Only 1 “STEPS” a week required.
Monday 9th. Yesterday’s punt was rather scuppered by the mad decision by the clerk of the course at York to water Wednesday evening, I just wonder whether Ladbrokes or Corals are now maybe doing the long term weather forecasting, as soft ground often helps their bulging satchels bulge, even the infamous Michael Fish could of forecast rain over the weekend, maybe he would of chucked in a hurricane or 2 for safe measure, but would surely of got the copious amounts of weekend rain correct.
York was relatively quiet, but I suppose it was a Sunday night, no queues to get in the living room and plenty of room inside, which gave me plenty of time to think about today’s losses, lovely. I did meet up with a couple of faces and we headed for our favourite York Chinese and had a very good meal. A quick look in the 80s bar on the corner, but no frolicking on the rotating dance floor as not enough alcohol or the fairer sex.
I catch the York to Huntingdon train and arrive in plenty of time armed with a maximum bet at Brighton. OUR CHANNEL runs in the 2nd race and has been working like a dream in its morning gallops on the heath. I am just a bit concerned that the rain has followed the Haggis horse box down to Brighton, but am told it shouldn’t effect the result but may just temper its turn of foot a shade.
Huntingdon is quite busy for a Monday meeting, although I have nothing to back here today I love the little course and it’s a good place to catch up with a few jumps connections for the oncoming season.
An hour to kill and I meet Don Cantalon who thinks his will win the last, Mick Quinlan is quietly confident his will run a big race in the 5th and Tom O Brien thinks Walter White will beat the McCain fav in the 3-40. Dicky Johnson wins the 1st at long odds on but not without its scares for odds on backers turning for home. George Baker has OUR CHANNEL well placed 2f out at Brighton and takes it up and for some unknown reason he doesn’t take the rail, Hughsey who rides Brighton well at the best of times must think it’s his benefit day as he sneaks up the gap left by George Baker on the rail and nabs the race on the line. Hughsey tongue in cheek and with a smirk says in his after race interview, I quote, “it was very important to get the rail.” Well done Hughsey tactically a brilliant race on not the best horse.
Don Cantalons bolts up by 27 lengths in the last, Quinlans runs well without winning and Walter White is backed into favouritism and beats McCains as predicted, but is firmly put in its place by a 50/1 shocker from the Neil King stable.
Tuesday 10th. Very exciting day today as I get my “baby” back, a Magenta original Sierra Cosworth 4 door, she is once again ready to tear up our sleepy little country lanes with her 390 bhp engine after 12 months in dock. I bought her after a successful gamble landed in the King George V1 on Dancing Brave in 1996 and I could of had a Roller if Mr Greville Starkey had not employed such exaggerated waiting tactics in the Derby when beaten by Shahrastani.
Enough reminiscing we need to get some winners on the board, as we have been bang unlucky and out of form for the last 4 days, which seems a life time, especially with the nail biting 4 day St Ledger special pending.
I like the look of 2 today and put them both up only for both of them to finish 2nd. Mmmmm an hour or so in a dark, padded room is required.
Wednesday 11th. I wake early to the pounding of rain on my bedroom window most punters nightmares, but after switching my computer on I see that odds checker gives the going at Doncaster as good/firm. The racing post gives today’s going as good so as always I check with the relevant sites and am rather suspicious about the “good” going and realising that odds checker is generated by bookmakers I totally ignore that red herring.
Having to select a horse in each race for the next 4 days I decide to air on the side of caution and decide to pitch my selections that like the soft side of good going.
All selections are logged and I settle down to watch the racing and I am horrified to see the horses cutting diverts out going to the start. Our 1st selection beats 1 home and Hughsey reports the ground as soft and especially when the winners rider Gentleman Ted says the same, oh no I think Bellie Boy we are bang in trouble here. 2nd race we are beaten in a 3 way photo and the 3rd race Medicean Man is not sighted and when Willie Ryan is wishing Benny The Dip was under him and not Winslow Arizona we are suddenly looking down the barrel of a 15 point loss and only 4 races gone. Our main 4pt win bet next and it hates soft going, I am thinking all the BETFAN helicopters are now being dispatched from HQ with primed missiles all aimed at a Magenta Cosworth in Norfolk. Thankfully the powers to be have the foresight to pull out ELKAAYED and BETFAN recalls their airborne core, for now anyway. The 4-45 now and I am not content with 1 loser in a race I have 2 selections in this 1, SECRET ART at 9/1 and BRETON ROCK at 14s. I am watching SECRET ART as its on the near side and in running is fav on Betfair, when all of a sudden like a flash of white lightning (is it betfan missiles I think??) NO!!!! its BRETON ROCK hitting the front as if it’s only just joined the race and bolts in at 12/1, if you have ever been constipated for 7 days imagine the pure elation and relief as you rise from that warm seat, that’s me right now, a 11 point deficit and dethroning as the golden boy is NOW a 11 point profit and I have never been so happy as to have another non runner in the last.
Our 1st day has certainly been “Mmmmm eventful” shall we say, but we finish up with an amazing winning day and a 11 point profit.
Thursday 12th. Still buzzing over our 11 point winning day yesterday, I don’t know what some punters want but I am happy to say they are in the minority because after such a good winning day I unbelievably had 1 cancel.
Heading to Donny today on the old rattler which I am catching out of Norwich and should be arriving around 1ish and if the yellow peril is heading south down the A1 as discussed I should be meeting Mr Holden.
Wrapped up like a Christmas present I arrive and I have to commend you Northern Girls for your sheer style and guts as I have never seen so many scantly clad “ladies” cowering under brollies making sure the Barnet’s are kept dry, neat and tidy, it doesn’t seem to matter about the old arras’s which are protruding from the said cover and are taking the full brunt of the Doncaster fury. Sorry ladies, you all look fantastic but work to do catch you all later, anyway job in hand (don’t go there dirty minds, I’m not in the loo) “horses” all the selections are logged and I head up the escalators to the owners and trainers for my free cup of tea or 2 and see what I can learn for future reference.
1st race and we have steered well clear of LES GAR GAN which cost us so dearly last week and we get a very nice 3rd 2pts ew with CORNISH PATH at 15/2, Mmmmm better start then yesterday I think to myself, only for a quick reality check when WINNING EXPRESS rather hangs its chance away in the 2nd. When TANZEEL and SUZIS have a lot less behind them and in front we are “doing” some of our yesterdays gains, which is certainly not the plan. The 3-15 we have a fantastic win of 4pts on the LARK, but after the horror fall of Hayley my main thoughts are with her and certainly no where else. What ever was Matt Chapman doing, I know that everybody cared and wanted to know how Hayley was and he was only doing his job, but surely asking Michael Bell what he could see through his binoculars, how embarrassing for him, what next trust the mike under the screens, was totally mistimed and inappropriate.
Things settle down and thank god Hayley is conscious and moving, with a delay inevitable I can chill and calculate that we are now in profit for day 2 again and we have a good message for the Hannon/Hughes team in the next. Pupils price has been rather scuppered by the combination of good morning money and the defection of the fav Alpine Retreat but he is still a tasty 4/1 and we have bet this Mastercraftsman colt ew. I don’t think I am going OTT by saying he bolts up in a typical confident Hughsey ride and our day is getting better and better, until a certain beaming Simon Holden appears from the shadows in his Columbo style coat. All we need now is the Don and his less then impressed with me wife Penny. Just 1 pint each and we head towards the paddock, I don’t know why because the 4-25 looks virtually impossible and surprise surprise the 22 runners has dwindled down to 15 and yes 3 places, how do they manage it every time. We haven’t gone in heavy only 1pt ew on DARK CASTLE and he finishes a creditable 6/7th but no help to our quest. Last race of day 2 the 5-00 and I have personally banged THA’IR ew at 8/1 and also advised the same to all my members, 2 out I’m thinking perfect end to a great days punting, but we are picked off in the last furlong, but still finishes 2nd and another nice profit and more spons into the pot for tomorrow.
Friday 13th. I cant believe that I was asked to do a special with every gamblers pet hate Friday the 13th bang in the middle of it. All the work finished and the days selections are made and it’s a day with the boys in the local, Cabbage Paul and Tony the Machine watching the racing on the TV as Friday the 13th is not a day for travelling up to Doncaster again and anyway it’s terrible for trains home on Fridays. Anyway I seem to get the job as the days bookie taking the bets as it’s far to far for them to walk, it must be all of 30 yards and god forbid leaving their beers unattended for all that time and it’s uphill. As you all probably gathered they are not a set of Daly Thompsons more like Jockey Wilsons (showing my age here).
I think we definately have a touch of the unlucky Friday the 13th syndrome as we hit 3no 2nds a 3rd and luckily we signed off with a very classy looking winner in the shape of ZAIN EAGLE which will probably head across the water next for the Group 3 Diamond stakes at Dundalk. So in all a small losing day because luckily the cards looked very tricky and we didn’t tender many points. Also me masquerading as a bookmaker wasn’t a good move either as I did a 100 notes in cold blood, to the bastards great delight, who needs friends hey??
Quiet night as a busy day ahead tomorrow.
Saturday 14th. I have pinned my colours to a horse in the Portland “can you believe” in the shape of STEPS (the title) and also EXCESS KNOWLEDGE in the Ledger. STEPS is flying in the Portland and I have hammered it a 10/1 for large sums ew and all of my clients have had 2pts ew at 10s. I am screaming at the TV 1/2 a furlong out as I think we have got this only to be done by a nose bang on the line, gutted instead of 1000s I/we have made a cup of tea. Things go down hill after this and when John Gosden comes on TV and says he has walked the course and in his opinion the “sticky” ground, which we all hate most, will blunt Excess Knowledges turn of foot, I think Mmmmm wonderful nothing we can do now and as great trainers often are Mr Gosden is spot on. What looked to be a fantastic start in the shape of STEPS backed from 10s into 6s we turn in a losing day to finish our Doncaster 4 day stint. In summary the weather rather played into the bookmakers hands or rather the uncertainty of it as the Ledger showed when a 2miler won it, so in itself showed how slow the going had got, but we have another chance next week to beat them as we have the 3 day Great Yarmouth festival which I shall be in attendance every day.
Sunday 15th. Relatively quiet day today and I have 2 days at home before I leave for Great Yarmouth Tuesday morning and I am staying there until Thursday pm. I shall be at Newmarket tomorrow morning making sure all is in place for our planned BIG gamble at Yarmouth, which will be a MAX bet but I shouldn’t think it will be a huge price, but a winners a winner in my book.
I am betting 2 at Bath today and so are all my clients.
4-20 BOOM & BUST @ evens.
4-50 TUSCAN FUN @ 11/4.
As I am out today I shall be doing them in double as well as singularly.
Bessie Braddock: “Sir, you are drunk.”
Churchill: “Madam, you are ugly. In the morning, I shall be sober.”
Good luck, until next week.
Andy Bell.
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