SIMON NOTT TRADING REPORT: Goodwood Tuesday

It’s the first time for as long as I can remember that I won’t have been at Glorious Goodwood for at least one day of the meeting. This year the dubious blazer and linen suit collection stay on the rack and the panama on the wardrobe. On the plus side, it’s also the first time ever I’ll have the pleasure of watching all the action on the TV. As you can see, I did don the clobber for authenticity and shameless self-publicity stakes.

1:10 – British European Breeders Fund EBF Fillies’ Handicap (Class 3) (3YO plus) 1m

The office reported Angel Power had been all the rage in the morning, 7/2 into 5/2 but to sustained but relatively small money. The lumps in the race were for Wasaayef including £11,250 – £2500 each-way and £8000 – £2000 and £11,000 – £500 each-way Alabama Whitman. Getting them both out of the frame and the jolly beaten was a handy start to the meeting traditionally known as ‘Badwood’ such are the punter-friendly results. The 11/2 winner Tomorrow’s Dream was a good cop in the book to start with, if we’d have been on course thoughts would already be focussed on a nice steak rather than a fish supper after racing!

1:45 – Unibet You’re On Handicap (Class 2) (4YO plus) 1m 2f

The handicaps are the races where you let the punters just make the book. The trouble is when you land a lump, which of course you want to, and it cops you run the danger of knocking the day bandy before you’ve really started. The worst in the book at the off was Fifth Position which included bets of £50,000 – £10,000 each-way, and £16,000 – £4,000 each-way while Yuri Gagarin was backed to the tune of £22,400 – £1600. Getting them both out of the frame was very handy. The winner, 5/1 favourite Maydanny, leading home a 1-2 for trainer Mark Johnson under brand ambassador Silvestre de Sousa was well-backed from 8/1 in the morning. Not with Star Sports though, a very nice winner in a tricky race. ‘Aye Aye!’

2:15 – Veuve Clicquot Vintage Stakes (Group 2) (Class 1) (2YO only) 7f

Just looking at the result of this race you’d be forgiven in automatically thinking that the firm had done their orchestras on Battleground. The happy news is that they didn’t, it was a small loser in the book but there was opposition for the jolly. The one they wanted to be on was Devious Company attracting a bet of £45,000 – £10,000 as well as grands and monkey bets. There were wagers of £1500 at 13/8 £5000 at 13/8 £2000 at 6/4 the winner but a bullet was dodged.

2:45 – Qatar Lennox Stakes (Group 2) (Class 1) (3YO plus) 7f

I’ve been in the game long enough. I should know better than to stick the old arm in the air and give it the ‘Aye Aye’ on any part of day one. Space Blues winning at 2/1 brought the firm right back down to earth. Bets landed included £20,000- £10,000 twice, £4000 – £2000, £1125 – £500 twice plus a whole plethora of smaller bets which added up to a loss of £48,000 on the race. Get some more readies in the hod Flynn.

3:15 – Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup Stakes (Group 1) (Class 1) (3YO plus) 2m

You can never tell in this business, Stradivarius arriving late on the scene at 4/7 for a famous Goodwood Cup four-timer should really have prompted some sort of comment like bogeys are like London buses, but no. Despite there being a few takers for the jolly including £2000 – £3500, £2000 -£3250 and £800 -£1300 Santiago was the bogey. Bets we can tell you about included £35,000 – £20,000 and £22,500 – £12,000, those we can’t added up to a nice few quid. The trading floor cheered home the favourite, a phrase you seldom hear.

3:45 – Qatar Handicap (Class 2) (4YO plus) 5f

The sprint was a one-horse book with Celsius attracting all the serious money including bets of £2000, £2500, £5,000 and £17,500 all at 11/4. The book didn’t have much to worry about in respect of the bogey for much of the race which drifted to 10/3 late on. 14/1 winner Only Spoofing was an excellent result denying 7/1 chance Acclaim The Nation by a neck close home.

4:20 – British Stallion Studs EBF Maiden Stakes (Plus 10) (Class 2) (2YO only) 6f

The penultimate was another race when it went the books way when it really shouldn’t have. Alkumait was well-supported in the market from 13/8 into 5/4 before absolutely bolting in. The big punters didn’t back it with Star Sports though. Head of On-Course, sadly confined to barracks this week, ‘Inlike’ Flynn reported that the lumpy bets were all on Majd Al Arab including £40,000 -£10,000, £20,000 – £5000, and £2000 – £500 and that the victorious favourite was a ‘healthy winner in the book’ despite being the second worst result. Work that one out.

4:55 – British European Breeders Fund EBF Fillies’ Handicap (Class 3) (3YO plus) 1m 4f

The lucky last was a competitive handicap where the metaphorical elastic bands would have gone around the winnings for many firms on course. Ending day one in front is a big boost at Badwood, especially as business is usually the lightest of the festival. No elastic bands, metaphorical or otherwise in the Star Sports office, Dancing Approach was the big loser including a bet of £42,000 – £12,000. The intrepid punter who had that bet may well have been ruing jockey Thomas Greatrex’s decision to bring his charge up the stands rail. Believe In Love made the far side work for her under Andrea Atzeni winning at 11/1. ‘The book wins five figures’ Inlike informed me, before adding ‘A positive way to end day one’. Indeed, it was, we’d have eaten well tonight.

Simon Nott

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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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