SIMON NOTT: Royal Ascot Friday Trading Report

1:15 – Palace Of Holyroodhouse Handicap (Class 2)

Yesterday was a very bad losing day but it would be hard to envisage a worst start to Friday’s business than today’s.

Art Power was the one they all wanted to be on, from the fiver punters to those huge backers who don’t want their bets mentioned. Of those I can tell you about, it went like this; Art Power £1625 – £1000, £1750 – £1000, £3500-£2000 each-way, £3000 – £1000, Dancing In The Street £90,000-£12,000 each-way, Never Dark £12,000 – £1000 each-way Lambeth Walk £330,000 – £10,000 each-way. At the off, Art Power was losing £350,000. It didn’t just win, it bolted in, to make matters even worse Dancing In The Street and Lambeth Walk both made the frame. The Gambling Gods were having their fun there, it can only get better. Can it?

1:50 – Albany Stakes (Fillies’ Group 3) (Class 1)

It didn’t though, the betting was lively for the next, loads of decent bets including Mother Earth £3000 – £1000, £7000-2000, Undertake £12,0000- £7500 each-way, Mahale £90,000-7500 each-way, Flying Althea £80,000 – £10,000 each-way, Dandalla £67500- £7500 each-way, £9000 – £1000 Setarhe £6000 – £1000 each-way, £13000 – £2000 each-way, £11000 – £2000 each-way.

Although Mother Earth was the bogey for £150,000, Dandalla winning at 13/2 was a terrible result because, the gamble each-way Setarhe 7/1 into 11/4f finished 2nd and Mother Earth with a couple of undisclosable chunks each-way on her back finished third. The old boys used to say ‘It’ll turn’ when results were going against them. There would always be a few anxious glances into the bottom of the hod while those results decided they were for turning though.

2:25 – Norfolk Stakes (Group 2) (Class 1)

Next up, the story of the race was that 12/1 chance Gold Pal looked to have the race won, traded 1/14 in running then got run down by 9/2 shot The Lir Jet. The former was a very good winner, the latter the second worst in the book (Lipizanner was the bogey) losing £85,000.

Bets taken on the race included Lipizanner £3000 – £1000 each-way, The Lir Jet £7500 – £1500 each-way, £137,500 – £25,000ew, Imperial Force £9000 – £1000, £9000 -£1000, Eye of Heaven £1750 – £1000, £1625 – £1000. Yes, that’s right, there’s a bet of £25,000 each-way the winner in amongst that lot. Hey, ‘It’ll’ if you are going to bloody turn, hurry up will you, you can’t be doing it the speed of an oil tanker, it’s Friday already.

To make matters worse, all those on the chinned runner-up got up to £100 refunded as a free bet as part of the ‘Pipped’ promotion.

3:00 – Hardwicke Stakes (Group 2) (Class 1)

From a business point of view the day couldn’t have been going better, money was flooding in, from the smallest punters to those that like to have it on in telephone number, ours is 08000 521 321 by the way.

As you’ve already read, from a results viewpoint it could hardly have been worse. Still no time to get despondent, punters were clamouring to get on. Bets taken on this heat included, Morando £97,500 – £15,000 each-way, Anthony Van Dyck £4500 – £2000, £2500 – £1000, £7000 – £2000, £7000 – £2000, Elarqam £3000 – £1000, £3750 – £1500, £7500-3000 each-way and £2750 – £1000.

The race went to Fanny Logan who won under Frankie Dettori at 17/2, sadly she attracted bets of £17000 – £2000 and £8000 – £1000. Word came through from Sam in the office, it was by the shortage of margins, but ‘Aye Aye’ it was a winning race, but maybe a bit premature to say it’s turned.

3:35 – Commonwealth Cup (Group 1) (Class 1)

The relentless inpouring of bets continued for the race before the penultimate, those that I can relate included Lope Y Fernandez £4000-£1000, Kimari £30,000- £5000, Pierre Lapin £52,500 -£15,000 each-way, £3500- £1000, Ventura Rebel £30,000-£2000 each-way, Dubai Station £50,000-£1500 each-way, Millisle, £8000 – £1000, Golden Horde £5000-£1000 each-way and £6000-£1200.

To put things in perspective, and as tweeted, the bogeys at the off were, Lope Y Fernandez losing £300,000 and Kimari losing £250,000. I’m no Carol Vorderman but dared guess that Golden Horde winning at 5/1 might have been OK for us. The office confirmed it had been a ‘Very Good’ result. Phew. How two words can bring such a sigh of relief and it’s not even my money!

4:10 – Queen’s Vase (Group 2) (Class 1)

It was a false dawn, Santiago was the bogey for £350,000 due to some substantial and sustained support and duly obliged in a way that is very nasty to watch for a bookie that’s laid it, easily giving very little hope to the layers from a long way out. There was support for Born With Pride £5500 – £2000, £60,000- £20,000, £15,000 -£5000 and £3000 – £1000 but even those sums were a drop in the ocean compared to those for the winner on a day that was now beyond recall.

4:40 – Duke Of Edinburgh Stakes (Handicap) (Class 2)

Betting on the last was steady, bets included West End Charmer, £14,000 – £4000, £2500 – £500, Le Don De Vie £22,000 – £2000 and £12,000 -£1000 and Good Birthday £80,000 – £10,000 each-way. There was never a more welcome sight than Hollie Doyle riding a blinder to win on 33/1 chance Scarlet Dragon. It was a good cop in the book to end Friday at Royal Ascot, a small glimmer of hope on a day that had been what one of the traders described in words not fit for a family blog.

It’s going to take some reverse in fortunes and serious Houdini emulating tomorrow, it’s a big ask but the amply proportioned person of unspecified gender hasn’t started singing yet.

We’re back tomorrow.

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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 CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS

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