True tales from the betting ring.

The Irish Field - Saturday, January 1, 2011
Ring Tones by Donal McCarthy


Pandorama gamble wipes out the layers

A WELCOME return to action at Lopardstown last Tuesday and punters weren’t too long going to the front after So Young landed an impressive success in the opening maiden hurdle.

Diligent punter took due cognisance of the fact that he had recorded three AQPS wins in French provinces and only weighed in with bets of €4,000 to €2,000 twice and €1,500 to €800 five times. So Young carried bookmaker Luke McMahon’s blue and yellow colours. I knew him when he made a monkey book at Sligo years ago!

Fool’s Wildcat at 6/1 was an ordinary result for the bookmakers in the handicap hurdle, attracting bets of €5,000 to €800 each-way twice near the off in a race where at the top of the market Tadgh was the subject of solid support including bets of €8000 to €2,000 three times each-way.

It was hard work for bookmakers but they preformed a Houdini like escape in the next when got both Thegreatjohnbrowne (€6,000 to €2,000 three time) and Quito De La Rogue (€8,000 to €2,000, €7,000 to €2,000 three times) beaten in the three mile novice. Victory went to the unconsidered 100/7 poke Bostons Angel who stayed on dourly to give the layers some valuable breathing space after just three races.

Mourad took them back a bit after landing the Grade 2 three-miler at 7/4, although strangely enough, most of the bookmakers present were happy to see the back of recent Cork winner Mssey Joe, a horse who was the subject of an audacious gamble from an early show of 7/1 during morning trading to a returned 10/3, with money seen all round Limerick, Charleville and Mallow. One on-course layer reported that he had laid a €20,000 to €4,000 each-way before racing to “to a client”. Odds of around 14/1 for the winner for the World Hurdle look about right, no need for big Bucks to lose sleep just yet!

It was then on to the featured Lexus Chase where Pandorama landed a thumping gamble at the track, with word circulating around the enclosures from early afternoon regarding his wellbeing. Bookmakers looked to have priced it right when they went 6/1 off the show. However, that was simply too big a price for one team of professionals who steamed in with numerous bets to win five grand and were happy to take any 5/1 the balance. The public watching this frantic activity joined in the fun and the sheer weight of money forced the horse through the rates to a returned 7/2. A great result for connections but a wipe-out for layers, with one rails operator showing a loss just shy of 20 ‘big un’s’ on the race. Serious dough indeed, and with only two races to go, the chase was truly on.

Market Leader
They went further behind in the next when the Meade trained Prima Vista made a mockery of his rating by sluicing up in the two-mile handicap. Bets of €3,250 to €1,000 twice, 6,000 to €2,000 twice and €3,000 to €1,000 four times, ensured he went off a strong 3/1 market leader. A maelstrom of emotions after the race, elation amongst the punters for their adroitness in selecting the winner, recriminations amongst the layers for their impulsiveness in standing the horse for far too much, and inner angst for the handicapper for his benevolence in awarding the winner a mark of 110 in the race. Little doubt the heads on the invigilator’s abacus will be smoking as he attempts to figure out a suitable reward for his success.

Racing finished with a result for the bookmakers when 7/1 chance Star Neuville came through to land the bumper. A busy race with strong support seen all afternoon for the Edward O’Grady trained Celtic Cub who attracted bets €5,000 to €2,000 three times, €4,500 to €2,000 twice and €900 to €400 six times. Bookmakers were also busy with Champagne Agent with bets seen for the horse of €4,000 to €2,000 four times near the off, including late office support.

A volatile day in the ring but with heavily-backed winners in So Young, Pandorama and Prima Vista all obliging, punters were deemed to have had the best of the exchanges on day one of the Christmas festival at Leopardstown. Even that screamer in the bumper came too late to save the layers with one of the members commenting, “I did everything the right way today and still managed to lose 10 large.

A strange business the bookmaking, sometimes you can’t do anything about the results, just keep your head down and hope don’t get hit!
 
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This one has never been published, I used it as a competition entry back in 2002 but never made the frame. It as actually 100% true. It is different from the others but sadly no sex though maybe there is a historical novel there to be written. http://wp.me/p1dLbd-J

Thanks Georoid, excellent, I appreciate you taking the time to post them. I write a column in 'Racing Ahead' where I can get away with a bit more and do mention some bets.
 
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Simon, you asked for comments...

You could still do with a bit more proofreading! It's 'exciting', not 'exiting' (I thought that was another example of Americanised commentary), and it's ZEBRANO, not 'Zebrand', and one or two other minor literals. Your Spellchecker won't help you with exciting and exiting, as both are correctly spelled, just not contextual. When Microsoft brings out a GrammarNanny, proofreaders will be able to go home!

I think this last story was just a bit less interesting than the others, probably because there was no one strong character or theme throughout - one or two giggly asides like Tracksuit Man (was it Stumpy Dave?) and the Tales from the Scales, but perhaps not enough of a strong theme - more like a running commentary on the day. Not quite sure what the 'true tale' was here. It was more like an account. I also think that at times you really need a name - even a nickname - for featured people. If not, there isn't that little personal 'hook' on which the story hangs - it's more a broad-brush sketch than detail.

For me, the past master of racing tales, many of which were true but disguised as fiction, is still O. Henry. The stories are longer, yes, but there are strong characters such as the Lemon Drop Kid throughout - people you can depend upon meeting again and again as you read the different stories. I recognise that you're making factual accounts, rather than fictional tales, but to popularise the stories, people have to give a damn about some aspect of them. If you've found a charismatic bookie who you can give a name to (not necessarily his real one), and a couple of strong 'faces' on whom you can hook the stories, then there's a more immediate interest. It's like most popular series of books these days, from Mma Ramotswe in the No.1 Ladies Detective Agency series to John Francome or Dick Francis's novels, or Dirty Harry or Rambo in films: while I've quoted fiction, it still applies to fact - lead characters pull the stories behind them.

(For further comments, please send ssae and cheque for £25.)

Oh, a PS: have you thought of bunging off any of these or other stories to Eclipse magazine ("the lighter side of racing", etc.). Shadow Leader has a very good friend on it, renowned for her stunning photographs. Just ask Shadz to get you an entree...
 
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krizon said:
For me, the past master of racing tales, many of which were true but disguised as fiction, is still O. Henry. The stories are longer, yes, but there are strong characters such as the Lemon Drop Kid throughout - people you can depend upon meeting again and again as you read the different stories.
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Damon Runyon, shirley?
 
Don't call me Shirley! Jeez, that just does prove the need for proofreading! How nuts is that - I was reading some old OH's last night and have the book right in front of me. Completely weird how one author sprang onto the page instead of the one I meant! Yes, love Runyon's guys 'telling the tale'. My mother had his stories and I loved them - wonder where those books went? I think I'll try to find them in a secondhand books store and read them again.

(You scored a straight 10 on the Balls-O-Meter, by the way.)
 
krizon said:
Oh, a PS: have you thought of bunging off any of these or other stories to Eclipse magazine ("the lighter side of racing", etc.). Shadow Leader has a very good friend on it, renowned for her stunning photographs. Just ask Shadz to get you an entree...
Click to expand...

And you score a large saucer of milk for that!
 
rorydelargy said:
Damon Runyon, shirley?
Click to expand...

Indeed, rory.

I can only imagine that circumstances conspired somewhat against Krizon, and all this and that and whatnot, and she found herself tapped on the noggin with a Betsy and placed inside a burlap sack - as is apt to happen to tomatoes now and again in this man's town. :cool:
 
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Now that is so true, Grassy, so true. You are a man speaking to me from the heart. That is to say, we tomatoes do have this kind of problem arising from time to time. We should be focussing on the here and the now, not the maybe, the to be, the could be, and wasting our time on what isn't and couldn't and won't be. It is a lesson that from the time of Ruth, or maybe even the time before Ruth, for all that I know, we should be learning. But we ain't, being mere tomatoes and therefore prized for many attributes, but not what is known in some circles as our attention spans.
 
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Furthermore to your point, Krizon, I am duty bound to give a large hello to such sentiments as these, for - as sentiments go anyhow - they seem sound. It is well known by one and all that live in the Forties, that a dude wants a pancake who can throw a decent shape at Zeigfelds, or deal some tasty goulash off her sleeve, rather than any kind of a gabber.

:cool:
 
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Hereto and moreover, time and chance may come and go, indeed particularly go in the case of some of those wedgey ones at Leopardstown these days gone, but with stand-up guys like your goodself and Rebel Yell Rory, we are providing the fine folks of this forum a little cheer in these cold and frosty times. Which is to say, a good Runyon for their money.
 
Kri, Eclipse don't pay, Si wants to see greenbacks!!!

Anyways, Si will be pleased to hear that there were no 'Tales from the Scales' today - but we were entertained throughout the afternoon by VC and his 108 out-takes making new adverts.

Oh, and how about featuring Noodles?!?!? :D
 
Thanks Krizon, my spelling mistakes have been corrected, thanks. And yes you are correct, my stuff in 'Racing Ahead' is an account and not just one story from the day as the others are. The reason being, the others were written mainly for people that don't care about racing but just wanted something fun to read in the local paper. No greenbacks for this one SL they didn't use it, don't know why. Noodles, punter DV and several bookies have appeared in the past. Not to mention the old favs Armaloft and Balertwine.
 
Ah yes, had already spotted the guest appearances of Armaloft and Balertwine, hadn't spotted any appearances by the legendary Noodles though, apologies.
 
I don't remember Armaloft (great name, very Dickensian), but Armaloft and Balertwine should become much more known - can you feature them more, Simon? And, listen, any comments are 'cos you asked for them and offered only positively - it's not serious critiquey stuff. We leave that for the 'Lay of the Day' section!
 
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Krizon I am more than happy with your comments, I genuinely appreciate them, the blogs are up there for the world to see so any corrections/improvements I can make all the better for me. Ha ha saving £25 for proof reading is handy too!
 
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