Maybe someone should go over to Canary Wharf and do a bit of flyering. Listen to me, I’m so old school, flyers, but the City contingent and their responsible big spending ways would be a welcome addition to the ecosystem and already decent, after the first couple of races crowd.

Over at the pitch, it appeared that not many punters needed to get out. As the horses were going to post there was just £386 in the hod and uncharacteristically for him Tony was having a moan up, Kaan never does, stoic with a big S is that lad. He did ask if there had been a fire drill looking out at a diminished crowd, the horses were in the stalls and off £550 nestled in the hod with Island Bandit the bogie for £1115 in the win book. I was chuffed to bits for Richard Hoiles that 20/1 chance Walson’s Law won.

Why you might ask, well Richard pays such attention to detail he looked up what Walson’s Law was when I was sat next to him in the press room before racing, though his ‘The money keeps rolling in’ reference line to it as the gelding won might have been lost on most I’m sure he’d have delivered it with a smile on his face! Star Sports’ team were smiling too, sort of. They did cop £362 on the race but had the big hitters still been hitting big they might have got the lot, though a cop of £11,903 wasn’t to be sniffed it.

I’m back at Epsom with Star on Friday and Saturday , thanks for reading.

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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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