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Nick's Punting Diary - Royal Ascot Part 2

Usually after the highs there are the inevitable lows, especially when it comes to the world of horse racing and betting.  I’ve had a cracking first three days of this year’s Royal Ascot festival.  I await the reaper of misfortune to visit me at some point during Day 4 and 5.

Ascot Festival Day 4.

The Tipster

Sandiva looks a decent bet in the Albany and she’s my first tip @11/4.  I look to take on Battle Of Marengo in the King Edward VII and I put up Contributer as an each way selection @14/1.  In the Coronation Stakes I take on Classic winners Just The Judge and Sky Lantern with another each way selection, Bridge The Gap @13/2.  I don’t really have an opinion in the last three races so I advise some token each way selections including Mister Impatience @14/1 and Smarty Socks @20/1 in the Queens Vase and Buckingham Palace Stakes.  If Thursday was awash with winners and placed fancies, then Friday was so dry the local dogs were marking their territory with chalk lines.  A second place refund on Sandiva was the highlight of the day.  A loss of 12 points, but still up 24 overall.

The Boss’s Challenge

Wins for Hillstar and Sky Lantern meant I maintained my 20 point lead in the Ascot Challenge.  Rumblings from the big man about needing a miracle on the final day did at least lighten the drudge of the daily routine of factory work.  I was fairly confident of seeing this one over the finishing line.  The £5 winnings would last me 5 seconds, but the merciless mickey taking from myself and my colleagues would be priceless.

The Real Money

Whilst there had been something of a lull in proceedings regarding the tipping and Ascot challenge, Day 4 turned out to be almost every bit as good as the previous one from a personal perspective.  I drew a blank in the first two races but watched with total admiration as Sky Lantern put in the performance of the week to land the Coronation Stakes.  Even now as I write this, I still can’t work out why on earth I backed her for just £5 e/w @9/2!!!!!  My selections are nowhere to be seen in the next two races and I head off home with Smarty Socks and Lightning Cloud carrying my money in the Buckingham Palace Stakes.  Lightning Cloud wins and I bag my second big priced winner of the week, this time @25/1.  Whatever happens on the final day, this festival has already surpassed all my expectations.

Ascot Festival Day 5.

The Tipster

Day 5 of my guest tipster spot and I am just hoping at worst for a small loss.  For some reason I have it my head that a profit of 20 points would seem acceptable.  Damage limitation is the name of the game.  I’m keen on Mark Johnstone’s Somewhat in the Chesham and Universal in the Hardwicke.  In the Diamond Jubilee I boldly tip up three against the field, Society Rock, Mince and Dandy Boy.  Two massive priced selections in the Wokingham in Arnold Layne @40/1 and Morache Music @33/1 are put forward next and followed by a dutch on Ustura and Rye House in the Duke of Edinburgh.  My guest slot concludes with Chiberta King as a “tentative selection”.  Damage limitation is indeed helped by three non-runners and Universal and Ustura both just about hanging on for never-nearer third place finishes.  As if scripted, Chiberta King wins the last at 8/1 and I’ve managed to add another 2 ½ points to the pot for anyone who may have been following.  A final return of 26 ½ points is pleasing, but the bags under my eyes, the lines on my face and the extra grey hairs tell me it has been a pretty stressful experience.  I take my hat off to all those that tip professionally.

The Boss’s Challenge

A win for York Glory and a place for Universal puts me so far clear of my boss I doubt he could catch me even if he had the tricast in both the last races.  To be fair though, he did pick out Opinion and Shropshire on the final day.  At the end of the day it was a good bit of fun and a fiver in the back pocket for yours truly.

The Real Money

I decide to play my first multiple and put the favourites Bunker, Society Rock and Ektihaam in a £3 patent.  Just over £20 gives me an interest in 3 races and, to be fair, all three have a decent chance.  I also decide to put a few bob in my BetVictor account and try and take advantage of the offer they have on refunding your losses should Hughesie make the frame.  This works nicely as I unsuccessfully back Autumn Lily in the Chesham but Hughesie finishes second on Bunker.  I make a small profit on Universal in the Hardwicke when he battles on bravely for third, but any positive feelings are immediately sunk by the tragic fate of gutsy winner Thomas Chippendale.  I’m mob handed in the Diamond Jubilee but Maarek, Mince and Society Rock all miss out.  I am mob handed again in the Wokingham with Shropshire, Arnold Layne, Morache Music and Prodigality.  Two non-runners and a second for Shropshire means I eke out another few pounds profit.  Places seem to be the order of the day as my fancy Stencive finishes second in the Duke of Edinburgh.  The festival fizzles out with a whimper as Cosmo De Medici finishes 750 lengths adrift on the winner in 13th place in the concluding Queen Alexandra Stakes.  So I just about hold my own on day 5 with some place money, a refund and a few non-runners to boot.  A boring climax to a fantastic 5 days?  Not on your life! Let me introduce you to my mate Stan below…

Stan The Man

I was introduced to betting on horse racing by my good friend Stan.  A tiler by trade, he built up a successful business which he recently sold to buy, of all things, the local fish and chip shop.  Stan loves his horses and he loves a bet.  However, in the 17 years I’ve known him he only ever places the same bet – a 30p lucky 15!  He literally buys a newspaper, reads the race-cards for 20 minutes and he’s off to the local bookie to place his bets.  Now he has the fish and chip shop he can no longer get to the bookies to place his bets.  This is where I come in.  I collect his scribbled selections and the stakes and place the bets through my accounts.  Saturday morning is no different as he hands me a handwritten note with the following – 30p lucky 15, first 4 races at Ascot, horses number No.1, No.8, No.7 and No.4.  As I enter his bets through my William Hill account I can’t help wondering how little time he spent picking these selections.  Maybe one or two might sneak a place.  I place the bet and think nothing more of it.

When Berkshire (No.1) wins the opener a small bell rings in my head and I think that perhaps I, or my boss, had selected him for our Challenge.  On closer inspection Stan had landed the odds @20/1.  Fair enough, he’s got his money back and a few quid on top.  When Thomas Chippendale (No.8) wins the Hardwicke I crack a wry smile as I am probably guaranteed free fish and chips when I hand over Stan’s £85 winnings.  When Lethal Force (No.7) romps the Diamond Jubilee Stakes I am plunged into unchartered emotional territory.  My mobile rings within a nanosecond of Lethal Force passing the winning post and Stan, who has wisely installed a 40” LCD in the chip shop so he doesn’t miss a race, calmly asks how much he has won.  My bet calculator tells me it is £1100.  My calculator also tells me that should Elusivity (No.4) win the Wokingham @25/1, the pay-out will be a shade over £30k!!!!  Alas, York Glory wins the race, with Elusivity back in 8th and the once-in-a-lifetime bet hits the crossbar.  Still, £1100 for a £4.50 bet is still a pretty unique achievement and the most I can hope for now is a free bag of chips.



 

 

 

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