SIMON NOTT BETTING REPORT: Sandown Park Saturday

I should have been at Sandown but I am typing this from home on the edge of North Devon where the storm is still raging, writes SIMON NOTT.

Obviously, we are quite a way from Esher but there’s no way that I’d be wanting to drive up there given the tree-uprooting conditions we were suffering here. There were a few eyebrows raised that racing at Sandown was given the go-ahead when there were yellow and even red weather warnings in place around the country.

On reflection though, a racecourse can only declare that they are fit to race and people and participants travelling to them have to make their own decisions.

The team today was Steve Wilson, Kaan Hughes and Amberley Sharp, the intrepid trio whose trip to the course was just the start of their tribulations. They told me that bookmakers were asked not to put their mushes up, I assume due to the danger of them going airborne in the strong winds.

Of course, that makes life a bit miserable when you are trying keep computers, printers and yourselves dry. Kaan asked if they could blag some ponchos that staff were donning but were given cold shrift. Video clips sent from a deserted looking Tatts ring showed nasty cold conditions the team did well to work in, Amberley didn’t even have any gloves on, nails.

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12:08 – Betfair Exchange Claremont Novices’ Hurdle (Listed) (GBB Race) (Class 1) (4YO plus) 2m

Their suffering was rewarded by a punter having £12,000 at 8/13 Jonbon for the feature. Yes, I know what you are thinking, couldn’t he have rustled up another grand to make it £13,000? No matter, it was a good bet to lay. There were people happy to venture out into the elements to bet on the opening race too. The favourite in the first was Honky Tonk Highway but not many punters with any readies in their hands wanted to be on.

The team managed to take 105 bets totalling £2230 in bets with at the off the bogie the 25/1 outsider of the lot Mount Gay Run. I must admit feeling quite guilty sitting in the warm glow of my yellow office watching the race run in pouring rain, even worse when the favourite won, but a bit better when the team reported only losing £3 over it. Result, well not really but you know what I mean.

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12:40 – Betfair Supports Racing With Pride Mares’ Handicap Hurdle (Class 3) (3YO plus) 2m 4f

Interviewed post-race on Racing TV the winning jockey of the first Harry Skelton reported the course and prevailing conditions to be perfectly raceable, they are better men than me these jump jockeys, but I suppose that’s a given. Meanwhile back down in the betting ring the team worked miracles, even betting from number four on the rail, to field £3469 on the second.

The book was more orthodox with Larchmont Lass their 7/4 jolly at the off losing £2490 with the second-in, surely named after the on-course bookmakers, Hard As Nails a taker. The team were rewarded properly this time, Good Luck Charm winning at 9/2 was a near £1500 cop in the book.

That was an excellent result for them but betting levels the way they were the day was already looking like it would revolve around the early Jonbon bet unless there were punters of that ilk lurking to bet other races.

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1:15 – Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle (GBB Race) (Class 2) (4YO plus) 2m 7½f

Next up and a nine-runner heat with Henri The Second installed as favourite. The biggest bets laid on a pitch on the rail that all three members of staff had to stay on to stop it blowing away were £600 – £200 and £775 – £300 over the favourite then numerous £100 bets over others in the field. Kaan couldn’t go into too much detail of the business as just staying put on the pitch was work enough.

At the off they had taken £3454 on the race, and had chances for a good cop if they could get the short one beaten. It must have been very disheartening to see Henri The Second bolt up in first, has a loser in the book for £3176 so the team had bundles of wet notes to pay with frozen fingers. Nasty.

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1:50 – Betfair Henry VIII Novices’ Chase (Grade 1) (GBB Race) (Class 1) (4YO plus) 1m 7½f

Next up and the sort of race you’d hope to see some big punter interest in with L’eau Du Sud and Down Memory Lane the two short ones in a field of four. It was the former that the punters latched on to. Bets included £325 at 6/5 £400 at 11/8, £550 at 5/4 and £1000 at 11/10.

There were lesser amounts for others in the race but it was all about L’eau Du Sud and the one that they had to get beaten. At the off the hod held £6260 with the jolly, a shade of odds on at 10/11, losing £3296 in the win book. With the conditions as they were, you’d have thought there’d be chances wouldn’t you, but no, the bogie won again and the firm had £9196.45 to pay out which must have been soul destroying.

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2:25 – Betfair Plays Different Handicap Hurdle (GBB Race) (Class 2) (3YO plus) 2m

Going into the fifth the firm were down £4810.70 after places had been taken into account, but with that £12,000 in the hod for the feature all was certainly not lost. Conditions appeared to be getting worse on course at Sandown, it was still hideous down here in Devon so the chances of them getting better before the end of the card were slim. Once again, the team performed a real feat taking 126 bets on the race and fielding £3271 in a market where the biggest bet taken was £200. The bogie for £1069 in the win book was 7/4 favourite Knickerbockerglory and the only one they had to get beaten to stop the rot and cop on a race.

It was getting monotonous for me, so goodness knows what it was like for the intrepid trio getting soaked and frozen on course. The rest of the field didn’t see which way the bogie went, well they did, in front of all of them, yielding the lead to none of them to win unchallenged from Nemean Lion who was only a taker.

That meant another grand or so into the financial mire with the banker of the meeting to come in the penultimate and feature race.

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🏆 3:00 – Betfair Tingle Creek Chase (Grade 1) (GBB Race) (Class 1) (4YO plus) 1m 7½f

There was no surprise that the betting on the Tingle Creek was all about the Jonbon. On top of the £12,000 already laid, Kaan related via a breathless and partially wind drowned voicemail that they had laid £2800, £2000, £1000 and £700 at 4/7 plus £550 at 8/15 and too many three-figure bets at various prices to mention, certainly not type with frozen fingers. At the off the book held pennies shy of £25,000 with Jonbon losing £13,580.

The firm must have had a glimmer of hope when the bogie made a mistake at the second fence, in these conditions surely any mistake would take the sting out of him wouldn’t it?

Sadly, for the Star Sports rails team the answer was no, Jonbon hardly put a foot wrong there on in apart from the second last but was a superficial blip on the way to an impressive victory. What a demoralising day for the racecourse bookmakers, Kaan messaged ‘Grim, welcome to the day of favourites, we didn’t deserve these results here’.

Quite right Kaan though I’m sure there were some jubilant punters on course who’d disagree with you, and as for multiples in the betting shops, I dread to think how much has been done all over the country. ‘Should have abandoned it’ was a further comment from someone who’d rather remain anonymous, though one echoed around the ring I’d image.

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3:35 – Betfair Exchange London National Handicap Chase (GBB Race) (Class 2) (5YO plus) 3m 4½f

Waiting for the lucky last on ITV Racing they showed Tommie Beau’s owner Simon Prout’s reaction when his horse ran out at Cheltenham which resulted in a ‘group hug’. Simon was a stoic sport despite the obvious disappointment when Tommie looked like winning at the time.

Ed Chamberlin and Mick Fitzgerald interviewed him again prior to the last race. Simon is a real good sport, great value and a real character.

I’d just like to point out that Star Sports did a #BettingPeople interview with Simon before ITV and their social media made him a superstar. You can watch his #BettingPeople interview here. It features a couple of firsts including a smashed mug live on camera. It’ll bring a smile to your face, maybe not if you’re a racecourse bookie that was at Sandown today, but maybe give it a go (click image below).

There was zero chance of a Houdini style get out as witnessed at Ascot last week today. The book held just £2641.28 over business in the last, the biggest bet taken on the race was £450 – £200 on the jolly Montgomery. Mr Vango was the bogie at the off losing £1042, Montgomery £961 and Top Of The Bill for £185. 16/1 chance Tommie Beau was winning £2041 which would be a fitting end to today’s blog should he oblige.

Sadly, there was no fairytale ending for Tommie Beau, rather the compounding of an excruciating day on the turf for Kaan, Steve and Amberley when Mr Vango won the race. I wasn’t going to say you couldn’t make it up, but the way things have been going on big jumping days recently, you could.

Still, looking on the positive side, the business was lively despite the miserable weather conditions and by the time you read this the team will be sat in their cars with the heating on full blast.

We’ll be back for a long weekend of it, starting with Cheltenham on Friday and Saturday and at Windsor where jumping is back on Sunday. The weather looks to be kinder, dry that money out punters, it’s only lent!

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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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