CASH WRAPPED UP IN THE COLD

Simon Nott shares his latest ring tales from Kempton, Newbury and Exeter

- Simon Nott

I always thought that by the time I got to my age I'd be spending January until March somewhere sunny and warm. Funnily enough, life hasn't panned out like that, I'm still scraping a few quid in the betting ring blessed with two little kids and of course it still beats a proper job.

Mind you, if you'd asked me that halfway through the eight race card at Kempton on Friday I might have had a second thought only briefly though, you understand.

I was with Star Sports for the afternoon. They worked from two pitches, one on the rail and one in Tatts, one worker on each, Lofty Kaan their new head of on course on the rail and Steve who previously held that position in Tatts. These guys know the score, there's no such thing as bad weather for a sporting event, just the wrong clothing. They were wrapped up well, as was 1. It's just as well that they do know the score with clobber because it was perishing, basically freezing drizzle, not nice at all, but see above.

When I arrived, the car park looked thinner than some all-weather meetings that I have been to. You couldn't blame people for not turning up in the prevailing conditions. As it turned out there was a decent enough crowd, but you'd only know that if you went to the area under the stands as I did on numerous occasions, you'd see them. You couldn't blame them; it was much warmer under there.

The opening race didn't bode well for the rest of the afternoon, there was a bet of £500 - £200 Plantaroma laid in Tatts and £1,200 - £100 Ephinephrine on the rail both in books that held very modest amounts of field money. It didn't start well for Star Sports especially poor old Kaan on the rail who had to count £1,400 in damp plastic notes out to the punter that backed Venetia Williams' Ephinephrine which absolutely hosed in.