SIMON NOTT BLOG: Royal Ascot Wednesday

SIMON NOTT reports from the betting ring at Royal Ascot on Wednesday.

Ben’s views before the start of racing …

Royal Ascot Day 2

After a good but not spectacular winning day we were at least on the right foot going into Wednesday. It didn’t take long to shift to the back foot.

Jersey Stakes

Betting in cash was fairly light in the opener but the race came alive with a bet of £100,000 – £50,000 laid to a customer on course. The office also had it a loser for £150,000 so just getting its head in front on the line from 66/1 absolute result Spirit of Valor was a body blow for us. I think you can put it down as a terrible start to the day.

Ben took it stoically …

Queen Mary Stakes

Happy Like A Fool was 10/11 then 5/6 with us on course after the office took bets of £66,000, £33,000 and £30,000. It was heartbreaking to see the jolly get beaten, unbacked to much on the pitch, especially after the reversal in the opener. No time to mope.

Duke of Cambridge Stakes

Business was so fiddly Ben went for stroll and let the staff get on with betting. It’s amazing how many £2.50 each way bets are tendered when I doubt you can buy a coffee for that here. They’d bet you £1 ew if you’d let them. Moan over, 5/2 favourite Qemah won the race so we got away with it, it could have easily been a five figure loser.

Prince Of Wales’s Stakes

Business on course went from poor to bad. The biggest bet we took on the pitch was a grand. The office was buzzing having laid a £90,000 – £40,000 each-way Jack Hobbs which which we got out of the frame – Aye Aye and £50,000 at 9/4 Highland Reel which won – not so good. With two big field handicaps to finish the day It was destined to be a black Wednesday.

Despite our cause looking hopeless, it’s a marathon not a sprint. Ben and Ricky aka Ian got their heads down fielding bets including plenty of smash while Lofty and Michelle tap tapped away.

Royal Hunt Cup

It was too hard for the punters who appeared to have called it a day and found a spot in the sun. As it turned out it was too hard for them, on course we had a virtual skinner for a fish supper when 25/1 shot Zhui Feng won the race. Still mustn’t turn your nose up at a winning race.

Sandringham Handicap Stakes

The race came alive with plenty of decent bets for the type of race including bookmaker hedging. On Her Toes was all the rage each way and by far the worst loser at the off, each way too. Con Te Partiro winning at 20/1 looked a great result but when the places were taken into account it was just a modest but still welcome winner.

Armaloft Alex came up to us before racing and told us it might be an idea to back Wesley Ward’s in the last. I only just remembered. D’oh, well done Armaloft.

We won cash in the book on a day when business was very modest. The damage was done in the first and we had little chance of climbing that mountain of losses on the day. Still, there are three days to go.

Julie Williams daughter of the legendary Bookmaker Freddie came to see us after the last. She told us she nearly didn’t make the race due to dress and underwear malfunction. She looked a million dollars from the front, we won’t mention the broken zip out back! She was a great sport to let us in on the story though. Bring on Ladies Day.