All those who have been racing over Christmas were delighted that there was no fog here today, writes SIMON NOTT.

Mind you, I definitely didn’t wear enough clobber, it wasn’t all that warm. There was a big crowd in attendance as you’d expect at Christmas but there didn’t appear to be any big punters, at least not for the opening race.

The Star Sports team today Lofty, Nick and veteran of the ring but fairly new with Star, Steve were plying their trade betting number two in the second row.

12:05 Play Coral ‘Racing-Super-Series’ For Free Mares’ Handicap Hurdle Cl3 (3yo+ 0-125) 2m ½f

Let’s not beat around the bush, the first race was ropey business-wise, the biggest bet in an £800 book was £40 with Break My Soul losing £900. The race was off and a fair way out the bogie looked home and housed, a chap behind previous #BettingPeople interviewee Chutney Dave started shouting ‘Easy Easy’ as the jolly jumped the last. Have you heard about tragic condition ‘premature celebration syndrome’?

Well, it appears the poor guy suffers from it, almost as if the word easy gave it wings, Tour Ovaile ground the gears and the leader down collaring it under the nose of the judge, a potential loss of £900 was thanks to the neck victory of the winner was transformed into a monkey win, a good start.

12:37 Coral ‘Daily Rewards Shaker’ ‘Introductory’ Hurdle (GBB Race) Cl3 (3yo+) 2m ½f

Next up and a short one in La Marquise which opened at 11/10 and would hopefully tempt the punters in. It didn’t, the two biggest bets Lofty and team took on the race were £100. Do the serious punters retire for Christmas the same as serious pubgoers do? It seems that way.

Anyway, at the off the book held just over a grand which was at least an improvement. The bogie was a 100/1 chance while the jolly was bad for a bottle. It came up for the firm again 20/1 chance Peso won the race with some ease and won the book just over £600.

1:12 Coral ‘We’re Here For It’ Handicap Chase (For The Hallowe’en Trophy) Cl3 (4yo+ 0-125) 2m ½f

Betting on the third race was suddenly enlivened when a punter nobody had seen before bet £6000 – £2000 The Famous Five. Lofty, evidently an avid Enid Blyton fan quipped, ‘It wasn’t Timmy the dog, George or Ann but could have been Julian or Dick’. He didn’t have much time for quipping after that, the race got a bit livelier than the first two, not so much in the number of bets but the size of the ones the team did take.

A punter tried to beg a price for the absolute bogie and was not obliged but other decent bets for other horses were gratefully received. Proceedings were held up for a bit when a punter trying to have a bottle on was found to be wielding a credit not debit card. You can’t bet on your credit card, which is probably a good idea. The last bet was a £400 – £200 the absolute bogie who they’d lumped on, the book held £3400 and bogie was red for £6000.

1:45 Coral Racing Club Join For Free Handicap Hurdle Cl3 (3yo+ 0-135) 2m 4½f

Next up and the punter that bet the £6000 – £2000 the previous winner span a grand of it up on Go To War at 3/1. Lofty loves it when punters have a spin up, ‘proper punter,’ he says. Sadly, for the book that was the only spinner and bet of note. At the off the hod held £2202 with the obvious bogie Go To War losing pretty much what they had taken and Mr Bramley for a monkey. The latter purely down to the weight of public readies, not that it weighed much but you catch my drift.

This time, the book got the money, though not at the rate it would have to be hot at for the firm to end the day winning. Jipcot won the race at 14/1 and the good guys won £1700 back which was handy.

2:20 Coral Mandarin Handicap Chase (GBB Race) Cl2 (4yo+ 0-145) 3m 2f

Next up and this race was on ITV and competitive looking. It looked promising when the team laid the trade bet of £1200 – £300 Henry’s Friend. It became even more than promising when another trade bet of £3750 – £1500 was forthcoming on Hoe Joly Smoke which put paid to the 5/2. Before the race Lofty made winning on the day 6/4, apparently that wasn’t available in running.

I don’t know which Henry the moniker of the horse is referring too, but 7/2 Henry’s Friend winning the race was Star’s friend too, albeit the worst of the winners copping £700 in the book. Going into the penultimate where Lofty considered the favourite was overrated the firm was £2700 down with a winning day once again in their sights.

2:55 Coral Challow Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1) (GBB Race) Cl1 (4yo+) 2m 4½f

Surely if the firm were going to field any money it would be here in the feature. They did too, including £6000 – £1800 The New Lion, £600 – £500 and £1100 – £1000 Regent’s Stroll as well as more modest money for others in the field, at the off the book was holding just over £5000 up the front two. There was a real chance of copping enough to get in front given the money taken in a quality heat like this.

As it happened there was no chance. The New Lion, bloody hell, it eased into the race like it was just coasting then quickened away in third gear winning hard held returning 9/4. The book lost £3000. ‘You can have 66/1 winning on the day’ boomed Lofty before adding ‘And it would be 1000/1 on the exchanges!’

Going into the last the figure to get back to break level on the day was now £5500. No takers at 1000/1 let alone 66/1. I hope the very nice chap who came to say hello and that he likes the blogs is enjoying this one!

3:35 Coral ‘Pipped-At-The Post’ And Win Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase (GBB Race) Cl3 (5yo+ 0-140) 2m 6½f

The lucky last wasn’t the ideal race to take the money needed to get out on the day. They bet 5/2 the field in an eight horse race, hence Lofty’s pessimistic pricing on a winning day. Inthewaterside was the jolly heading the market but the punters weren’t exactly falling over themselves to back it or anything else for that matter.

The heat didn’t come alive but was still better than the opening race. Next door to Star, Spinning Mick was having a better day having done it right. Such was his confidence he was already talking about going the Vegas the week after Cheltenham, not New Year’s Day, the Festival. At the off there was nothing festival about the business with just £1300 in the hod and a losing day assured. In a strange twist to end the day the favourite Inthewaterside won the race, no that’s not the twist, the book actually won £300 on the race. That was a few quid back in the right direction and a winning note to end on.

That’s me for 2024, thanks to everyone who’s read my work over the last year.

Wishing everyone a healthy and happy 2025.

Views of authors do not necessarily represent views of Star Sports Bookmakers.

Simon Nott is author of: Skint Mob! Tales from the Betting Ring
available on Kindle CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS

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