SIMON NOTT BETTING BLOG: Windsor Monday

There was a new face on the Star Sports pitch alongside Dan this evening, man about the turf Eoghan was making his debut for the firm and keen to get stuck in, writes SIMON NOTT.

Tonight was a music night with a tribute band playing after the seven race card, playing the music of Queen.

There was a clash too, no not a celebration of Joe Stummer’s finest but with a meeting at Kempton just up the road, mad isn’t it.

Anyway, nobody came here for a chat about race planning, here’s how things panned out in the ring betting on the action on the turf.

6:00 – Ronald Fletcher Baker Novice Stakes (GBB/GBBPlus Race) (Class 3) (3YO plus)

The first race was a dead eight event where they bet 8/15 Tropbien. The crowd didn’t look like the AGM of odds-on backers but a punter did pull up a carpet to have on to win £160, followed later by another punter who waded in with a bet of £540 at 4/9 so to win £240, first impressions can be deceiving.

Given that there was another meeting on an Uber away, there was a very good crowd here to enjoy the racing and no doubt the band too. The smaller backers were getting involved too which was good to see, at the off the book held £1356 with jolly losing £358.

It started well, not for the odds-on backers though, they came a cropper trying to find some on the floor, Frank Stamper won the race at 16/1, beating the 2/5 jolly into runner-up spot, the book copped £1130 and Eoghan might well have got the job!

I bumped into gentleman of the turf Michael ‘The Bullet’ Fletcher, resplendent in pro-punting attire and full of vim and vigour. He was skulking around the ring, dare I say furtively, posed for a photo with Eoghan and vanished to whatever bar is popular with pro-punters at Windsor these days, always a pleasure no matter how brief the encounter.

6:30 – Catalyst Finance British EBF Novice Stakes (GBB Race) (Class 4) (2YO only)

Eoghan was getting into the swing of things shouting ‘I’ll take an £11,000 – £8000’ from the rail, there was no accommodation to such chunks but a punter did have a bottle on the jolly Captaincy at the price, another bet a bottle each-way the second-in Absolute Diamond, at 5/1 maybe the accountant for the odds-on backers AGM.

Luckily, no punter waded in with anything bigger than the jolly for the duration of betting which obliged at 4/7 copping £340 in the win book boosted to £584 when the snide each-way managed to finish out of the frame.

7:00 – Fitzdares Sprint Series Handicap (Class 2) (3YO plus)

On paper the next heat looked a hotly competitive one, where Fandom opened 10/3 favourite but only briefly. There were very few fireworks in the race as far as betting went though Fandom was backed into 9/4 market leader which Oisin Murphy’s mount Regal Envoy was popular.

One of my first #BettingPeople interviewees Andrew Mount put the latter up as a place lay to his Patreon subscribers, he got that right finishing unplaced behind runaway 17/2 winner King Of Light, the book only held £837 but kept £769 of it.

7:30 – Distro Design Handicap (Class 6) (3YO plus)

Next up and the quietest race of the day so far, where South Shore was steady around the 5/2 mark. Eoghan was really doing his best, calling the punters in and stopping Dan from seizing up.

The lads did well, the total in the hod at the off was just £775 but every pound was worked hard to take.

South Shore won with something in hand and returned 15/8 favourite. The book lost £212, there was a fluster around the ring, Harry Brown, stall 5, looked to have suffered a tardy start, were his instructions to make all? Was he hindered in his quest for a fair run, or would he be withdrawn to appease disgruntled backers that placed their wagers on him winning?

Who knows, but payment was held up, the layers and punters waited with eager anticipation for a ‘Bing Bong’, the horses away message was given but then had to endure a torturous gap before the ‘weighed in’ at 7.41 when everyone could get paid out.

8:00 – Distro Design Handicap (Class 6) (3YO plus)

Mounty also put South Shore as a bet to his punters who were no doubt in clover, he’s a shrewd that Mounty. Eoghan and Dan were chuffed too, £2270 up with three races to go. Then a punter appeared who could wipe the satisfied glow of glory off their chops in one hit betting £4000 – £1000 Twisting Physics. Ben called, he was happy to hear the firm were in front and very pleased that the new lad had not only brought luck but a touch of glamour to the joint.

While he was at it, Ben also pointed out to me that Kempton had been a put-in meeting so not such the race planning catastrophe I might have jammed it up to be.

Meanwhile, A Taste Of Glory was nibbled from 9/4 into 2/1 so also a small loser and the horses arrived at the start. Well, the Gambling Gods decided that when the fun started for Star Sports, it was time to stop. Twisted Physics won in spirited style from a closing Seagolazo, the book held £1956 and knocked out £3498 and eighty eight pence. Nasty, going into the penultimate the firm were losing £1228.

8:30 – Colenko Fast Track Handicap (Class 6) (4YO plus)

Going into the race before last, Dan and Eoghan cracked on the best they could, but the punters weren’t all that forthcoming to begin with. Business did pick up to over a grand field money by the time the field got to post. There were no bets of note just a steady trickle of cash.

At the off, Galactic Glow at 9/4 and Aim For The Bull 4/1 were the two losers for £412 and £705 respectively from a £1226 book. ‘It’s gone from bad to worse’ remarked Dan as Aim For Bull won the race and Love You More missed the break, once again the legacy of the Derby came back to haunt the bookies and punters, would it be withdrawn or was it a runner, would an enquiry be called, would the ring just have to wait for the weighed in, the book had knocked out a further £677, it had all been going so well.

The weighed in was called at 8.39pm. There really needs to be some sort of clarity: will a stewards’ enquiry be called immediately after the race has finished or do punters have to be held up after every race until the bookies are certain of no withdrawn horse and rule 4?

9:00 – Find Us At fitzdares.com Handicap (Class 5) (3YO plus)

Going into the last, the chances of a winning night were looking slim, but of course there’s never a last race in this game.

In this heat, they bet 4/1 the field in a nine-horse race, a tricky getting out stakes. A punter had £155 on Monsieur Patat at 4/1 which got the book started nicely. The next decent bet was on the same horse, £1600 – £400 asked for and got, it looked as if the firm were going to have the one loser, there was no getting out on the day but at least a chunk of it was retrievable, or that’s how it seemed until a punter bet £4500 – £1000 Northcliff right in the hole, the original bundle was short £50 but the punter was called back to replenish it which he did apologetically.

So now there were two bogies with just under £2000 in the hod. It came right for the good guys, Lequinto won the race, the book got £1200 and the tables were turned. Dan’s heading to Brighton tomorrow on a winning note. I’m back at Sandown on Friday.