Tales From The Betting Ring – Ascot 07/04/2013

I backed my first winner before I even got into the course proper. How I wasn’t wiped out by the guy in the estate that came hurtling toward to me as I was getting directed into the press carpark I’ll never know. Getting the car written off on day one of a two-day stint would have been a right pain. My guess is he (with a car full of people) was charging in to watch the charity race, he was definitely wearing metaphorical blinkers. The near miss gave me the collywobbles for a bit that’s for sure. I was more interested in a strong coffee than watching the  race I assume he thought was dicing with death in  the rush to see. It seemed a bit weird to have it at 12.30, almost two hours before the first race proper so I doubt there was any betting on it or that many people there to enjoy it.

The bookies were probably too busy still counting their winnings from their jaunts up to Liverpool to worry about pricing up a charity race anyhow. One front row layer did try to play down how much they must have copped by telling me how much he had paid out over one of the other ‘results’ of the meeting. He must have clocked the incredulous look on my face. He gave up but just stopped short of  conceding  that they had had it spark off. Believe it or not the same bookie, almost, and I say almost, looked guilty when it transpired that 40/1 shot Forresters Folly had won the opener. Another skinner for their books despite virtually all observers, including the usually spot-on cameraman, thinking Warden Hill had won. They were only a nose out.

Of course, as these are bookmakers that we are talking about, there were moans that business was a bit thin in the first despite the good crowd. Things picked up in the next with the help of one firm getting involved in a small way. Not on the winner though. Victor Leudorum was  another result for the ring, at least on paper at 16/1 but had been a pony so wasn’t a total surprise in some quarters.

Race three was a 16-runner handicap. Now I don’t want to bore people to death banging on and on about the place terms that books in the ring bet to. The vast majority went 1/5 the odds a place which is fast becoming the norm though the hardcore few on the rails are keeping the flag flying betting 1/4. Yes the punters do have the edge in these races, as opposed to the bookies having it the bulk of the time. Many businesses have a loss-leader that they absorb for the better good so fair play to those that take the same approach continue to offer the punters value. One of these bookmakers was incandescent with rage that another rails firm was betting to 1/6th, yes on the rails at Ascot, surely there’s little to justify it.  Aptly named 4/1 shot Calculated Risk won the race, you’d have to hope that at least one firm stood it for their maximum.

Well -fancied horses winning didn’t last for long, 11/1 shot Fairy Rath took the next, though it had been 14/1 so someone somewhere had a tickle. Not with one layer you’d assume who was later reported to have been celebrating with the winning connections, who happened to include Mrs Jeremy Kyle.  There didn’t seem to be many others in the ring that had laid it either mind. A cheerful bookmaker volunteered the information  that they had now got a few quid in front and were now ‘snapping the elastic bands around the winnings’. Maybe a race too soon because the next winner went in a 10/1.

The penultimate had the ring in a bit of a spin. There appeared to be a right old touch going down on Tim Vaughan’s Ballyrock whose price collapsed from 12/1 into 4/1. Appearances can be deceptive these days though, it looks as if it was an increasingly common case of the exchange tail wagging the on-course dog. Those sorts of gambles can be self-perpetuating though and there was a rumour that one firm had laid a £4000- £1000. Those who followed the money knew their fate a long way out when a blunder and a stirrupless jockey put paid to what ever might have been plotted. Not only did the books get that one beaten but were handed another near skinner with 33/1 winner Regal Presence.

Judging by their long faces the firm that had pretty much shut up shop by snapping their elastic  realised that they had done it wrong even though they’d got it right. No surprise then that they decided to call it a day and pack up and head for home before the concluding Hunters’ Chase. The jolly won that one. Not bad judges after all.

One happy footnote, at least for me personally. Anyone who read my blog over Cheltenham will know that I had set my heart on buying a tweed jacket and waistcoat from the profits of an ante-post punt when Reve de Sivola won the World Hurdle. As we all know, Reve didn’t quite make the frame and Geoff Banks kept my money. But Timothy Foxx got a sale anyway.  Well that nice Geoff was offering a free £5 each-way bet on the Grand National to existing clients, I followed my mate Andrew Mount’s advice and had it on Aurora’s Encore. Geoff laid me 80/1. What a gentleman, you paid for it in the end, thanks very much. Aye Aye!

(c) Simon Nott

Tales From The Betting Ring – Cheltenham Thursday.

Well there it was, Cheltenham day 3 and all our hopes riding on Reve de Sivola. As is the norm for me when an exciting day beckons, I was up and at the track very early ready to soak in all the atmosphere. It was a glorious morning too, blue skies and sunshine, everything augured well for the day.

Being on-course so early there was plenty of time for catching up. One of the first bookies I saw was Johnny Boy, he used to work for Westcountry bookmaking legend and D-Day veteran Jack Lynn back when I did. He ambled up to me and said that his daughter Grace had been reading (and hopefully enjoying) these blogs. I told him how pleased I was about that. He then went on to say that Grace had made a request that I give her a mention in this one. Once he told me the reason and reminded me of the story I could hardly refuse.  Some years ago Johnny and I were both working down at Lower Tatts with Jack.  Johnny was one of best clerks around so was on pencil while I was eyes and ears on the floor. He was always very conscientious but had his mind on other things this particular year, his wife was due to give birth to their first child any day. Roy, Jack’s son, was aware of this, but told Johnny not to worry as ‘Nobody would have a baby Cheltenham week’. Sadly his wife Caron was unaware of this unwritten rule and promptly delivered a healthy bouncing girl, yes you guessed it, Grace, on the first day of the meeting. We were of course all very happy for the couple.

The next day Roy and Jack were not so happy. They told me that Johnny had decided that the joys of fatherhood and supporting his wife were more important that racing. Yes I know! But that it how it was, so in their words ‘He had left us in the lurch’. Followed by ‘You’ll have to clerk’. Now I did know how to clerk yes, I had a go once at a Bath evening meeting where the going was firm and each race had half a dozen runners at the most, but that was it. This was a day of monster handicaps. There was nothing for it though, I was thrown straight in at virtually the deepest end ever. ‘Just get make sure you get all the bets down’ was all I was told as both men machine-gunned wagers to me. It was all I could do to do just that. I managed OK for the first couple of races but it got busier and busier. As they were off for the 3rd I was asked how the book looked, I just looked up exasperated and said, with a few expletives, I had no idea how the bloody book looked, and I didn’t.

‘He’s useless Roy’ Jack decided. I agreed, luckily they got a replacement and I was put back on the floor. On the floor and put to shame that I couldn’t keep up. It wasn’t all bad though, the replacement turned out to be excellent so all was forgotten when it got to getting paid. Anyway, the reason for that story, I can hardly believe it but it was 20 years ago today. Happy birthday Grace, I’ve forgiven you but I’m not sure Jack and Roy have yet, give it time.

Today I wasn’t in the ring during racing so have no real tales to tell, apart from my personal one of woe. It may have been a mistake to go to Geoff Banks’ joint before racing and show his delightful bevy of  beautiful lady staff the brochure that contained a photo of the suit I was going to buy with my Reve de Sivola winnings. It was an Armaloft type mistake, though confidence was running high so let it get the better of me. I even promised to buy them all a bottle of champagne out of the winnings too.

Silly boy, I should have learned by now.

I should really have feared the worst when not long before the off a work-mate of mine called. Now this fella is a very nice chap with a heart of gold, but he is the biggest jinx known to betting man if you tell him you have had a bet. Of course, as any reader knows, I have told everyone about this bet on Reve at 33/1 and 12/1. He was just ringing to confirm it was Nick Williams, the Genius of George Nympton’s charge, that I had backed. I rolled my eyes and replied an affirmative that it was. I wasn’t quite ready for his reply, he thought so and just wanted to let me know that he had heard it wouldn’t win because it had missed some work. I thanked him for his kind words of good luck and encouragement. I knew each and every one of those words were cobblers but it costs nothing to be polite.

The worry was he was watching the race and knew which one I was on. Cue ‘Jaws’ music.

Anyway, the form book will forever tell us that Reve de Silvola did connections and trainer proud by running an extremely brave race staying on resolutely even when headed. He was still staying on when just chinned for 3rd and the place part of the 33/1 wager in the shadow of the post. Sorry Gambling Gods but that was a bit cruel. Disappointing but exhilarating none the less, the horse came back sound and lives to fight in the top flight another day. Sadly for the Timothy Foxx stall down at the village that was selling the light blue tweed jacket and waistcoat ensemble they have missed out on the sale.

Unless of course Geoff Bank’s girls gave him the brochure I left them.  Maybe he went and bought that smart tweed combo himself with the untold bundles he and his fellow bookies must have won today. They could hardly have written in better results themselves.  The ante-post money I now have to pull up will be a minuscule  drop in his winnings ocean, but would still pay for the waistcoat. And no, I didn’t lay the place part as advised yesterday.

I’ll be over the heartbreak by tomorrow, after all, it is Gold Cup Day.