Exeter - BETMGM Haldon Gold Cup - Westcountry Weekend. 08/11/24

Exeter is always buzzing on Haldon Gold Cup day and today was no exception, the bookmakers were of course also out in force. DragonBet chose to do their business up at the other end of the rail near the paddock and had unleashed their A-team substitution taken from the top tier of the Welsh bookmaking fraternity. The biggest surprise was that Jack Bevan and Co (est 1897) who sold them the pitch appeared in a new pitch with Archie and Ian apparently keen to see what it's like betting on the back row is like, a new experience for them. The joke doing the rounds was that the Southwest Rail Solutions Novices' Hurdle would be delayed as there were leaves on the track - boom boom. It wasn't, the race went to the Jennie Candlish trained, Jonjo O'Neill ridden Skyjack Hijack which won unchallenged, the winner the 13/8 favourite from Paul Nicholls' Captain Bellamy way back in second. Down in the ring, while there was a big crowd, they didn't really open their shoulders in the opener. The biggest bets I head of were a couple of £700 - £400 the runner-up and £520 - £320 the winner. 

Next up and the three-runner West Country Weekend Novices' Hurdle featured Paul Nicholls' Sorceleur at the head of the market, one bookmaker laid £300 - £1000 but that was it as far as I could tell. There was drama in the ring though, a bookmaker's member of staff was taken sick and by all accounts being tended to at the front of the joint. Rather than pull down and let the medics do their work, the layer quickly grabbed an off duty veteran of the ring hop up and take the bets in place off the stricken oppo. You mustn't let anything get in the way of business, old school! The speedy recruiter may well have wished he'd not bothered betting on the race when the Nicholls 1/4 hotpot did the business in workmanlike rather than impressive fashion.

Sadly for the racecourse, exacerbated as the races were being aired on ITV Racing, a slew of withdrawals followed, the word was that certain trainers were concerned that the going was faster than the advertised good. Those withdrawals included Dan Skelton's Deafening Silence in the ICL Conscious Of Our Impact 'Future Stars' Silver Bowl Novices' Chase which reduced that race to a match with Captain Teague installed the 1/14 favourite to beat Daring Plan. Well, he was for a bit until Daring Plan was also withdrawn leaving Captain Teague to walkover and Luke Harvey and his cameraman rush around the racecourse looking for someone to interview to fill the time on the telly. Incidentally, Luke and I both went to Tiverton Comprehensive apparently he recently stopped by there for old time sake, it hasn't changed much, in hindsight he could have recorded an 'Ex-pupil done good' piece to fill the gap. The situation must have been gutting for Exeter Racecourse, nobody appeared to be saying that there was anything wrong with the ground, just that it didn't suit their individual horses. I bumped into Ed Chamberlin while Paul Nicholls' connections were trousering their £40,000 walkover money, he had fond memories of coming to Exeter Races during his student days. I have to say they sounded a bit happier than Luke's school days where the rotters used to nick his cap. Form judge and journalist Chutney Dave, was here paddock watching today, he was incensed by all the non-runners, having walked the course he thought the going was fine, it's all about opinions, Nigel Hawke was of a different one and took his I Have A Voice out of the last, trainers have to do what's best for their individual charges.

Thankfully, there was only one defection for the feature The BetMGM Haldon Gold Cup Handicap Chase a race which boasted five runners after the outsider of the field Heltenham was withdrawn. After an hour of not much to do, the punters came out in force for what looked like and affort to make up for lost time. Bets included £1000 - £400 JPR One, £800 - £400 Djelo, £4500 - £1000, £800 - £200 x 2, £2000 - £500 Etalon, £3000 - £500 Sans Bruit and £8500 - £1000 the biggest I heard. The bookmaker that laid the £1000 - £400 Joe Tizzard's JPR One must have been ruing his luck to have laid the winner booted home from the closing 7/4 favourite Djelo under Brendan Powell. Of course, he might have had a terrific book and at least they got the jolly beaten. Not long after the win I bumped into my old pal a scourge of the betting ring Harvey Instance, he'd been on the winner to the tune of four figures and was busy celebrating with JPR One's jubilant owner John Romans, it's not what you know Harv! Congratulations to everyone involved. 

We do like a good story in horseracing, the word around the course today was that Bryony Frost wasn't on a flying visit from France just to ride in the Haldon Gold Cup but that her other ride and father Jimmy's charge Asian Spice was the the jobber in the ICL, Impact For A Sustainable Future 'Challenger' Mares' Handicap Hurdle today. The mare certainly had all the credentials and we all love a plot don't we, so it was finger's crossed from where I was sitting at least that the supposed plot would be landed. The cheer that went up when Asian Spice passed the post with a first clenched air punching triumphant Bryony on board told the story, as did the 3/1 shot getting a bigger roar than the winner of the Gold Cup coming into the enclosures. 'Jimmy can get one ready' was the shout from the stands where everyone appeared to be on. Mind you, the guy who told professional punter Alan Francis that he'd been on at 9/1 ante-post may have been stretching the truth just a smidge. 

The penultimate Gallagher Insurance 'Challenger' Stayers' Handicap Chase was a steady betting heat, with a couple of decent bets reported by the bookmakers, £3000 - £1000 Beachcomber and £2400 -£400 Egbert. Both of those bets stayed in the bookmakers' hods as tenacious Tightenourbelts outbattled everything to win for Emma Lavelle under Harry Cobden to win at a  7/2 for very popular part owner Andy Gemmell who collected the trophy. I maybe owe an apology to the punter who told Alan Francis he was on the Frost stick-on ante-post at 9/1. Apparently some shrewds were on overnight at that price and he just got his betting terminology a bit askew, well done to him, I hope he got the fractions. 9/1 is 100/11 for those who don't know then yet. 

The concluding Southwest Rail Solutions Handicap Hurdle was run in failing light, the layers lightboards were glowing as they did battle with the punters for the last time this evening and looked by far the trickiest heat of the day. Too tricky for the punters it seems who had either retired or started to drift off either home to beat the traffic or back to the bars for a top-up. The bookies reported very little of interest in the race which went to 10/1 chance Lucky Seven for Jonjo and AJ O'Neill thwarting the 5/2 jolly Suninghill in the process which was handy for the layers that took any money. That was leg one of the Westcountry Weekend done and dusted, the whole travelling circus reconvenes at Wincanton for leg two tomorrow. Thanks for reading.

Simon Nott  

There was sad news this morning, that bookmaker Chris Smith, who bet as Dick Reynolds on course for many years, has passed away. Condolences to his bookmaking sons, Andy, Mike, Pete and their families. 

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