SIMON NOTT BETTING BLOG: York Thursday

There were certainly a lot more people ratting around York today, which was good to see and gave everyone a sense of optimism for the day’s business ahead, writes SIMON NOTT.

We got a soaking before racing, well, I didn’t. I dove for cover before it went through my Mack, but the unchanged team of Chris and Nick betting for Star Sports on the rail got a bit damp; they had the right clobber on though, seasoned professionals that they are.

By the time betting really got going, the sun was out so all was well, and they soon dried off.

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1:45 – Sky Bet ebfstallions.com Novice Stakes (GBB Race) (Class 2) (2YO only)

It would be exaggerating to say business was booming betting on the first, but it was livelier than the opening race yesterday, though devoid of lumps.

The total held as the field set off was £1214 made up of small money, but that all had to be returned to punters plus a loss of £485 after the 9/2 favourite Persian Spring won the race, despite hitting 8/1 in running.

Kicking off with a losing race isn’t great, but it could have been worse; the guys got straight into the next with no further ado.

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2:20 – Lindum York Handicap (Class 2) (4YO plus)

By the time a punter came into the joint for £750 on Corolla Point at 11/2 in the second heat, my coat was off and the sun was beating down. That was the first decent bet of the day which would hopefully be the vanguard for many more.

As betting lulled, Nick informed us that horse number five Luna A Inbhir Nis translated to Moon Over Inverness, Chris asked if it couldn’t be somewhere nicer. Sorry to Invernessians out there.

Dave Halford, betting next door, showed me the ‘Rain Today’ app on his phone. What a prophet of doom, that miserable piece of technology predicted I’d have my raincoat on again for when they set off to race in this heat. It is also worth pointing out that Star Sports were betting a 1/4 the odds a place here, I’m sure young Darbyshire will feel a warm glow reading that, as they were loading, it started spotting with rain, Dave knew.

As the raindrops fell on our heads, Nick informed me that the book held £2072, the only noted bet in that total the one already noted. Jakajaro won the race at 14/1, the book copped £1921, a virtual skinner and it stopped spotting, aye aye, the boys could crack straight on with the next.

Star Sports bet a quarter the first four in the 19 runner third heat too, they needed a flag or public announcement because despite the excellent value on offer, the punters didn’t seem to notice.

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2:55 – Oakmere Homes Hambleton Handicap (Class 2) (4YO plus)

Shout and Sea Force opened the 4/1 joint jollies with Nick and Chris but it was £3600 – £300 win only Mirsky the first punter to the joint was after and of course got. Not long after it started to rain, the rain turned heavy then into hail and betting was properly stifled, not even teak tough Yorkshire folk fancy getting soaked for the sake of having a tenner on.

As the horses got to post, the hod held £1026 and it was announced there’d be a delay to the race after an incident in the parade ring. The rain had stopped again, but had already killed the betting, the figure held at the off was £1026.

18/1 chance Maybe Not winning looked like a right result but only copped £361, Saffie Osborne mount was popular with the smaller punters, considering the firm stood a horse for £3200 they didn’t get their whack, still it was another winning race.

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3:30 – Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Middleton Fillies’ Stakes (Fillies’ & Mares’ Group 2) (Class 1) (4YO plus)

Next up and a four-runner affair where Nick decided to bet each-way 1/5 the odds two places, there wasn’t a lot of interest but it was worth doing anyway. See The Fire opened the 5/4 jolly, a punter fancied the look of that having £400 on, he certainly had an eye for value, the mare was a shade of odds on shortly after.

Considering that was the only bet of note, the fact that the book held £1850 at the off proved the lads had grafted. Nick said that See The Fire had been supported on the machine as if she couldn’t get beaten, she wasn’t and won with some authority, the book blew £1217, it could have been worse had a big punter waded in.

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4:05 – Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Dante Stakes (Group 2) (Class 1) (3YO only)

The Dante attracted an early bet of £4000 – £2000 Christmas Day which got the book rolling, even better that he was a 9/4 chance not long afterwards. The next decent bet the firm were offered was £8000 – £1000 Al Zanati which took Nick and Chris by surprise but was happily accepted and dropped in the hod.

As the horses got to post the BRM came around and asked bookmakers to remove their mushes, no amount of pointing to apps could reverse the order, down they came.

By the off the hod held £4364, when 11/2 chance Item won the book copped £3948, some feat you may surmise, well Nick spotting the 11/1 in 11/2 move for the winner had his version of a ‘Lofty lean up’ the winner, well done Nick.

We were still slapping him on the back in congratulations when a Scottish gentleman named Alan came to the pitch to say hello and talk about liking these reports, thank you Alan, thankfully not from Inverness but he did confirm Nick’s factoid earlier, all stopped to put the mushes back up again.

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4:40 – British Stallion Studs EBF Westow Stakes (Listed) (Class 1) (3YO only)

Going into the penultimate, the book was winning £4840, it wasn’t for counting though, this heat featured a short one in Aspect Island which opened at 5/4. ‘Nothing. Absolutely nothing’ was Nick’s reply when I asked him to sum up betting on the race.

That wasn’t strictly speaking true as the book held over a grand but as the horses arrived at the start there hadn’t been a meaningful bet to report with £1337 in the hod and hardly a dinar for the jolly.

‘We’ve done £1510’ bemoaned Nick when 12/1 chance Dickensian won the race, that loss thanks to a bet £1600 – £100 each-way over the winner which was annoying but not disastrous with a heat to push.

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5:15 – Frank Whittle Partnership Handicap (GBBPlus Race)

Nick and Chris, sheltering from a light shower propelled by a growing wind, were not going to be allowed to coast home with a guaranteed win on the day, that was assured when a punter bet £3500 – £1000 Arc Ole Ole and another £14,000 – £500 Pendella which was going to make the last race interesting.

Aside from betting today, one of the highlights was seeing Rod Carr and his pal Peter again. I used to work with Rod when I was with Turf TV and he was John McCririck’s right-hand man down in the ring, Rod and I became good mates thanks to our nights out after racing. I don’t see him much these days, so it was a pleasure.

Back to betting and a bet that really could kibosh the whole day £8250 – £3000 the jolly Hard To Believe, the lucky last getting out stakes had become the liveliest betting race of the day.

Once again, Star Sports were betting a quarter the odds a place which was going down very well with the punters, other bookmakers appeared reluctant to follow their lead which was good for business.

As the field loaded the book held £5489 with Hard To Believe losing £6890 and Pendella £9268 everything else winning though Arc Ole Ole a taker then Knightsail and Charles Darnay with both withdrawn late on, and they were off. The first punter got it right, Dylan Cunha’s Arc Ole Ole won the race under James Doyle, returning 10/3.

Meanwhile, the ring waited for news of a possible rule 4 which was confirmed as 5p.

The book copped £112 on the heat which meant the book copped £3440 on the day, another satisfactory day at the office for Nick and Chris.

We’re back tomorrow.

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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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