The concluding day of my three day Irish opus was at Laytown. They told me in the hotel that this week was going to be a heat wave in Ireland so I left my mac at the hotel room and went racing in just corduroys and a jumper. The AK team were even braver all in shorts and T-shirts. It was a glorious day at Laytown, but there was a brisk wind the sort of day you can get a sunburned without realising it. You’ll be pleased to know that Celebrant Dave was back on the firm having recovered from his lame leg though it still looked a bit sore. Desmond gave me a lift after a short taxi journey to meet him and AK senior when we arrived at the course quite early it was already hive of activity. Most of the betting ring was put together and the people were busy erecting the running rails on the beach just as the tide went out. There’s no place quite like it for sure. The AK team over four pitches today was AK, AK senior, Graham, Desmond, Joe and the two Daves and were ready to rock and roll with an hour and half to go before the first.
Before I start, thanks to Vinnie Desmond for the pen, you’re a gentleman sir! The betting on the opening race was tight, they bet 7/2 the field with Dream Today heading the market. Most of this evening’s six race card looked competitive with only the maiden throwing up a likely odds on shot so a good evening’s sport was anticipated. I was told that tonight’s business was expected to be brisk and recreational hence the mob handed firm. The AKBets pitches were all linked but the Internet signal here has been notoriously fickle in the past so the team had purchased a Star Link system to stay connected, no stone left unturned. While they were still betting on the first I met a fascinating couple, Patricia and Evan Ho from Nevada USA who travel the world going racing. They arrived on Thursday just to come to this meeting and are heading home tomorrow. I had a good chat with them, a lovely couple, what an amazing lifestyle, fair play. Safe journey home guys. I also met another lovely couple, Dave Bindon and Pete Houghton of the UK bookmaking fraternity on a jolly with their wives all of whom seem to have been having a great time. Meanwhile, the teams had been working their cobblers off, bets totalled over €4000 from 230 odd wagers as the jockeys mounted. The biggest bet taken was €250 each-way Jered Maddox at 12/1 which tells you the level of business over the four pitches. The book wasn’t made, it was just how the punters bet, so there were plenty of losers in there, the worst being Jered Maddox. Everything was perfect, beautiful weather, a wonderful atmosphere, loads of bets and happy people, then Jered Maddox won, which sort of stifled the party spirit, losing €3500. It’s always the only big bet that knows isn’t it. Nasty.
The next race was almost as lively, no big bets but loads of modest ones, the firms took just over 300 wagers and the book held €4330. There was no time to chat to interesting people, I hopped onto the stool to take bets alongside Dave O’Reilly who was under the cosh paying out, and we took plenty. At the off, there were once again several losers, at first glance Cherry Brook the 3/1 second favourite winning the race was a small bad one in red for €200 but the places were kind, the final tally was a €400 cop on the heat so the tide had turned, excuse the pun.
Next up and the third was another very busy heat where I jumped up on the joint to take some bets and throughly enjoyed it. The amounts tendered ranged from 50c each-way to €50 at least those taken by Dave and I, it was so much fun having a laugh with the punters, O’Reilly of course is the master of the banter charming them in race after race. There was a shorter priced favourite in this race, the Ian Williams UK raider Ivasecret which was a solid 15/8 chance but shunned by the punters who appeared keen to get stuck in at the bigger prices. At the off the book held over €4000 again over 316 bets with plenty of losers but the ostracised jolly a winner for over €2000. Ivasecret absolutely trounced them, the places went against the firm but the book still copped €1800 over the favourite, and the next heat was the race before the penultimate.
The maiden had a short one at the head of the market where Jeaniemacaroney opened a bottle-on 1/2 but there was hardly a denar for the jolly which drifted to even money. There were plenty of bets but mostly each-way against the favourite, it was that sort of crowd. The evens near the off was too much for some punters to resist, a punter bet an even monkey late on. But the jolly was still a winner at the off, despite the relative lump for the meeting. As it turned out the bad vibes for the jolly was prophetic, she went to win her race but was run out of it by 11/1 chance Roman Harry which delighted a massive queue of punters who’d backed him. He was still a good winner in the win book but the places took the shine off, actually that’s a bit churlish as the firm still copped €1700 which is still quite glossy.
The very first bet in the book for the penultimate was €2250 to €500 Punk Poet from the trade, but the good thing about tonight was the firm were almost certain to bet way past it. They certainly did, there was nearly €8000 in the quadruple hods at the off, the trouble was that along the way the gamble on Punk Poet just built up momentum with another €400 single bet tendered plus plenty of public money ensuring he went off at 9/4. The gamble was thwarted, but the gelding made the bookmakers sweat making most until getting reeled in by Jungle Cove and Harry’s Bar close home. The winner Jungle Cove returned a 22/1 chance but there were enough bets on it, much of it each-way to knock a massive chunk out of both the win and place books which copped a combined €1300. That’s called not getting your whack but is the way the mop flops at times.
The lucky lucky last was a volatile betting heat with the market leaders Quar Shamar and Tough Talk flipping flopping over each other and back again both hitting a bottle at one point. This was the last race before the sun went down and the tide came in but also the lowest field money heat of the day. The book held just under €4000 from 225 bets, a miracle happened, the firm got left with Tough Talk and Tough Talk won by 10 lengths. A glance in the book showed that despite being one of the shorties, the firm copped €2300 which was getting more than their whack in anyone’s betting ring. Once the AK abacus had been dusted off the book had been the right side of the tussle to the tune of €4000 on the night after a less than auspicious start which I’m sure was very pleasing for the team.
What can you say about Laytown, what a meeting, if you’ve not been, stick it in your diary or add to your bucket list. It was great to see such a big, friendly and enthusiastic crowd with excellent racing. An fantastic conclusion to my three days at the races in Ireland and quite ironic that the lowest class racing attracted by far the best business.
I’ll be back
Simon Nott