Star Sports Greyhound Derby: SATURDAY BLOG

SIMON NOTT: Second Round heats (SATURDAY) The final set of second round heats were held at a rainy Towcester on Saturday night. The perfect venue to avoid Eurovision – but would the punters or layers come out singing?

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LOFTY: I caught up with Star Sports’ greyhound expert Lofty (AKA Martin Chapman) ahead of the second set of second round heats.

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HEAT 9

The weather forced a change of scenery for the bookmakers at Towcester. It was decided that we’d move inside due to the incessant rain. No grumbles from this perspective. The opening 9th heat saw Calico Ranger open favourite at 7/4 but the money was for Swithins Brae, a grand at 9/4 and a monkey each way Lenson Wilson at 5/1. Trap 6 Night Bomber winning at 10/1 (12/1 in a place, come racing) was a tremendous result and start to the evening.

HEAT 10

Tyrur Harold was an uneasy jolly in heat 10 opening at 11/8 but drifted to 2/1 in the face of support for Borna Account 7/2 into 3/1 including £3,000 – £1,000 with us. Tyrur Harold touched 9/4 next door just before the off. A regular punter asked us to match it to a monkey and was of course obliged. 7/2 winner, in and incident-packed race, Innocent Times wasn’t a ‘result’ as such but was for us. Two heats down and well in front.

HEAT 11

The feature of Heat 11 early betting was footwear magnate Max ‘Shoes’ (pictured) giving Ben a bollocking for betting inside when ‘real dog men’ should be out in the rain!

Of course the readies needed to be kept dry. Ben was hoping to add to them in what was an open betting heat. Mark Wallis’ Saleen Ash opened at 7/4 and there it stayed until a punter came in for a grand at the price and duly obliged.

HEAT 12

Droopys Biker was the first odds-on shot of the night opening at 4/5. Ben didn’t fancy it. Which was just as well as the punter that backed Saleen Ash had it all, £2,750, on the jolly running from Trap 6. Then another came in with £2,000 topped off as they were going in the traps by another punter with a monkey.

We didn’t see which way the jolly went. A nice few quid done in cold blood, we were back in the red.

HEAT 13

Heat 13 was tight betting with three dogs all vying for favourite spot.

A punter waded in for £4,500 – £2,000 King Eden. Black Zack was still heading the market at 2/1 at the off.

Black Zack won the race, a winning race over a winning favourite, whatever next!

HEAT 14

Just five dogs fought out heat 14, we laid £1,600- £400 Trap 6 £1,200 – £400 Trap 3 and £1,000 – £400 Trap 4 – in short an excellent betting heat.

Trap 3 Bit View Night, the eventual jolly won the race, another small cop in the book.

HEAT 15

Droopys Verve and Dorotas Wildcat were the two against the field in heat 15 at 11/10 and 5/4. We laid £3,000 bets on each in opening skirmishes if that’s the right word.

Dorotas Wildcat beat Droopys Verve. You can’t eat value!

BEN: reflects on the ‘perfect’ book

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HEAT 16

The 16th and final heat of the second round saw King Elvis open the 6/4 favourite, but drifted to 7/4 we laid £3,000 – £1,000 Oi Oi Upenalty then a couple of Rouf £400 bets on Elvis, another good heat but not on the scale of the previous.

King Elvis burst out of the traps, made all and had pretty much left the building before the rest of the field troubled the judge. We finished up just behind on the night but once again very pleased with the business. See you all again next Saturday for the third round.

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Simon Nott is author of:
Skint Mob! Tales from the Betting Ring

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