SIMON NOTT BETTING REPORT: Cheltenham Saturday
As always, it was great to be back on the hallowed turf of Cheltenham, the calm, or rather trials before the fantastic storm to come in March. Lofty, now known as a smiley, chirpy happy chappie after his #BettingPeople interview was absent. No, the limelight hasn’t forced him into the shadows, but his presence was required to entertain those invited to the Star Sports box up at Doncaster. He was replaced, if that’s possible, by not one, but two experienced racecourse workmen Ricky and Tony taking the bets with ‘Head of On-Course’ ‘Inlike’ Flynn tapping the bets in and making the book.
12:15 – SSS Super Alloys Handicap Hurdle (GBB Race) (Class 2) (4YO plus) 2m 1f
The special’s board was the Great Man – JP McManus’ two hotpots Chantry House and Champ, priced up at 7/4 for both to win. There was some interest but mainly there was plenty of money smashing into the first race. Not lumps but good steady bets keeping the team busy. At the off they had two up together for a couple of grand each, Byzantine Empire and Lively Citizen the bogies. Neither troubled the judge, sadly for the bookmakers 9/2 joint-favourite Cormier won the race. Not sad for Flynn the team though, by luck or design the book copped £1285 on the heat.
The joy didn’t last too long though, Ed Dark in the office came through, they’d only laid a few decent bets £1500 e/w at 9/2 £400 e/w at 5/1 £250 win at 9/2, all on the winner. After the race I spotted a guy walking around with no shoes and socks on, now I’ve heard of losing your shirt, but that’s a new one and they’ve not usually done the lot after the first.
12:45 – Jcb Triumph Trial Juvenile Hurdle (grade 2) (registered As The Finesse) (gbb Race) (Class 1) (4YO only) 2m 1f
Let’s hope the shoeless punter kept some powder dry and decided to risk it on Gordon Elliott’s Pied Piper in the next. Ridden by Star Sport’s brand ambassador Davy Russell, his only mount READ WHAT DAVY SAID BEFORE THE RACE IN HIS EXCLUSIVE STAR SPORTS BLOG, the 11/8 favourite won in a canter. Before racing I had been speaking to a racecourse face that sometimes acts as a commission agent for some huge punters. Just his presence is enough to put set the alarm bells ringing, luckily, he didn’t get involved in this heat, though as the old saying goes, ‘This isn’t Royal Ascot’ or indeed the Festival, he’d not be asking for those types of bets today, which is just as well.
The Star Sports book dodged a bullet, as the race’s shape made it a poor ew betting race. Inlike didn’t get too involved – letting the other bookmakers on the rail get on with it. He did the right thing, a race that could have been a bad losing one – the winner only cost the book a carpet. When an Irish raider wins like that, you fear an office bloodbath, Rory’s message was a surprise, it read, ‘Iceo was our only loser, we laid £25,000 at 13/8 £3000 at 15/8 and £2000 15/8 the only bet of note for Pied Piper was £2000 at 11/8.’ That’s an Aye Aye given the circumstances.
1:20 – Timeform Novices’ Handicap Chase (GBB Race) (Class 2) (5YO plus) 2m 4½f
A flurry of money in the next ensured that Oscar Elite was red for over £4000 in the on-course book by the time they set off. There were no other losers which was just as well, so just the one to get beaten to cop on the race. It appears to have been an expectation that I wear some flamboyant coloured strides to Cheltenham these days. It dawned on my as I looked around that it doesn’t appear to be as traditional attire as it used to be at Cheltenham anymore, I felt a bit like I do when having to stop for petrol on the way home, out of place It’s all part of the fun though, if you can’t dress a bit out of the ordinary for the races, where can you? Ha, no answers on postcards please.
Out on the turf Oscar Elite disappointed his supporters and never looked like winning, eventually finishing fifth behind Fergal O’Brien’s 9/1 winner Imperial Alcazar which copped nicely in the book. Flynn let on he’d also backed the winner, but only said so after the race. Star Sport’s political guru, the Parliament haunting enigma William Kedjanyi came to the joint to say hello. He was enjoying an afternoon in the Cotswolds to escape all that tawdry business in the Evil City, I don’t think Flynn tipped him the winner either.. I’m not sure if he mentioned it to Rory in the office but his message was still a happy one, the office’s only loser was Oscar Elite laid to the tune of £9000 – £2000 and £10,000 – £2000.
1:55 – Paddy Power Cheltenham Countdown Podcast Handicap Chase (Grade 3) (GBB Race) (Class 1) (5YO plus) 2m 4½f – 10 run
Having dodged bullets like champions so far this meeting, the rails team were brought down to Earth in a hail of them when the absolute bogie Torn And Frayed, the 5/1 joint-favourite hosed up in what looked like a competitive race. The punters evidently didn’t find it that hard to solve, Nigel Twiston-Davies’ gelding was by far the best backed to land the spoils. The office didn’t miss the winner either having laid a £5500 – £1000 though bets of £1750 at 7/1 and £1000 at 13/2 Jacamar lessened the blow.
Ricky, working hard on the rails had worked up a hunger and a bit of promotion too sending me off to buy three pasties out of the not unsubstantial staff welfare budget. In his haste to be the boss he forgot to ask Flynn if he actually liked Cornish pasties, we know now he doesn’t. I was dispatched to purchase a replacement pasty of the Vegetarian Thai Green variety only to be faced with a queue that bookmakers can generally only dream of. There’s money in those tasty pastry pasty snacks.
2:30 – Paddy Power Cotswold Chase (Grade 2) (GBB Race) (Class 1) (5YO plus) 3m 1½f
With the commission agent within sight, the alert level for a big bet on Chantry House was high. It need not have been. The biggest wager for the first leg of the double was a monkey, almost as much as the total field money for the double itself. The other horse backed to win the race was previous #BettingPeople interviewee Polly Gundry’s charge Santini which ended up the bogie and losing twice as much as the jolly. Up the run-in the rails book had no chance, luckily Chantry House lost about a £600 less than the gallant Gundry runner-up. It would have been a lot worse given the connections. Though two losing races on the bounce had slightly knocked the wind out of the rails sails. The office laid bets of £1800 and £3000 the winner at 5/6.
Speaking after the race, Paddy Power’s racecourse ambassador Paul Binfield told me ‘Chantry House, looked like he might have been a bit outpaced when the front two went on, but the famous Cheltenham Hill played to his strengths and in the end he won quite comfortably’. Adding, ‘I’m not quite sure, whether we saw the Cheltenham Gold Cup winner there, but he exhibited and abundance of bravery and very much deserves to take his chance and we’ve cut him from 16/1 to 14/1*. Runner-up Santini, who used to be based with the winner’s trainer Nicky Henderson also ran a lovely race for new handler Polly Gundry and I’m sure connections in darkest Devon will be absolutely delighted.’ *NB Star Sports are unchanged at 16/1
NRNB Lofty has offered 20/1 and to walk back to the carpark naked after racing should Chantry House win the Gold Cup. Cameras at the ready….
3:05 – Welsh Marches Stallions At Chapel Stud Cleeve Hurdle (Grade 2) (GBB Race) (Class 1) (5YO plus) 3m
As with the previous leg of the Star Sports special double, the avalanche of money expected for the favourite Champ didn’t materialise. In fact, there was very little money for anything, field money was very poor. The race was anything but. OK those that did wade into the favourite elsewhere would maybe look on it differently but I’m sure that most people roared Paisley Park up the hill to win. Betting aside, it was wonderful to see the 10-year-old back to winning ways at Cheltenham.
The gelding’s owner, Andrew Gemmell is one of the nicest people you could hope to meet, I feel privileged to have interviewed him for the #BettingPeople series, which I realise is getting a lot of plugs here today. The office no doubt cheered the winner that little bit louder having laid bets of £1600 – £3000, £800 – £1500 a couple of times, £1000 – £2000 times two and a £800 – £1600. The rails book won, bolstered by the money copped on the losing special double.
3:40 – Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle (Registered As The Classic Novices’ Hurdle) (Grade 2) (GBB Race) (Class 1) (4YO plus) 2m 4½f
All the hurdles were omitted from the home straight for the penultimate where Hillcrest was sent off the 4/5 favourite. Most of the business had been done at bigger prices on course, the rails laid 5/6 to some fair wagers in the hundreds while the office bets read as follows, Hillcrest £5000 at 8/11 £4500 at 4/5 and £2000 at 6/5, plus according to Rory, plenty of smaller bets too. They also took a monkey out of A Different Kind at 9/1.
Despite the sun doing its bit, the shine was taken out of the race when Harper’s Brook fell out in the country bringing down the jolly in the process. Those that remained upright made a race of it with 7/1 chance North Lodge beating 7/2 Balco Coastal by 2 ½ lengths, a good result for the bookmakers.
4:15 – Alan Swinbank Mares’ Standard Open NH Flat Race (Listed) (GBB Race) (Class 1) (4YO to 6YO) 2m 1f
I had a quick chat to betting ring manager Andy Collins as the ring were getting to work on the last. He told me that the crowd had been a good one of racing enthusiasts, very few drunks or disputes. He added that the bumpers were fast becoming the best betting heats of the day. That was echoed by Flynn. The crowd had kept the firm busy. The bogie at the off was Notnowlinda care of a bet of £200 at 28/1 from a fellow rails bookie. The favourite 9/4 Nos Na Gaoithe was in its place losing a monkey. There had been plenty of business for a lot of the field which is always good for those making books.
The race went to runaway winner Mullenbeg trained by Milton Harris which was a fair winner to end the day, Nownowlinda finished third at 28/1, thankfully for Flynn and the guys laid win only.
The next time we’re back here at Cheltenham it will be for the big one, brace yourselves.
SIMON NOTT
Views of authors do not necessarily represent views of Star Sports Bookmakers.
Simon Nott is author of: Skint Mob! Tales from the Betting Ring
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