THE week got off to a losing start for us and for all bookmakers, I would say. Three winning favourites and three winning second favourites meant we lost in almost every race.

We’re from Listowel and have been betting at Galway for 24 years. It’s a huge week for us and we have a good pitch, No 1 on the corner next to the grandstand.

Turnover was good on Monday night, which is encouraging for the week. We saw three or four €1,000 bets.

The first race was match between the Mullins and Weld horses – they were both small losers in the book and we had no chance of a result.

In the handicap hurdle we had three losers in the book – Eric The Grey, Defining Year and the winner, Beckwith Star.

The two-year-old maiden was another ‘A or B’ race. Dermot Weld’s winner True Solitaire drifted before the off and there was plenty of support for Aidan O’Brien’s runner but both were losers for us.

We laid a bet early on of €6,000 to €500 (12/1) about Modem, and he was returned at 5/1. The placings were no good for us either.

Romiac (16/1) in the next was a good result in what was a good betting heat. We laid three or four others for good money. If the Weld horse (Tadaany) had won that race it would have been a disastrous evening.

Harasava cost us again in the staying handicap. He was backed from 3/1 to 9/4 and got a great ride on the rail from Pat Smullen. I prefer to be taking on these Weld hotpots in handicaps than in maidens.

We got no thrill in the bumper – the first three in the betting finished 1-2-3. The winner Kalopsia touched 3/1 and was returned at 2/1.

Back home our betting shop also had a bad day but there is plenty of time left to get it back.