SIMON NOTT: Tales From The Ring CHEPSTOW Friday

CHEPSTOW FRIDAY: SIMON NOTT headed to Chepstow on Friday. The jumping season turned up another notch with the opening Grade 2 Persian War Novices’ Hurdle shown live on ITV Racing.

‘A bit dampy’ one Barbour clad farming looking gentleman called it, ‘Fetid’ was Armaloft Alex’s less than enthusiastic summing up of the weather, we’ll go with ‘Proper jumping weather’ for diplomatic reasons.

2:10 Unibet Persian War Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 2)

It’s fair to say the betting for the opening and feature race of the day the Unibet Persian War Novices’ Hurdle took place in pretty wet conditions. The bookies that had attended Newton Abbot yesterday and copped plenty, were chipper under their mushes, Ian from Pickwick-Bevan especially chirpy looking forward to a night out on the firm.

When I worked for on-course bookmakers, their winnings or rather lack of them would often be summed up in culinary terms, if your boss said he’d won a ‘fish supper’ that’s probably what you were looking at, marginally better than ‘a round of drinks’ depending on how hungry you were of course. After 9/4 favourite Thyme Hill won for Philip Hobbs under Richard Johnson from late money runner-up 4/1 shot Fiddlerontheroof a steak was looking chancy. Not a great start for the bookmakers.

We interviewed the winning trainer Philip Hobbs recently, to watch the interview here’s the link.

2:45 Canter Carpet High Performance Equestrian Surface Novices’ Hurdle

The weather eased a little for the betting on the second but there was very little doing down in the ring. Proschema was the slightly uneasy favourite which eased slightly from 11/10 to 5/4 while second-in Flic Ou Voyou was steady at 2/1. Both were involved with what was a tremendous three-way finish but had to settle for minor placings behind Colin Tizzard’s Ofalltheginjoints who returned 9/2. It should have been an OK result for the bookies but they were hardly struggling to shut their hods so wouldn’t have copped much.

3:20 Dunraven Windows Novices’ Chase

Just the six went to post for the 3.20. Down in the ring there was very little of interest from the few punters that did venture to the bookies. Lisnagar Oscar was sent off the even money favourite from 5/4 and looked the likely winner until fiddling the last. That mistake left Ardlethen to take the initiative, Dan Skelton’s charge under Harry Skelton just held on from the running on again who can be considered an unlucky loser. The winner had been supported from 10/1 into 15/2 but one can only assume that move was machine led as hardly a dinar was reported in the ring.

3:55 Professor Caroline Tisdall Supports Heroic Jumpers Veterans’ Handicap Chase

In hindsight we all should have known the winner of the next. David Pipe saddled Vieux Lion Rouge for the race, owned by Mr John Gent and Professor Carloline Tisdall. If you didn’t latch on, don’t feel too bad, neither did the punters. They were on Rebecca Curtis’ Joe Farrell backed from 9/2 into 3/1 favourite. They looked to have done right too, the gelding touched 1.03 in-running, the Internet money-buyers hadn’t banked on Conor O’Farrell on the Pipe flying machine swooping late to bag the spoils. The winning owners were ecstatic, one of whom swooped in for a hug and kiss from the winning jockey who warned ‘I’m very dirty’, she didn’t mind he got a smacker anyway. That’s what it’s all about.

4:30 Paul Ferguson’s Jumpers To Follow 4-Y-O Hurdle

The original reason for my visit to Chepstow was to interview Paul Ferguson, the author of the Jumpers To Follow annual now in its 13th year. He sponsored this next heat, I had a quick check to make sure he didn’t own any of the participants. He didn’t so I wandered down to chat to the bookies.

Down in the ring I spoke to Christian Holland. Chris’ Dad John was one of the first people to speak to me the first evening I worked on course in Taunton back in 1989. My boss Jack always called him the ‘Shop Steward’ as he’d often loudly mention pay rises and bonuses in earshot of joint, just for devilment really as he knew neither were often forthcoming. The first thing he said to me was ‘Welcome to the betting ring, sadly you’re a bit late, the games’ gone’. 30 years on I’m thankful he was wrong there; it’s not gone yet. Sadly, John is, passing away a few years ago now but he’d be proud as punch that Chris is working as a bookie in his own name.

It has to be said that the betting ring isn’t what it was, had this race been here 20 years ago the layers would have been clobbered. The punters had waded in on Torpillo from 6/1 into 3/1 which hosed in and each-way on Jacamar 33/1 (bigger if you were even quick) into 20/1 which ran on to finish third, that’s what’s known as the double bump.

5:00 ROA Mares’ Handicap Chase

By the penultimate there were some bookmakers already legging it early. Tall Boy Watson was one, I didn’t mention him today, we don’t want all the fame going to his head do we (EDITOR: You just HAVE mentioned him Simon]. He did the right thing though, no flies on Tall Boy. Neil King’s charge Silent Steps was smashed up from 9/4 into 6/4 before winning with some ease under Bryony Frost. It wasn’t just the mare winning that gave at least one rails bookmaker the needle, he protested that it ‘went 10/1 in running’. We just have to assume he wasn’t astute enough to hedge some of his liability at that over generous price.

5:35 Unibet/EBF Mares’ ‘NH’ Novices’ Hurdle

The lucky last boasted a short one for the bookmakers to get stuck into, Paul Nicholls’ Silver Forever which opened at 5/6. I thought I’d better go back to the Jack Bevan (est 1897) joint and see how Ian’s potential meal on the exes was looking. His clerk Martin appears easily pleased, he poked his head around the computer screen and said he’d be happy with three pints and three refills and as the jolly was only losing £87 at that point. He reckoned the firm could run to it whatever.

Ian looked uncharacteristically gloomy, he then informed me he’s currently suffering from a food intolerance, hence his svelte-like figure. Given his condition he can’t even have a pint, he’d have to sit there and watch Martin enjoy his, spare a thought for Ian.

Spare a thought for the other bookies that stuck it out too. The favourite bolted in backed from 5/6 to 8/13. A nasty end to a quiet day for the ring.