After yesterday's BHA musings we're back in the more sedate world of a normal betting blog. We've had a long trip back to digs, a decent Chinese and Steve wants to watch his team climb the dizzy heights of staying in the Premier League so I'll keep this one short. I'm good to you.
Simon made the epic trip from Beverley to have a look at what we do with the aim of starting up on course himself. He texted me when he arrived, I was slightly embarrassed to tell him we were just leaving Penrith. He said he'd grab a coffee. He'd have probably had time to grow his own beans.
Following on from yesterday, 5 minutes into the first race I reopened a lip wound I'd suffered over breakfast with an overly enthusiastic chomp on a crumpet. And it wouldn't stop. It simply wouldn't. It was so bad that Steve had to go on the front for 10 minutes- I assumed he'd suffer from an instant nosebleed at being let loose on the unsuspecting public. It was like an episode of Squid Game. Simon provided minute by minute updates on the outflow, from "gushing" to "dribbling" to "spotting". I jumped back up at that point.
I would also like to say that Simon was a thoroughly nice chap. Actually, I'm sure he still is as it was only 4 hours ago we said goodbye. We wish him well on his venture and he's always welcome to visit the frozen north to spend another day with us if he can take the bloodshed. I say all of this despite the fact that he supports Manchester United and, even more heinously, suggested Leona Lewis for the title of the blog. I told him it would be The Pixies and it would be an obscure album track. And so it is.
1) No surprise that in the race one hotpot we had the 1/6 favourite on our side, though a slightly bigger surprise that we only had 3 of the next 4 in the list as losers. I'm sure there must've been an over hedge somewhere. In the context of a small field and a 1/6 winner we got off to a very solid start supplemented by a nice enough win in the forecast as well. Steve grumbles about forecasts. I love to tell him when we win.
2) Totally unhedged book gave us the jolly, Exit To Where as the only loser. Hidden Commander looked the winner for most of the race and was a very small profit but The Ferry Master was the eventual winner on course and in our book and we were smiling. Even though the footy hadn't kicked off. Unlaid forecast topped us up further.
3) Big early bet for Matchless. As regular readers know we try to leave it as late as possible before hedging. Matchless halved in price and we had an absolute dog's breakfast of a book and we were well into "red up" territory. Castle Godolfo saved our blushes and we got out of jail with a draw rather than heavy defeat. Wretched, wretched book though.
4) Couldn't dodge this one however. Another chunky bet and a steady stream made jolly Rae Des Champs a loser for the maximum, along with The Blame Game.We thought we had a sniff when Sputnik came from the stars and rocketed up the finishing straight only to crash and burn and the favourite gave us another nosebleed, this time metaphorically. Slight mitigation in the places but a good chunk of the early profit given back.
5) Divas Doyen the nap Ladies Day lay with a steady stream of divas piling in along with one lump and it was a loser for the max. Rockonsoph was always in command though and another good win steadied the ship. We were asked for a tricast rather than a forecast on this 3 runner race. We suggested if he got the forecast up he was in pole position for the tricast. The outsider then fell. Obviously.
6) Almost a one horse book again as Hermann Clermont was unfeasibly popular. I would've been surprised if there were many "Hermann" husbands so maybe there was a large contingent of 1960s jangly pop fans. Either way Hermann was hampered by the faller, Cooking Fat, and eventually unseated despite valiant attempts to remain intact. Another jolly, another solid win though we did have the good grace to look faintly embarrassed about it. Something told us we were into something good. You're ever so welcome.
7) And to complete the small field extravaganza we ended with another long odds on shot which, of course, was our only winner v 2 max losers. A late drift made us wonder but the jolly, Hard As Nails, was always in control and we had 3 winning favourites on the run. I humbly apologise to my esteemed colleagues and would point out that we do sit through rags with funny names winning with alarming regularity on Ladies Days so we'll take our good luck where we can get it. So that's leg 2 over with and only Cartmel tomorrow left. Blog will be Tuesday as it'll be a late one home. Until then...
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