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Tuesday night summed up the last 2/3 weeks really as things didn't quite go our way. Barnet had a stinker and Halifax should have won only to lose to a late goal in the end. Hopefully I can end the month on a high though as I have 7 bets including some strong selections among them. Previews to follow Barrow v Maidenhead I know Maidenhead have one of the best away records in the league, but I think they have been flattered by their good start and they are beginning to find their natural place in the table. Their last 2 away games have seen a draw at Wrexham and a loss at Barnet and that trend is also in their overall form. They have now not won in 5 games and go to a side in Barrow who are flying at the moment. After beating Yeovil in a live game last month they then failed to win in their next 4 games picking up just a point, but they were playing well and only losing games by the odd goal. They have now won their last 4 and they have scored 3 goals in each of their last 3 games. With Maidenhead only keeping 1 clean sheet in their last 9 games then Barrow will surely be adding to their goals total here. They look a big price at 6/4 to win this. Dover v Halifax As mentioned above Halifax should have won on Tuesday night, but in the end a late Harrogate goal meant they didn't even end up with a point. They look a big price though to beat a Dover side who have only managed to pick up 5 points from their 6 home games so far this season. That includes draws against struggling Ebbsfleet and Chorley so Halifax should pose a much stiffer test. It is annoying that the only time I have tipped Dover away from home this season was the one time they haven't won on their travels this season, but it is clear that Dover at home and Dover away from home are two very different sides. Halfiax have looked strong away from home and I just can't see how they can be nearly 3/1 to win this as I would have them around the 7/4 mark myself. This game is the live BT Sport one on Saturday teatime. Billericay v Dorking Granted it was very poor from Dorking to lose to a side two leagues below them in the FA Cup last Saturday especially given Tooting ended up with 10 men, but this game looks a decent chance to bounce straight back. They have won their last 3 league games and a 3-1 win over Maidstone was a top effort. I suspect everyone reading this knows what has happened at Billericay so I won't go back over it, but they could only manage 5 subs (allowed 7) in their FA Cup game and they only scraped a 1-0 win. One of those subs was new manager Jamie O'Hara who was meant to have retired. More players have left the club this week and although as I type the likes of Jake Robinson are still there, they have been weakened. Dorking are above Billericay in the table as well and we are dealing with a different Billericay from the side who had won 4 of their 5 home league games so far. At over 3/1 the away side seem a sporting play in the circumstances. Eastbourne v Chelmsford Two sides who are under performing so far this season especially the away team whose fans aren't happy with the way things have gone. Their away form has been especially bad as they have only picked up 1 point so far in 5 away games The also lost at Corinthian-Casuals in the FA Cup last weekend and they haven't even managed to win a game in the league below. Including that FA Cup game they have conceded twice 3 times and let in 4 twice. Given all that I just can't understand how bookies can make Chelmsford favs to win this. I accept Eastbourne aren't doing great themselves, but they have only lost one of their last 5 league matches and beat Tonbridge in the FA Cup last weekend. They should be favs to win this so 15/8 is well worth taking. Gloucester City v Guiseley I am backing my own team again here as I just don't see how they can be 5/2 to win this. Having seen them in the flesh against Kings Lynn two weeks ago I was impressed with what I saw and they were within seconds of being the first team to win at Kings Lynn for a long time. Granted Kings Lynn deserved the point, but Gloucester held their own against a team who have started the season very strongly and look at this stage to be certain to finish in the play-offs. Beating Guiseley won't be easy as they have done well themselves this season, but their only away wins so far have come against two of the worst sides in the league Bradford Park Avenue and Blyth. That points to Gloucester having a decent chance and I would make them a point shorter to win. Spennymoor v Kidderminster My strongest bet of the season so far. I know Kiddie have only lost once away this season in the league, but they have had a very kind fixture list so far. They have beaten Bradford, Curzon and Kettering and drew to Blyth. They are currently the bottom 4 clubs in the division. Now Spennymoor are 5th from bottom, but they have clearly been suffering from a play-off final defeat hangover (like Fylde in the league above) and they are much better than a bottom 5 side for me. They have only lost one of their last 6 league games so the signs are there that they will be rising up the table. Kidderminster look a long way from being a side capable of mounting a play-off challenge this season and I would put a lot of money on Spennymoor finishing above them come the end of April. Losing 3-0 at Stafford in the FA Cup replay on Tuesday was another shocker and of course they have had to play an extra game compared to the home side. I am really strong on the home side here and they should be odds on shots in my view. Buxton v South Shields I was very surprised to see South Shields at odds against to win this. The title favourites have only lost won game this season and have won all bar one of the others. Compare this to Buxton who have yet to win and have picked up just 3 points in their first 8 games. Odds against looks a steal to be honest and it will be a surprise if this isn't an away win. Barrow 2pts @ 6/4 with BetVictor Halifax 1pt @149/50 with Marathon Dorking 1pt @ 16/5 with BetVictor Eastbourne 1pt @ 15/8 with Marathon Gloucester 1pt @ 5/2 with Bet365 Spennymoor 4pts @ 61/50 with Marathon South Shields 3pts @ 59/50 with Marathon

Alright guys, the 2019 tennis season is more or less officially over, so it's time for a fairly long review of what happened. On the sporting side of things, I think that we had a fairly intriguing season. I am, of course, hugely disappointed that we don't have any new Grand Slam winners, with Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal splitting all four titles evenly, but Daniil Medvedev came agonizingly close in the US Open and I think that the final there was actually the match of the year for me. I reckon that some of you will claim that the Wimbledon finals were the real thing, but I unfortunately didn't actually get to see that one, so I have no idea about what actually happened apart from the scoreboard changes. I did get to watch Nadal-Medvedev in the middle of the night while a storm was raging outside, however, so yeah, that was an interesting experience :D. The second ATP story of the year that I'd like to highlight here was Murray's comeback, as I was genuinely convinced that he wouldn't be able to do much after his loss against.....er...I think it was Viola. He did grab a title afterwards in style, however, and I think that he might do even more in 2020. It's hard to say how much he can do in the physically-more-demanding Grand Slams, but he should be very dangerous everywhere else. As far as the WTA is concerned, well, it's still a mess, isn't it? And I think that we have Clijsters or someone coming back next year as well, which is honestly just crazy - if she's going to make it, it really is going to speak volumes about the difference between ATP and WTA, I really can't imagine that we'd have Radek Stepanek or someone making a singles comeback in the same vein :D. The Grand Slams were obviously quite exciting with the Williams story and with seven different players occupying those eight final places, which is just really good for the game imo. It's great to have Bianca coming up, but I'm really sad that Marketa Vondrousova is yet another of those great talents trapped in awfully frail bodies. I'm getting Djokovic vibes whenever I see her play for some reason, but, well, she's currently after a surgery and we haven't see her since Wimbledon, so I'm not sure what the state of affairs is going to be next year. On the forum side of things, the activity has picked up quite a bit in comparison with the previous season and we now have a nice mix of regulars and newcomers, so I'm really hoping that we are going to continue in the same fashion once the Australian Open starts. The passion always goes down a bit after the US Open and that is understandable, but I'd like to see all the guys here again in January. I'm not even going to name anyone, as I'm sure that I'd miss someone! In any case, I didn't even have to ban all that many people in 2019, which is just excellent! And, finally, the betting side of things. While I was hoping to get to the lower levels of the competition, I didn't get to that for all sorts of reasons, so there were no easy pickings to be found anywhere. I'm hoping to get to exploring that area next year, especially if everything is still going to be so difficult on the main tours, but that's not for now, that's for later - and January is going to be all about the main tour anyway. Results-wise, I'm happy to say that 2019 was another profitable year, although I must admit that it wasn't as great as I was hoping it to be. Overall, it appears that I managed to place a grand total of 292 bets and that I ended with a decent ROI of 103%. I know that many people are still actively debating what ROI is achievable long term, but it's really hard for me to contribute to that, as it really depends on a great many of factors. I'm certainly guilty of being a bit overactive, which leads to some bad bets here and there, and I'm also guilty of not trying to exploit ITFs and Challengers as often as possible. I am going to try to change that if given a chance - and should lead to at least somewhat better results. So, on that note, I hope that you are all going to have a great off-season, Christmas, etc., and I hope that we are all going to meet here either at the end of December or at least for the start of the Australian Open (January 20). I thank you all for being here and contributing!

Saturday's results were rather painful and to not end up with at least 1 winner after the way the games had gone was pretty unfortunate. I can only remember 1 team I have backed blowing a 3 goal lead previously and then to have another blow a 2 goal lead on top of that is pretty tough to take. Anyway we move on to the mid-week action and I have 3 bets including the first max bet of the season. Gateshead v Solihull Gateshead lost their 1st home game since September against Maidenhead on Saturday and I think they will lose another one on Tuesday night. The home side are having all sorts of injury problems at the moment which means they can't even fill properly fill a subs bench at the moment and that includes 2 goalkeepers and a youth coach who had to come out of retirement to go on the bench against Maidenhead. The fact they only brought 1 sub on and that was in the 84th minute proves how badly they are suffering from injuries. They have recalled 1 player from a loan and have another coming back from suspension, but they are only a small squad and there is every chance a busy period with so few players is also going to play a factor here. The fact they lost to a truly dreadful Maidenhead on Saturday is also prove that this will be a tough game for them. Maidenhead only managed 1 shot on target the whole game and their keeper didn't have to make a proper save all afternoon either. Solihull are a hell of a lot better than Maidenhead and importantly their away form has been pretty strong of late. If you took the last 10 away league games then Solihull come out on top having lost just 3 in that time. Whilst Gateshead were struggling to muster a meaningful shot Solihull were putting 4 past Eastleigh. It was a very impressive performance and if they preform like that again then there will only be one winner. William Hill are biggest about an away win at 9/5 and I think that is massive because they should be favs given the strength of the team Gateshead will be able to put out. I suspect if Gateshead had played a better team than Maidenhead on Saturday it would have been a heavier defeat and Solihull and like I say they are much better than Maidenhead so hopefully they can do the business. Spennymoor v Kidderminster Kiddie sacked their manager on Monday which isn't a surprise given they have been struggling for wins over the last couple of months and suffered a heavy 3-0 defeat on Saturday at Darlington. They were really poor as well and this is a very tough game back in the North East. Spennymoor did lose to AFC Telford on Saturday, but that was only their 2nd defeat in their last 10 games and they look in much better shape than their opponents coming into this game. I would make them home side a shade of odds on to win this so 27/25 with Marathon looks a fair enough price. Maidenhead v Oxford City There are 3 FA Trophy replays on Tuesday. I did put Havant up against Dover when the game was originally meant to be played before Christmas as Dover had put out a weakened side in the first game, but it is hard to know what sort of side Dover might put out given the busy festive period is now over so I will leave it for now. This game is sort of a replay because Oxford were in front before the game had to be abandoned so they are having to start again on Tuesday. I put City up that afternoon and I am doing so again and the surprising drift to 16/5 is very appealing. I can only imagine Maidenhead are being backed because they beat Gateshead on Saturday, but as mentioned above their is much more to the bare result. Oxford lost 1-0 to St Albans on Saturday, but they ought to have won really and St Albans were making it 7 games unbeaten. They did lose to Hungerford surprisingly on New Years Day, but prior to that they were unbeaten in 7 having won 6 of them. Given Maidenhead look a National League South side there is every chance Oxford can get back to winning ways here which will be deserved after having the first game abandoned about 15 minutes from the end. Solihull 5pts @ 91/50 with Marathon Spennymoor 2pts @ 27/25 with Marathon Oxford City 1pt 19/5 with Marathon

Nice to be in profit again after a tough couple of weeks and the weekend's profits were given a nice boost thanks to the bookies massive error in the Chertsey game on Sunday. My guess is Bet365 were first to price up and they clearly didn't realise Biggleswade Town had already played in the FA Cup on Saturday. The rest of the bookies to price up the match just blindly followed and it was great to catch them with their pants down with Chertsey doing their side of things on the pitch. There is a full National League fixture list on Tuesday night and I have 4 bets for the action. Aldershot v Yeovil Yeovil did the business for us on Saturday and I am backing them again here. It was a bit nerve wracking in the end with the goalscorer Luke Wilkinson having to go in goal when the keeper got injured and it meant they were down to 10 men as they had used all their subs. Luke then pulled off a wonder save in the 98th minute to keep it 1-0 to the away side. They continue to look strong and now they have been taken over they might well fancy their chances of going straight back up at the first time of asking. Aldershot beat Wrexham on Saturday with a 94th minute winner, but it wasn't much of a game and this ought to be a tougher test for the home side. The 7/4 with BetVictor on the away side looks worth taking. Boreham Wood v Notts County Boreham Wood hadn't won at home since January and then when I opposed them with Dover they duly won 3-1 and they followed that up with a very impressive 4-0 win against Stockport on Saturday. That makes it just one loss in 5 now and Kabongo Tshimanga has carried on his goal scoring form from last season for Oxford City with his 2 goals on Saturday making it 8 for the season. Wood could find it hard keeping him in January as surely Football League clubs are going to be interested. He might well add to his tally here and I am backing them at 7/4 (BetVictor) to make it 3 home wins on the bounce. Notts County aren't playing badly as such, but they keep losing key players to injuries and they lost another one on Saturday in the defeat at Bromley. No Wood have found their groove at home I expect Meadow Park to become a very tough place to visit again and County could come unstuck with a weakened side. Ebbsfleet v Barnet Ebbsfleet were shocking on Saturday in their 3-0 defeat by Barrow. They remain bottom of the table with just one win all season. They had drawn their 3 previous games and did come from 2 down against Woking, but that confidence boost didn't continue to Saturday and manager Gary Hill was not surprisingly not happy about things. Barnet were a bit disappointing in the 2nd half against Halifax on Saturday and lost 4-2 in the end, but they are more likely to bounce back here and obviously playing bottom of the table is going to be easier than playing 2nd. The 141/100 is worth taking with Marathon. Halifax v Harrogate Speaking of Halifax I am backing them to come out on top in this Yorkshire derby. That win over Barnet was a return to form after losing their previous two games and that was certainly a return to form. They have won 5 out of their 6 home games so far and are looking so much better than Harrogate at the moment. They have only won one of their last 6 games and that came over Chorley when they were really struggling. They look a fair way from being capable of reaching the play-offs as they did last season and Halifax should be around even money for me not the 29/20 (BetVictor) that they currently are. Yeovil 1pt @ 7/4 with BetVictor Boreham Wood 1pt @ 7/4 with BetVictor Barnet 1pt @ 141/100 with Marathon Halifax 2pts @ 29/20 with BetVictor

3.05 Navan - Doonard Prince 40/1@Coral

to Punters Lounge @BetterBettor Put quite simply, there is just no need to pay for tips. There is never any guarantee a previous years record will be repeated the following year. It's much better to improve your own knowledge and style of betting, whilst managing your betting bankroll strictly, in fact this is the most important thing of all. Punters Lounge has in house tipsters as well as some phenomenal members who post great tips each and every day. We have an ethos that no part of this website will ever be charged for, unlike say Racing Post. You really have all the things you need right here for free, and shrewd punters to interact and learn from too. With all the updates we have coming, this will only be enhanced and we won't stop until we're the No.1 site for all punters providing everything they need completely free. It takes time, but we're making great progress in the background with our development team.

Right, so it's apparently time for the last Grand Slam of the season. Usually, I'd be rather excited and thrilled for the event, but, somehow, I find it really hard to get my hopes up, as I've been a bit disappointed by this season so far. Not results-wise, not betting-wise, I don't know what it is, but I just found it really hard to like a lot of matches. Some of the finals were great and the Grand Slams were quite nice as well, but the smaller tournaments...meh. Anyway, we now have a full set of matches ahead of us on Monday and Tuesday, so I suppose that I should just shut up and get right to them, eh? On another note, good luck to everyone who participates and an even better luck to everyone who gets a few posts in! Day One Let's start with the obvious one here, which is Williams to beat Sharapova. I've been looking at that bet pretty much ever since the draw was published and I think that there's every chance we're going to see a quick win for the American here. She's not at her best, of course, but there's still a lot of bad blood between the two and Sharapova is in an even worse form, so Serena should just get the job done in what should be an exciting night session. Sharapova doesn't have enough power to compete with ball-bashing right now, it really is that simple. The second bet that I like is Muchova to recover from her defeat against the in-form Linette with a good win over Rybakina, who just doesn't have enough experience at this level and who will probably need a year or two before becoming competitive in Grand Slams. Muchova is solid, did well in the tournament last time out, and has enough match practice under her belt. In terms of upsets, I wouldn't be shocked to see Martincova being fairly competitive against Pliskova, who tends to have slow starts and who might not fancy trying really hard against a compatriot that she knows isn't particularly strong. Martincova is coming off the qualifiers and should get the 17.5 games line covered much more often than not imo. Finally, on the acca side of things, I'm picking Berdych to beat the young American Brooksby, the in-form Nishioka to beat the very average Giron, and Kerber not to mess up against Mladenovic. Serena Williams (-4.5) to beat Maria Sharapova at 1.87 with Pinnacle Karolina Muchova (-2.5) to beat Elena Rybakina at 1.83 with Bet365 T.Martincova/K.Pliskova - Over 17.5 games at 1.72 with Bet365 Berdych + Nishioka + Kerber at 2.08 with Bet365 Day Two On day two, I very much fancy Linette to continue her good form and beat Sharma, who hasn't been doing all that well recently and who doesn't have much Grand Slam experience either. The fact that Linette has an extra day off should be of a great help and she is a solid type that doesn't have too many letdowns. Apart from that one, I also like two underdogs, Guillermo Garcia-Lopez and Andrey Rublev. The latter was naturally very good lately, while Tsitsipas is one of those players that blow hot and cold and who's blowing cold at the moment by the looks of everything. He's obviously somewhat better and more composed, but he's also sliding into some sort of a Zverev situation and could be ripe for a loss in what is a not particularly ideal first round draw. The outright price is juicy and appeals. Meanwhile, GGL seems to be going through a nice patch with a good run in the qualifiers, while Isner has been very disappointing recently. He would in an even poorer form without the serve to fall back on and this is the factor that isn't exactly making me love the outright option, but we're getting a nice price for four or more sets and that's what I'm going to go for. Magda Linette (-2.5) to beat Astra Sharma at 1.88 with Pinnacle Andrey Rublev to beat Stefanos Tsitsipas at 2.92 with Pinnacle J.Isner/GGL - Over 3.5 sets at 1.83 with Unibet Outrights In terms of outrights, there are only a couple that I fancy. First, I like the odds for Nadal to win the entire thing, as he's been the most convincing of the bunch in the lead-up tournaments and as he still has what it takes to win. Second, Medvedev looks a juicy price to go further than Federer, as I think that the latter might suffer some sort of a Millman accident again after looking mentally beaten after Wimbledon. And, even if that doesn't happen, Medvedev's form might be good enough to carry him further on its own. Rafael Nadal to win US Open 2019 at 4.00 with Bet365 Daniil Medvedev (vs. Roger Federer) at 3.00 with Bet365

@money44 these are my finally official bets. Low stakes all of them obviously because they are all non-favorite players. If i get profits at the end of the round i will do this more regularly. Kaia Kanepi to beat Julia Gorges at 2.30 with William Hill Kanepi has already win 1 match here against Larsson (6-2, 6-2). Gorges started the year winning in Auckland but did nothing remarkable since then and she comes here after losing in the first round in Dubai against Riske (6-4, 7-5). Mona Barthel to beat Madison Keys at 6.25 with 888 Keys has never won more than 1 match in any of her 6 participations here. She has lost in the first round the last 3 years here without winning any set. This will be the first match for her since the Fed Cup. Barthel has already win one match here against Lin Zhu in a 3 set match. Jessica Pegula to beat Lesia Tsurenko at 2.50 with William Hill Pegula destroyed Zarina Diyas in the first round (6-1, 6-1). She has played a couple of Finals this year in minor events but beating some interesting players. This will the first match for Tsurenko here and she did nothing remarkable since her quarterfinals in the US Open. Alja Tomjlanovic to beat Aryna Sabalenka at 3.70 with betfair Alja has already win 1 match here against Cornet (7-5, 6-3). Sabalenka is the favorite but Alja will have more chances than the odds suggest. Ricardas Berankis to beat Jan-Lennard Struff at 2.75 with 888 I don’t understand this big favoritism for Struff. Berankis did very well in her previous tournament in Dubai, winning there against Lestienne, Basic, Medvedev and Kudla. He finally lost against Monfils in a 3 set match. Struff has did nothing remarkable since a long time (even he lost in Rotterdam against an unknown player in straight sets) so I don’t understand these odds. Felix Auger Aliassime to beat Stefanos Tsitsipas at 3.25 with bet365 Felix has already win 1 match here against Norrie (6-2, 6-3). This will be the first match for Tsitsipas here. I think he’s overrated for his last results and I expect a long match here with good chances for Felix to win this one. Philipp Kohlschreiber to beat Nick Kyrgios at 2.75 with William Hill Kohls has already played one match here against Herbert (6-4, 6-0). This will be the first match for Kyrgios here. He comes here after winning in Acapulco so Im not sure about his implication here (even with Kyrgios implicated Kohls should have more chances than the odds suggest). Martin Klizan to beat Alexander Zverev at 6.25 with 888 Klizan is very good, if he's implicated and plays as he can he will put Zverev in troubles. He has already 1 win here against the other Zverev (6-1, 6-4).

Ernests Gulbis to beat Hubert Hurkacz at 2.18 with Unibet I saw Hubert play in Quimper and he wasn't impressive when he lost to Greg Barrere and Ernests will most likely beat Hubert also. Odds will probably drop so I'm taking this early.

Actually super happy I didn't overtake demios, wouldn't seem right as they weren't able to play the last leg. Well done demios, superbly consistent once again Well played everyone

5.10 Kempton - Champion Brogie 20/1@Bet365 Reserve:6.40 Kempton - Star Archer 0.5pts e/w 28/1@PaddyPower

Grow up. Darran is the best tipster on this site. Period. He's not infallible, but his record is superb. Unlucky week mate, that's the way it goes sometimes. My bank balance is much better for your hard work and altruism in sharing. Keep doing what you're doing. Many thanks.

Well .....that was worth waiting for ....430 pts returned !!...fill ya boots

Perth 4.10 Wise Coco. 9/1 betvictor

Riviera Nights 3.05 Ascot (Win 12/1Skybet) Sold for £120k in the Autumn Sales, Riviera Nights 2019 form figures of 3, 0 and 0 do not look good. However these were in higher class races than this one. With top jockey W Buick, top trainer Richard Hannon, a distance winner and down in class, what's not to like. He will surely go close.

Jan-Lennard Struff to beat Jo-Wilfried Tsonga at 2.57 with MarathonBet I'm not fully behind Tsonga again yet, think he's still got a way to go before he's back to his best. He's winning the H2H but I don't think they've faced much before on hard. Short points are likely so its whether Struff is hitting it clean and whose serving better. Maybe should look at taking the short priced handicap instead.

8.55 Leopardstown 1 pt win With a Start 20/1 Bet365

8.00 Roscommon - Bective Cave 16/1@Williamhill

FAA v Lopez (Queens) - over 23.5 games at 1.83 with Sportingbet Simple reasoning here: both have strong serves so I feel we will definitely have at least one TB here. Although FAA is of course the better player, Lopez has held his serve a high percentage of the time. I doubt Lopez will break FAA's serve.

S.Tsitsipas (-5.5 games) to beat F.Krajinovic @1.65 with Soocerbet (local bookie) Tsitsipas is in excellent shape. He won the first two matches relatively easily while Krajinovic had to play two marathon-matches. The second one (vs Baena) was especialy tough. Today Filip withdrew from doubles as a precautionary measure. He's not injured,but he is tired. Also,take note that Filip doesn't like to play against players of Tsitsipas profile.

-"You can tell him now, we're still fighting for this title and we have three days left to get something. And I'll tell you, honestly, I will love it if someone beats him, Love it." (a Keegan & Ferguson reference for those to young to remember)

Amazing as always Darran. RIP that guy who thought he was too good for your tips.

Good call. I took Zeppieri yesterday @ 2.65 with big stake. My biggest bet this week so far. He'll beat Barranco.

Just the 3 for Wincanton's Hunter Chase and I am surprised that the early money has been for Woodfleet. Yes he did win over course and distance last May, but Unioniste didn't run his race and it meant he ended up with a very simple task. This season he pulled up on his return and I then saw him finish a distant 2nd at Charing. His last start at Milborne St Andrew saw him beat a head by Jack Snipe who was carrying 4lbs more. That doesn't tell the whole story though having watched a video of the contest. The winner would have been a big price in running as he was a fair way back in 3rd jumping the last with Woodfleet looking set to win, he then pulled himself up and it allowed Jack Snipe to go by him. It has to be a big worry for anyone wanting to back him that he has done that. Regardless Southfield Vic has the best form in the race anyway based on his 2nd at Newbury to Master Baker which was a massive step up on his Hunter Chase debut at Fontwell. A repeat of that effort should be more than good enough to beat his two rivals here. Keltus wouldn't be totally out of this based on his 3rd in the Royal Artillery, but he wasn't as good in the Grand Military on his next start which is a bit off putting. The Stratford contest looks a cracker with Arthur's Secret taking on Master Baker and Risk A Fine. All 3 have won 2 Hunter Chases this season and there have been some big winning margins as well. Regular readers of my previews this season will know I hold Arthur's Secret in the highest regard and that I am a big fan of Risk A Fine as well. They are both front runners so there is one theory that they could cut each others throats and set things up for Master Baker, but I don't think that will happen. First of all it wouldn't surprise me if James King on Risk A Fine just let Arthur's Secret get on with it, but even if he did try and force the issue I think Arthur's Secret would eventually burn him off. Arthur's Secret can set a ridiculously high tempo and crucially can keep going at that high tempo. As much as Risk A Fine has impressed me this season I just don't think he is up to being able to get Arthur's Secret off the bridle especially based on his Wincanton run behind Monsieur Gibraltar. I know Master Baker won over 2m at Taunton earlier in the season, but that was a really bad race and I think he will find himself outpaced over this trip round here especially given the speed Arthur's Secret is going to go. The jockey change is a plus though. I am really looking forward to this race, but in my view Arthur's Secret would have been capable of going very close at Aintree last week and he is one of the best pointers/hunter chasers in the country at the moment which is backed up by his lofty rating in this sphere. As much as the other two are good horses I just don't see how they can get him beat if he is at his best again. I think a double on both races is the way to go and at the moment it pays 2.6/1 with Bet365. Southfield Vic/Arthur's Secret 2.5pts double @ 2.6/1 with Bet365

So football head back on after a busy few day's on the racing front and hopefully I can bounce back from a disappointing mid-week session. Not much damage done, but it was frustrating all the same given I had left the last two Tuesday's alone. I have 6 bets for Saturday and unusually for me only one of them is bigger than 13/10. Previews to follow Barnet v Barrow Barnet are a strange because they really shouldn't be in a relegation battle because as their FA Cup run shows they have a very good team and on their day are capable of putting in a great performance, but although they have a few games in hand they have to be very careful they don't go down. They have only won 2 of their last 10 league games and haven't won in 6 now. Their home form also seems to be a bit of an issue and it is hard to understand why they are so short to win this. Barrow have only lost one of their last 10 league games although on the other hand they have only won one of their last 7, but I think they have deserved more points than they have got. They drew 0-0 with Ebbsfleet last week and they were unlucky not to win. Their away form has been strong of late and as much as some people might want the draw onside I think the price for them to win the game is at least a point bigger than it should be. Bromely v Boreham Wood It has been 8 league games since Boreham Wood last won and they have picked up just 3 points in that spell with just one of those coming in their last 5 games. They have looked poor as well and the only thing that can save them in this game for me is if their week and a half off has seen them improve. Bromley are in 3rd place in the last 10 games form table and their only loss in the last 9 games was against Eastleigh which given they are top of the last 10 games form table shows their was nothing wrong in losing 1-0. They really have turned the corner after a slow first half or so of the season and although the play-offs look out of reach they should be able to carry on their good form here and they are strong at home. Chippenham Town v Oxford City Oxford City threw away a 2 goal lead last week to lose 3-2 to Billericay which was good new for us and it obviously meant they continued their poor run of form. I think it is worth opposing them again here and Chippenham look a big price really. They are having a very solid season and have lost just once in their last 7 games. They have won 9 at home, drawn 3 and lost 4 and strangely enough Oxford's away form is the exact opposite. With Oxford looking booked for mid-table obscurity and Chippenham in with a chance of the play-offs that also means the homes side have an advantage. East Thurrock v Billericay Fair play to East Thurrock they caused Torquay more problems than I thought they would on Tuesday night and it was only a late goal that meant Torquay came away with a 2-1 victory. I just wonder if that effort may leave a mark though and as much as they would love to get one over their Essex rivals I just don't seem them being able to. Billericay did really well to win last week having been 2 down and then seeing out the game with only 10 men. They also got a good draw at Wealdstone on Monday night as they are flying at the moment and I just don't see them losing to a team who are destined to be playing step 3 football next season. Odds against is a big price. Harrow v Taunton (Southern Premier South) To be fair to the home side they a really good 4-0 over Poole last Saturday and if in that form they would have a chance of getting something out of this, but that performance really sticks out like a sore thumb because it is their only win in their last 9 and they have only picked up 3 other points in that time and funnily enough one of those was against Poole. The other 2 came against Basingstoke who are level on points with them and Walton Casuals on Tuesday night who are one point from safety and have a terrible away record. Taunton are top of the table as they look to win their 2nd title on the bounce and although they under performed on Wednesday night in a 1-1 draw against Swindon Supermarine, that was a much tougher game than this and odds against quotes look big on them bouncing back with a win. Tiverton v Met Police (Southern Premier South) Met Police are also in the title hunt and again they look big at odds against to win this. They didn't win in 4 prior to thrashing bottom of the table Staines last Saturday, but they had 4 really tough games. The only defeat was to Wimbourne who were bang in form and then they drew with 2nd place Weymouth, 3rd place Salisbury and Farnborough who are the most in form side in the division. Tiverton on the other hand are pretty poor this season after a good campaign last time around and their only two wins in their last 10 games have come against Gosport and Staines. The two draws came against a Hendon side who have only picked up 7 points in their last 10 games and Merthyr who are very in and out. Met Police should be odds on for this and look a cracking bet. Barrow 1pt @ 3/1 with BetVictor and Boylesports Bromley 3pts @ Evs with Bet365 and BetVictor Chippenham 2pts @ 13/10 with Marathon Billericay 2.5pts @ 53/50 with Marathon Taunton 2.5pts @ 5/4 with William Hill and BetVictor Met Police 3pts @ 11/10 with William Hill, BetVictor and Bet365

Preston v Nottm Forest (X) : 3.30 Charlton v Blackpool : (X) : 3.40 Macclesfield v Colchester (X) : 3.30 £7 treble

Stayers' Hurdle Key trends: 12/12 were rated 132+ 12/12 had run in a class 3+ LTO 11/11 returned 12/1 or less 10/10 had run 4-11 times over hurdles 10/10 had won 0-1 handicap hurdles These 5 trends produce a shortlist of 3 (subject to likely SPs): ASK BEN (12/1) DIOMEDE DES MOTTES (14/1) STONEY MOUNTAIN (16/1)

8.10 Sou Bee Machine one point win at 15 with Bet365

A New Last Man Standing Competition will begin on the weekend October 19th We will be running the main Last Man Standing Competition and also a Consolation version to run alongside for those who are eliminated from the main one. The main competition will last for a maximum of 10 Weeks. The prize for winning the LMS Competition will be £250 which will be deposited into your PayPal account. The prize for winning the Consolation Competition will be £50. (No other method of payment considered) Winners of both competitions will also receive Punters Lounge Merchandise The Competition includes the use of a 'Joker' which means you can choose Win or Draw on a certain week if you are struggling for a definite selection. This can only be used once. You also get the use of a Lifeline on One week if you forget or are unable to post. Once the main competition has been won we will begin another one the following week . Newcomers Please Read the rules here. No need to register your first week selection will be your entry.

4:00 Nottingham, Eponina @7/1 bet365

Andrey Rublev to beat Borna Coric at 1.91 with William Hill I'm not exactly sure why the chances should be balanced here, as I'd have the Russian as a fairly decent favorite after Coric disappointed in his last two tournaments. He has enough quality, don't get me wrong, but he doesn't seem to have enough confidence to get himself over the line at the moment and that might prove to be his downfall yet again. Rublev should take this more often than not imo.

1535 Haydock Time to Study ew 11/1 @ Ladbrokes

16.20 Cork - Chagall - 1 pt win @ 11/1 WHill

Been a pretty good start to the season for me. Although I've been dead wrong on some teams, the bets I've put in have been so far, so good. early game, someone up top found Norwich +1 at evs and well, I need that line available to me because I've seen nothing close to that. I like Norwich and put a small play on them at +0.75 at -110. Norwich seem to get goals for fun. They led the championship in goals last year at just over 2gpg and seem to picked up right where they left off. Chelsea a bit of a team in flux imo. Jury still out on Lamps as a manager and it's going to take him a bit to find his best 11. I'll tell you right now, they have major questions at the back. Seen both their games in full and they have issues. Midfield is strong for Chelsea but I'm not convinced they have any finishing power up front to score goals. I think Norwich hangs around and this one has 1-1, 2-2 written on it - I'm very happy taking the home team with +0.75 here. I'm not getting involved in the Brighton/Southampton game at all, but said it before, I've got Saints tipped for the drop, so I'd again back the home side gun to my head. Leicester seems a good play to me at Sheffield, but tbh, I can't get a great read on them at all, and I have to think home team will be doing all it can to scrape for points here. Pass again. I absolutely think United will win at home vs Palace, but that's a heavy price to pay there. I wouldn't mind a United -1.25 at evs, but I'm not finding it, so I may play ingame with a slow start. United start the season in good form and I just don't think Palace has the pieces to challenge them here. I do like the 2-0 final score prop and may take a poke on that. West Ham been one of those teams I've been dead wrong on this year, and well, I'm going for it again. It appears to me they should have a full roster to choose from and the talent they have I don't think I can pass them again getting +250 to win at +150 or so for DNB. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me but I'm on West Ham again here. Watford is nothing special and there'll be pressure on both teams here to get a result. More pressure for the home side, I'll take + odds all day long. Game of the week is the late game Saturday, and unfortunately I'm not going to be around to watch or see lineups. But, to me this game is all about goals and o3 is worth a punt. Liverpool obviously has plenty of gk woes and that will be trouble. VVD can only do so much, and in my eyes, Arsenal are exactly the kind of team that will give Liverpool fits in the back. Massive pace in the likes of PEA and Pepe. Lacazette is a clinical finisher. And Dani Ceballas has been just lights out terrific so far. All that said, Liverpool is always a tough nut to beat at home and well, they still have a few great players in attack. Arsenal's defense is suspect at best. David Luiz certainly not the answer. This one just screams end to end action with plenty of chances. 🍻

Huddersfield vs Fulham The Championship action begins on Friday night in a 7:45pm kick-off at the John Smith's Stadium when relegated pair Huddersfield and Fulham clash. Despite being in the Premier League last season it already appears that both of these teams are developing contrasting expectations this season. The home side are simply hoping for consolidation whilst the away team have got their eye on an immediate return to the top flight. Huddersfield fans are in disarray right now. If you take the time to visit their forums or look around on social media there are a lot of voices of discontent. Fortunately, there are also sensible ones who know the season is only two games old. Jan Siewert is already under fire for his poor win ratio but this is a Terriers side that has found losing to be a habit. It is now just 7 points gained from their last 27 matches in league competition. A 2-1 loss to Derby and then 1-1 draw with QPR has hardly improved morale. How can one man at the helm solve that? It's a tall order for Siewert. Fulham were criticised last season for signing too many new faces in too short a time. It saw them drop straight back down to the Championship after their promotion the previous season. Scott Parker has been kept on as manager and good things are coming out of the Cottagers camp. Losing Ryan Sessegnon was expected but still a disappointment. Holding on to Aleksandar Mitrovic is a golden move. Adding Cardiff's want-away striker Bobby Reid could also be a stroke of genius. The other additions of Josh Onomah, Anthony Knockaert, Harry Arter, and Ivan Cavaleiro are also wise moves. The 1-0 loss away to Barnsley was underwhelming on the opening weekend but the 2-0 win over Blackburn last week was a lot more assured. The head-to-head record doesn't make for great reading for Huddersfield. They have only won 1 of their last 13 league meetings with Fulham. That win did come last season in the Premier League. On their last visit to Huddersfield at this level, Fulham came away with a 4-1 win back in 2017. The Terriers have also scored just six goals from open play in their last 17 league games. It's hard to see where the creativity is going to come from and where the goals will come from for the home side. I have to back an away win here. It might only get worse for Huddersfield this season. I hope not because they're a club I have a massive soft spot for. Fulham to Win @ 2.33 with Marathonbet Total Goals Scored Under 2.5 @ 1.90 with Bet365 @waynecoyne, @sajtion, @arvee, @canaries91, @Mindfulness, @betcatalog, @Magic0024, @malabgd, @CloughandTaylor, @Tiffy, @Gidds, @chris50, @PokerWolf1, @teddybear3011, @skyblues88, @allyhibs, @Icongene, @KikoCy, @willie82, @Neubs, @Papa Lazarou, @kulikTS, @Valkovets, @Pipoca, @padman, @Marek76, @silver fox, @neilovan, @HastGill1, @jazzman02, @andypaps28, @Kenton Schweppes, @rangers234, @newjack, @Kane91, @yossa6133, @The Sexless Innkeeper, @Xcout, @branskie, @Wanderer89, @Hitch, @four-leaf, @trevor8, @OppoArchitizerLady, @Power90, @THEODORE-007, @KeyserSoze1, and @the bastardian, what bets are you guys looking at in the Championship this week?

1730 windsor 1pt win wotadoll 9/1 bet365

5.10 Cat International Man @ 10/1 Lad

Goodwood 16:45 - 20/1 bet365 e/w thanks Green Power - although a bluenose I 've went for a mugs double here with Green Power and Celtic play tonight so this horse from John Gallagher yard the 4yo has been successful twice at 6f on good and soft ground from 19 runs to date , This season he's only had the five runs and only found a 3rd place in 2nd race this season at Newmarket 6f GF in April since then poor runs , His last run was 36 days ago at Windsor 6f Gd when 5th of 9 runners beaten 2.5 lengths Dwelt at start made ground and made effort inside final furlong when hampered and to late to recover he had young 3lb claimer in saddle that day but experienced P J McDonald is in saddle today

Please try to post the bookies you're taking the picks with @Anaxagoras! Martin Klizan to beat Daniel Altmaier at 1.53 with Pinnacle A fairly premium price for Klizan and I think it's worth taking, as Hamburg has always been among his better events. He's a class above Altmaier if he puts some focus into his work and I think that he will, as he looked really disappointed after losing against Bagnis last time out.

Henryville 3.35 Newton Abbot - 20/1 Bet365

Received ROYAL ASCOT comp merchandise today and cash prize paid very quickly many thank's too all who run competitionsmuch appreciated

5.15 Brighton Nervous nerys 33/1 sky e/w

After reading the VDW thread I thought I'd check out another system from decades ago when I first got interested in racing. Basically just a Points system based on last 2 form figures, C, D and CD wins Last 2 runs 1 = 5 pts 2 = 3 pts 3 = 2 pts Bonus points C = 1 pt D = 1 pt CD = 3 pts The problem with the system once you got to know a bit more about the sport was that it took no account of class. For example a horse that had won two Sellers and one had been over 12 furlongs at Epsom would be top rated for the Derby ahead of a horse that had won The Racing Post Trophy and Guineas as it's last two runs. Obviously ridiculous. But once you start looking behind the points and assessing class and going and all the other variables that don't show up in a pure points system you might as well forget it and just study the race as you normally do. The purpose of a points system (or any system) is to take the subjective element out and throw up random selections that have some logic behind them So anyway I had a brainwave ...…… If you stick to the lowest class of handicap then the form figures and bonus points will almost certainly have been earned in that class or higher ……. you can't have horses with points earned in lower classes of race because there aren't any (they could be Sellers but they're usually on a par with class 6). So I thought I'd stick to Class 6 Handicaps on the Flat and Class 5 over Jumps. Top two rated (in one of the races today there is joint 2nd rated) Here's today's selections ……... Tues 14/05 Bev 4.50 - Jazz Hands 5, Nordano 3 Chep 4.00 - Panatos 8 (NB), Aristocracy 5 Chep 5.00 - Ascot Day 4, Boycie 4 Ffos 5.30 - All The Hunter 5, Avonmore 4 Ffos 8.00 - Centreofexcellence 9 (NAP), Alltimegold 5, Babytaggle 5 Let's see how they get on. I've given the NAP to the biggest rating and NB to the next biggest

Manchester United vs Cardiff OK, so @thfc is telling us to expect crazy score-lines on the final day. @Tiffy is backing his Brighton boys to throw a spanner in the Premier League title works. I'm going to get on board with the shock scores and giant-killing theme by backing my Cardiff to get something in their game against Manchester United this afternoon at Old Trafford in a 3pm kick-off. Manchester United are a club that have become nothing short of a shambles. The inability to beat Huddersfield away in a result that ultimately cost them a place in next season's Champions League was embarrassing. No disrespect to Huddersfield but United should be winning games like that. Appointing Ole Gunnar Solskjaer on a full-time basis before the end of the season was a huge mistake and sums up how poorly run the club has become. Cardiff are not the sort of team Solskjaer will want to play on the final day of the campaign. Rumour has it that Solskjaer could face the humiliation of being sacked if he loses this game. No offence to the man, he's a lovely bloke, but the mistakes he made at Cardiff took three managers and two seasons to correct. I know a lot of Cardiff fans that would love to see us beat them here and send him on his way as a bit of payback. All the statistics back a United win. The Red Devils are unbeaten in the past 8 league meetings meaning we haven't beaten them since November, 1960. They beat us 5-1 at our place earlier in the season when Solskjaer first took over. The Bluebirds also haven't kept a clean sheet in the last 15 away matches against United. I still think we could be worth backing to get something here. We are missing Harry Arter and Victor Camarasa which is a blow but we have players that are now playing without pressure. I hope they'll go out there and try to make a statement as we bow out of the Premier League. It's more likely than not that United will win but I am quietly optimistic we can cause a shock here. Cardiff Double Chance @ 4.15 with MarathonBet Total Goals Scored Over 3.5 @ 2.04 with Bethead

Arjan Bhullar @2.20 Pinnacle 4/10 Bhullar is an Olympian freestyle Wrestler. He developed good striking aswell. He only lost to Wieczorek via omoplata sub, great finish but very, very unlucky for Bhullar and to be fair Adams isn't really a BJJ guy...Adams has Division 1 Wrestling background so he's okay but still class below Bhullar and imo Wrestler beats striker. I like him as an slight underdog to "upset" Adams with his wrestling skills.

I have bet against Woz in her first 2 matches here. The last one was one of the most frustrating matches that i ever seen. Niculescu break points converted = 3/15 Wozniacki break points converted = 4/4 so you can imagine my anger watching that match. Woz is so far from her best form let's see if this will be the definitive

Tung-Lin Wu to beat Facundo Bagnis at 3.73 with Pinnacle Tung-Lin has a successfull game going on right now and it can work well enough for another win here. But now the quality of the opponent goes up but Facundo hasn't been so impressive last few years and I think he might get some problems here. Tung-Lin has been very impressive and is yet to be broken and plays like he could win against anyone in Santiago. I know this could be the end for Tung-Lin but he is worth a try again because he's been playing great. Reilly Opelka to beat Leonardo Mayer at 1.60 with Unibet Reilly has some great form coming into this years Indian Wells and he beat Leo in Roland Garros qualies 2017 coming from behind to win in the decider. Reilly has good things going this season and on a hardcourt in the US he is worth backing at this price. Bjorn Fratangelo to beat (-1.5 sets) Elias Ymer at 2.70 with Unibet I've lost count on how many times Elias has got his serve broken during his two qualifying matches but one thing is for sure he is not reliable at all while Bjorn is pretty mutch the type of player you don't want to face when your serve isn't working like Elias isn't. Bjorn has been very reliable and I think he is yet to be broken, I didn't see the first two sets when he beat Andrey Rublev, he might have been broken somewhere there but that's irrelevant since Elias is nowhere near the quality of Andrey Rublev on hardcourt. Bjorn also has beaten Elias in Aptos challenger 2015 pretty easy in straight sets, Aptos is like Indian Wells situated in California. Elias has beaten Bjorn in straight sets once in a italian clay challenger final but that was on Elias favourite surface so I don't take mutch notice of that.

Cardiff vs Bournemouth The transfer deadline is coming up tonight so a lot could change between now and then but for the time being it's another tough game for Cardiff in the Premier League. The Bluebirds host an in-form Bournemouth in a 3pm kick-off at the Cardiff City Stadium in what is certain to be another emotional day for the club. Cardiff bounced back from two abject performances against relegation rivals with a courageous effort away to Arsenal in midweek. The players appeared to channel the recent Emiliano Sala tragedy in a positive manner to deliver a performance that deserved more than the 2-1 defeat. It's already been confirmed that the club has signed Leandro Bacuna from Reading with rumours linking us to Tottenham striker Vincent Janssen and Southampton forward Charlie Austin. Can either of those players be signed up to help us push up the table from our 18th place position and 4 points adrift of safety? Bournemouth will be buzzing after smashing Chelsea 4-0 in midweek at home. Eddie Howe's men have moved up to 10th in the table after that victory. A win here would potentially push them as high as 7th in the table. Unfortunately, their away form is pretty shambolic with just 3 wins from their 11 away matches so far this season. I'm going to show a bit of optimism after a bit of negativity on my behalf. I actually think we could get something here. Bournemouth's away form isn't great. We can be a really dangerous side at home. A few players looked very good on the weekend and I think our back-line is starting to adjust to life without the injured Sean Morrison. If Neil Warnock can motivate us in the right way then I could see us grabbing a 1-0 or 2-1 win. I think the draw is more likely but as a Cardiff fan that wants the club to pick up a vital three points I'm going to back us to win but will put the draw no bet insurance down because I'm not mad! Cardiff Draw No Bet @ 2.25 with RedZone Cardiff to Score First @ 2.20 with Bet365 @Mindfulness, @Pep004, @MaliMisko12, @betcatalog, @sajtion, @godofhorses, @Tiffy, @waynecoyne, @The Sexless Innkeeper, @Magic0024, @malabgd, @Duke_Tm, @dogmeister, @Arkadi Manucharov, @derbent, @fat, @allyhibs, @6avin24, @discipline, @the bastardian, @Bronxie, @Bett, @KikoCy, @teddybear3011, @markus808, @allthethings, @Kenton Schweppes, @vasilli07, @Dylan Lynch, @neilovan, @JKos, @zemo91, @kulikTS, @mrclubbie, @Judeksi, @Henind666, @Teodore, @kilkenny1, @newjack, @PokerWolf1, @Dave1X2, @real55555, @jazzman02, @Ameer13, @Gedkip, @mcsilks, @MangoTheThird, @Roy The Boy, @DonPaulo, @Duckets, @yossa6133, @sjuesju, @dylanphan, @thfc, @Dboston, @Dr. Florida192, @money44, @1moregoal, @ggm31v, @EuroDream, @ndanmak, @cummins91, @vicsuna, @abigail, and @AndreBR, what will you guys be betting on this weekend?

Southampton v Everton If I had to choose 1 team this weekend to bet against, it would be Everton. They are so inconsistent, show poor away form, and have stagnated a little (in my opinion) under SIlva. Is Silva all that good? Hmmmm, jury is out. When looking at previous results I tend to ignore the anomalies. If you remove the 1-5 away win at Burnley, Everton don't look so clever, scoring just 4 goals in 7 away games. I really don't think they can win here, but the Saints will also struggle. However, I think the new manager makes the difference here. I do like the over 2.5 goals here for 2 reasons; 1) Two evenly matched teams that will both reckon they have a winning chance, will create an open game. 2) Saints are finding 1st half goals in recent home league games. Early goals open up games. I would be going over 2.5 goals here, but if I was backing a winner, I would be going Saints and over 2.5 (based on head to head Saints 4 wins in 5 in this fixture.) Saints HOME WIN & OVER 2.5 goals odds 4.25

Motive is a money prize. For every single victory in UCL you get 2,7 million euros and for a draw 900.000 approximately. Also there is something called coefficient points in Europe Cup competitions. The more points you collect in the group stage, this will also increase your club's coefficient. And this is important because it gives you a position of a seeded club and a possible softer draw for the next campaign. I do not know if I was clear enough because my English is far from solid.