SIMON NOTT BETTING BLOG: York Ebor Festival Wednesday

A sparrow’s fart start to the day and mostly light traffic ensured I had a stress free drive up to York from the Shire powered by plenty of rock n roll and a couple of coffee stops, the first winner of the day landed, writes SIMON NOTT.

The on-course team today were Luke BHA graduate and Northern stalwarts Nick and Dave already betting when I arrived. I had a wander around before racing having not been here since the Dante in 2023, it’s always a buzz at York, with plenty of atmosphere. It’s a bit harder for me up north as I’m not familiar with so many of the books or big punters.

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💈 1:50 – Hong Kong Jockey Club World Pool Handicap (Heritage Handicap) (Class 2) (3yo+) 5½f (5f89y)

Back to the racing, picking the winner of the first race of the day didn’t look quite such an easy task as a run up from Devon, they bet 15/2 the field, Star Sports betting a quarter the odds a place the first four in the 20 runner handicap. The rails pitch, betting number three managed to field £2950 on the race, helped by a last gasp bet of £250 each-way at 15/2 (£260 with the fractions would have been a better bet) Trefor which was the bogie thereafter.

I was talking to Geoff Banks just before the off who told me he had the same horse for plenty. The late money proved inspired, Trefor beat the 19 other horses home to win by a head, Star Sports lost £1585, I’m guessing Banks significantly more. Still, there’s a long way to go, the winner returned 7/1, but what’s half a point between on course and off punters?

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💈 2:25 – Tattersalls Acomb Stakes (Group 3) (IRE-Incentive Race) (Class 1) (2yo) 7f

Next up and a race the punters fancied, though telling you all about it was proving to be a mission trying to get a signal to send this out but RDT came to the rescue getting me on a network just before a punter bet £22,500 – £10,000 Italy. There had already been a couple of bets, a carpet and a monkey for the jolly Distant Storm at 6/5 but were dwarfed by that bet, the first and last lump of the race.

At the off, the book only held £13,449. I say only because take the three bets I’ve already mentioned away and you get the strength of it, OK but not busy. Italy was losing £22,397 at the off, the rest winning of course. ‘Go on Italy’ was the roar from an old colleague affectionately known as the Yorkshire Pudding stood next to me, I couldn’t share his enthusiasm given it was the firm’s absolute bogie.

Coming with a wet sail down the outside it looked as if the firm were about to do their dough but the long time leader Gewan was not for stopping running on again to fend off the challenge. Aye Aye, an £11,505 cop in the book, and the firm were off and running.

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💈 3:00 – Sky Bet Great Voltigeur Stakes (Group 2) (Class 1) (3YO only) 1m4f (1m3f188y)

Next up, Lambourn was all the rage, an early punter bet and even grand, another a monkey at 10/11 then a monkey at 5/6. Shortly afterwards a punter asked for 10/11 the favourite but was told by Nick that 5/6 was the best price in the village, the punter huffed and puffed a bit then asked for £30,000 at the price.

That wasn’t the last bet at the price, Nick laid another £2500 – £3000 as the horses jumped, at the off the bogie was losing £30,335.

Pride Of Arras had been touted by some right shrewds as a potential Derby winner back in the spring, but disappointed. Those that kept the faith were rewarded today, also rewarded were firms that stuck it right up the jolly after he won at and SP of 12/1.

A cracking result for the ring, not least Star Sports who copped £35,717 from a book of £37,200.

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🏆 3:35 – Juddmonte International Stakes (British Champions Series) (Group 1) (Class 1) (3YO plus) 1m2½f (1m2f56y)

The next heat was lively too, a punter bet £70,000 – £20,000 Danon Decile, at least that’s what he asked for but was eventually reduced to £15,000 by his own choice.

Other bets in the race included £1500 at 7/1 See The Fire, I asked Nick if he’d like me to explain fractions to the punter but my offer was declined, and £4000 – £2000 the eventual 7/4 winner Ombudsman.

The latter got the money but not before the 150/1 pacemaker Birr Castle gave everyone a thrill going 5/2 in running clear of the field turning for home. It was not to be for outsider backers, but Star Sports copped £12,052 over a jolly from a book that held £20,350.

Having paid everyone out over the favourite the bookmakers had a collective coronary when it was announced that there had been an objection lodged by the Clerk Of The Scales, the only objection that’s 1.01 to land when called.

Just when a bag man set off to get a defibrillator, there was a further announcement that the first five of the six home weren’t affected. The ring breathed a collective sigh of relief at the apparent lack of betting ramification knowledge by whoever was in charge of racecourse information!

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💈 4:10 – Sky Bet Stayers Handicap (Heritage Handicap) (Class 2) (3YO plus) 2m½f (2m56y)

Between races, a very nice chap named Pete came and said hello and that he enjoys reading the blogs. Thank you, Pete, it’s always very nice when someone says hello and that they enjoy them.

Not enjoying himself quite so much was Nick, who was struggling with a laptop that had malfunctioned. Once things were up and running again and Santorini Star the well backed 9/2 into 10/3 favourite had won, the book had lost £898 on the bets taken before the issues started, a get out given the result.

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💈 4:45 – IRE-Incentive, It Pays To Buy Irish Fillies’ Handicap (Heritage Handicap) (Class 2) (3yo+ 0-105) 5f

One of the first bets in the up and running book was £400 – £550 a horse over at Carlisle. Meanwhile, at the home meeting punters were confronted with a 6/1 the field heritage handicap. A smiling punter reappearing at the joint holding his Carlisle hinted that the away bet might have been successful.

‘This is terrible’ bemoaned Nick, with technological interruptions now sorted, the team were facing the punters and keen to fill the hod but hardly a dinar was forthcoming from the increasingly thin on the ground punters. It didn’t end up too bad field money wise ‘After the Lord Mayor’s show’ still Nick’s summing up with £1790 in the hod.

A roar from a certain area in the stand when 14/1 chance Star Of Mehmas was called the winner after prevailing by a short head in a photo finish indicated that Ryan Moore’s Mount had her supporters. Let’s hope her backers bet their fancy with the racecourse bookies and not at the derisory 11/1 returned by the industry. The book won £356.

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💈 5:20 – Sky Bet Nursery (Class 2) (2YO only) 6f

Going into the concluding Nursery Nick informed me that the firm were £57,766 up on the day. Conscious that Ed managed to turn a hefty, but nowhere near as hefty, winning day into a loss on the last, the first day of the Brighton Festival Of Racing, I didn’t tempt fate.

This looked a hard heat, a punter bet five monkeys each-way the jolly Utmost Respect to get the ball rolling, emerging from a crowd that appeared to have swelled again after being on the missing list for the penultimate. Once again, Star Sports were betting a quarter the odds a place in the 19-runner race.

Next up and a bookmaker’s workman hedged £10,000 – £200 each-way Believeinmenow and £5000 – £250 each-way A’Ali G followed by modest business from the floor. At the off with exactly £3900, not a Lofty round-up, in the hod, there was no chance Nick was going to blow the lot, a very good winning day was assured whatever happened. The judge called for a photo but the machine called 33/1 chance Ruby’s Angel the winner immediately and the machine was right, by a head.

The book copped £3207 making the final tally on the day a win of £59,973 with which to go to war with tomorrow, not a bad start in anyone’s language.

Where’s Lofty when you feel the Ivy could be in order!? We’re back tomorrow. Just as I was typing this, Phil @anubis on X came over to say hello and told me he likes the blogs, I doubt he’ll like this one, punters never do when the good guys win!

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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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