SIMON NOTT BETTING BLOG: Windsor Monday

I was held up by hedgers on my way to Windsor, in traffic for nearly an hour. No, not tractors trimming their field boundaries or hoards of bookmakers laying off their liabilities, but Glastonbury festival goers joining the M5 at every conceivable junction on their way home to reality, but with mercifully a Monday off, writes SIMON NOTT.

I’m told ‘Hedgers’ is the term used by the good townsfolk of Glastonbury for the Worthy Farm casualties, named so because that’s where they are often found, recovering from their excesses. These ‘hedgers’ probably shouldn’t even be called that as they were fit enough to drive, but I thought I’d share that local knowledge with you and the blog has to start with something better than ‘what a beautiful hot sunny evening.’

5:45 – Colenko Fast Track Handicap (Class 5) (3yo 0-75) 5f (5f21y)

The team tonight were Dan Middleton and Kaan. The crowd looked a fair one, and a couple of very decent punters were lurking with intent. As is often the case at these meetings, the first was a relatively quiet heat. Silver Wraith was sent off the 2/1 jolly, losing £1339 in a book that held a grand but no big bets. The favourite disappointed her punters, never really looking like winning. The race went to 5/1 second-in Rogue Bullet, which copped £578 in the book and started the evening well.

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6:15 – British EBF Restricted Maiden Stakes (Bands B, C And D) (EBF Restricted Race Qualifier) (GBB Race) (Class 4) (2yo) 5f (5f21y)

Next up, a known big punter waded in and shocked the guys with a request for a £20,000 bet on Irish Fighter at 10/11, the guys had already laid an even monkey. There was £900 of extra business, but of course, there was only going to be one loser in the race. The firm’s hope was Oisin Murphy’s mount, Schrodinger’s Cat which had been supported into 2/1. Sadly, lethal as he’s been at Windsor this season, even he couldn’t coax his mount past the bogie, Irish Fighter, which won nicely. It had been pointed out that the winner was jockey Silvestre De Sousa’s only ride of the night; those who took the hint profited handsomely. Star Sports, however, knocked out £20,390.

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6:45 – Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden Stakes (GBB Race) (Class 2) (3yo+) 1m2f

Next up was bag-man business, firstly £3000 – £2000 Oisin Murphy’s Mount Kaleido, followed by a pressed up £6000 at 11/8 the same horse. The punter who bet the first winner was next up and asked for £14,000 at 6/5 Headmaster. The next bet in the book was £3000 each-way Kaleido at 7/4, talk about up the front two, there wasn’t more than a grand in other bets mentioned. Star Sports like to take on all comers, but the big punters dictate what they bet, so on a night like this, if they hit a roll, it could prove very costly. Having said that, when it goes right for the bookies, there’s the chance of a bumper night. Antipodes winning at 10/1, beating the 5/4 joint favourite, was a dream result for the ring, and Star Sports, the book copped £24,185, Kaleido finishing third got the place money for the accountant’s each-way bet, though a stride or two later could have been collared.

Gutsy!

The @varianstable-trained Antipodes shows real signs of progression, storming up the centre of the track to thwart Headmaster under @Raydawson101!

Keep an eye on Bella's Path, who passed plenty of runners from the back to catch the eye in fourth… pic.twitter.com/KWglFQvyT2

— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) June 30, 2025

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7:15 – Fitzdares Sprint Series Handicap (Windsor Sprint Series Qualifier) (Class 2) (3yo+ 0-105) 6f (6f12y)

Meanwhile, Kaan was quite chuffed with his purchase, no, not the £15 Ascot fan which had been redundant but his mini mush doubling as a parasol. If he was hoping to duck the big punters having hit the front on the night, he was disappointed, the feature of the race betting was £20,000 – £10,000 Elmonjed who drove home the Star versus the lumpers on with the public money a side show in this race, £668. A bottle of that was a bet of £800-£200 on Grand Karat, which won under Oisin Murphy from 7/4 favourite Elmonjed which was handy, despite the grand payout, the book copped £9302.

Grand Karat gets upsides Elmondjed a furlong from home and makes no mistake thereafter, finishing the best to land the Fitzdares Sprint Series Handicap Qualifier!@HarryJCharlton | @WindsorRaces pic.twitter.com/pJdivLUMhh

— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) June 30, 2025

Flushed with success, Kaan flexed the company debit card and sent me off for icecreams, a task I didn’t object to. The task didn’t come without its perils, though. Dan, son of the late and sadly missed but ferocious Barry Dennis barked at me to ensure it wasn’t melting when I brought it back; it wasn’t, but was a close run thing.

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7:45 – Download The Fitzdares App Now Handicap (GBBplus Race) (Class 3) (3yo+ 0-88) 1m (1m31y)

The big punter – it appeared to be just the one – was still in the game by the race before the penultimate and evidently didn’t do ice cream breaks, as he was straight in asking for £24,0000 – £20,000 Dante’s Lad. This time there was another decent bet of £8000 – £2000 on Oisin Murphy’s mount Calumet, which was laid just before the fire alarm went off. Luckily we were already outside, as was the punter who bet £4400 – £2000 Dante’s Lad. ‘Well, that’s knocked us out of the park’ was Kaan’s always stoic response when Dante’s Lad did the business. The bad news was the firm blew £23,580, the good news, we’d already bought the icecreams!

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8:15 – CLP Summer Handicap (Class 6) (3yo+ 0-55) 1m (1m31y)

Sadly, the big punter came to check his figure and bade his farewell. With two races to go it was unlikely that there would be any more business of that size, so the firm would be unlikely to take the £4073 they were losing let alone win it back. The field money for the sixth race was just £335.

Galileo’s Compass winning at 40/1 was a right result, just in the wrong race, as the book won £332.

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8:45 – Weekend Winners On Sky Sports Racing Handicap (Class 5) (3yo+ 0-68) 6f (6f12y)

Betting on the lucky last proved that you just never know what’s going to come in. In this case, it was a punter who hadn’t troubled the pitch all evening but bet £2200 at 11/10 Lequinto, which not only got the lucky last betting underway but also gave Dan and Kaan hope that there might be a get out on the evening yet. The lads tried, they really really did, another £700 was forthcoming from the floor, most of it on the jolly, at the off, meaning that a losing night was ensured, which was disappointing, especially as they appeared to get the big players on the back foot briefly. As it turned out, it was just as well the big punters had legged it as Lequinto bolted up and the firm did another £2704, and blew £6445 on the night. Oh well, it was a great night in the sun and it’s better than a proper job. Only lent, of course. I’m back with Star at Ascot next Friday and Saturday.

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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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