SIMON NOTT: Royal Ascot Wednesday Trading Report

After a day that started with the firm just under half a million down after two races, Wednesday was the day to really get stuck in to get some back writes Simon Nott. Whilst the glory all goes to the monster bets laid, the firm were overwhelmed, though luckily not literally, with the number of punters opening accounts and getting involved. Those combined bets can cause the book just as much, if not more, damage. With that in mind today was the day we launched ‘Get the Bogey Beat’ feature on twitter.

1:15 – Silver Royal Hunt Cup Handicap (Str) (Class 2)

The bogey isn’t always the one you expect, the first race a good example. In a heat of fairly light business the firm laid £22,000 – £1000 each-way Red Bond, £22,000 – £1000 each-way Nicklaus and £6000 – £1500 each-way Ouzo. All told, at the off Red Bond was the bogey for £40,000. Despite getting the bogey beaten, the 12/1 winner Sir Busker lost around £4,000 in the win book.

1:50 – Hampton Court Stakes (Group 3) (Class 1)

Next up and there was some hefty business which has to remain undisclosed. Despite the bets being anonymous some punters would rather we didn’t detail theirs which of course we won’t. At the off First Receiver lost over £250,000 in the win book which was an accumulation of money large and small. I am reliably informed that the none of the punters was the horse’s owner. Whilst the firm are very much fans of the Queen it has to be said were highly delighted that the Russian Emperor came to the rescue close home to chin the bogey. Bets struck included £5000 – £2000 and £4500 – £2000 First Receiver, £35,000 – £10,000 Juan Elcano, £15,000 – £1250 Kenzai Warrior, £5500 – £1000 Berlin Tango with the flies in the ointment £6000 – £2000 x 3 and £3000-£1000 the winner.

2:25 – King George V Stakes (Handicap) (Class 2)

Bright Melody was the one they all wanted to be on, happy to take 5/1 despite the fact it had been a lot bigger in the morning skirmishes. A lot of the money was each-way too which meant that by the time they set off, the horse took out more than £400,000 in the win book so needed to be out of the frame for the real ‘cop’ in the ledger. Bets included £5000 – £900 each-way Bright Melody and substantial each-way money for Arthurian Fable including £8500 – £700 each-way. 12/1 winner Hukum was an excellent result with the double-bump cop getting the place money too.

3:00 – Prince Of Wales’s Stakes (Group 1) (Class 1)

This was the race that boss Ben predicted Japan might be a £1,000,000 liability for the firm. Everyone was braced, ready for the monster bets, but they didn’t come. There was plenty of smaller action though including, Japan £5500 – £4000, £2200-£1600, £2750-£2000 Lord North, £9000 – £1500, £6000 – £1000, £9750 – £1500, Headman £11250 – £1500 £8000 – £1000 Addeyb £7500-£1500ew, Barney Roy £7000 – £1000, £2000 – £1400, £2750 – £2000, £2750 – £2000. All those bets and the smaller £10 and £5 bets over the app and 08000 521 321 taken into account the firm actually lost £7000 on the race after 5/1 shot Lord North bolted in. It’s the sort of betting heat where you almost hope the jolly wins if you haven’t got it properly in the book. ‘Didn’t get our whack on the race’ as the old timers would say.

3:35 – Royal Hunt Cup (Heritage Handicap) (Str) (Class 2)

The punters made the book in an impossible handicap. There were just two bets of note £7000 – £1000 Dark Vision and £9000 – £1000 each-way Afaak, alongside plenty of more modest bets from backers not too trusting of their lucky pin. That is of course because the punter who had the grand on the winner Dark Vision which returned 15/2 must have had the authentic lucky ‘sticker’! Despite doing himself out of a monkey on the price.

4:10 – Windsor Castle Stakes (Listed) (Class 1)

While twitter was having a bun fight over the inclusion of a segment on how to make Scotch Eggs on ITV Racing, the punters were tucking into the penultimate.

Matt Chapman highlighted the market move for Tactical 7/1 yesterday into 7/2 at the off, it was possibly more to do with the draw bias than the Queen sending her footmen to have it on in all the newly re-opened betting shops in the Windsor area. Despite it being almost certainly not her money that compressed the price we can hope that the roof was raised by Her Majesty when the gamble won going away. Luckily for Star Sports, there were plenty of horses bet as well as the winner. Sherriff Bianco £21,000 to £3500, £10,500 – £1500, Fools Rush In £40,000 – £1000 each-way, Chief Little Hawk £4500 -£1000, £9000-£2000 each-way, Mighty Ghurka £6000-£1000 each way £7000 – £1000. Even though the winner Tactical attracted bets of £3500 – £1000 and £7000-£2000 he was a winner for £5000 in the book. That was a real bullet dodged.

4:40 – Copper Horse Handicap (Class 2)

Just as it looked as if the day was going pretty well, I got a message that there had already been some bad news on a winning multiple that had been landed. A regular multiple punter had landed a £200 treble, Sir Busker at 11/1, Tactical at 5/1 and Dark Vision at 12/1 copping him in excess of £187,000 plus a brace of monkey doubles which returned £78,000 and £36,000 totalling over £300,000. There was another bet still rolling which should Ranch Hand win the last would cost an additional £130,000 plus. In short, an absolute nightmare.

Betting on the race itself saw just one bet of note, £2500 each-way on Collide at 11/2. There was a punter hoping the same horse would win to land the only ticket in the ITV7 too. Maybe they were having it on to be part of the celebrations, for whatever reason, at the off Collide was the bogey losing £46,000 with Alright Sunshine another five-figure loser.

Getting Collide beaten and out of the frame was great for the book, even though 3/1 jolly Fujaira Prince won was a result, the biggest result of all was Ranch Hand not winning but the damage was already done. With big punters having it off there’s always the hope you’ll get it back, but when a multiple backer lands the big one, it’s gone.

Day two ended in disaster, but very well done to the Star Sports customer who won big.

We go again 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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