SIMON NOTT: Tales From The Ring NEWTON ABBOT Friday

NEWTON ABBOT FRIDAY: SIMON NOTT headed to Newton Abbot on Friday for an afternoon of jumping in late summer sunshine. How did the battle between bookmaker and punter pan out – would any conkers be done ?

The hordes of racegoers that flocked to Newton Abbot were treated to glorious late summer sunshine. Mind you some of those in shorts may he been caught out by the brisk wind which was howling at times, anyone heading to and from the Press Box had to run the gauntlet of a conker bombardment. A schoolboy’s paradise, or has playing conkers been banned by health and safety? I know not, it’s a long time since I last skewered and threaded a lace through one.

2:00 Braund Family Novices’ Hurdle

The bookmakers were in good spirts as they usually are. Business was brisk in the opener. Feature of the race was the support for Shaman Du Berlais backed from 13/8 into 5/4, the steadiness of Ruthless Article and the friendless Dorking Boy which drifted to 4/1. The market got it right in the respect that the latter was last of the ‘fancied’ three but the wrong way around when Ruthless Article won, the 11/8 second-in.

2:30 Devondale Electrical Handicap Chase

The second race on the day’s card when to pillar to post winner Mr Mafia who ran them all ragged. The gelding was nibbled at in the market 5/1 into 9/2 and justified that support by 3 lengths and a distance. The winner was ridden by Ricard Johnson and trained by Martin and Belinda Keighley whose yard I visited for #BettingPeople, if you missed meeting them here’s the link.

3:05 Thankyou Sarah Reeves Love Newton Abbot Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle

Down in the betting ring prior to the next I spotted some members of the Blue Ball syndicate who have Picture Painter in training with David Pipe, running in the last. They were hopeful of a winner, not only in the last but the one they’d just backed here. It appeared that their source had told them with some confidence that Evan Williams’ Carpool was the one to be on.

They didn’t divulge much but had apparently invested in their information and had it on. It’s often a little unnerving when the one you backed takes an uneasy walk in the market. Carpool drifted from 5/4 to 13/8 at one stage before compacting back to 11/8 at the off. In fairness it was probably more the market reacting to the move for the jolly, Dr Newland’s Nordican Bleue supported from 4/5 to 4/6 than a negative. The market got it right though, try as it might Carpool couldn’t get past the jolly, ultimately finishing 3½ lengths back in second, the rest unsighted.

3:35 A J Electrical Handicap Hurdle

I was down in the ring again for the race before the penultimate and the biggest field of the day. Normally miserable Richard (Tall Boy) Watson was unusually upbeat. ‘It’s busier than we expected’ he beamed as his side-kick Steve nodded in agreement. It was busy down at the Pickwick-Bevan pitch too. Poor Paul Metcalfe on the computer was getting a little frustrated by all the bets down to pal and mate at inflated prices. Exasperated he peered around to the front and said to nobody in particular ‘I won’t bother bringing the board next time!’ Loyal front-man Ian retorted with a ‘Prices for a guide only’.

The trouble was, for the intrepid duo and the rest of the bookies, the majority of the punters just wanted to be on Colin Tizzard’s Sizing Tara. The gelding had won here last time out and had the benefit of jockey Harry Kimber’s 10lb claim again today. 5/2 (11/4 in a place with Paul Metcalfe after a punter begged 3/1) was battered into 2/1 before the combination did the business again from 20/1 ‘result’ Onboard. Nasty for the layers.

I can’t be certain but have a feeling that one of those winners was ‘Farmer’ Derek who was seen tucking into a tasty ice cream. I asked if it was a celebratory purchase and he took evasive action before calling from a safe distance ‘I can’t remember the last time I backed a winner’.

I tried to get a photograph of Paul Metcalfe but he was a little bashful, still I thought we’d still use it. In contrast to the previous heat, only four went to post for the penultimate.

4:10 Follow WillHillRacing On Twitter Novices’ Chase

It got even nastier for the poor bookies when the almost 750 mile and goodness knows how long in a horsebox trip from Nicky Richards’ yard made by Catus Marcius paid off. The punters weren’t put off betting odds-on in a Novices’ Chase, the 1/2 was soon 1/3. Betting at that sort of price in this type of race was made to look clever as the jolly made all unchallenged under Brian Hughes.

4:45 June Mary Caine Memorial Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle

After seeing some of the lads earlier, I was rooting for Picture Painter in the lucky last. The bookies priced the gelding at 11/4 with Kerry Lee’s Sinakar shading favourite honours at 5/2 in the early betting. I asked Paul Metcalfe if anything was happening and he said ‘Yes, I’m doing my conkers’, I was going to mention that there were plenty by the Press Box but suspected that they weren’t the type he was referring to. It was OK though, there was a glimmer of hope for Paul. He’d done two £10 accumulators one on the forecast favourites and one on the unnamed. The former was going to cop if the jolly, Sinakar, won here. Lucky bookies aren’t punters, they are so pessimistic. Paul was going to stand the last jolly for as much as the accumulator paid and hope to get a few quid on day should it not oblige.

Sadly there was no fairytale end to the blog for the Blue Ball syndicate. Picture Painter could only manage a never nearer fourth behind the David Rees trained Gardiners Hill under Lorcan Williams which obliged at 5/1. The bookies would have been happy enough with that, especially if Paul had managed to stick it up the last jolly. Another excellent afternoon’s racing at Newton Abbot concluded. If you’ve never been, you should.

Simon Nott