Ascot for the last two days work before Christmas isn’t the worst booking, and one I’m looking forward to reporting on, writes SIMON NOTT.
The Star Sports team today were just Kaan and Tony but a very capable duo they are too. They bet number one on the second row hoping to catch the of the bigger punters, but of course, modest bets are always welcome too.
Before racing I bumped into Bill Esdaile who fronts the Pay The Bill ownership of Rare Edition. He’s a top chap and always makes time for a chat. He told me that they were very hopeful of a winner today, good luck to Bill and his co-owners. Down in the pitch Matt, head of the Star Sports betting shop empire and son Riley had come over to say hello, you’d never guess that they were father and son would you!
12:45 – Howden Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle (Class 3) (4YO plus) 2m 5½f
Meanwhile business on the first never picked up. The book held less than a grand on the opener, they weren’t despondent though, at least one Bagman was here and the crowd looked decent for a Friday. At the off the book held £878 but racegoers were treated to a cracking finish, 7/1 chance East India Express just got home from 3/1 shot Double Powerful but the judge had to study a photo before announcing the result. The book copped a carpet which was a £700 turnaround to what the runner-up would have cost the firm.
1:20 – Howden Maiden Hurdle (GBB Race) (Class 3) (4YO plus) 2m 5½f
Next up and an odds-on favourite in the shape of Belliano to get stuck into. There was 4/5 but it didn’t last too long, which was just as well. The punter that came in with £1200 had to settle for 4/6, you snooze you don’t necessarily lose but you might miss the prices. Another interesting bet, this time trade from the rails was small in stake but big in takeout, £4000 – £60 that’s 66/1 with the fractions, Broxy Music. The one that the tenner and score punters wanted to be on each-way was Tommy The Tank at around 16/1 but had been laid on the pitch at 33/1. He nearly did it too, jumping the the last alongside the jolly but was battled out of it up the run-in as the favourite got the upper hand. Kaan and Tony cheered home jolly which lost £600 as the runner-up would have lost getting on for £3000. As most of the bets on the runner up were each-way, the ultimate losing figure was £1100.
1:55 – Howden Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase (GBB Race) (Class 3) (4YO plus) 2m 1f
Between races, I had a visit from previous #BettingPeople interviewee Brad Barry who is a very respected odds-compiling face in the game, who it’s always nice to have a chat with. While I was chinwagging, Tony and Kaan were grafting £1800, £600 and £300 at 5/6 laid the jolly Iberico Lord then £2500 – £1000 Ryan’s Rocket before another salvo of £450 and £220 at 4/5 the jolly to make it the only loser near the off. Here Comes Georgie, the 10/1 outsider of four winning the race was a great result copping £4400 in the book. Or at least it did for a few seconds, the bing bong of a ‘Stewards’ Enquiry’ came promptly enough to stop every outsider of four bore in betting shops all over the country tapping their noses knowingly mid tap. The head-on showed that there could be a chance of a reversal although the winner won on merit, you never know though do you. The £2500 – £1000 chap must have fancied his chances. Meanwhile a punter bet £800 on the aptly named Emotional Rollercoaster at 5/1 over at Uttoxeter, the firm got that beaten. Then the result stood, the difference would have been £4000 difference so the firm enjoyed a very welcome and profitable couple of outcomes.
2:30 – Racetech Handicap Hurdle (Class 4) (3YO plus) 1m 7½f
Next up and a £3600 – £400 each-way King William Rufus started and ended the big bet ball rolling. The rouf each-way was the biggest bet laid in a fairly low staking race where Fasol was the 7/2 favourite, the biggest bet taken on it was a bottle at the price late on. It was quiet enough for Kaan and Tony to engage in a conversation on how similar the Galaxy plain and caramel chocolates appear in the box of Celebrations they were giving out to the ‘punters’. Apparently, you have to be careful if you are partial to one and not the other. Meanwhile, Tony was trying to struggle with one elastic band all day, a request to borrow one from the Pickwick-Bevan bore no fruit, they don’t carry them as they consider them unlucky though Archie of the firm did pull one up from somewhere. That elastic band was exceptionally unlucky as King William Rufus won the race, the book lost £3900, cheers Archie. Talk about in one hand and out the other.
3:05 – Howden Noel Novices’ Chase (Grade 2) (GBB Race) (Class 1) (4YO plus) 2m 3f
Next up, the penultimate, a four horse race in which we were rooting for Bill Esdaile and pal’s Rare Edition. Not going for, rooting for. The prices were up there with the rest of the ring for the punters to make their choice. They fell aboard the jolly Johnnywho at 11/8, Kaan and Tony took bets of £1600, £1000 and a monkey at the price then a left field £1000 – £300 Rare Edition from the trade. Late on money came for Personal Ambition £1100 – £400 laid. Sadly, it wasn’t to be for Rare Edition but neither was it for Johnnywho finishing last and second last respectively. Approaching the actual last it looked as if Personal Ambition was going to do the business only to nearly uproot that final obstacle. Mark Of Gold took advantage of the juddering mistake and won going away. The 11/2 winner was the outsider of four, in betting shops around the country noses were getting sore. The book copped £4400. Nice.
3:40 – King Edward VII Ascot Membership Open NH Flat Race (Listed) (GBB Race) (Class 1) (4YO to 5YO) 1m 7½f
Betting on the lucky last was held up with computer issues but luckily RDT’s two top guys were on hand to fix things. They were rewarded with Star branded cigars and gloves dished out by grateful Kaan. They were thrilled, but not as thrilled as the team were to get to work. Going into the race they were £4700 up and keen to keep it.
The punters had other ideas, Moneygarrow attracted a bet of £3000 – £1000 which was enough to knock a big hole in the day, then a following monkey at 11/4 to ruin it. At the off it had just started to rain and the jolly was losing £4000 with the only other loser in the book the big-priced Presenting Milan which had attracted ponies at 80/1 and 66/1. Windbeneathmywings the second-in won very impressively, commentary ad-lib of the day goes to Alex Fussey who exclaimed that the horse was soaring away, as so he did, from the bogie. The 3/1 winner was a winner for £1869 topping off a near £6000 winning day. Good old Jamie and Grant of RDT fixing the computer and proving that Father Christmas is not the well-proportioned guy in warm red clothes doing good at this time of the year!
We’re back plus Lofty tomorrow.
Views of authors do not necessarily represent views of Star Sports Bookmakers.
Simon Nott is author of: Skint Mob! Tales from the Betting Ring
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