I like student days. There, I've said it. I like student days. I totally understand why regular racegoers are less keen and avoid them like the plague but, from our point of view, I like them. I think Musselburgh got it right today- a good, but not overwhelming, amount of students. An exclusively student only bar with entertainment on the lawn and a separate bar area exclusively for "regular" ticket holders with the rest of the course a delightful mixed zone where two generations mingled.
Yes, of course there are more blokes in tweed than the entire back catalogue of Peaky Blinders. Yes, they all appear to be impervious to the prevailing Scottish weather in February- I was freezing just looking at them. Obviously every other request for a fiver each way was met with a proffering of a fiver and an immediate retraction of said bet and an amendment to £2.50 each way. Inevitably followed by the enquiry from the next group in the queue as to what each way was all about anyway, rounded off by the next couple excitedly holding a "winning" each way bet from the previous race on a horse that finished 3rd, occasionally 4th, in a 6 runner. But absolutely no argument when you politely point out that they're not holding a winning ticket after all. Blue suit, no sock, Saturday bladdered groups of lads brigade please take note. You know you are going to take bets in the last comprising of the change sat in their pocket, purse or wallet. £2.73 in the last being a highlight today. Every other one is on a card often requesting a quid each way. The final tally was just over 1/3 bets on card. The average bet size is nearer to the cost of a Freddo than a Ferrari. And, finally, 3 additional till rolls required for the copious amount of void bets.
But. But. But. Every single student who bet with us was unfailingly polite. Every single one. Every ticket was accepted with a fulsome and warm "thank you". Every winning ticket was met with excitement seldom seen outside of a last minute winner in the cup final. Including the one for £1.22 from a quid each way. We gave a few of them the winner in the last- as an aside, if you ask a bookie who they fancy, they'll generally give you an honest opinion, it might be wrong but it will be honest- and the ones we gave today were met with a level of gratitude that's hard to explain unless you were there to see it. At least 20 folk came up to us at the end to thank us for looking after us and telling us we made their day, and not all of them were the ones we gave the winner to in the last! A few of them even told me that Simon was a lovely bloke, but we won't hold that against them.
The usual student day caveat. You take lots of bets but they're very small bets and they tend to cover the field. So liabilities seldom hit "max" and winners never reach "jackpot" so please bear that in mind when scanning the betting report below.
1) Odds on shot. Nothing book. Smallish win and a bit more in the places as the top two finished 1-2. It's as boring to read as it was to watch.
2) Another odds on shot which shortened on the off but not as much as the collapse on 2nd in Insurrection. Student day wasn't it? Insurrection. Of course they backed it and we lost modestly whilst getting a little back in the places. Modestly. Still a little ahead but it was dull as dishwater.
3) Finally a bit of book interest as we shoved the top 4 in the market in for various amounts. We really wanted the 2nd horse but still got a half decent result on Magna Sam and we virtually skinned the places. A nice move forward in the context of taking 100 bets for 500 quid a race.
4) Pyffo. We were asked for the winner 4 times and we gave Pyffo 4 times. All declined. You can lead a horse to water and all that. Another win in the "nice" bracket though Red Risk placing took a little back.
5) Simon had a tenner on Teddy Blue. Something to do with his dog's name. I suggested he stopped with the muggy bets. He smiled knowingly when it hit 2s on. I smiled even more when it didn't even place. Excellent result on Thistle Ask and more place loveliness moved us along further.
6) Top 2 in, plus a couple of takers and we plodded forward again with Prince of Perth who won rather unexpectedly.
7) We gave the winner to anyone who asked us. Most of them backed it this time, but there was enough elsewhere to give us another nudge forward to end the day.
In truth, the books on student day, are relatively dull. Not a huge amount on the line and not a huge amount on the other side either. The clientele, in our opinion, are anything but though. We like student days, though we understand those who run a mile. Horses for courses. Almost literally.
Either Musselburgh again in a couple of weeks or the Eider at Newcastle shortly afterwards. Until then...
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