Perth Racecourse

Macbet Family Raceday

14th July 2024

I am sure most of us of a certain vintage will recall that scene in George Roy Hill's 1973 movie The Sting, where Robert Shaw's character is "stung" out of half-a-million dollars due to his ignorance of the difference between the betting terms "To Win" and "Place".

Well, whilst I did not end up out of pocket to quite the same amount, I committed a similarly silly error here this afternoon to my financial cost.

I had, as I generally do, at my infrequent visits to the races begun my betting program for the day by visiting the Tote hut and picking out a treble of each-way candidates.  In this case, Step Out, Garde de Champs and Malangen respectively in the first three races of the day.  Hot favourite Step Out was just pipped into second in the first race, but that was fine.  

Quite why I chose to check my betting receipt at this point I have no idea, but it was only when doing so I noticed I had failed to tick that wee  "+o+e eachway" box.  Consequently, my £20 bet had gone through as a three-wins treble....so it had already crashed.  What a plonker.

In an attempt to somehow rescue the situation, I hastily placed an each-way double on races two and three with the same chosen horses.  Which, rather inevitably, came up.  Picking up bet winnings can rarely have felt so anti-climactic.  

And so onto Race Four.  Aware July 14th was Bastille Day, I was sure our French cousins would do me a good turn.  Thus it was I had to chose between the two Gallic entrants: Dinons and Cap Du Nord.  And with a chunk of good fortune generally so conspicuously absent from my horsey wagers, I chose the latter.  Which, much to my surprise and delight did the biz, as they (probably don't) say in horse-racing circles.  

So: including losing an impulse tenner bet on a race at Stratford, when I saw a horse by the name of Bathgate (where I grew up), I had won a total of £75:20 for a £50 outlay.  Factoring in my £25 Perth Races entrance fee, I calculated I walked out of the venue 20p in the black.  As, I said to the chap on the gate:  "I am leaving whilst I am ahead".  

The car park was a busy place for this Macbet Family Raceday at Perth,
with a busload of well-scrubbed bods from Aberdeen FC down for the day. 

A metaphor, perhaps, for the eternal battle between bookies and punters.

So, this chap is Step Out, the heavy favourite for Race One.
And my bet in the first leg of my treble........he lost.

The climax to the First race, won by Kandor.

From Race 3, Galata Bridge on its way to winning.

These lads were busy after each race, repairing this fence.

Cap Du Nord in the parade ring.

A blurry shot from the fourth race - Number 5 here is the
wonderfully named jockey Ryan Mania riding Barbados Buck's. 

 

My last ditch attempt to recoup my losses.

That's My Horse!

😊

Cap Du Nord trainer Christian Williams.
Thanks, Christian.