The team went out for a curry last night, at least the staying over members and Lofty who had a not-so-tight rein on the firm’s finances, writes SIMON NOTT.
An extra pint for me making that three for the night, and a trio of ice cream for Ricky the highlights of the wild spending. Star Sports went into Thursday and Ladies Day not yet halfway through the meeting just in front.
There were early skirmishes which suggested that today might well be lively, bets included £40,000 – £50,000 Charles Darwin in the first and £50,000 – £20,000 Candelari in the Gold Cup, the hope was the punters would open their shoulders and there would be some shocks along the way.
There were decent bets flying about for other horses too, £7500 – £1000 each-way Afjan, no fractions, £9000 – £1000 each-way Sandal’s Song, no fractions, then the rail laid £16,000 – £22,000 the jolly in addition to £12,000 – £16,000 and £8000 – £11,000 up in Tatts. Then a punter bet £21,000 – £12,000 Parish Councillor in the first race at Ripon.
🎩 2:30 – Norfolk Stakes (Group 2) (Class 1) (2yo) 5f
The Ripon bet only finished third, so a great start with a quarter of an hour to go before the first here. Though a punter with £13,000, evidently not superstitious wanted it on Enthused over at Chelmsford, he was obliged and laid 7/4.
That one fared better, much better and won, but there was no time to sulk. There was action in the ring when a known sticker on was running around the ring with a phone to his ear, but ran straight past the Star Sports pitch apparently looking for bigger, evidently didn’t get it and bet £20,000 – £30,000.
Just for a stride or two, the jolly looked in trouble, just enough time for it to touch evens and comment it was in trouble, he wasn’t, he bolted up. Meanwhile, a punter came in for a £15,000 double on the aways, it was busy Front Line Fury and Coming Attraction at Ripon and Chelmsford. The Tatts pitch lost £102,700 and the rail lost £14,000. Nasty, made even nastier potentially when the first leg of the double won away.
🎩 3:05 – King George V Stakes (Heritage Handicap) (GBBPlus Race) (Class 2) (3yo 0-105) 1m4f (1m3f211y)
The second leg won too, the double lost a further £58,000. This was all going horribly wrong.
Next up and a 7/2 the field race where you’d not expect sizeable bets. Well, that’s what you’d think, bets struck were £70,000 – £20,000 Merchant, £60,000 – £15,000 Sing Us A Song, and £70,000 – £10,000 Serious Contender.
Down on the lower rail, they’d laid £6000 – £1000 Serious Contender. Merchant won, the book lost £57,416. Lower Tatts lost £200, ‘felt like winning’ said Lofty.
🎩 3:40 – Ribblesdale Stakes (Group 2) (Fillies) (Class 1) (3yo) 1m4f (1m3f211y)
Net up and it was relentless, £18,000 and £20,000 on Catalina Delcarpio at 11/4, £10,000 Garden Of Eden at 15/2 and £15,000 on Serenity Player at 7/2, a result was required as the book was already £200,000 in the red. A successful 35,000 – £10,000 Ziggy’s Missile at Chelmsford exacerbated matters.
Everywhere was hectic, Emily, Nick and Tony ground away as Kaan was coshed under the high rollers wading in with their wagers, send more staff and tell them to bring readies with them. Brian Gleeson bringing a camera crew to film at the joint broke the pressure briefly, then it was game on again. A bookie’s hedge bet of £22,500 – £10,000 Catalina Delcarpio took that one over the loser for £100,000 mark.
Normally when the book blows £8847 on a race, it’s a disaster, but when you’ve stood one for over £100,000 and you still lose that much it’s not great bookmaking or fun. Still, when the bogie came looming it looked as if it was going to be a lot worse than when Garden of Eden won the race, the £75,000 – £10,000 over the winner was a bit unlucky, needless to say the 40/1 runner-up Understudy would have been very handy.
🎩 4:20 – Gold Cup (Group 1) (Class 1) (4yo+) 2m4f (2m3f210y)
Next up and the big one, bets flew in £45,000 – £5000 Sweet William, the already laid £50,000 – £20,000 Candelari, £50,000 – £20,000 Illinois and £42,500 at 9/4 Trawlerman the biggest with 25 minutes still to go, meanwhile Tony was calling for £1 coins with the public money still coming in hand over fist out the front of the joint.
The rails sent up better news, Lofty told me ‘We copped £4000 there laid plenty winner plus £11,000 – £1000 Lady Vivian and £6000 – £1000 each-way Life is Beautiful. Is it clutching at straws to say it was turning?
Meanwhile, the Tatts book laid £48,000 – £6000 each-way Sweet William, swiftly followed by £5000 the same horse at 17/2, everyone knows a William it seems. At the off, William was for £71,000, Trawlerman £53,000, down on the lower rail they had Candelari for untold bundles, OK £46,000 for accuracy.
Trawlerman won beating Illinois and the result Dubai Future. The Tatts book lost £47,300, the rail copped £24,000 due mainly to the early Candelari bet. It was a welcome respite, but there was still confirmation that it hadn’t turned.
🎩 5:00 – Britannia Stakes (Heritage Handicap) (Colts & Geldings) (Class 2) (3yo 0-105) 1m
Next up, 11/2 the field, chance of a breather and for Kaan and team to take stock. The teams being the same as yesterday minus Ben Keith, so Nick, Emily, Tony and Kaan in Tatts and Lofty, Flynn and Ricky down on the rail, not that I’ve seen much of them down there since the first.
No rest for the good guys as it turned out, the away bets punter was back, a £15,000 bet, at even money Dubai Beach over at Chelmsford in the 5.05. There was a trade bet here, £2500 each-way at 11/1 La Botte but with 10 minutes to push that and £250 each-way Hawksbill at SP, another trade bet was it as far as lumps go.
At the off, the bogie was La Botte thanks to the each-way trade bet losing £27,600. Arabian Story won the race, copping £1525 in the win book, but the bogie was second so the Tatts pitch blew £5216 after the places had been taken into account, then the even £15,000 bet at Chelmsford won by what looked like a distance, in a flat race.
Is it time to go home yet? No, it’s not over yet, though the lower rail losing a grand over at £5000 – £100 each-way the fourth was an added blow.
Between races, Sir Philip Davies came to the joint to offer moral support to Kaan. Ben also messaged ‘Just keep going’, which is exactly what he did.
🎩 5:35 – Hampton Court Stakes (Group 3) (Class 1) (3yo) 1m2f (1m1f212y)
It was relentless, making all these bets up was making my head ache almost as much as my feet, but here goes £70,000 – £20,000 Detain and £30,000 – £10,000 and £45,000 – £15,000 Trinity College with a late bet of £2200 at 17/2 Tornado Alert, then late on Jackknife the third in was withdrawn resulting in a 20p rule 4.
As it turned out, that was handy as the way Trinity College won it’s doubtful he’d have been beaten anyway so 20% off a £35,879 loss in the Tatts book was not to be sniffed at. What a bloody disaster when a rule 4 is a bonus, the day’s been that bad.
🎩 6:10 – Buckingham Palace Stakes (Handicap) (Class 2) (3yo+ 0-105) 7f
It appeared the big punters wanted to finish Star Sports off on the day, not just the meeting. A punter bet £16,125 on English Oak at 13/2. An odd amount but we can assume he’s not rummaged around the back of his sofa to pull it up.
Meanwhile, news from the lower rail is that they lost £100. Other bets that came in £100,000 – £10,000 Oliver Show, £20,000 – £1200 each-way Myal and £50,000 – £10,000 Never So Brave, then a monkey each-way at 33/1 Run Boy Run.
Meanwhile, down on the rail not to be left out, they laid £2500 each-way Fifty Nifty at 25/1. Not having a moan up, OK I am a bit but it had been a long day as it was and at 6.10 they still hadn’t started loading. When they did load, and the race was won the firm wished it hadn’t. Par for the course today, Never So Brave, the 4/1 favourite won.
The Tatts book lost £15849 but the rail won £2781 on the race and copped £15,276 on the day, the Tatts pitch fared less well, losing £367,990.
A black black day.
If anyone would like to drop some in, we’re back tomorrow where the punters will think it’s easy and the firm will get it all back….
… we hope.
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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