SIMON NOTT BETTING REPORT: Ascot Saturday

We’re back! On a racecourse, crowds, betting in cash, no masks, people having fun proper job …. The team couldn’t wait for the action to start …..

1:15 – Pat Eddery Stakes (Listed) (Class 1) (2YO only) 7f

The betting in the first was described by Lofty as steady with the caveat ‘We could have done with taking ten times what we did’. His tune changed when the bogie New Science, the 2/1 favourite, sloshed in. ‘We’d have done ten times as much’ was his astute re-evaluation of the book as they passed the post.

It was the same story from the office. They told me that the winner was the only loser having laid £1500 – £800, £1000 – £500 and £450 at 9/4. Those bets were fairly modest for a Saturday so a round of fairly dodged bullets.

The forecast rain just started to drizzle in when betting got going for race two. Betting in the back row on his 42nd birthday was Rucker Noyce. Great to see he made a special effort to dress up for the day too. No, really, he has.

1:50 – Princess Margaret Keeneland Stakes (Fillies’ Group 3) (Class 1) (2YO only) 6f

By the time they were loading it was raining properly with less money fielded than the last race. Spirits appeared not to be dampened. Ben from the BHA development program was on the stool instead of Ben Ben. He appeared to be enjoying his work though could have done with a raincoat.

There was a desperate finish, the judge took plenty of time to separate them, the cameraman couldn’t tell, even Betfair was flummoxed, but Lofty knew. He told us the nearside and the nearside it was, Zan Claudette deprived the jolly Desert Dreamer by a nose. Lofty was triumphant and the book copped its modest take. Aye Aye.

The office reported bets in the book of £10,000 – £500 each-way Crazyland and a grand, monkey and entourage on the jolly. So they copped too.

2:25 – Porsche Handicap (Str) (Class 2) (3YO only) 1m

The biggest bet Flynn and the team laid in the next was a £900 – £200 Guru. Everyone wanted to be on Guru. Ben said that he hoped Guru didn’t win or the payouts would be lengthy. Guru won by a short head in a photo, Lofty called it of course, short heads are child’s play even with newsagent bought reading glasses, see photo.

The office laid a few decent bets including Fantastic Fox £2750 – £1000 £2250 – £1000 and £1500 – £800 with a fly in the ointment bet of £3500 – 1000 Guru.

By now the sun was trying to make an appearance and it was getting a bit humid in the ring as clobber made slightly damp early started to dry out.

3:00 – Moet & Chandon International Stakes (Heritage Handicap) (Class 2) (3YO plus) 7f

It was a bit like those halcyon days at Windsor on a Monday night but to a lesser extent as punters appeared to be queuing for a good old fashioned guess-up on the big handicap.

The good thing about people guessing is they rarely go for the favourite so Danyah the 9/2 favourite winning in another close finish wasn’t the disaster it could have been.

The office didn’t fare too badly either. They reported bets which included £2750 – £500 each-way Matthew Flinders, £5500 – £1000 each-way Raising Sand, £14,000 – £500 each-way and £4000 – £1000 Motakhayyal. The biggest bet laid on the winner was £160 at 13/2 in the morning.

3:35 – King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Qipco Stakes (Group 1) (British Champions Series) (Class 1) (3YO plus) 1m 4f

There was no guessing in the feature. All they wanted was Love. The book was very lopsided, just the one loser. The sound of bookmakers cheering is rarely good news for favourite backers. The same was true today. Love never really looked like winning behind Adayar who franked the Derby form in some style. The winner was 9/4 second-in so the guess is that plenty of firms in the ring went down with the jolly to get the day’s wages.

The office were much happier to got Love beaten, they laid a whopping £525,000 – £300,000 topped with another £35,000 – £20,000 compared to the biggest bet £5500 – £2000 the winner.

4:10 – Sebastian’s Action Trust Handicap (Class 4) (3YO plus) 1m 4f

Just four went to post for the penultimate. The punters seemed happy enough to get involved in what was still a tight betting heat. Don’t tell Ben but Flynn bet overs for a while, to Lofty’s chagrin. They managed to get the jolly Camelot Tales a loser in the book by the off. To be fair it was the best-backed on course flip-flopping with Southern Voyage as market leader. The punters got it wrong though. Southern Voyage got the money returning 2/1 second-in but the best in the course book. ‘Too good a book’ bemoaned Lofty ‘Inlike was showing off again betting overs without even using the green up button.

It was all Camelot Tales in the office too, though not to lumps like the previous race. They all add up though and included £1513 – £1100, £1300 – £800 and £2000 – £1000.

Between races golf betting legend and previous #BettingPeople interviewee Jeremy Chapman came for a chat. It was nice to see him out and about again. In fact today really did seem like an old mates reunion down in the betting ring.

4:45 – Longines Handicap (Female Amateur Jockeys) (Class 3) (3YO plus) 7f

The last heat was a little quieter the betting of which was bathed in balmy sunshine, not what had been anticipated earlier. Betting was modest but big enough to make Crack Regiment a four-figure bogie. The 10/3 winning joint favourite Spirited Guest was also a loser in the on-course book but only for a generous round of drinks. Talking of which, I’ll be covering Glorious Goodwood all next week, here’s hoping for Panama weather.

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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