SIMON NOTT BETTING REPORT: Glorious Goodwood Wednesday

Keeping up the Goodwood accommodation from years gone by theme. Dave Phillips was always trying to get us decent digs but at exes friendly prices for Glorious. This one year it was just the two of us, pre-computers so him taking the bets and me getting them down in the field book.

He was quite pleased with his booking. It was a Warners ‘Adults Only’ hotel on Hayling Island. I think Dave thought it was going to be party central and much more fun than a B&B in Worthing. Me being a single man at the time I was really looking forward to the prospect. I had an 18-30’s type of affair in mind.

Those thoughts were shattered when we checked in after racing on the Tuesday. The first thing that struck me was the ballroom music, a sign advertising Bingo which we had just missed and a proliferation of blue rinses. Yes, dear reader, it was SAGA than Love Island. In fact, the only people younger than me were the staff. Dave was doing pretty well in the age stakes, and he would have been in his mid-50s.

To top it all off, we had to share a table for our evening meal and breakfast with a lovely old couple celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary. After three nights of curious looks and small talk they plucked up courage to ask if we too were a couple!

1:50 – Unibet ’15 To Go’ Handicap (Class 2) (3YO only) 1m 4f

Today’s meeting started with the hugely valuable Arab race that has very little of betting interest from the public. Lofty and Flynn decided that given the fact that the market leaders nearly always win these types of races they set to work getting the rags in the book. Between them they fielded £600 and copped the lot when the first four in the betting filled the first four places.

The first race proper Lofty told me ‘Nothing major on the rails, nice book front two in their place and Kolisi a loser.’ Ed Dark in the office reported that Irish legend was the one that they wanted to be on and was the bogie, bets laid included £24,000 – £2000 and £12,000 while Annandale attracted a bet of ten monkeys ( £5000 – £500 ). The second-in Nagano winning at 4/1 could have been a loser in plenty of books but was a welcomed cop in the Star Sports’ ledger.

2:25 – Whispering Angel Oak Tree Stakes (Fillies’ & Mares’ Group 3) (Class 1) (3YO plus) 7f

As they loaded into the stalls for the second race proper, both Lofty on the rails and Inlike Flynn in Tattersalls reported that Bounce The Blues was their bogie. Flynn added that she was the worst loser in his book all week so far with some chunky for on-course bets in the bag.

In the office, it was Vadream that Ed Dark reported to be the worst in their book. Although relatively modest bets as far as big one goes the £16,000 – £4000 they laid that filly would have left a nasty dent in the coffers. Needless to say, Last Empire’s 16/1 victory was a very favourable result for the firm.

3:00 – Markel Molecomb Stakes (Group 3) (Class 1) (2YO only) 5f

Going into the next, Flynn in Tattersalls laid a bet of £2600 – £1600 Fearby, and what he described as ‘bits and bobs’ for Armor but not enough to stop it being a winner. Lofty had the jolly in its place and said something nasty about an outsider he also had a loser which I’ll not be repeating.

Of course, I’d have shouted it from the rooftops had it won. It didn’t, the race went to Armor winning at 6/1 with the rest, headed by the favourite, nowhere. Ed Dark in the office said that business had been light, they took a couple of grand bets on the jolly but the winner took the book.

3:35 – Qatar Sussex Stakes (Group 1) (British Champions Series) (Class 1) (3YO plus) 1m

After a quiet few races things started to hot up. Ed Dark came through with some chunky bets in the office. They included £140,000 – £10,000 each-way Lope Fernandez £80,000 – £4000 each-way Duahail £11,000 – £8000 Poetic Flare plus five bets of £1000 at 11/8. Flynn in Tatts laid a bet of £325 each-way Snow Lantern at 9/2 then soon bet up to it laying Poetic Flare to plenty from the floor including a monkey at 11/8.

Lofty on the rail said he couldn’t get the jolly in the book. Hmm, remember yesterday when he fancied a short one and got away with it? Me too. Flynn reported a great result after Alcohol Free bolted up at 7/2 from the jolly, that despite Snow Lantern finishing in the money filling third place. The office figures spoke for themselves, Lofty remained silent.

4:10 – British Stallion Studs Alice Keppel EBF Fillies’ Conditions Stakes (GBB Race) (Class 2) (2YO only) 5f

I might have to give Lofty the benefit of the doubt, neither he nor Inlike could get the winning 2/1 favourite Illustrating in the book the race before the penultimate. Lofty had La Feile his only loser while Flynn was looking at La Feile and Canonized, including a bet of a monkey at 3/1 taken over the latter, his two losers.

Ed Dark in the office said that Canonized was their only loser too including bets of £16,000 – £4000 in the morning and £6000 – £2000 during the live betting. The biggest bet they laid the winner was £1750 at 9/4.

4:45 – British Ebf Premier Fillies’ Handicap (Class 2) (3YO plus) 1m 2f

The business was brisk with Inlike in Tatts for the penultimate, he reported having laid most of the field but accordingly had plenty of losers. Lofty just had the one loser in the rails book, the 3/1 winner Achelois.

It wasn’t looking good for the firm until Ed came through from the office to tell me that they’d laid a bet of £90,000 – £20,000 each-way the fourth placed, thus just out of the money, Percy’s Pride. William Knight’s filly returned 7/2 so the punter had terrific value though I doubt it’s much consolation, a bit like when someone says some torrid bad luck you have just suffered was character building.

5:20 – World Pool Handicap (Class 3) (3YO plus) 7f

Flynn said that business was very slow in the last, the assumption being that those lily-livered punters didn’t fancy a wager in a race so competitive. Don’t they know that over seven furlongs at Goodwood you can discount those drawn high? If you can find a book in the back row betting 1/4 the odds a place going Betfair prices in such a race you are advised to make them satisfied customers and oblige them, of course asking for fractions too. 12/1 chance Magical Wish won from stall 8 even having time to try and take a bite out of a rival, from Hieronymus from draw 3 and Be Prepared from draw 5.

Flynn reported a small winning race, Lofty a small losing one and the office a winning race too after laying bets of £10,000 – £1000 Be Prepared and £5200 – £800 International Dream. Flynn summed up saying that they enjoyed a great day on course despite Lofty going for a losing favourite and that he’d booked them into a very nice pub tonight within walking distance from his luxury digs, a fair drive for Lofty’s team though. Lofty’s response…

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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