SIMON NOTT BETTING BLOG: York Wednesday

This was my second trip up to York – one I’d been looking forward to…

I loved my debut being at Ebor meeting last year. It was a glorious morning when I got dressed for the races so decided it was ideal to go sans tie. Oh dear, that was the first rick of the day. York still enforce tie-wearing in some enclosures, I am all for it, but that rule meant I was politely excluded from the lawn today, I’ll have one on tomorrow.

Down at the end of Tatts which is nearly in Lancashire, Henry on the second Mick Walsh pitch told me not to expect much today as the meeting is notoriously quiet in the ring, especially on the Wednesday.

1:50 – Sky Bet Race To The Ebor Jorvik Handicap (Class 2) (4YO plus) 1m 4f

Someone forgot to tell the two punters who bet £10,000 – £3000 and £5000 – £1500 the eventual 3/1 favourite Real Dream. The rest of the field money amounted to around a grand, the book certainly wasn’t a clever one, Star versus the jolly backers who would win £15,000 if they were right. Still, that’s what they are here for. Scampi won the race at 16/1 with the bogie back in third. The firm copped £4500. To top things off, possibly the UK’s most respected racegoer Andy came to say hello, you must be lucky Andy, don’t be a stranger.

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2:25 – Churchill Tyres Handicap (Class 2) (4YO plus) 6f

Next up and a 6/1 the field race. It wasn’t surprising that there weren’t any bets the size of the previous race but there was still money about. The team today, Steve, Nick and Lofty laid a bet of £4000 – £250 each-way Lethal Levi, and another bet of £1200 – £100 near the off. That left the book sloping with the weight of the £7000 loss should the bogie win.

It was a bit too close for comfort, Lethal Levi ran a tremendous race in second but was unable to land the killer blow. He went down by a neck to 12/1 chance Bielsa under a masterful ride from Oisin Murphy who did the firm a favour. The book still lost a carpet with the places and highlighted what a precarious place the ring was going to be today. One winning decent bet could not only knock the day but potentially the meeting out in one hit.

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3:00 – 1895 Duke Of York Clipper Stakes (Group 2) (Class 1) (3YO plus) 6f

Betting for the next race started well enough with a wager of £7500 – £1500 Highfield Princess. The problem as there was very little else forthcoming from the floor. To try and garner some interest as they went down Steve and Co took a chance and went 5/2 Marshman, to say the price was smashed so hard that smithereens entered the stratosphere would be a huge exaggeration but they did take a total of £240 out of it in rapid succession.

There are people still lurking for stand-out value. There are some that even ask for it, one punter came up and asked for the 12/1 Azure Blue which was next door. He was told he could then called £500 – £40 each-way with the fractions. That’s the way to do it – as it happened, she returned 12/1 so it wasn’t a bad bet to lay. Well, apart from the fact she won, though the book still copped £1200. It looked for a long way as if the bogie Highfield Princess was going to win for the front.

Luckily for Star Sports and a bit gutting for the punters that backed her, she was collared close home. The good guys got away with it again. The jolly returned 85/40 so the 5/2 punters had value that they couldn’t eat.

I got a message from Steve on the front of the pitch that Warwick from Sheffield wanted a mention. You got it Warwick, even though I’m told you backed two winners from three bets. Lofty has put a Timeform squiggle next to your name.

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3:35 – Tattersalls Musidora Stakes (Fillies’ Group 3) (Class 1) (3YO only) 1m 2½f

I was chatting to one of the nice bagmen between races. He’d not had a bet with Star Sports, but it was good to see him lurking because the book could have done with some decent staking punters backing other horses to level the book up a bit. Mind you, after Ascot he’s already got the double squiggle.

Once again, as they went to post there had just been one of bet of blog-worthy size £5000 – £2000 Infinite Cosmos. At the off the bogie which was also the jolly and now a 2/1 chance was losing £5038. Blimey, did you see the way it won? Soul Sister under Frankie Dettori that is. She absolutely bolted up at 18/1. Steve laid £50 each-way the winner to a punter at 20/1 but the book still copped £1300. So far today had been a day of getting away with it.

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4:10 – Conundrum HR Consulting Handicap (Class 3) (3YO only) 7f

Next up and there was very little interest in the race from the punters.

The book fielded a monkey in very small stakes, there was nothing sticking out for untold bundles and the punters missed the winner 10/1 Dark Thirty. Aye Aye a skinner for a monkey.

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4:45 – British EBF 40th Anniversary Novice Stakes (Class 2) (2YO only) 5f

We met Mike ‘Ebor Man’ I believe on the Betfair forum last year, the Ebor meeting. He came over to say hello to Lofty and I. I thought he was a great bloke as he said he liked these blogs, then my impression changed when he says he doesn’t watch the #BettingPeople videos! Not really, he’s still a good bloke but fancy not watching them, tut tut.

For anyone else that doesn’t, here’s the link to the latest, Mick Fitzgerald: https://www.starsportsbet.co.uk/bettingpeople-mick-fitzgerald/

Business had really slowed by the penultimate. To put things in perspective, the book held £800 which included £500 – £400 Kylian and £1600 – £200 The Caribbean. Once again the Gambling Gods favoured the firm. Firstly 17/2 chance Mon Na Slieve won the race and secondly they didn’t lay the £7000 – £500 each-way reportedly laid in the ring.

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5:15 – Stuey Weston & Friends Getting Out Handicap (Class 4) (4YO plus) 1m 4f

Alex who used to work for Martyn of Leicester and Gus O’Neill in the ring, he came up to say hello, he’s bringing his 10-year-old lad to the Ebor meeting, that’s the way. He was also telling me the creative ways he still gets bets on in minor volatile markets, I doubt he’ll do a betting people. Great to know some people are still chopping it off.

The lucky last was a 5/1 the field race. Ideally, the guys would bet tidy with £7000 profit. Of course, that would be down to the punters.

£300 at 40/1 Shake A Leg wasn’t in the script. Nor was £28,000 – £2000 Splendent. Even by Star Sports standards, it was a bit hairy as they set off. It was even hairier during the race. Both bogies showed up for a long way, Splendent eventually finished third behind Kihavah. Blimey, I know the race was titled the getting out stakes but we didn’t expect a couple of punters to take it literally!

We’re back tomorrow – up!

SIMON NOTT

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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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