Queensland again took centre stage on Saturday with Eagle Farm hosting the Queensland Derby and Kingsford Smith Cup, but for Ponybet’s Anthony “Juppy” Jupp, the day started several thousand kilometres away in North America.
“The day started with a small dent,” Jupp laughed.
“In the NHL, Carolina put six goals past Montreal in game five of their series. Not exactly the start we were after.”
Fortunately for Ponybet, New Zealand helped steady the ship.
“We got that back and a bit more through Te Rapa and Wanganui, so by the time Australia really got going we were back on level terms.”
That equilibrium didn’t last long. The opening race at Eagle Farm immediately put the book under pressure when Bengal Diamond and Sunset Dreaming filled the quinella.
“We stood both of them and the biggest bet was $700 at $7 on Bengal Diamond. Five grand out the door and suddenly we’re back to square one.”
The pattern would become familiar.
At Rosehill, punters landed on Moon Sweeper late, while Caulfield’s fourth race proved another costly affair when the short-priced favourite First Chorus justified strong market support.
“We laid it early to one of the pros to win $2,000 at $2.60, then there were stacks of bets at the $1.65 mark. That also triggered a heap of multis, which cost another five grand. We were still in front, but only just.”
The middle stages of the Rosehill program became what Jupp described as “treacherous territory” for bookmakers.
“The biggest hit there was Ertijaj. We took $1,670 at $3.60 and the punters collected again.”
While the Sydney card was proving difficult, Eagle Farm provided some welcome relief. The Lord Mayor’s Cup delivered one of the better results of the afternoon after Ponybet happily opposed several well-backed runners.
“Militarize is one of those horses bookies build a statue of and we were again happy to take him on. We also laid Future History and Encoder. When Athenados won, about four grand jumped into the bag.”
The Fred Best Stakes was another race where Ponybet found itself on the right side of the ledger.
“We laid Grafterburners and Skyhook and were trying to lay Wodeton as well. Regal Award winning was a beauty. That put another two grand in the kitty.”
The Queensland Derby followed a similar script.
“The Derby looked pretty even on paper but punters found the favourite, Solid Gold. Kilman, One Step Closer and Different Gravy were all losers for us too. We ended up winning about three grand on the race when a familiar combination of J-Mac and Waller booted home Providence.”
By this stage, the afternoon was shaping as one of the better Saturdays of the month. Then came the Kingsford Smith Cup.
Ponybet found itself against a long list of fancied runners including Jimmysstar, Rothfire, Headley Grange, Yellow Brick and King Of Roseau.
“When you lay that many chances in a Group 1, you’re always nervous.”
Headley Grange’s victory ensured the race wasn’t a winning one for the bookmaker, but considering the number of chances Ponybet had laid, the damage was contained.
“We only dropped about a thousand on the race. It wasn’t the end of the world.”
Outside the headline races, Caulfield delivered both strong turnover and solid results.
“Caulfield was good. Eagle Farm was grouse. Morphettville was grouse. Belmont was a grind, but we still managed to secure a prize.”
There were still some painful moments scattered across the country. Among the more expensive results were Kawa (race 5) at Werribee, Portico (race 2) at Illawarra and Remember Roy (race 2) at Bowen.
The evening session offered no respite.
A winning double linking Fear To Excel at Wentworth Park with Pakistan’s ODI victory over Australia cost Ponybet $5,000.
The hope was that a late rescue mission from the United Kingdom might improve the day’s position.
Instead, it became another lesson in frustration.
“We needed a bit of luck in the UK if we wanted to make some money for the day, but sadly that wasn’t the case.”
Ponybet lost on every race at Carlisle and dropped another $3,000 at Beverley, including winning bets on Crystal Queen and Who’s Lope.
When the dust settled, the final result was technically positive, but only just.
“It was another Saturday that’s pretty much summed up May. It was a win in the book, but only enough to pay the government.”
