yossa6133

My mate's dad was a director at Scunthorpe when Sharp was playing there. By all accounts, a really pleasant bloke. Appreciate the rivalry aspect though. Every Tom, Dick, and Harry thinks the sun shines out of Lee Trundle's arse. As a Cardiff fan, I can't help but have an irrational hatred for the bell end!
Anyway, here's my final Championship preview...
Norwich vs Ipswich
Ah yes, the sweet smell of the East Anglian derby. Norwich versus Ipswich in a midday kick-off this coming Sunday at Carrow Road. Norfolk versus Suffolk. Automatic promotion contenders versus relegation certainties. It's money in the bank, right? Or is it?! Bloody derby matches!
Norwich are loving life at the top of the Championship right now. Daniel Farke's side will be praising Aston Villa's incredible comeback tonight to deny Sheffield United the chance to move top of the table at their expense. It means the Canaries remain top on goal difference but everything could change with a poor result here.
Ipswich are basically planning for life in League One next season already. Paul Lambert has seemingly won the support of the fans but results are still hard to come by. The Tractor Boys have more fight in them now but they remain bottom of the table and 7 points adrift of safety. 6 defeats in their last 7 league games hasn't helped that predicament. Hope is fading fast. January transfer activity had hoped to inject some positive results but there's been no such transformation.
The Canaries haven't lost against Ipswich in 9 meetings between the two clubs in the league. The last time Ipswich fans tasted victory in this league fixture was back in April 2009. That's nearly a decade ago! The last victory for Ipswich at Carrow Road was even longer ago in February 2006! That's a bit of a dry spell!
Statistics don't get any better for Ipswich. Norwich have the 3rd best home record in the Championship behind only Leeds and Sheffield United. Ipswich have taken the fewest number of points away from their away matches this season. It's only 5 points if you want to know. You probably don't if you're an Ipswich fan. Lambert's side also haven't won in 9 away league games and have lost the last six.
It's a dark time to be an Ipswich fan but it's a a superb time to be alive if you're a Norwich fan. Is this one of those classic times when all the evidence points to a home win but the away side throw the form book out of the window? I can't see it. Ipswich might fight to the death but Norwich should have too much for them.
Norwich -1 @ 2.10 with Ladbrokes
Total Goals Scored Over 2.5 @ 1.91 with Betfred

Is this the weekend where we finally avoid the sword of Daggercles, Dagenhamcles, Dag-cles...
 

I didn't do too badly with picking out games that would be on last week, but sadly Stockport were the only winners although at least they kept losses down given the big price they were. Dorking came good in mid-week which pretty much covered Saturday's losses. No weather issues this weekend so unlike the horse racing everything should be on.
Aldershot v Eastleigh
Aldershot holding Dagenham to a draw was costly a couple of weeks ago, but I think there is value in opposing them again here. I wrote in that preview that Dagenham should only need 1 goal and it wasn't quite enough in the end, but the fact remains that Aldershot aren't heavy scorers and there is every chance Eastleigh again will only need 1 goal. Eastleigh's away form had been strong and then they only got 1 point in 4 away league games, but they bounced back a couple of weeks ago when winning at Bromley. They are in play-off contention and I'm still not sure that Waddock is going to be able to keep Aldershot up.
Chesterfield v Halifax
I shouldn't have given up on backing the draw in Chesterfield games as in the league they have drawn 4 of their 7 games since they beat Salford which was the last time I backed the draw in their matches. Those 4 have come in their last 5 and the win was only against Aldershot. They were poor in the FA Trophy last weekend and although it might not have been a priority it was still concerning they lost to Brackley so easily. Halifax have drawn their last 5 games and you can add another two if looking at their last 9 league matches. The stats clearly tell you that the draw is value here and it has to be worth a play.
Wrexham v Dagenham & Redbridge
God knows what is going on at Wrexham as yet again losing their manager to the Football League looks set to derail their efforts to get into the Football League. Last season they imploded when Keates left and this season things have gone downhill after Sam Ricketts move. To be fair that's not entirely true as they continued in good form to start with, but since the turn of the year they have been desperate losing 4 on the bounce and managing to only beat a Maidenhead side who managed 1 shot the whole game, 1-0. Another managerial change has happened and inexperience Bryan Hughes has come in. Apparently he is looking to improve their attacking which goes without saying given they struggle for goals. All the upheaval can't be good though and Dagenham have the potential to punish them. I really do have a love/hate relationship with Dagenham this season, but 19/5 really is too big a price to not back them here.
Nuneaton v Boston (National League North)
Pretty safe to say that Nuneaton will be playing Step 3 football next season and despite being taken over things still don't seem great off the pitch. On the pitch they have won just once at home all season and they have picked up just 2 points in their last 8 games. Boston are on the edge of the play-offs and they are pretty solid away from home this season and only lost 1-0 at Spennymoor in their last away game. That is their only defeat in their last 5 matches as well and an odds against quote looks too big for me here.
Hyde United v Matlock (Evo-Stik Northern Premier)
Not only have Matlock won just 4 games on the road this season they are in poor form overall. They have picked up just two points in their last 6 games and although they are only just behind their hosts in the table they are clearly struggling of late. Hyde have been in good form of late and take out the loss to Bamber Bridge their last 9 league matches have seen good performances even in the other two games they have lost which have come against good sides. They look a bet at 6/5.
Spennymoor v Bradford Park Avenue & North Ferriby v Workington
The BPA game got called off last week, but they are worth opposing here against a bang in form Spennymoor side who have won their last 4 league matches and have lost just two of their last 10. BPA have only 2 points in their last 6 games and as I pointed out last week they have let players go as it looks like the club don't really want promotion. The home side have gone odds on now, but I think they are worth doubling up with Workington. Now Workington are 1 from bottom and North Ferriby are bottom in the Evo-Stik Northern Premier, but it really should be an away win. North Ferriby have won 2 lost 22 and have a goal difference of -51. Workington are showing signs of possibly being able to stay up and they do have games in hand to help as well. North Ferriby have lost 9 on the bounce and have conceded at least twice in all of them. Workington have won their last 2 and only lost on of their last 4. This is a must win game for them if they are going to stay up whereas North Ferriby know their fate already. The double pays 257/100 with Marathon.
Eastleigh 1pt @ 17/10 with Marathon & William Hill
Chesterfield v Halifax draw 1pt @ 13/5 with Bet365
Dagenham & Redbridge 1pt @ 19/5 with Betfred
Boston 2pts @ 53/50 with Marathon
Hyde United 2pts @ 6/5 with BetVictor
Spennymoor/Workington 1pt double @ 257/100 with Marathon
 
 

I am going to start with the Ludlow review and it was great to see Road To Rome continue his great start to the season as well as helping us continue our great start as well. Hopefully I can now find a winner of a race that he isn't in. His jumping wasn't always great again although he never looks like falling, but with Cheltenham in mind I am not sure he can afford to make the mistakes he does round there, but I think he has to go on any shortlist. There was a brief moment when the 2nd looked threatening, but he was probably just idling really and the result was never really in too much doubt. Apparently it will be Leicester next at the end of the month before Cheltenham although I have already said that at least once before so he will probably be out again next week!
Queen Olivia ran her usual solid race and drifted back out to double figures again for anyone who preferred taking a chance e/w on something at a bigger price. The wind op seems to have worked as she pulled well clear of the rest and she was just beaten by a much superior horse. It was good to see Always On The Run run well given I tipped him up for the Hereford race. He couldn't lead today, but it seems in the right race he can find a wining opportunity this season. The only thing about the race that slightly surprised me as Marinero finishing even further behind the winner than he did last time. He emptied very quickly again and there could well be an issue there. O Maonlai was still going OK when taking a horrible fall so hopefully he is fine. Upswing ran a stinker as his profile suggested he might well do and god knows who was backing Connetable into single figures at one stage and he ran every bit as poorly as I suspected he would.
We sadly lost the Scottish Foxhunter on Saturday, but we have the Welsh version to look forward to on Thursday and obviously we have a David Maxwell runner in it. This time it is Ballotin who made a winning debut over here when landing the Bobby Renton at Wetherby in October 2017. That was off a mark of 139 and although the ground is very different here given he is ex French he is used to running in testing conditions. He ran poorly when he was last seen although that was over hurdles. He's only 8 so chances are he hasn't gone backwards all that much and we know that Hobbs' horses are running much better this season. If he won it wouldn't surprise me, but I am going to take him on as I am not sure there is too much scope for him to run that far behind his handicap mark of 141.
Dineur runs for the first time since winning the 2017 Aintree Foxhunters' which was a superb effort. He also finished 2nd in this after over a year off in 2016 when the ground was just as testing. The problem is this time around he is 13 and not run for getting on for 2 years. You also have to think this is a starting place as he builds up to Aintree so I find it hard to see him winning.
Double Ross is a really poor price at the time of writing and I would be amazed if he doesn't start in double figures. He faded pretty tamely at Warwick and hardly looked like a horse who was about to go and win one of these especially a race which is reasonably strong. Kelvingrove also looks plenty short enough on his first start since leaving Jonjo O'Neill's for just over £5k. He won at Taunton in December 2017 off 119, but he will need to better that to win this and the rest of his form around it is poor although to be fair that isn't unusual for a Jonjo horse! Millborough and Tulsa Jack are impossible to fancy although the latter did finish in front of Double Ross at Warwick and yet is 5x the price. Moreece won in the opening day of the last pointing season, but wasn't seen after that. He unseated on Hunter Chase night at Stratford prior to that and his other Hunter Chase run saw him finish a fair 5th in the Dunraven Bowl at Chepstow. He will surely need this though and that form leaves him with a bit to find.
That leaves me with the 3 horses I am going to back. First of all I can't help but have a small bet on Bally River Boy. Granted he was pulled up at Warwick, but he couldn't do his usual front running tactics that day. There is a chance he might not be able to do it here either, but it certainly looks easier for him to be able to do so and what is key for me is the fact he bolted up at the point-to-point here in December on heavy ground so we know he handles Ffos Las heavy. He might not be quite good enough to win, but at a biggish price he is worth a small cover bet e/w.
Mister Robbo has to be one of the selections. He seems to have improved a lot since coming to the UK despite only having two starts. He bolted up in a Restricted at Howick, but it is his 2nd last time at Clifton which really catches the eye. He pushed Road To Rome closer than any other horse so far this season and even managed to get into the lead at one point in the home straight. Now I am not going to say that he is a 130's horse himself, but he clearly looks to have a fair level of ability based on what I saw from the video of the race. He won his maiden in soft ground in Ireland so hopefully this different ground will be fine and if that form is to be taken at face value he is more than capable of going close in this.
Now the main bet is actually going to be a horse I was not only originally going to take on here, but was also going to take on at Hereford before it got called off. I wasn't that impressed with Vedettariat's form when he first came here in 2017 and his jumping left plenty to be desired especially when he was 2nd at Horseheath. However I was looking at his form again this afternoon and I wondered if his jumping might be better in heavy ground given he enjoyed those conditions when trained by Willie Mullins. I then found some quotes from Mullins when he won a Beginners' Chase in 2015 where he said Ruby Walsh got off and said he wants heavy ground and he jumped better in it. I then found a story on the official point-to-point website about the horse. Gina Andrews comes back from injury and was keen to ride him and then trainer/husband Tom Ellis added this 
 "He had a touch of a leg, which is why he's been off a long time, but everything is in his favour tomorrow. He's won over that trip in Ireland and will love heavy ground – the wetter the better. We made such a mess of him in his first season, and when we ran him on soft he won by half the track."
The yard have been flying and there is little doubt for me that he will be fit and ready to do himself justice. I think 6/1 is a very fair e/w price and we know he is one horse in the race who will love the ground.
Vedettariat 1.5pts e/w @ 6/1 with Bet365
Mister Robbo 1pt @ 4/1 with Bet365
Bally River Boy 0.25pts e/w @ 25/1 with Betfair/Paddy Power

3/4 for Road To Rome and 3/4 for me as well as the good start to the season continues.

A 5/2 winner from three selections yesterday,none today,busy day tomorrow..
1.30 Ayr
MAGIC OF MILAN (NAP) - 10/3 Bet365
There has been plenty of evening support for MAGIC OF MILAN and it's easy to see why. Sam England's 6yo filly is at the top of her game at present winning over today's course and distance early last month before just being run out of it at Newcastle a week later.Follow a filly in form is the mantra i tend to abide by, and i see no reason to change that approach here...
2.35 Ayr
GLITTERING LOVE - 11/10 Bet365
GLITTERING LOVE looks to hold obvious claims and i was mildly surprised to see shades of odds against about his chance  in the market this evening. The selection has won 4 of his 5 runs in points and is unbeaten over fences under rules winning at Hexham and over today's course and distance last month.
3.05 Ayr
PETERS COUSIN - 13/8 Sky
Withdrawn late on from a Newcastle race last month,PETERS COUSIN can make up for lost time by taking this. The 6yo filly caught the eye when battling well to see off two rivals in a driving finish at Kelso in December,despite not appearing to fully know the job.She will this time
3.35 Ayr
ZALVADOS - 7/4 Bet365
ZALVADOS doesn't seem to win quite as often as he should,but the gelding has ability and should be able to see off his three rivals here. Irish raider Veinard has failed to complete in three of his last five outings,Raise a Spark refused when last seen at Haydock in December,while Effret Special hasn't been seen on a racecourse for over a year...

Thanks to 3 abandonment's there have only been 3 Hunter Chases so far and in the last preview I jokingly put that Road To Rome doesn't run in the race having won the first two. Amazingly he is set to line up again here and there is a very strong chance he not just run in 3 of the first 4 Hunter Chases but win them as well. He was superb over course and distance last month and I thought it was a better win than the Taunton one as his jumping was better and he beat a good horse in Beeves. Marinero was 21L behind in 3rd and as much as he will probably come on for the first run of the season and he does have a 4lbs turnaround in the weights I just don't see how he can reverse the form. The handicapper put Road To Rome up to 139 and very few Hunter Chases earn that sort of mark. The ground is a slight concern, but he has run well enough with a bit of cut before and he has obviously improved a lot since his former rules days anyway so I don't think he necessarily needs good ground.
Upswing ran well enough at Warwick behind Hazel Hill to finish 4th, but I am not sure he achieved a great deal there and he was never that consistent for his former trainer so he wouldn't be certain to back it up. 
Queen Olivia has been the big market mover although the 20/1 was a silly price in the first place. I like her as a horse and it would be good to see her at some stage add to her Fontwell Hunter Chase win in 2017, but I struggle to see how she can land this. That Fontwell race she was given a superb ride and that certainly was a big reason why she won. Last season I thought the 2nd here in April behind Full Trottle was good, but she was always held by Mr Mercurial back here later in the month and then didn't stay at Cheltenham on her final start. She has had a wind op and it might well help her although for me she has a bit to find with the likes of Road To Rome despite the fact she gets over a stone in weight from him. Place at best for me.
I put up Always On The Run for the Hereford race we lost last week, but this looks tougher than that race. He has won on soft ground, but that was over 2m at Kempton and he has avoided it since including being a non-runner. Funnily enough he is in the Beeves colours and he also front runs so Will might just let him go on again as he did with Beeves, but he wouldn't be as strong a stayer. He might be able to hold on for a place and it will be annoying if he does win after putting him up for the Hereford race, but I just can't see how if Road To Rome runs his race that he can beat him.
I was at Cartmel the day Flying Eagle won their in 2017 in what was his last win, but that was a weak Novice Chase and he was beaten in handicaps of marks in the mid 120s after that. He also looks like he needs a shorter trip than this although he does have a very shrewd trainer in Hunter Chases so if he did run well it wouldn't be a total surprise.
Connetable was 3rd in the Pertemps at The Festival last March, but he showed nothing in two runs for his new trainer last year. He was a Non-Runner at Warwick and I didn't fancy him there and his two handicap runs are miles away from what will be needed to win this.
I thought O Maonlai was interesting at Hereford, but this is a different test and I think he will need a lesser race than this although I will be keeping a close eye on how he gets on. The other two have a lot to find.
If Road To Rome is at the same level he has been so far this season I just don't see how he doesn't win this. I saw a picture of him on Twitter that was taken the other day and he looks in really good shape at the moment. I thought he should be odds on so odds against is worth taking. Marinero might be capable of getting closer this time and he has an obvious place chance. Always On The Run should come on for his run behind Hazel Hill and might hold on for a place after being up there with the pace. Queen Olivia certainly has it in her to reward those who got on e/w at the big prices as well.
Road To Rome 3pts @ 11/10 with Betfair and Paddy Power

No guarantees of racing but it looks promising at the moment 
Ladbroke hurdle leop
Jetez    305
Tudor city   303
wonder laish   299
Wonder laish is hot fav around 7/2 but hard to know what hes capable of especially up 8lb again so no value now in price top 2 are available at 12 and 14 and that looks fab value so I'll play 
Jetez 10pts ew 14/1 pp
Tudor city 10pts ew 12/1 wh 

January was very up and down to say the least, but it was good to end it with a winner on Tuesday night especially as it got one over the Asian markets which is always pleasing especially after the last couple of bets I had opposed them on had been losers. No doubt the weather is going to get in the way this weekend so I won't go into too much detail as I doubt all these will go ahead, but there are 7 teams I like. 
Dover v Gateshead
Gateshead lost their leading striker to Chesterfield this week and they weren't happy as they are currently under a transfer embargo so they can't sign a replacement. They haven't won in 6 league games now and they travel to a Dover side who have lost just once in their last 10. Hopefully this game has a better chance than most of beating the weather given the location and Marathon's 6/4 looks a decent price on a home win.
Maidenhead v Dagenham & Redbridge
It is a bit of a love hate relationship with Dagenham at the moment as they cost us last week when conceding against a goal shy Aldershot. Even so they look overpriced at 9/5 with Bet365 to beat a Maidenhead who are going to struggle to stay up. Granted they were a bit unlucky to not get a point against Solihull in their last home game, but they then went to a Wrexham side on a poor run of form and managed just 1 shot in the whole game. Granted they will probably be a bit more attacking minded here, but the away side are value to pick up the 3 points.
Bradford Park Avenue v Leamington 
The only game BPA have not lost in their last 5 was when I tipped Blyth against them at a big price and Blyth missed an injury time penalty to win the game. Although the board claimed they do want promotion their actions spoke louder than words as they have let 3 of their best players leave and it seems they know they can't really sustain a club at National League level. They obviously wouldn't turn promotion down should they win it, but they would obviously prefer it if they stayed at this level. Granted Leamington were winning their first game in 10 on Saturday when they beat Altrincham 3-0, but that was a hell of a performance and they have drawn 6 of their last 10 games so it isn't like they are losing all the time. 11/4 with Bet365 on the away win looks more than fair.
Brightlingsea Regent v Whitehawk (Bostik Premier)
Backing Whitehawk didn't quite pay off last week as they had to come from 2 down, but they conceded after 3 minutes and that obviously always changes things when a team scores that earlier. The fact they fought back proves they are improving and although Brightlingsea have been on a strong run of form I think the away side are worth a small bet at a big price.
Bishops Stortford v Merstham (Bostik Premier)
The away side are now unbeaten in 10 league games after beating Worthing on Wednesday night. It isn't as if they have had an easy run of fixtures either as they have played plenty of the teams around them at the top of the table including the top 2 teams. The home team have lost 6 of their last 8 and the two wins were against teams in the bottom 4. 6/4 looks a big price on an away win.
Hartley Wintney v Wimborne Town (Evo-Stik Southern Prem South)
The away side are on an impressive run of form losing just once in their last 9 league games including drawing with top of the table Taunton last Saturday and beating 3rd place Met Police 3-0 on Tuesday night. The home side have won just once in their last 7 games and an away win is attractively priced.
Harrogate v Stockport (FA Trophy)
This game is almost certain to go ahead as Harrogate play on a 3G pitch and I fancy there could be an upset. Both are going well in their respective leagues, but I think Stockport are more than capable of winning this. I don't think there is as much between these two sides as the prices suggest and at nearly 4/1 Stockport are a value play.
Dover 2pts @ 6/4 with Marathon
Dagenham & Redbridge 1pt @ 9/5 with Bet365
Leamington 1pt @ 11/4 with Bet365
Whitehawk 1pt @ 103/20 with Marathon
Merstham 2pts @ 6/4 with Marathon
Wimborne Town 2.5pts @ 83/50 with Marathon
Stockport 1pt @ 39/10 with Marathon

Swansea is just like Stoke.Each time i put a bet for Stoke they cost me.I will resist the temptation to play them.Seeing that i am avoiding them they are likely to thump Birmingham. 

Swansea vs Birmingham
In this extended week of Championship action we focus on the 7:45pm kick-off on Tuesday night between mid-table clubs Swansea and Birmingham at the Liberty Stadium. A run of decent results could see either team transformed into play-off gate crashers.
Swansea are starting to pick up a bit lately. Graham Potter's side are still finding consistency hard to combine but a run of six matches without defeat across all competitions is seeing a renewed push up the table and run in the FA Cup. The Swans are now in 11th place in the league and just 6 points off the play-offs. A spot in the 5th Round of the FA Cup also awaits them.
Birmingham are in not quite a rosy position. Garry Monk will take his Blues side to his old stomping ground in 13th place and without a win in four league matches. They had been flirting with the play-off spots just before Christmas but hopes of promotion will quickly fade unless form picks up.
The Blues can come into this game quietly optimistic. They have returned from Swansea with all three points on each of the last three occasions these clubs have met in the league. The previous two meetings between these two clubs have ended in a 0-0 score-line so another such result could see this fixture earn a dour reputation.
January is famously a productive month for Swansea. The club is undefeated in its last 11 matches played during the month over the years. This will also be the first time Monk has returned to manage a club at the Liberty Stadium since he left Swansea back in December 2015. His last taste of victory in the stadium was for the Swans in the previous August.
I'm not sure what to expect here. Swansea are having to deal with the likelihood of even more departures from the squad with Wilfried Bony on the verge of a move away, Daniel James being courted by Leeds, Jefferson Montero and Luciano Narsingh both tipped to exit the club, and even captain Leroy Fer being watched by a number of clubs including Ligue 1 stars Lille. Surely, that can't be good for the dressing room morale.
My gut says that Swansea should be looking to win this but their home record this season ranks in 18th place in the Championship table. Birmingham have only failed to take something from a game on their travels in 5 of their 14 away games. I feel Monk will want to prove a point on the return to his former employers but Swansea might just have enough to sneak a narrow win.
Swansea to Win @ 2.15 with Bet365
Total Goals Scored Under 2.5 @ 1.84 with Blacktype

In my experience the Asians get it wrong more often than they get it right. Like I always say though I can't guarantee Billericay will win tonight and as I mention in the preview I wasn't prepared to back them at the price they were on Sunday, but the price is massive value now. I get it right more often than they do, but obviously the last couple of times they have come out on top. 
Some people will be aware of a professional tipster called Tony Ansell. Now he is a bit of an egomaniac and he loves an aftertime on his Twitter account (thus why an account called Aftertime Ansell sprung up at one stage), but I noticed that he took the Asians on last week in the Kilmarnock v Rangers game where the Asians punted Rangers, but he went with Kilmarnock who had become huge value for him because of the drift and they went onto win the game. If someone like him is happy to take on the Asians then I am certainly happy to do the same as I am confident I know more than they do.

An Even money winner from two selections today(6/5 advised),two for tomorrow..
1.20 Newcastle
PETERS COUSIN - 2/1 Ladbrokes
Three last time out winners in this small but select field and i fancy it will be PETERS COUSIN who will come out on top. The selection had the speed to win a bumper at Carlisle and ran creditably when runner up on Hurdles debut at Ayr back in November. However it was the win at Kelso last time which caught the eye as the Nicky Richards trained filly showed a great attitude in getting home in front in a driving finish following a 5 furlong run in(two flights omitted).The runner up that day has won since,so the form has a solid look about it.
 
3.05 Newcastle
PETITIE GANACHE - 4/1 Ladbrokes
There was a lot to like about PETITIE GANACHE when winning for the first time(at the tenth attempt) earlier this month. Having his first run for 157 days,Nicky Richards chestnut gelding was clearly fancied (being backed into 11/4 favourtism), and was never really asked for maximum effort by Hughes in recording a near four length victory.He can defy the penalty.

There aren't many Non-League games this midweek and the only team I really had in mind to back was Billericay at Slough. I went through the prices on Sunday night saw they were odds on when I was hoping for at least 5/4 and obviously left it alone. I then got a message on Twitter last night saying were Billericay value at 2/1 and couldn't believe what had happened with the odds. Clearly the Asians have got involved again and Billericay are now as big as 11/4 with Bet365 whereas Slough are odds on. Quite frankly the prices are ridiculous and the home side are massive value. Dean Brennan's time at the club came to an end after the loss to Chippenham which wasn't a surprise as their form had gone down massively. Yes players had left and quite a few new faces appeared and I think it meant the side had become a bit disjointed. Harry Wheeler has now returned though and they got a very good win against Welling on Saturday in his first game back in charge. Prior to that they had got a very good draw at Concord whose home form is very strong this season. Wheeler returning seems to have improved the team as Saturday's performance was their best for a few weeks and I think they can build on that here.
Slough are a solid side but have been pretty inconsistent this season and I can't see them breaking their way into the play-offs. They have actually only won once in their last 6 games and the results of their last two matches have not been good. First of all they blew a 2 goal lead against Chippenham and then on Saturday they lost 2-0 to bottom of the table Weston who as I have mentioned on here are a truly dreadful side. Now to be fair to Slough they were the better team and the Weston keeper won man of the match, but it is still worrying they couldn't find the net against them and still conceded twice. Slough are capable on their day, but Billericay have the better team and like I say I would have backed them at 5/4 so at 11/4 it really is a must bet. It is about time the Asian market got it wrong again and hopefully that will be the case tonight.
Billericay 2.5pts @ 11/4 with Bet365 

Hi folks
I fancy chippenham(who has been good in home turf),spennymoor(in great form) and blyth spartans(consistent team in this division)
@Darrando you have any teams from non-league you think have big possibilities for both to score?
Good luck
 

Wrexham v Maidenhead
I can't let my heart rule my head here.... I wasn't impressed when the new manager was appointed and his assistant, I've heard,  hasn't endeared himself to the players. That, though, isn't the reason to oppose them here...they have lost the last 5 and, more importantly,  failed to score in them. We were crying out for new strikers and a bit of trickery and, fair play, he signed two strikers and a winger.  They have barely played! Last week he started with an 11 he could have named two months ago. Sticking 5 past Salford was an aberration!
Maidenhead are just the type of side we struggle against...park a bus and hope to hit on the break. They also aren't in bed firm and probably didn't deserve to lose against Solihull last week. They are available at 6.00 but I'm playing the DNB at 4.50.
Christ, I'm depressed.

It wasn't good!  Last 10 mins was ok, but he's only just come in and it could take a little while for things to settle down as the players liked Kranks. I wouldn't put any money on us at the moment for sure.

Stoke vs Preston
There was only one game I was going to look into in the Championship this weekend and that's this clash between Stoke and Preston at the Bet365 Stadium (no, this is not a sponsored post!) in a 3pm kick-off. Why? It's only my boy Nathan Jones turning things around at the Potters!
OK, so Nathan Jones isn't my boy as such but he's a former Merthyr Town FC (formerly called Merthyr Tydfil FC when he was playing) player and I've been a big fan of his management style at Luton. It was a dodgy start to his tenure with the 3-1 loss to Brentford and then the 3-2 defeat to Shrewsbury in the FA Cup 3rd Round Replay. However, the 2-1 win at home to Leeds on the weekend suggested that times may be a-changing for the club.
Preston are a team struggling to keep their heads above water. I've always found Alex Neil a hard manager to like and I can't say I'm overly disappointed to see him experiencing the down side of management right now. The club is 18th and a safe 10 points clear of relegation but that could all change very quickly. The 4-1 win away to QPR on the weekend was a surprise after a run of 5 league games without a win but I can't help but feel it was more a freak score than a sign of improvement.
The Lilywhites have only won 3 of their 14 away matches this season and they've only picked up a point on three further occasions this campaign. Stoke might not be over-performing in 15th place but they're only 8 points outside the play-offs and have lost just 4 of their 14 home matches. Not bad for a team languishing down in the lower ebbs of mid-table.
I'm going to have to back a Stoke win here. I think Preston have the potential to make things difficult for teams but I think as Jones starts to get to know his players more he'll begin to maximise their attacking prowess. At their best, this Stoke team has the quality of a Premier League side. Jack Butland, Ashley Williams, Ryan Shawcross, and Joe Allen to name a few. They could be a worthwhile tip for a late push for the play-offs.
Stoke to Win @ 1.95 with BetVictor
Total Goals Scored Over 2.5 @ 2.22 with MarathonBet
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Disappointing that Telford couldn't get the win last week, but at the end of the day I am confident it was the right bet to have and it was just one of those results which defies logic and goes against us. If Blyth had scored an injury time penalty then we would have been in profit for the day as well despite the max bet losing. At the moment I am just putting the one bet up but there will be more to follow tomorrow at some point.
Dagenham & Redbridge v Aldershot
If Gary Waddock can keep Aldershot up I think it will be the biggest achievement of his managerial career because they are awful. It isn't all his fault because there have been budget cuts at the club, but you have to fear that if they go down to Step 2 they won't be coming back in a hurry. It has been 10 games since they last won in the league and they have picked up just 3 points in that spell. That last win also came against bottom of the table Braintree. Scoring goals is a huge problem for them as they have scored just 24 all season and if we narrow that down to the last 10 games then they have only scored 5, 3 of which came in the 4-3 loss to Maidenhead on Boxing Day. Away from home it is a really grim picture as they have won just once, drawn twice and lost 11. Dagenham didn't play well against Maidstone last week, but Maidstone basically gifted them all 3 goals thanks to some shocking defending. Given how much I have written about Dagenham of late there is no real point of repeating myself, but at the very least they should be no bigger than 4/6 for this and probably even shorter than that. I just can't understand how they are only very slightly odds on for this. Dagenham ought to only need 1 goal given how goal shy Aldershot and they look a cracking bet.
Dartford v Concord Rangers
Concord will be keen to get the 3 points they have lost for fielding an illegible player here, but I think the home side offer a bit of value. Dartford's home form has been very impressive as they have lost just twice. Wealdstone beat them early on in the season when they weren't in great form anyway and the only other team to beat them is Torquay and they played well that night despite losing. They have got themselves into play-off contention and it is mainly thanks to their performances at home. Concord's away form has picked up of late having drawn at Bath and won at East Thurrock and Welling before losing their last away game to Hungerford. Take the Welling win away though and the only teams they have beaten on their travels are Dulwich, East Thurrock and Weston all of whom are struggling. Dartford are nearly as big as 6/4 to win this with Marathon and that represents value to me.
Dulwich Hamlet v Chelmsford City
I'm hoping to get to this game on Saturday and it will be my first visit to Champion Hill since Dulwich returned their last month. Usually I want them to win, but given Gloucester are in a relegation battle with them I'm not sure I really do (although I do hope both survive) and I think Chelmsford are worth backing to win. I have only seen Dulwich in the flesh twice this season both when they played Gloucester. Back in August Gloucester beat them 1-0, but I was really impressed with Dulwich and thought there is noway they would struggle this season. Then just before Christmas they looked a completely different side and not a very good one at that. It is hard to know what has gone wrong really, but I suspect that the team had got used to winning games of football and now they aren't they are finding it very tricky to play their usual passing style of football because they don't have the confidence to do so. I thought returning to Champion Hill would see a big improvement in form, but after winning on Boxing Day in their first game back they have picked up just 1 point in their next 5 games and that game in a desperate affair at East Thurrock last Saturday. Having seen East Thurrock earlier this month I can imagine how bad a game it was. Chelmsford are much better than East Thurrock and although their good away form from earlier in the season has left them I would say out of the 4 defeats in their last 6 on the road the only poor loss was to East Thurrock. I'm surprised to see Chelmsford on the drift as Dulwich look really low on confidence at the moment and at just over 6/4 with Marathon the away side look a solid bet.
Southport v AFC Telford
No doubt Telford will go and win now I am taking them on, but Southport are worth a bet despite losing their unbeaten record at Altrincham last week. They certainly played well and I can seem bouncing straight back here. Telford might be very strong at home, but it has been a very different story on their travels. They have only won 3 away games and two of those came against FCUM and Nuneaton and both of those are in the bottom 3. Following Southport has been pretty profitable for us in recent weeks and I am surprised they have drifted out to 121/100 with Marathon as I would have them nearer even money myself.
Whitehawk v Carshalton
Those of you who have been following me for a while may remember that a year or so again backing Whitehawk became a rather profitable system despite the fact they were bottom of the table and still ended up going down and I just wonder if they are about to go on another good run of form. They have improved the side this month and their last two results have been superb. First of all they got a draw against Dorking who are 2nd in the table and then last week they were really impressive in beating Kingstonian last week. If they can repeat those two efforts then they should be more than capable of beating a Carshalton side who have only won 2 of their last 8 league games and have lost 5 on the bounce away from home. Every chance they will have one eye on their FA Trophy match at Barnet next week as well. At 19/10 with BetVictor they are well worth backing.
Dagenham & Redbridge 4pts @ 49/50 with Marathon
Dartford 1pt @ 147/100 with Marathon
Chelmsford 2pts @ 38/25 with Marathon
Southport 1pt @ 121/100 with Marathon
Whitehawk 2pts @ 19/10 with BetVictor
 
Not surprisingly the price has come in on Dagenham although I still think the price is on the right side of value.

Another big field for Hereford's Hunter Chase and another fascinating race. This race produced plenty of winners last season and there is a chance it might well turn out to be a race to follow closely again. I have done a rundown of the runners in racecard order.   Flaming Charmer - Ex Colin Tizzard trained 11yo who was sold for £18k last month. Was a lucky winner at Chepstow in November off a mark of 121 and it was the 2nd year running he was winning that race. His wins have been over shorter, but he stays this trip and the conditions will be fine for him. Not sure he will be good enough to win this though.   Full Trottle - A bit of a favourite of mine because he is a really solid horse who nearly always gives his running. He looked the winner of this race last year until not quite seeing the distance out as well as Shotavodka. He had a run prior to that race last season although it was in early December so there was still a fair old break before this race. After this race last year he ran at Larkhill and didn't see the race out so was given a breathing op and it seems to have done the trick because he won on his next start at Ludlow and followed that up with a really good 2nd to Mr Mercurial at Cheltenham where he reversed form with Shotavodka. If he is fit and ready he has a fair chance of going one better.   Rouge Et Blanc - Was 6th in this race last year running pretty well before going to Lingfield and winning a fairly weak contest. He was then 2nd at Leicester over 2m before pulling up in the Aintree Foxhunter. Will imagine that he will run well again, but every chance he will come on for the run as he did last year.   Shotavodka - A good winner of this race last year and looked like he was going to win the Walrus at Haydock before he tired badly on the run in. He was stuffed in the Foxhunters', beaten by Galway Jack at Southwell and then finished weakly again behind Full Trottle at Cheltenham. He has had two runs this season and his finishing effort has not been great in either. Now he did win first up at Barbury, but he flagged in the closing stages and it was a race he ought to have won anyway. Earlier this month he was 3rd at Larkhill and the in running comment says he finished very weakly. I have watched the video of the race and he has caught up the first two nicely coming to the last, but in the end there wasn't a great deal there. His finishing effort worried me going into this race last year and he proved me wrong, but he could be that he beat a horse who had breathing issues and I can't help thinking at least one horse is going to be too strong in the finish.   Special Wells - Last win came two years ago off 117 and showed very little after that. Made his pointing debut at Chaddesley Corbett last month in a Ladies Open and didn't show a great deal when pulling up so is hard to fancy here.   Always On The Run - There was a fair bit to like about his run behind Hazel Hill last month at Chaddesley Corbett. He made the running and was still in contention until fairly late on which was no mean feat given what the winner did on Monday. This slight drop in trip will help as well. The slight concern has to be the going. He has mainly kept to good and was a non runner because of soft ground once, but then he was 2nd at Leicester on heavy ground on his next start and has won on soft in the past. I would imagine if connections felt the ground wasn't suitable they wouldn't run him and I actually think he holds a solid e/w chance at double figure odds on the back of his run last time.   Full Print - Looks likely to be outclassed in this line up   O Ceallaigh - Strange how this quite often happens in a Hunter Chase that you go back and a couple of horses have run against each other in a random race and he was 5th behind Vedettariat in a Novice Hurdle at Navan in 2015. Always used to make the running although they tried to hold him up more in his final few starts in Ireland. Made the running on his first start for new connections at Clifton, but faded and was well beaten in the end. Every chance he will come on for that effort, but I just wonder about how strong a stayer he is and this race is stronger than that one. Wouldn't surprise me if he hit the frame though with Biddick on top.   O Maonlai - Flattered by his two 2nds in Hunter Chases at Exeter and Newton Abbot last April although he did run pretty well at Buckfastleigh on his seasonal return in November. That was 66 days ago now though so the benefit of that run maybe lost. Will appreciate the shorter trip though and has an outside chance of hitting the frame.   Richmond - Been fairly consistent in Hunter Chases in the last couple of years, but he hasn't won one yet and highly unlikely to break his duck here as the trip looks on the short side for him nowadays.   Tinker Time - Didn't really show a great deal when he was last seen in 2017 and looks pretty hard to fancy.   Toowoomba - Impossible to give a chance to based on his previous rules form and his pointing exploits.   Vedettariat - Has been the main early gamble of the race so far despite not having seen the racecourse in 675 days. I saw him run in his first two points and I can't say I was overly impressed. He won at Chaddesley Corbett in December 2016, but he didn't jump great and I don't think he beat a great deal. Sybarite did what he always does to finish 2nd and the favourite Kyber Kim was given the usual terrible ride by his jockey and never got involved. Next up he went to Horseheath and again didn't jump well and finished 2nd to a pretty useful horse to be fair. His next win was at Charing and that was a pretty poor affair and he then won at Kingston Blount where Full Trottle also won on the card. They both won pretty easily and Vedettariat was a second quicker, but he also carried a stone less. He then was well beaten on his final start and had too miss the whole of last season. I greatly respect trainer and jockey and the yards horses are bang in form so he will be pretty fit I am sure, but he will have to jump a hell of a lot better than in his points and you can pick all sorts of holes in his form. I wouldn't be surprised if he did go and win, but at the same time I don't really fancy him.   Village Vic - Another one of Maxwell's buy's, but this time he only has a share of it and it is still running in the colours of his long term owner. Goes without saying if he runs to anywhere near his old form he wins this, but he showed nothing last season and he is surely nowhere near a 145 horse at the moment. What I will say is that the trainer's horses were not in good form last season and plenty have returned to do well this year so perhaps we will see an improved showing, but for me the percentage call has to be to oppose.   Summary - Village Vic obviously is the best horse in the race on previous form, but he has to be taken on for me. I'm sure Shotavodka will give it a good go to win this race for the 2nd year running, but his finishing effort is always a concern and I am not sure Vedettariat is good enough on his first run for so long. I like the chances of Full Trottle as he is so consistent and if fit and ready first time out then he has a great chance of winning this so he is one bet. The other bet is going to be Always On The Run as I thought it was a promising seasonal return behind Hazel Hill and this shorter trip should help him. He might get taken on for the lead with O Cellaigh, but I thought Always On The Run is capable of seeing him off. O Maonlai might be capable of running well at big odds.   Full Trottle 1pt @ 9/2 with Betfair, Betfred and Paddy Power Always On The Run 0.75pts e/w @ 10/1 with Bet365, William Hill, Betfred, Betfair and BetVictor

Burton vs Manchester City
The second leg of this one-sided EFL Cup Semi-Final between League One side Burton and Premier League title contenders Manchester City is coming up this Wednesday night in a 7:45pm kick-off from the Pirelli Stadium. Can the home team turn around the 9-0 deficit?... 
Burton haven't really done themselves any favours in the build-up to this if you ask me. I know they were on a hiding to nothing but they've been so defeatist since the draw was made. Nigel Clough has just come across as accepting they'd get pummelled but I still think even with the gap in class that the score-line was poor for the Brewers.
Manchester City will be looking to give some reserve and youth players a run around. Obviously, I'm not expecting another 9-0 score-line but the rhetoric from Clough is once again really pessimistic so I wouldn't be surprised if Pep Guardiola saw his team stick 4 or 5 on Burton here.
Not much detail needed for this preview. I can see the away side winning by a fair margin so backing a heavy handicap seems like the clear choice. I'd say a -2 handicap at least is worth chasing plus a pick of a fringe player bagging a goal because there could be a few here.
Manchester City -2 @ 2.10 with Ladbrokes
Anytime Scorer: Oleksandr Zinchenko @ 9.00 with 888Sport
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A 7/2 winner from my two selections today,three for tomorrow..
12.55 Kelso
ITS ALL A LARK - 11/4 Hills
Abbie McCain is a talented jockey at this level and she looks to hold a winning chance riding ITS ALL A LARK for her father. Donald McCain's bay filly is very much an unknown quantity here,racing for the first time from this stable.The selection however has shown ability in points and wouldn't need to be much out of the ordinary to take this.It's interesting that the McCain father/daughter combination won this race last year with Craig Star.
1.25 Kelso
MIGHTY THUNDER - 9/4 Hills
MIGHTY THUNDER was possibly a lucky winner here when left clear at the last back in December. Nevertheless it was a step up on the geldings previous efforts and being only a six year old can continue on the upward curve. The fact the selection received reminders early on that day makes the win all the more meritorious suggesting that the trip may possibly have been on the short side.Today's step up in distance against weaker opposition and with cheekpieces now added looks tailor made..
3.25 Kelso
MAHLERVOUS - 7/4 Hills
Warren Greatrex sends MAHLERVOUS on the long trip north from Lambourn and with the talented Sean Bowen aboard,his claims look obvious. The selection made an eyecatching seasonal debut run when 2nd of 14 in a competitive handicap chase at Cheltenham back in November following a 213 day off course absence.A disappointing run the following month at Aintree can be forgiven as the gelding most likely would have "bounced" that day. Given plenty of time to get over that Aintree run,there looks to be no excuses now following a recent wind op...

Not too many matches tonight, but I have spotted 3 games worth having a bet on.
Brightlingsea Regent v Worthing (Bostik Premier)
The only game Brightlingsea haven't won in their last 7 leagues games was when I put them up as a bet against Tonbridge and they blew a 2 goal lead. Hopefully we can get that cash back tonight as they look a fair price to beat Worthing. The home side have only lost one of their last 10 and are in flying form. Worthing were looking possible title contenders as they had a few games in hand for a while, but their form has taken a downward spiral in recent weeks. They have lost their last 3 and have only won twice in their last 9 league games. I think Regent should be closer to even money than they are so the 13/10 with Marathon, Betway and BetVictor looks well worth taking.
Chesham v Basingstoke (Southern League Premier South)
I have put Chesham up as a bet a few times in the last few weeks and their good form has continued as they have only lost 1 of their last 10 league games. That run includes winning the reverse of this fixture which took place just 10 days ago 3-2. Basingstoke did go down to 10 men once all the goals were scored but Chesham ran out worthy winners. Basingstoke have won just one of their last 5 and have only won 3 away games all season. Chesham should be capable of doing the double and Betway go 11/10 about a home win which is well worth a bet.
Welwyn Garden City v Corby (Southern Division One Central)
It is quite rare that games at step 4 get priced up, but when you get a quiet day like today bookies do drop down to this level because they will offer betting in play on it. Those of you who follow me on Twitter might have seen that I put up a late bet last Tuesday when I opposed Welwyn when they hosted Sutton Coldfield. The reason for doing so was that all but 3 of the team had walked out after the manager resigned. The new manager had signed 10 players and got a couple in from the youth team and amazingly they defied the odds to get a point against Sutton although Sutton were all over them in the 2nd half and should have won. The Welwyn goal was an own goal by the keeper as well. After that point they did manage to get a 0-0 draw on Saturday against Aylesbury United. To get two draws given how little the team knew one another was pretty impressive, but in Corby they are facing really tough opposition for the first time. Corby are looking to win the title and have lost just one of their last 10 league games. They score goals for fun having scored 34 in that time and only two games have they not scored more than 2. That is seriously impressive stuff and it is hard to see how they can't punish a Welwyn side who will still be learning how to play as a team. 5/6 is available with Marathon and that looks too big in my view. I will also be having a smaller bet on Corby to be winning at half time and full time at 15/8 with Bet365.
Brightlingsea Regent 1pt @ 13/10 with Marathon, Betway and BetVictor
Chesham 1pt @ 11/10 with Betway
Corby 4pts @ 5/6 with Marathon
Corby/Corby HT/FT 1pt @ 15/8 with Bet365

Had a single on Sheffield United, chasing some losses! Wish Dowell was starting but I think it will be one way traffic anyway.

No Road To Rome this time although we do have the horse I thought was going to beat him at Taunton in Shantou Flyer. Now there is little point in me repeating what I wrote a couple of weeks ago on him and as much as this is a deeper race than Taunton he obviously is the one they all have to beat. The slight concern would be that he is having his first run of the season whilst his main rivals have had a start and obviously with Cheltenham the aim he is unlikely to be 100%, but even so if he is to have a chance at Cheltenham he really ought to be winning this. He also has to finish in the first 2 to get 1 of his 2 qualifying runs so they can't leave too much to work on.
Not many 11yo will have only had 18 runs but Hazel Hill has not seen the racecourse all that often over the years. Connections have taken things very slowly with him as well as they could easily have gone for Cheltenham last year although he ended up at Towcester the day before instead. He hacked up in both Hunter Chases last season at Towcester and the month before at Leicester, but this contest is in a different league to those two. I was at Chaddesley Corbett when he made his seasonal return last month and he bolted up in what was a pretty weak race as well. He has been well backed and for all of 2 minutes was available at 14/1, but take the first 1 off and you get his current price. Obviously a double figure quote was stupid and we don't truly know how good he is as this is by far his toughest test. He might prove himself up to it, but my quite big concern is his jumping. At Leicester he was on the whole pretty good, but Towcester he made a few errors and I didn't think he jumped all that well the last time. He also jumped out to his right so he might be better going the other way round. At a double figure price I certainly would have put him up as a bet, but I don't think 4/1 is value as his jumping will really be put to the test here.
I would imagine Brandon Hill has Aintree as his aim after finishing a superb 2nd off 130 in the Topham Chase last month. That run obviously gives him a chance here, but there is every chance he might have to top it to win this. He is likely to make the running and he is a great jumper so I can imagine that he will put plenty of these to the sword. He might not have enough at the end to beat Shantou Flyer if he is anywhere near his best, but you can easily see him hitting the frame.
I said above that not many 11yo have run just 18 times, but Cousin Pete has only run 14 times! Cousin Pete ran a fantastic race to finish 3rd in last year's Foxhunter at 66/1 and he put behind a disappointing 2017 when he wasn't right. In 2016 he won at Cheltenham on Hunter Chase night and I actually thought he could turn into a Foxhunter contender although I didn't think he had progressed enough to actually be capable of finishing as close as he did last year. It was a bit disappointing he was beaten at 1/3 at Barbury last month on his first run since Cheltenham, but the ground was pretty quick and I imagine that they would have looked after him that day. I suspect we will see a much better performance here and Warwick should suit him better than Market Rasen where he was beaten in a Hunter Chase last year. His handicap rating is actually 134 which is 1lb higher than Brandon Hill and crucially because his Hunter Chase win came in 2016 he doesn't have to carry a penalty in this. That means he gets weight from the 3 above him in the betting and his jockey takes off another 7lbs as well. 9/1 seems a very fair price to me especially as Paddy Power, Ladbrokes and Coral are going 4 places.
Double Ross ran a cracker to finish 4th in last season's Kim Muir and that gives him an obvious place chance in this, but he hasn't gone close to repeating that since and he is 13 now so I don't really fancy him here. 
Current connections paid £35k for Mr Mix and he won the Desert Orchid Silver Cup at Wincanton last season off 139 so that gives him a fair chance in this. On his pointing form this year though you wouldn't really fancy him as he has finished 3rd and 2nd in two points at Cottenham. What I will say though is Cottenham probably wouldn't really suit as it isn't much of a test so going up a little in trip would suit him more. I don't like him enough to want to back, but he I wouldn't be surprised if he ran a decent enough race.
Connetable is another ex-Nicholls horse and he finished 3rd in the Pertemps Final at The Festival last year. His new connections paid £50k for him at the sales which is looking rather pricey given his two runs for his new trainer as he has been stuffed twice in handicap chases at big prices. Maybe he can do better after another break, but this is a decent hunter chase and he isn't for me.
For his trainer's sake I hope Upswing runs better than his other Hunter Chase runner so far, but he is hard to fancy on what he was doing in his last 4 runs under Rules. Bally River Boy was put in pretty short given his Fontwell win came in a fairly weak race and he was a little lucky to win as a better jockey would have seen the 2nd win for me. He likes to get on with it as well and I find it hard to see him having the class to be good enough to see off Brandon Hill on that front. He bolted up at Ffos Las on his seasonal return in a Mixed Open last month, but it was Ffos Las heavy and not as strong a race as this. Net D'Ecosse has already had 3 point runs and the form he has shown is below what will be needed to win this, although he was 2nd to Irish Anthem at Clifton last month and that one is heading to the Foxhunter so maybe he won't be a completely lost cause. The rest look outclassed.
I think Shantou Flyer is the most likely winner, but he is priced up tight enough. I can see him drifting given most Maxwell runners do so he might hit a price worth backing him at during the day and if he does I will add to this post. Any value on Hazel Hill has long gone for me and I really worry about his jumping in a race like this in what is by far his biggest test. Brandon Hill has no worries on the jumping front and can give it a good go from the front. The horse though I think holds the best value at this stage is Cousin Pete given he gets weight from those 3. We know he has the class and I fully expect him to step up on his Barbury effort and if he shows the form he did to finish 3rd in the Foxhunter last year then he looks to have a great chance of hitting the frame at the very least. I might add more bets during the day tomorrow.
Cousin Pete 1pt e/w @ 9/1 with Paddy Power, Ladbrokes and Coral (all going 4 places)