SIMON NOTT: Chepstow Saturday On Course Report

Holiday traffic. Bumper to caravans on the M5 and a Severn Bridge closure, all signs that the summer is returning to some sort of normality. Sadly, that doesn’t include paying customers or bookmakers on racecourses, fingers crossed that’s a distant memory soon. Star Sports were sponsoring the entire nine-race card so hopefully people were at home watching on TV.

3:45 – Call Star Sports On 08000 521 321 Novice Stakes (Plus 10) (Class 5) (2YO only) 5f

There was a time in the ‘good old days’ if Henry Candy had a bet on course the rails would empty with the staff dashing off to follow him in, a yard who knew the time of day. There was a bit of money for his charge Pornstar Martini, the 7/1 winner of the opener, including a bet of £8400 – £1200 in the office. There was a fair lump for Enaitchess ‘NHS’ too, £48,000 – £3000 each-way laid but the filly could only manage fifth. Henry Candy’s Colombe was runner-up so the old 1-2 for the yard. After the race, winning jockey George Wood said the winner was clued up being a ‘Breeze Up’ filly and had shown plenty of home with the caveat that you don’t really know until you get them on course.

4:20 – starsports.bet Nursery (Class 5) (2YO only) 5f

City Code, the 9/4 favourite, took advantage of a ‘Golden Highway’ up the rail to win easily for Ralph Beckett under Hector Crouch.

The pilot said that they had been confident because the horse had been working better than his mark at home. He been disappointing so far but being gelded and the application of blinkers had turned it around. He confirmed the suspicion that the rail was the place to be tonight. The office reported a monkey (£500) at 9/4 the winner but that the only bogey in the book was Rod Millman’s third placed Four Adaay which attracted plenty of money including a monkey at 4/1 and another at 3/1.

4:55 – Read Silvestre De Sousa’s Blog starsportsbet.co.uk Handicap (Class 6) (3YO plus) 6f

You have to take your lucky breaks in racing, that’s exactly what jockey Liam Keniry did on the Malcolm Saunder’s trained Pastfact the 17/2 winner of this the third heat. The jockey said after the race that he’d missed the break to have room to come across to the stands rail from draw two. The tactic worked, he came with a steady run to collar Bill Turner’s Holdenhurst by a head on the line with Red Bravo a next back in third. The office were luckily all watching further back the field, they’d laid £11,000 – £1000 each-way Mad Endeavour to an early-bird at 10.15 this morning. It went off 4/1 favourite but could only manage seventh.

5:30 – Follow Star Sports On Twitter At starsports_bet Handicap (Class 5) (3YO only) 7f

Willie Muir’s Epic Endeavour was another to come up the rail to win. The gelding’s 7/1 victory didn’t appear to be a surprise to either the jockey or trainer. Winning jock Kieran Shoemark said that he’d been given plenty of confidence before the race, he added that that his mount had shown plenty of early speed so enabled him to get on the bias rail position. Trainer Willie Muir added that he thought his charge might have trodden on a golf ball at Sandown last time. He continued, ‘I’m not a gambler but If there had been bookmakers here tonight, I’d have had a bet.’ Luckily for the sponsors nobody bet the winner with the office, which was handy as bets of £3333- £1000 and £2000 – £600 Tommy Rock and £11,200 – £1400 Blessed stayed in the hod.

6:00 – Download The Star Sports App Now Maiden Stakes (Plus 10) (Div 1) (Class 5) (3YO plus) 7f

Roger Varian’s Jumaira Bay sent off at 1/2 favourite and winning under Eoin Walsh made it a victory for the stable today at Newbury, Doncaster, Newmarket and Chepstow, that’s a rare feat. The jolly won quite cosily down the centre of the course. Eoin said after the race that his mount just did what it had to do and he’d got there too soon in his previous races so didn’t want to take it up too quick not knowing what was behind. The punters didn’t appear to want to get to stuck into the odds-on winner, there was nothing of note from the office which was a result for them.

6:30 – Download The Star Sports App Now Maiden Stakes (Plus 10) (Div 2) (Class 5) (3YO plus) 7f

Helvezia justified being sent off 9/5 (though it’s hard to ever justify the price 9/5), the favourite absolutely bolted in under Cieren Fallon providing a double on the night for trainer Ralph Beckett. The jockey is just two rides away from losing his 3lb claim. He said he’d been very lucky and hadn’t rushed that milestone adding that he’d been able to work in places like Australia in that time where he’d learned a lot. Talking about the winning filly, he said she had a lovely knee action and did it very well. It was another quiet race in the office as far as decent bets go. The book had one loser, the unplaced 7/2 shot El Ray so it was a small winning race. ‘Little fish are sweet’ as my old boss Jack Lynn used to say, RIP.

7:00 – Call Star Sports On 08000 521 321 Fillies’ Handicap (Class 5) (3YO plus) 1m

Roger Varian and Eoin Walsh landed doubles when Morrooj won the race before the penultimate at odds of 9/2. The winning rider was collared by Bob Cooper as he was running to weigh in who told him that he thought he was going to win two out but didn’t want Daniel [Muscutt] on Kyllachys Tale getting first run on him. He went on to say that the filly’s attitude had not been in question and that she won well. The winner was the bogey in the book with decent but not massive bets laid at 17/2, 7/1 and 9/2.

7:30 – Star Sports Owners Club 20k Guarantee Handicap (Class 5) (4YO plus) 1m 2f

Sir Canford won the penultimate at 9/1 under Franny Norton for trainer Ali Stronge. The winning rider said after the race that the gelding had better form over further but the drop in trip was aided by the ground. He added that a wind op had helped him too. The office were pleased, they took a bet of £5000 – £2000 Brown Honey in the morning which made her the bogey. Just one punter found the winner, to the tune of £1 each-way at 12/1 so very nearly a skinner.

8:00 – Star Sports Betting People Apprentice Handicap (Class 6) (3YO plus) 1m 4f

Das Kapital won the last at 13/2, the trouble is, the gelding had been 18/1 in the morning and steadily backed. Thore Hammer Hanson won on John Berry’s charge with some ease. The winner was the bogey in the book to end the night. Sometimes in this game you never can tell.

Simon Nott

---

Views of authors do not necessarily represent views of Star Sports Bookmakers.

[td_block_ad_box spot_id=”custom_ad_1″]

---

Simon Nott is author of:
Skint Mob! Tales from the Betting Ring CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS

---

STAR PROMOTIONS