[Wolverhampton 21st Jan (AW) (Twilight)]

Re: Wolverhampton 21st Jan (AW) (Twilight) Thanks- could just do with Gbaon scoring now & it will have been a cracking day!

[Wolverhampton 21st Jan (AW) (Twilight)]

Re: Wolverhampton 21st Jan (AW) (Twilight) 5.20 Wolverhampton – Interchoice Star – 9/1 Victor Chandler Have expressed my admiration for Reg Hollinshead before and the yard seems to have taken on a new lease on life lately. Interesting therefore to see this horse nibbled at. On the book it is entitled to be thereabouts – if not quite there - But I will follow what I hope is clever money

[African Nations Cup 2010]

Re: Africa » MTN Africa Cup of Nations (10-31 jan 2010) Africa Cup of Nations

Cameroon vs Tunisia - 2.1 Bet365

Gabon vs Zambia – 2.0 William Hill Both teams to score

All four teams, under the terms of the competition, can still qualify for the next stages, so whatever else happens I would expect 110% (to use a football term!) from all concerned and will be disappointed if they don’t all score – I think the odds on offer look generous.

[Taunton 21st Jan 2009]

Re: Taunton 21st Jan 2009 Taunton: 1:30 Lay 1.23 Betfair - £834 available Betfair Undoubtedly the best horse in the field on known form and fully entitled to win - but 1.23? Pipe ,Hobbs & Dartnall (amongst others) have runners with little exposed form and could be anything - and the selection - though obiously bursting with potential - has had only the one run over obstacles. Will proabably win - but happy to lay at his price

[Punchestown 20th Jan]

Re: Punchestown 20th Jan Pittoni- Lay 1.66 Betfair - £645 available at c12.10 Think this is a three horse race so the ability to lay at 1.66 appeals. It wouldn't be a turn up if it won of course, but certainly happy to lay at this price with a Mullins/Walsh runner, winner last time, in the field and Big Game Hunter (being nibbled at) could be anything

[Folkestone - 19th January]

Re: Folkestone - 19th January Cheers - must have been looking really good to get to that price on Betfair - sometimes those in running prices really amaze me. Thanks again

[Newcastle - 20th July]

Soldiers Tree - Newcastle 13:40 - SP (ew) Bred to stay 10 miles in the mud and already a point to point winner in Ireland the selection is a sporting suggestion. There are, on the face of it, much more racy types in the field and on decent groung I wouldn't have thought that it would have the turn of foot to get involved - however this IS three miles in the mud on a wet Wednesday afternoon in Newcastle. Must, I suppose back ew so will take SP - the best ew price on ofer currently being around 20s - BetChronicle offer a win price of 52 (better even than Betfair's curent 38).

[Folkestone - 19th January]

Re: Folkestone - 19th January Anybody see the 4.10 ? Followed it on Betfair & was "counting the winnings" on Black Annie when it got to about 1.3 (always fatal) and then all of a suddent its 25, 50 ...an up. Even tho I knew it was a NHFlat race I thought it must have slipped/fallen -but not according to the Post result. What happened, anyone know?

[Folkestone - 19th January]

Re: Folkestone - 19th January Master Pink (ew) - Boylesport - 7/1 Richard Rowe does well here and the horse goes in the mud. There are plenty of question marks over the whole of a (poor) field and I think the selection might just represent good value getting as it does limps of weight all round - esp valuable in the mud

[Folkestone - 19th January]

Folkestone: 4:10 - Black Annie - SP (currently about 3.0) The Webber yard has had a couple run well post the freeze up and although there are a couple of unknown quantities in the field a combination of its experience and the McCoy magic makes the mare a reasonably confident selection. Certainly the going should present no problems which you can’t necessarily say about the unraced duo that both appear to be fancied. I think there is more to fear from Animation who will also appreciate the mud.

[Kempton 16th Dec (AW) (eve)]

Re: Kempton 16th Dec (AW) (eve) 20.50 Kempton - VC Bet -ew - 9/1 The Jonston stable continues to crank out the winners and if you ignore its last run then this has every chance at a price

[Bangor - 16th December]

Bring On The Judge - Bangor-on-Dee: 3:30 - 8 Bet365 (ew) The yard is in good nick and has a good record in this sort of race and it s interesting that Paddy Brennan comes here in preference to Newbury where he would appear to have had the chance of a few good rides. Famous last words but, ew, this looks loke a relatively risk free proposition

[Newbury - 28th November]

2.40 Newbury - Chelsea Harbour- 140 Betfair Fabulous race, as ever. I don't think there is a single horse in here that you could say, after the race, "I don't see how that could win", Any of them are capable - and I think Chelsea Harbour has as good a chance as any. Backed last time for a decent chase at Cheltenham last time & would have finished a good deal closer but for an uncharacteristic mistake. Ground & distance to suit, first time blinkered - every chance. Certainy prefer 140 this to 4/1 Denman.

[Musselburgh - Sunday 22nd November]

Re: Musselburgh - Sunday 22nd November Musselburgh: 12:15 - Annie May - LAY 3 - Betfair - £2,000 available at 3 - other scraps available from 2.78 Indeed Annie May (win) but so quite easily and with equal claims could any of the top five in the betting - which by my maths makes the price 5 not 3 (and it will be quite a deal shorter than that when the market is more fully formed). Another position I think where the price is simply too skinny and should be taken on,

[Musselburgh - Sunday 22nd November]

Musselburgh: 1:25 - Tazbar - Lay - Betdaq - Available - £159 @ 1.49, £151 @ 1.51 Perfectly good horse (on hurdles form) but 1.51 on its debut over fences on the (at least) soft. I think not!!!! Not saying it ca'nt or won't win but this is another of those silly prices. It I could find one a day like this to lay then, despite the set-back from time to time, would be confident of showing a decent profit.

[Cricket: South Africa vs England Twenty20 Internationals & ODI Series]

Re: Cricket: South Africa vs England Twenty20 Internationals & ODI Series South Africa v England 2nd ODI - Lay England - BetDaq 2.41 - £594 available Hard to believe given the way things have gone that England can turn it round. They have been comprehensively thumped in most of the matches to date - inc the one they "won" on Duckworth/Lewis - the Betfair price on SA at the time the rains came was I think about 1.3 which shows who the people put money on thought was winning* - and even though KP is back can't see England pulling it off. *If that sounds a "bit bitter" - correct!! I had a very nice position on Betfair which I was about to close when the rains came! Forgot they were playing in the dark - normally the commentators give plenty of notice of oncoming rain - not this time and I only "remembered" too late that playing under floodlights they couldn't see the building weather. Yet another factor to remember for the future!!

[Rugby Internationals]

Re: Rugby Internationals Shouldn't have been so lily-livered! Well done the Scots - their pack was immense.No doubt media calls soon for Andy Robinson to manage England! England played OK and I did lay NZ - and made a decent profit closing it out shortly after half-time so a smiley day for once. When the Six Nations comes around I think there will be some interesting choices to make.....roll on the New Year.

[Rugby Internationals]

Re: Rugby Internationals Australia vs Scotland - Ladbrokes 1.9 - Scotland +11pts I don't think that there may be that much between these sides and am very tempted by a straight Scotland win which is as high as 6.8 at Betfair. Still not entirely convinced by the Australian front five despite all the plaudits. However I will take the cowardly way out and take the handicap!

[Wolverhampton 21st Nov (AW) (eve)]

Re: Wolverhampton 21st Nov (AW) (eve) 7.15 Wolverhampton - Bennadonner - Betfair 3.15 Not really my sort of price at all - much prefer looking for good priced outsiders, but this appears to me SO far ahead of the opposition.......Famous last words! Before the clean up I would have thought it might be a great lay at something like 1-3! Time will tell

[Haydock - Sat 21st Nov]

Re: Haydock - Sat 21st Nov 2.20 Haydock - Lysander - ew - 16/1 Bet365 This is a cracking race with s0me top drawer contenders. The selection isn't one of them though! This 3m+ is going to take some getting in the mud and will be a real slog. I fancy an old hand at the bottom of the handicap (it gets no less than 31lbs!!!! from the top weight and current fav, Diamond Harry)to at least give us a good run for our money. Has performed over distance and these conditions so has (at these weights) every chance

[Rugby Internationals]

England v New Zealand: First Scoring Play - England Penalty - 3.2 SportingBet Sorry I am not allowed, under the competition rules, to have more than one bet on the match. If I was, at 1/10, I would be very tempred to lay New Zealand. Yes they are undoubtedly favs to win but (should one say "as ever") the media are going overboard on just how bad England are.(They do this in all sports - and go the other way when things are going better.)England DID beat Argentina and New Zealand have been beaten themselves quite a lot recently, by their standards. 1/10 in a two horse (or more importantly in this case two team) race is almost walk-over territory. However I am not "wasting" my selection on that but taking 3.2 about what I think is virtually an even money chance. If the ref is on the ball England should have a number of penalties early as NZ go over the top at the ruck - and anywhere whithin 40/45m should give Mr Wilkinson the chance to increase his bag of points. We shall see!

[Lingfield Sat 21st Nov]

Re: Lingfield Sat 21st Nov 1.25 Lingfield - Ruler’s Honour – 33/1 (ew) - BetFred Not often you see God and Mammon rubbing shoulders on the race-course (Irish priests at Cheltenham excepted!) but intrigued to see that this is sponsored by a Christian mail order site. Well 10/10 for innovation – though its my view that organised religion has caused more misery in the world over the years than probably almost anything else – including gambling! However this is not the forum for that – so to horse. I was looking for something particularly apposite given the sponsorship but nothing of that sort jumped out but Ruler’s Honour did. Tim Etherington must be getting on a bit, like the writer and he doesn’t have that many runners these days – and certainly doesn’t travel them great distances in pursuit of hopeless causes. This is not a great race on the face of it so the newcomer, a late(ish) foal, owned by the trainer, would not have to be a world-beater to kick off his racing career with a win.

[Carlisle - 9th November]

Re: Carlisle - 9th November Rebcca's Choice - 7/1(ew)- Stan James Rimmel’s is a “proper” NH yard and coming into a bit of form. They don’t have the number of runners (or anything the like the number of horses) that they had in the glory days of father Fred but those they do put out are proper jump horses and it is perhaps no surprise they have had a few to run well now that the rains have come. They don’t seem to travel too far needlessly either, so it is interesting that they have sent Rebecca’s Choice up for what on the face of it is a pretty ordinary race – though Carlisle is a very particular course, especially in the mud. On the face of it the horse is bred to want six miles in the mud and it is interesting that it was quite seriously backed down to favourite for a NH bumper last season, when soft/heavy. They haven’t rushed the horse, as you would expect from a yard like this, and although it is now a six year old it will only just become coming to itself on this breeding – and the more so since it is a (very) late foal – June. There is no way of knowing how fit the beast is after its lay off - but at some stage this season I would expect that they will be collecting at least one race, somewhere in the mud, lets hope its today. Certainly the market, though it is early, seems to be speaking in its favour it being lower on Betfair than on the books – unusual. Fingers more than optimistically crossed!

[Champions League Wed November 4th]

Re: Champions League Wed November 4th Rubin Kazan v FC Barcelona - Red Card - 4.5 Expekt Dynamo Kyiv v Internazionale- Red Card – Expekt – 5

Fiorentina v Debreceni VSC – Red Card – Expekt – 5

Sevilla v VfB Stuttgart– Red Card – Expekt – 4.5

Standard de Liège v Olympiakos – Red Card – Expekt – 5 Unirea Urziceni v Rangers– Red Card – Expekt – 5

Was spectacularly unsuccessful following this strategy yesterday but will give it one more go. I think now the competition is getting to the "sharp end" - re qualification for the next round - the potential for things boiling over increases. I still think odds of 4.5 or 5 are generous. If I prove to be as wrong tonight as last night I might just admit that the bookies are the ones who have it right - again! Am selecting 6 matches wth minium odds of 4.5

[Champions League Tue November 3rd]

Re: Champions League Tue November 3rd Besiktas JK v VfL Wolfsburg - red card given - 4/1 Expekt It is getting to the "sharp end" for Champions League qualification - and things are liable to get a bit tetchy! I am suprised the odds against a red card are as high as 4/1, so I intend to back it in three matches and will be very disappointed if we don't get at least one up. Turks vs Germans in Turkey looks a good place to start! Say n'more!! Maccabi Haifa v Juventus - Expekt - Red Card 4.85 Could see the Italians getting very tetchy if it doesn't go their way early enough - and if it does maybe the odd Maccabi defender might like to make his mark. FC Bayern München v Girondins de Bordeaux: Red Card - 4.85 Expekt Germany vs France has a bit of a ring to it too if you are looking for a dust up (I hope I have not been guilty of racial stereptyping here) so we'll throw this one in for the third choice.