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The 2000 Bellewstown festival was without doubt the best
Irish racing trip we’d ever experienced. We therefore had high hopes for the
2001 renewal.
It was strange being back in the same area just a couple
of weeks after the Laytown meeting. We opted for the Neptune Beach hotel for the
first two days-despite our reservations about the costs. Arriving on the early
Wednesday morning flights, we were at the hotel by 11am. We took advantage of
the leisure centre for swimming and gym stuff before grabbing some lunch. It was
Wimbledon week two so we were able to follow the men’s quarterfinal action on
the large screen in the bar. The first race was 5.30pm, unusually only seven runners,
so we planned to arrive for the second race. We got rapped up in Henman v
Federer – I had backed the
latter. We left at one set all, expecting to arrive at the races about 5.40pm. There was a complex diversion, which took us several miles out of our way. By the time we got out of the car, about ½ mile from the entrance, it was 5.50pm. It was blazingly hot for the time of day, but I managed to get myself into the betting ring by 6.00pm. I quickly took down the Nrs and a show and made my way to the tote. Two horses stood out in the betting Alota Bay showing 20/1 tote 10/1 ring and Muskerry King showing 44/1 tote 12/1 ring. The latter was particularly interesting as it was a reserve. I supported them both, after they had jumped the first. Alota Bay was never in it but Muskerry King came storming through to take it up two out and win by two lengths! What a start! The odds had converged in the final few minutes- the SP was 16/1 and the tote paid £27.10. The third race was the five furlong maiden. Draw
important here – won by trap one last year at 8/1. The even money favourite
occupied the one box, so we played small stakes on some outsiders. Favourite
obliged. No great interest in the fourth so we watched Henman
complete his victory in the Tote wagon. My Wimbledon record is not good. Another favourite obliged in the fifth-Golden Halo – to
foil our bets on Island Song (2nd). We played some low number fcsts in race six- a draw bias
over the mile. However trap nine beat four and one. The seventh race saw a return to winning ways. We followed
the on track gamble on Drom Wood – top amateur Fenton jocked off Mr. T P Hyde
and the 11/4 was landed. We’re on the tote at 4.3/1. Not a great deal of value in the last, but a small bet on Sardakaan (£12.80 tote, 9/1 SP) brought my profit on the day to £375.00. In the evening we drove over to the Greyhound Inn at Duleek for some excellent music and a few pints of Guinness. Day two and breakfast at the Neptune. The labour market is very tight in Ireland. Two girls from the Ukraine managed the breakfast room. The choice was actually very good. Except ‘the catch of the
day’, which we would learn was always salmon.
Sall-mon. A
change of fortune at Wimbledon as Henin beat Capriati to reach the final.
My
each-way bet paid off and thus took care of the poor selections in the men’s
tournament. Up on the hill again with an eight race card to tackle.
My decision not to get involved in the first pays off as the ¼ fav obliged
easily. There were four races over 1m and one over 5f. All five races could be
draw biased. We did it wrong in the maiden, concentrating too hard on
the draw; we ignored the chances of Sir Azzaro the first American trained horse
to run here! Of course it trotted up at 10/1, quietly ignored by the locals. The next three races were all handicaps over one mile. We
got stuck into various forecast and trio combinations on the low numbers. No joy in
the next two races. The trap numbers of the first three were 2,14 and 3 followed
by 7,9 and11. The 7.30pm came good though as we were on the winner In The Dusk, drawn 2 returned 20/1 tote £26.80. The first three were drawn 2,5 and 7. I was beaten in the photo for the trio, as trap 1
finished fourth. The trio’s not won and was carried forward to the next. The play in the 8.00pm was obvious- the carry over trio- I staked £55 in various combinations and got it for £2 – but it only paid £78.50 for £1. Some small stake losers in the next two races reduced the profit on the two days to £532.00. We skipped the last and headed for our gourmet meal at the Neptune (part of the package). After paying £16 for a £4 supermarket wine last time, we settled for Guinness with our monkfish. The rest of the evening was spent at McPhails in
Drogheda. Excellent rock band. I think they were called Electric Lemon. Friday we checked out and moved into Bed and Breakfast accommodation 100yds down the road. A third of the price and a better view of the beach. The rooms had brilliant picture windows and we sat and watched horses exercising on the sands. I went for a run to Laytown and back (about 3 miles). Everyone smiled and said hello. Bit different to London. Friday’s racing did not feature any ‘draw’ races so betting turnover was the lowest of the three days. However there was a plot in the opener as Tommy Stack’s Glass Note – one of the two reserves- opened up favourite. We got involved and this one obliged by leading all the way. Two further winners on the night, including another reserve with P.Carberry as a late booking. Small win on the day increased the profit for the Festival to £597. At breakfast the next day we were exposed to what appeared to be part of my record collection. Leonard Cohen and Nick Drake. The discs belonged to the landlady’s sixteen-year-old daughter. What goes around comes around. She told me she has an eclectic taste in music. Suited us fine. We didn’t fancy the Leopardstown card so we stayed in Bettystown until Sunday afternoon. Pleasant seafood meal in "Bacchus", but I found it hard to keep a straight face as Adrian ordered " Sall-mon". Nice evening in the Porterhouse in Dublin's Temple Bar before returning home. Analysing the betting performance at Bellewstown, I
realise I have achieved a 94% profit on turnover- almost exactly the same as last year.
I know that this must be difficult to believe so I publish below the returns: Day T/O Return Profit % Wednesday 179 550 371 207.3% Thursday 283 445 162 57.2% Friday 173 243 66 38.2% Totals
635
1238
597
94.0%
July 2001 |
Heaven on the hill