“Nothing in life is free, especially not me”
Monday 2nd. The song competition definitely tickled some of your fancies with over 300 replies, as you all now know the answer was ” NOTHING IN LIFE IS FREE, ESPECIALLY NOT ME,” well done to the 3 winners Mr Roger Taylor, Gyen Davies and Joerg Piepkorn .
Today Mr Simon Holden is attempting to find me in the depths of nowhere apparently on a recruiting mission to meet 2 of my very best contacts with a view to strengthening the already strong BETFAN tipping ranks. Hopefully my very best pal and near neighbour Owen Churchill will be 1 of us in the very near future (he is a punter now) and trust me sparks will fly, also I have a jumps man “Steve the wrist” who is mustard and will certainly warm our winter evenings.
After 5 hours on the road Simon finally arrives (I don’t think he has forgiven me for mugging him off on the gallops) hehehe, thank goodness his tipping skills are better than his navigational, then had the gaul to blame a little lady that talks out of a box on his windscreen.
I am putting up a short priced 1 today LES GAR GAN trained by Keith Dalgleish and ridden by Paul Mulrennan, it’s trading at around 7/4 early doors and from what I have been told this is a huge price after its impressive run against the colts at York.
Simon and I rush off to our 1st appointment in Newmarket, I hassen to add I am driving as we only have 2 days to complete all our appointments. I will have to let BETFAN inform everybody as and when they wish as to the outcome of our 2 meetings today.
Although I am not a fan of race goers “having a go” a bit of verbal never harms, but the chorus of boo’s and chants echoing around the Scottish tracks ring after Paul Mulrennan managed to get LES GAR GAN beaten was only equalled by The Dons wife Penny’s rants at me last week, as for the irate punter that actually got in the ring after Mulrennan that is defiantly going to far, but the Racing Post did well to keep this from their headlines.
I am not the best of company for Simon after the defeat, I can take losing but I hate it when a winner escapes as they are difficult enough to find in the 1st place. Anyway after 3 or 4 soothers tomorrow is another day.
Tuesday 3rd. Good news for all my members, after such a successful bank holiday special where we had 8 winners and made 15 points profit (have I mentioned that before, lol??) I have been offered the St Ledger special next week. A 4 day marathon, in which I shall be tipping every race and my members will be getting it all FOC. Any readers who don’t follow my main service who would like to join this 4 day special please click the link below…
Big day for all of us in BETFAN today as Simon and I have the final meeting and hopefully we can get “a n other” (all will be revealed) on board. We meet in the poshy hotel Bedford Lodge on the Bury Road, Newmarket. (once again I have to be like a teasing girl and make you wait till BETFAN makes the announcement), trust me, all went very well.
I am putting Mr Haggis’s MARTION up in the 1st today, I watched this lovely big galloper work last week and was most impressed and 2 later on in the day. As all the work is complete we decide to watch the racing in Newmarket in a “local tavern” with all the work riders in there, past experience tells me all you really learn is how to buy drinks, but hey Simon’s the new kiddie on the block so I let him take the lead and learn the expensive way. (he’s like the pied piper with all his little followers).
Ryan Moore looks bang in trouble on MARTION 2 out but he really picks up well and wins going away and an amazing SP of 9/4, great winning start.
Wednesday 4th. Simon disappears from Jafeica House, 2 stone heavier, into the fog at 5am transporting his vast amounts of Bbq food and red wine, not on the back seat of the yellow peril but safely tucked away in his “new deli” (belly).
I am not far behind him but am heading for Newmarket, I don’t envy Simon’s trip back to York as the fog is horrendous, I will probably learn as much as the work watchers today if the fog doesn’t lift. It’s 6am and the 1st strings are out and I sidle up to Mr (dare not say) and we watch an amazing piece of work from his late maturing 2yo and a classy 3yo which are both in at Doncaster’s ledger meeting next week and I WILL be tipping them both in my “SPECIAL.”
Today I like the look of last time out winner VERTUEUX at Bath and have a decent bet on it and hopefully so do all my members and for a horse that I have tissued up at evens it wins at an incredible price of 5/2 and hits 1000/1 in running great start and with a James Fanshawe runner to come tonight GONE DUTCH I am looking forward to another good winning day. I think that Freddie Tylicki was caught out by the slow pace and was a bit slow to react and was running on very strongly all to late. (pop GONE DUTCH in your notebooks, a winner waiting to happen). Even after a late Kempton loser we still have another very good winning day.
9pm and I get a very exciting call about a horse we must back at Kempton tomorrow night.
Thursday 5th. Today is going to revolve all around the late phone call I received last night. The race is the 7-40 at Kempton and the horse is no 1 TAJHEEZ trained by Roger Varion and ridden by Paul Hannigan. I am told not to worry about Roger Varian’s lack of runners as the stable has been under a cloud but all is ok now with 2 recent winners and Paul Hannigan being driven from Salisbury to Kempton for this sole ride, this has an extra twist as Hamdens retained 2nd jockey Dane O Neil is already at Kempton for the meeting. As I know this is going to be smashed up in the betting I put out a very early message 8am ish to all my members advising them to have a MAXIMUM bet and snap up the 2/1 with Corals and bet365, which I know you all do as the price soon disappears into 6/4. Nothing comes in strong enough to add to our early selection, so with a long afternoon ahead I arrange to meet Owen for a pint or 2 and have a chat to see if we can just sort a few outstanding issues regarding BETFAN. Over a few pints we put the world to rights and decide this is really the way forward. Owen and I are going to push BETFAN forward and hopefully strengthen the already strong ranks of the tipsters. After the compulsory “Ruby” we decide to pop to the local bookmakers to watch TAJHEEZ, which could of been a fatal mistake as booze and betting are a definite “no, no,” but fortunately as we all know Tajheez scoot’s in and we have all had a MAXIMUM winning day. Back to the local full of money, “perfick.”
Friday 6th. Oh dear a little bit delicate this morning no 5am jolly jaunt to the Newmarket Heath work watching, I have called the trainers and told them it’s ok to carry on without me, Mr Gosden is pleased as Mr Grimthorpe is there to watch KINGMAN. (heheh as if).
I am called to do some work on Sunday’s meeting at York, the 3-35 is the race in question and assuming not to much rain falls we think that we have the winner, I may even put this up as the “free tip Sunday” but only if you all use the winnings to sign up for the Doncaster Special I am performing in. Not a great deal occurring today, but we put up a 12/1 ew and a shorty in Ireland. Our main bet is caught in the last 10 strides in Ireland and believe it or not the rain didn’t arrive at Haydock in the amounts expected and we can’t nick a 12/1 place, so my lofty position of 3rd in the tipsters top 10 table is like the loo roll in our house after last nights Ruby, in rapid decline.
Saturday 7th. This morning during my 1 of my many calls I am informed by “Steve the jumps man” that I rang him late last night and in my very poshest and micheal taking voice (quite obviously drunk) I am telling him that he needs to shape up (Re-yesterdays Irish loser) or he will be dropped from the Andy Bell inner circle of informers, I bet he is mortified, to which I quickly laugh off this morning and thankfully he could see the very funny side. (oh dear the repercussion’s of alcohol). I give him today’s flat selections and invite him to Huntingdon on Monday, poor “old heart broken Steve.”
Another day in Jafeica House and I can’t wait to get to York tomorrow and then Huntingdon on the way home Monday and obviously Tuesday I shall start preparing for The Doncaster St Leger meeting and my SPECIAL, where I shall be in attendance Thursday and Friday and then begrudgingly head home to swerve all the hen and stags dues on Ledger day itself.
Very good blog “The Don” but just a note, if you keep calling William Haggis “Willie” his pet hate, you have more chance of Jimmy Saville’s confession than another tip from him.
Our ew bet SEEK AGAIN today finishes 4th and the greedy 1s have got one over on us by making sure the habitual 1 horse is pulled out leaving 15 runners and only paying the 1st 3, but hey it’s only lent and STARS OVER THE SEA was far too keen and went off too quick, that is not his proper running so don’t discount him in the future. Quiet night tonight as an early leave for York tomorrow.
Sunday 8th. I am catching the 10-07 am train to York this morning staying the night then catching it back to Huntingdon in the morning. As I mentioned in Fridays column I was called to do some work on the 3-35 at York today and that is my primary reason for my journey up north today.
As all you 300+ were such good sports on last weeks rather “cocky” song question and I had such a fantastic response on the bank holiday Monday special, life is all about as the famous professional punter Barney Curley said “Giving a little back” so I will give you my FOC tip today and hopefully you can all use part of the winning proceeds to join my Doncaster St. Leger special starting on Wednesday 11th.
3-35 York No 2 MOROCCO 7/1 ew 1st 4 places.
Pls god lets have a successful and safe week.
Till next Sunday be good!
Andy Bell
Andy Bell Racing
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