The Nomad Returns.
Sunday 24th. Last night I arrived in Great Yarmouth early evening after the Ebor, still smarting at HAVANNA COOLER missing the cut and a very poor ride from Graham Lee on CLEVER COOKIE, who should defiantly of at least obtained a place for us.
Its got a bit of a family tradition to meet up and stay in the Palm Court Hotel, in ready for Sundays Yarmouth racing and the lorry convoy through the town afterwards.
We always meet up in the biggest room for some early evening drinks and nibbles, which this year was our Aunty Valerie’s and Uncle Paul’s, before we head down to our favourite local restaurant Othello’s.
After our appetisers, a bottle of pink and a couple of bottles of white, we all head into the town to feast, not before Hazel, on her mobility scooter has seen the whites of a poor car drivers eyes, as he skids to an abrupt holt, as she speeds across the high street giggling.
On arrival Michael the owner, is still buzzing about Louis Steward, the “local” boys Ebor victory, having said that, he or none of us had a penny on it.
As usual the meal is fantastic and my lobster is a standout. We relieve Michael of another three or four bottles of white and head homewards, but unfortunately the majority vote goes the way of the penny machines along the front, well if you can find a penny machine nowadays that’s a feat, when everybody has done all their monies the booty includes a packet of refreshers a flashing ball, paperclips and a couple of plastic butterfly’s, probably with a street value of about 80 pence. We nearly make it back, but as it has been all of one hour since the knifes and forks had hit the plates, its a pit stop and a re fuel at the doughnut and ice cream parlours.
Finally the hotel is in sight and Aunty Valerie is so kind and thoughtful she ensures that there are no left overs to encourage the Yarmouth vermin.
Sunday morning. Early up, racing post obtained, as for me the pressure is firmly on this year, because if you can remember, this day last year the family had a 50/1 winner in the first from the Noel Quinlan stable. I have hinted to the family I am bang out of luck and form at the moment, but that seems to fall on deaf ears.
Can I make it two years on the trot, as I get a nod in the first on the William Carson trained DEEP BLUE SEA, who I email out and suggest taking the 14/1 on offer.
I wonder if HRH will grace us with her presence at Yarmouth today as she has three runners, somehow I think that is a 1,000,000/1 shot.
I have also backed and emailed out OUTBACK TRAVELLER and PARISIAN PYRAMID both at Yarmouth.
As we arrive, the car park seems to suggest it’s going to be one of the biggest crowds of the year so far. After today, I think we only have the three day September festival meeting before the big shut down.
Although DEEP BLUE SEA never looks like winning, it gets us off to a winning start by coming third and landing our ew monies at 16/1. Then the elder statesman Clive Britton pops in a 16/1 winner and in the next the royal colours are carried to victory by Ryan Moore on DESERT RANGER. I put Auntie Valerie off the next royal runner, after its long absence from the track and you know it HRH quickly bags a double when PRINCES TRUST bolts in by four lengths beating our OUTBACK TRAVELLER, just as they pass the post a helicopter appears over the stand, has HRH arrived to pick up her winnings, oh no just the boys being flown out to the rigs. As SAKASH zooms past the post, in the next, two lengths clear, Uncle Paul quietly stands up clutching a ticket and reveals a very nice winner, Mmmmm who needs me anyway, nobody this month, that’s for sure.
We head back to the Hotel to watch the convoy of horn blasting lorries. This day every year the drivers and owners donate themselves, time and vehicles to a wonderful cause. Each lorry driver picks up a less fortunate child as a passenger early that morning and drives him or her to Pleasurewood Hills for a fun day, that they will never forget. Then at 6pm the convoy, of over one hundred rigs, assembles and are driven through the main crowd lined streets of Yarmouth, blasting their horns to the waving masses of assembled onlookers, I must admit its quite emotional seeing these kiddies smiling and waving from the cabs and somehow it just puts things back into perspective and its a right reality smack in the mouth.
We polish the last of the wine off before we head off to Othello’s restaurant again. Surf and turf for me, skate, stefardo’s and lamb all round tonight to finish off our Yarmouth jaunt. With the habitual trip around the arcades we finally retire to our hotel.
Monday 25th. As we drive away from the hotel this morning and head homewards, I realise, I have now been on the road for eight straight days and racing for six of them and I am knackered, we are not having a winning month, but I can assure you it’s not for the lack of heartache and effort.
I am told that the Caroline Bailey trained favourite DEALING RIVER will hate the rain softened ground and also coming back from fences to hurdles is not always ideal, as I don’t like putting lays up on my service, the second favourite Ridden by AP and trained by John Jo looks the bet, so I punt and email UBALDO DES MENHIES out.
We need soft ground for TENBRIDGE 4/1 and GWORN 8/1 at Chepstow and it looks as if we are going to get it, so I also email these two out.
Finally I am home again and even Molly the cat doesn’t recognise me, until I get the food out that is. It’s a day on the couch in front of the racing and a total wind down and chill out, with tea and lemon juice only, for today and the next coming week, I hope anyway.
BARTACK comes through very strongly and he is trading at 5/1, so I email him out to the LATE BETTING service as an ew bet to nothing.
As I had predicted DEALING RIVER the favourite hates the going and is soon tailed off, which ultimately does us no good as unfortunately AP is unable to hold the very free running UBALDO DES MENHIES and gets collared after jumping the last.
The track at Epsom resembles a quagmire, as we have had so much rain and unbelievable to much for GWORN, who runs no sort of race.
TENBRIDGE is a disappointment and a pain after looking like winning and than not even getting us a place, no where near the pain suffered by the punter who laid the winner at 1000/1 for £12 in running. It amazes me, anybody needing £12 so much they will risk £12000 to get it, I bet his hangover in the morning will be the hangover of all hangovers.
Daniel Tudhope brightens my day and the LATE SERVICE clients a tad by giving BARTACK a cracking front ride and winning nicely at 5/1, giving us 24 points profit on the day.
Tuesday 26th. Bliss my own bed last night and my own shower this morning, one tends to forget the home comforts, when hotel hopping and living out of a suit case.
I am told that we need to back LAST MINUTE LISA at Epsom today, but if the monsoon season doesn’t pass, she will be pulled out, also KIFAAYA 4/1 ew at Epsom.
That jock, the Tartan Tipster is getting a shade cheeky, likening me to Shane Macgowen in his Tuesday column, I was questioned at home, hoping it was nothing to do with Erect Nipples, quite witty though, he needs to tread very carefully, because, I’ve seen him and his clan in action at York and could easily spill the beans.
LAST MINUTE LISA is pulled out and another day awaits, KIFAAYA runs an unusual race, being stone last after a furlong and than running on into third with no apparent urgency from Dane O’ Neil, one for the notebook and another day I suggest.
Wednesday 27th. I’m in Newmarket this morning as hopefully I’m going to have a runner in the early part of next week and I want to watch her gallop. She is in the first lot at 6am and goes very well indeed, actually, better than we thought she would.
We backed REMBRANDT VAN RIJN last time at 50/1 in a hot maiden that has worked out well and he only faded out of contention in the last furlong. I am told that the David Lanigan stable will be very disappointed if he hasn’t progressed enough to win his maiden today. Also Shame Kelly rides CELESTIAL KNIGHT for James Fanshawe, thirty minutes later and this gelding is also expected to win. As soon as I arrive home, I email both these out as win bets.
My boys in blue contact has just finished riding out and calls me saying that TURNING TIMES wins the first at Lingfield and they also expect theirs in the second to go well.
As I am in the process of putting up BROTHER TIGER ew at 13/2 on the LATE BETTING service I also add TURNING TIMES at even money, I toy with the idea of putting them in an ew double, but refrain.
I get a call asking what I think of a race on Tuesday for the little filly and to me this looks ideal, so we decide to enter her and see how the race cuts up.
TURNING TIMES wins the first really nicely and its a great start to the day. My info was spot on as the boys in blue also wins the second and it leaves me kicking myself as I have done nothing with it. As REMBRANDT sneaks up the rail I think we are going to win only for the 25/1 rag to hold on and we finish a clear second. The next race is soon upon us and Shane Kelly is boxed in with no where to go and that ultimately costs us the race to a 16/1 rag this time and another second, it’s no good to us today but I get a call telling me he WINS on Tuesday at Kempton.
BROTHER TIGER is smashed up in the betting from our 13/2 into 9/4 and bolts up accordingly.
The ups and downs of racing my ANDY BELL clients have had the most unlucky day, whereas the LATE SERVICE has had a great day with even money and 13/2 shots winning, putting them over 50 points in profit for the month.
Thursday 28th. My poor old ANDY BELL’s clients are having a really torrid time at the moment, thankfully we have plenty of fat on our backs to survive for a while yet, we had some really strong information on two Newmarket horses yesterday and both were fully expected to win and not one, but both were second, getting beaten by 25/1 and 16/1 rags and then the LATE BETTING service creaming in two winners with an even money and a 13/2 shot, sometimes life just isn’t fair, unless your in both services of course.
Although we are losing what seems like a zillion points this month, I really fancy having a swing with the strength of the information I have today, because our luck WILL change before long. As it’s my own money, I have my second biggest bet of the year on MILE HOUSE at 7/4, with the help of Smudger, Keith and Tom (behind AUSTRALIA) and advise all my clients to have a maximum bet. Shortly afterwards I get SATORIDO 3/1 and STAR ANISE 12/1, both at Lingfield, so I email all three out, advising SATORIDO and STAR ANISE in an ew double and MILE HOUSE 7/4, SATORIDO 3/1 and STAR ANISE 12/1 in an ew treble.
With all my work and bets complete, I read STABLE LINE COLD’s Thursday column and giggle, as the man with the face for BETFAN radio, Simon Holden, is jumping on the Jocks, Tuesday silly column bandwagon and milking it, he should stick to nicking the oldest of Bernard Manning’s gags. As we expected MILE HOUSE wins with the minimum of fuss and WILL follow up next time. that gives us the perfect start to the day and better to come as SATORIDO wins the two miler in style at 3/1. We now have a very nervous hour, as we are sitting on a possible pot of gold of between 400 and 500 points profit if STAR ANISE can win or a nice profit if he just places. With our single bets we are assured of a winning day, but I want MORE. From not an ideal draw the plan was always for Sam to rush STAR ANISE up into a prominent position, but unfortunately this lit him up too much and the writing was on the wall after three furlongs and we faded tamely away. A priceless winning day and I am gutted, that could of been our turning point for an awful month.
Friday 29th. A winning day yesterday and I am deflated as I feel a big chance got away last night, as I always say NEVER, NEVER, NEVER GIVE UP as it will happen soon. Today is another day and the reality of things is we have now had four winners and two seconds from our last seven bets, maybe the tide has finally turned, for me and especially for all you loyal clients.
Sandown looks a tricky little card today and we have a right buzzer in the first, MAJESTIC HERO has been flying at home and is markedly down in grade for Ron Harris. The 3/1 looks a really good early morning price and I toy with the idea of putting him up as another maximum, but temper my enthusiasm a shade and cut the bet on my email a little. The Ballydoyle lads have sent across STRAVAGANTA and booked the services of Ryan Moore and the 10/1 looks too bigger price to my eyes and a good ew bet, I also advise an ew double on the pair.
When David Probert takes a pull on MAJESTIC HERO two furlongs out, I know we have bagged another winner and our first of the day. Once again we are sitting pretty, with a 3/1 winner going onto a 10/1 shot later. The opposite happens to last night, as this time we fall out of the stalls and after its apparent we have lost all chance of winning or even a place, Ryan Moore gave this young RIP VAN WINKLE colt a nice and easy racecourse introduction. Once again a very nice and valuable winning day, which could have been so much better. Maybe just maybe I’m saving the best till last.
Saturday 30th. I have amazingly managed to stick to my no alcohol pact all week and feel absolutely no better for it. That alone is probably the main contributory factor for this weeks rather mundane column, rather like the Grumbling Dons Sunday Sermon, Stable Line Colds Bernard Manning tribute or the Jolly Jocks Tuesday hot whores list, with me not getting in any scrapes or muddles along the way, so I promise, just for you, I won’t let it happen often.
Todays free tip: 2:40 Sandown AKTABANTAY Win bet at 13/8 William Hill.
“For myself, I am an optimist. There does not seem to be much use in being anything else.” Winston Churchill,
As far am I am concerned August can crawl into the Simon Holden’s wallet and never be seen again.
Its been a difficult month, ok a shit one, I did have three amazing ones prior and we all know I can’t possibly do it every month, but we are now showing signs of a revival, were very close in the last two days to making huge profits again and hopefully we can get back to normal service resumed asap.
BETFAN has given me the chance to kick the Jolly Jocks arse (Shrewd Tipster) in the Doncaster St Ledger four day meeting and hopefully Saturday teatime I will have sent him crawling over that wall and back into his Glen a broken little man.
As always NEVER, NEVER , NEVER give up, never get caught, but you must make sure you’ve enjoyed it.
Back next Saturday.
Andy Bell
http://go.betfan.com/1000/258
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