SIMON NOTT BETTING REPORT: Champions Day, Ascot Saturday

Pitches for bookmakers was 10am. Ben arrived at 1pm and moaned about the pick, then the fact I wasn’t wearing Star Sports jacket, then why I wasn’t clerking!

There was also some good news from In-like Flynn …

Oh, and Ben also pointed out that I was too fat to put my coat on.

1:25 – Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup (Group 2) (Class 1) (3YO plus) 2m

Anyway, despite the ‘poor’ pitch, business was brisk on the opener but it didn’t stop Ben running up to see how busy ‘we could have been’ !

You’ll never change bookies, young or old. Trueshan was the one the public wanted to be on. It had been 15/8 in the morning so at last the more generous prices had been dodged on course.

A punter came into the pitch and bet £3000 at cash Sealiway at 10/1 in the 3.40. It’s not so useless anywhere if they know where to find you!

The punters got off to a flyer when the jolly won from 50/1 chance Tashkhan. While the course pitch didn’t come to too much harm, it was a different story in the office. Rory there told me, ‘All about Trueshan here, we laid £30,000 at 11/10, £1500 and £2000 at 11/8 £3000 at 6/4 and £4000 at 13/8. We also laid Master of Reality a monkey each-way at 80/1.

2:00 – Qipco British Champions Sprint Stakes (Group 1) (Class 1) (3YO plus) 6f

By the second race the punters were queuing up to get on. Until the computer printer jammed because of the speed the bets were pumping out . Luckily Lofty was on hand to untangle the paper and get the show back on the road in the speed a formula one team would have been proud of. I don’t care what everyone else says, I think Lofty’s OK.

Bets on the pitch were mostly modest but did lay a bet of £27,500 – £5000 Aldaary in the last. Above the hubbub Ben could be heard saying it’s only 7/2 Simon Nott has an arty fit! Luckily he then started telling anyone who’d listen he thought he was betting in the Silver Ring. By this time the whole team were thanking their lucky stars he’s not coming to Cheltenham next week.

If you think that’s bad, Ben then got wind that Tony on the other side of the joint had bet the bogie, in this case Rohaan. Now that really is the cardinal sin.

Creative Force winning at 11/2 was in Lofty’s words ‘a fair result’. It wasn’t so good in the office, Rory told me they’d laid £10,000 Happy Romance £12,500 Rohaan but also £60,000 – £10,000 the winner. At least Tony did a portion of his wages in. There’s always a silver lining.

2:35 – Qipco British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes (Group 1) (Class 1) (3YO plus) 1m 4f

The biggest card bet of the day so far was stuck in the next, £800 – £1100 Snowfall. The race was busy but plenty of the tickets were of the small each-way variety.

Mason & Charlie came to visit the joint, a rare Saturday off for those guys.

A couple of £800 – £1100 bets also came in cash for the jolly. Ben was still not happy but at least he was cheerfully moaning after getting his hand around some readies. He even took Flynn admitting to nearing the end of the free sweets he likes to give out to punters well. Things were looking up.

Ben looked up and rather out of character for today said ‘We have a good cash book here’ then ruined it again by saying ‘Mind you it’s easy to get good books in the Silver Ring!’

The on course book copped nicely after Eshaada’s 16/1 victory with Snowfall back in third. ‘Not bad for the Silver Ring’ smirked Lofty sardonically. Best news was from Rory in the office with the list of money the punters left behind there. Including £250,000, £6000, £5000, £3500 and £2500 all at 8/11.

Snowfall was also the first leg in a £50,000 double. Aye Aye.

3:10 – Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (Sponsored By Qipco) (Group 1) (Str) (Class 1) (3YO plus) 1m

A couple of punters came in just before they set off and clubbed together £9000 for Palace Pier at 7/4 in the next. I hope it wasn’t their last money, you’d have thought they’d have made it £10,000.

Well, in the old days you’d have a bit of hope when a punter appeared to scrape up their stakes on a short one. I’m not sure that counts for £9000 but Palace Pier was beaten. It was only by Baaeed the 2/1 second-in but copped five figures in the on-course book. Lofty piped up ‘A shrewdie tipped that winner up as a lay in his column, luckily we didn’t follow his advice.’

I’m not sure who he meant but let’s hope they didn’t do too much. I waited with eager anticipation for the message from Rory hoping to hear of monster bets thwarted. Sadly there were none forthcoming. The winner was subject of the biggest bets which included. £2500, £2000 and £1500 over the winner. £15,000 – £2000 and £7000 -£1000 The Revenant a monkey on Lady Bowthorpe at 28/1 and £2000 Palace Pier at 6/4.

3:50 – Qipco Champion Stakes (Group 1) (Class 1) (3YO plus) 1m 2f

The pitch was unlikely to bet up to the £30,000 – £3000 Sealiway laid earlier. They did lay a grand out of Mishriff off the floor but dare I say it had slowed a bit so much so that a punter managed to get 3/1 the 11/4 chance Adayar just by asking, come racing.

There had been a major setback by the fifth. Flynn, due to a logistical oversight, had run out of sweets. All apart from this one, which I ate.

The book wasn’t looking very traditional but the firm only had one to beat.

The news from the office was that they had laid the following bets. Mishriff £1000 and £2500” at 13/8 plus £5000 and £1000 at 15/8. Dubai Honour £5000 and £1000 at 13/2 and Adayar £2500 at 11/4. The problem was Sealiway won, OK they did the wrong price because he returned 12/1 but it’s doubtful they’d be too worried after trousering £30,000. It was the same pair of punters who’d lost the £9000 earlier, that’ll teach me.

It was the same punters who’d backed Aldaary in the last at the beginning of the meeting which made it likely the only bogie. It looked like the lucky last would be another lopsided book with very little chance of betting up to. Business was brisk, but not as rapid as Ben’s exit to the carpark. That left Flynn to flex his Bookmaking prowess and fill the hod for the concluding heat.

The last few minutes of the betting were to the soundtrack of Queen’s ‘We Are The Champions’ as Oisin Murphy picked up his Champion Jockey’s trophy. Well done to him.

4:30 – Balmoral Handicap (Sponsored By Qipco) (Str) (Class 2) (3YO plus) 1m

The lucky last looked like this, two losers!

Aldaary won. CLUNK. That ladies and gentlemen is the sound of the on-course wheels falling off. Rather than a couple of punters clubbing together their last few quid, it appeared that a some shrewdies had found the firm and got themselves a nice few quid. At least Flynn wouldn’t have to worry about cashing up taking too much of his time tonight. Ed Dark in the office had slightly better news, he told me they’d laid ‘Shelir £750 each-way at 33/1, plenty of bets for the jolly but £8000 – £4000 was the biggest the winner won but worst winner, a £5000 – £1000 took the juice out of the race.’

Well that was that, Champions Day had been a bad losing one on course. The good thing to take out of it, the bigger punters know where to go for a big on-course cash bet, even if they have to walk nearly to the Silver Ring. The firm are betting on the rail at Cheltenham next Friday and Saturday. See you there.

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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