Royal Ascot Betting Ring, Pip And A Presenter In A Pool.

Doing The Royal Ascot Betting Ring Boogie

Well, that's it, Royal Ascot over for another year, it's a meeting that really is on its own. I'm planning to have a day off next year and take Mel with me on a day out. Anyone that can help out with buying Royal Enclosure tickets give me a shout! It really is an experience. I've never been to Royal Ascot as a racegoer. I first started going in the early 1990's going with Jack Lynn, up and back every day from Devon picking Bristol Dave up on the way and feasting on the sandwiches his Mrs made parked in the £10 per day church carpark. It was easier in those days when it was just a hod, headboard ,tripod, field book and readies to carry in, those were the days. He bet in a second row pitch at the other end of Tatts and it was pretty good but very small business, I was kept busy hedging, Dave Sapphire was always the man to bet the rags you were in trouble with, always bigger than what Jack laid. Fast forward to 2005 and 2006 I had the honour of working on the stool on pitch number one for Jack Bevan and Co (Est 1897). Ian, Paul the current boss' father, was pick three but always got to bet in number one. Despite it not being my money, I was proud as punch and literally pinched myself a couple of times. Council estate boy from Tiverton fronting a pitch from the top spot at Royal Ascot. 

19 years later and I once again I was up at the top end with arguably the biggest layers in the country, not taking bets but reporting on their business and in doing so promoting the betting ring. It's something I love and a real eye-opener a totally different world to where I started 35 years ago. The sort of people you see, who come in all shapes and sizes and the bets they are having or in some cases trying to negotiate take some believing. They evidently live in a different world from me, I wouldn't even know how you'd even go about taking a bet in crypto, especially £400,000 worth, nothing done by the way, let alone comprehend having that much money to put on horses. I always thought you should have a tank at least 100 times your stake! Things being bigger at Royal Ascot soon become the norm, punters were evidently taking advantage of the larger figures mentality by asking for and getting lumps on the aways, 'bad' each-way and the like going under the radar when the team were under the cosh. 

The betting ring was getting attention via ITV and the ever genial Brian Gleeson who was roving around every day and taking a genuine interest into the goings on in the ring. My betting ring reports were getting some excellent viewing figures which was great to see. Of course, there was some negativity via social media including what I assume are grown men commenting on my reports using fake X accounts, what ever floats their boats, who am I to judge, I'm guessing testosterone deficiency is real. It was a buzz to get a comment on this website from an American national treasure, though I'm guessing again it was another fake account or he dived on to the computer when Minnie was making a cuppa, whatever, I hope she got him his ice cream, I was a bit busy.  All interaction, positive, negative or just childish is welcome, mostly. 

I think that most people, even laymen would soon clock on that the larger Star Sports bets are the exception to the rule, and not the norm where bet sizes were concerned, they even aren't the norm with them. Of course there are other bookies taking lumps too, the hefty hedging action paid testament to that. I wish the business all over the ring was documented in the racing post like it used to be. I know the original decision to cease reporting them in the results section was purely financial so it might be worth the bookies getting together to return any decent business to the trade paper. People, are fascinated by the big business. The bookmakers need to be proactive in promoting themselves and the betting ring, we know by now that very few from outside our bubble will. There are some great blogs and accounts from all over the ring that do, let's do our best to support them by sharing where possible. Self promotion is essential to keep the betting rings we know and love alive. 

Pip of the Lords and the Top Hatted Presenter in the Pool

I didn't see any of the TV coverage live of course, but did catch up with the two non-racing clips that people were getting all hot and bothered about. Firstly, young Pip who was proud as punch to have a race named after his family and looking forward to being a lord. I've talked about different worlds as far as betting at Royal Ascot goes, and of course people like Pip exist too, but most of us rarely encounter them. I can't see where the anger comes from, apart from the jealously which seems to fuel the stick I get on the betting blogs. Pip can't help being born into that world, talking in that accent or being told his future is mapped out. That no more than some of us can help being brought up on a  council estate and navigate a less than certain path to our future needing to negotiate every bad life decision and grasp any opportunity. Pip seemed like a nice chap, was at the races and will hopefully own a few horses filtering that old money into the economy. The only issue I could see that could create some ire was the wider debate on the House Of Lords but that's not one for this non-political blog. 

The second was Luke Harvey in a hot tub. It was a light-hearted, spontaneous, brilliant bit of fun, something that Luke does so well, he's a real sport, a tiny segment in the days of coverage on ITV. His clip earlier this year suffering after sampling extra hot chicken wings went viral and had me laughing out loud and feeling sorry for Luke in equal measure. There's plenty of room for Luke Harvey on ITV Racing and in my humble opinion is that it would be a very much poorer program were he no longer there. On a final note, I'm guessing that people getting most irate about Pip or a short clip from a pool weren't having the best day's punting, it tends to get people prickly and venting, here's a tip......

When the fun stops - step away from social media!

See You On The Turf. 

Simon Nott 

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