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This Weeks Sports Betting Preview – By Rick Elliott

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The Manchester United OLEGEND Lives On

The race for the top four in the Premier league and automatic qualification for the Champions League will have many twists and turns over the rest of the season. Arsenal and Manchester United are now six points off the pace but Arsenal are in decline. United have won their last five league games so are the form team of the division and the only side not to drop any points in that run. UNITED are 9/4 with Coral to finish in the top 4 and qualify for the Champions League.

The transformation under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been amazing. The players are now enjoying their football after the joyless Jose Mourinho era. United beat Tottenham at Wembley yesterday so Solskjaer passed his biggest test and is making a strong case to get the manager’s job on a permanent basis. Solskjaer is in the role for now and UNITED are 25/1 with Paddy Power to not lose again in the Premier League this season. That outcome would clinch the job for the Norwegian.

Manchester City have scored 16 goals in their two Cup matches against Rotherham and Burton. They would probably swap a couple of those to beat Wolves in the Premier League at the Etihad this evening. Wolves have recorded decent results against all the top six elite clubs, including a 1-1 draw on their own ground against the champions. The visitors have let in just 10 goals on their travels and only three of the elite clubs have a better defensive away record. City’s recent scoring average won’t continue so a ONE-NIL SCORE will suffice and that result is 7/1 with Coral.

It’s the first week of the Australian Open which could involve Andy Murray’s last match. The hip gives him too much pain to compete and the Grand Slam in Melbourne could be his career swan song. His demise is reflected in the fact that MURRAY is 7/2 with Paddy Power to beat Roberto Bautista Agut in the first round.

Saturday’s Clarence House Chase at Ascot could be a cracker because Altior is in the early ante post betting. Waiting Patiently was brought down in the King George when travelling well and could also run. You should never be afraid of one horse and WAITING PATIENTLY is 16/1 with Paddy Power to prevail. Today’s Punchestown (2.45) nap on form and ratings is BRITISH ART at 4/1 with Coral.

The OGS Run Could End At Wembley 

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Ole Gunnar Solskjaer faces his first big test as the caretaker manager of Manchester United. He takes his side to London on the back of five straight wins and a record of scoring 16 goals and conceding three. There is a subplot to the Premier League fixture against Tottenham at Wembley. 

MAURICIO POCHETTINO is the favourite at 7/4 with Betfair to be the next permanent Manchester United manager and SOLSKJAER is the second favourite at 4/1 with Betfair. The combined odds of the two market leaders are 10/11 which means one of the two contenders are more likely to get the job than not. It will be interesting to see how the betting market reacts if United beat Tottenham. 

As a United fan who will always be in debt to Ole for scoring the winning goal in the 1999 Champions League final there is a heart over head scenario. However, it would be remiss of me not to examine the facts logically and the conclusion is that the run under Solskjaer will come to an end at Wembley. United’s wins have come against much weaker opponents. 

Tottenham have won 15 of their 18 fixtures this season and have not conceded in five of their last eight matches. Tottenham are 10 points ahead of United and can still be backed at a decent price to win a home match. TOTTENHAM will be playing at Wembley until March at least but their recent record means they must be backed at Evens with Paddy Power to beat United.

Bournemouth and Everton have both won 27 points from 21 matches but on home and away scoring stats Bournemouth are about a half goal favourite. Only one team has conceded more goals on the road than Bournemouth but they are playing Everton at home. They are the seventh highest scorers on their own ground and Everton are not prolific scorers on the road. BOURNEMOUTH -0.5 is 17/5 with bet365. 

The Grade 2 novice hurdle over two miles at Punchestown (2.50) has a history of producing leading contenders for the Supreme Novice Hurdle which is the Cheltenham Festival openor. Willie Mullins usually runs one of his best young horses with the potential to win at the highest level. HARRIE fits the bill in today’s race so is the selection at 7/2 with Paddy Power. 

Today’s Sports Betting Preview – By Rick Elliott

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Could Be A Huge Night In Leeds For Derby

Derby have been in a strong position to qualify for the playoffs for most of the season but Frank Lampard could soon be setting bigger ambitions. The risk of recruiting a rookie manager seems to have paid off and DERBY are now just six points out of the automatic promotion places and now just 3/1 with Paddy Power to be promoted to the Premier League. Lampard had no managerial experience before taking over at Pride Park but a long career with Chelsea in particular and England meant he had a great contacts book and he is related by marriage to Harry Redknapp, the King of the Jungle. Tonight’s away match at Leeds is Derby’s biggest test of the season so far. 

Lampard’s team are playing the league leaders who are five places and eight points ahead of them in the Championship table. The visitors have only won one of five league fixtures but Leeds have lost their last two matches. Leeds injury list grows day by day and they have conceded two goals in each of their last five matches. Derby have more strength in depth and follow the manager’s attacking forward thinking philosophy. Lampard will appreciate the significance of beating Leeds on their own ground and on EFL Cup form at Manchester United and Chelsea DERBY can make a statement by beating Leeds and that outcome is 29/10 with Coral.  

The second round of the Sony Open provides some Friday evening three-ball betting. Dead heat rules apply if two or indeed three players return the same score over 18 holes. There was an industry tip on Patton Kizzire to win the tournament but he is six shots off the pace after day one. A big move is expected today which suggests KIZZIRE can outscore Bubba Watson and Patrick Reed at 8/5 with Paddy Power. The bet would have won in the first round yesterday.  

There is a Fast Track Qualifier for the All-Weather Championships at Dundalk tonight (6.30). The one mile race on sand has attracted just seven runners but the winner earns a place in the mile final at Lingfield Park on Good Friday. A horse who was tried in Group contests last season without great success now races in handicap company. THEOBALD is a course and distance winner and the tip on ratings and form so should be backed at Evens with Coral. 

Today’s Sports Betting Preview – By Rick Elliott

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Can You Ignore Fulham at 40/1? 

Manchester City’s fourth round tie in the EFL Cup at home to Fulham is not being televised which means there is no meaningful live football action today. The trophy is fourth on Pep Guardiola’s wish list and team selection will be key. Both City and Fulham have other fish to fry and are being asked to play three matches in a week. Points in the Premier League are more important than winning the League Cup. 

Jose Mourinho liked to win the first trophy up for grabs but City don’t need a boost to their confidence and Fulham are in the bottom three. Its speculative but if City play the reserves and their opponents are at full strength you can’t turn down the chance to back FULHAM to win the tie in 90 minutes at 40/1 with Ladbrokes.   

American football in the NFL is not everybody’s cup of tea and if you support Tottenham the sport is just a pain in the neck. The pitch for their home Premier League match against City showed the vestiges and damage caused by the NFL fixture the day before. City scored the winning goal with a route one move on the damaged Wembley turf that still had the markings from the previous day.  

On the face of it American football is played by over-padded lumps with more advert breaks than action. In fact, it’s a sport played by over-padded lumps with more advert breaks than action but that doesn’t mean you can’t win money. Efficiency is the key and that is quantified by yards gained from each play. The figures for tonight’s Oakland at San Francisco meeting suggest OAKLAND +3 is the bet at 20/21 with William Hill. In eight weeks both teams have recorded just one win. 

The Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby on Saturday will see the return of Thistlecrack to the track. On best hurdle form the horse should be odds-on but so much has happened since those halcyon days. Enable is the banker in the Breeders’ Cup but a poor draw has seen the horse drift in the betting. It would be a pleasure to see two wonderful horses win races that are like chalk and cheese. The DOUBLE at best odds pays over 7/2 with Coral. 

Before the riches of the weekend there is a decent All-Weather fixture at Lingfield today featuring two listed class 1 races. The 2.35 is a Fast-Track Qualifier for finals day next April. MOVE SWIFTLY ticks most of the boxes and is the selection at 11/8 with Paddy Power.

Tuesday’s Horses In Focus – By Unity Racing Investments

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Well members at Unity have another winning month. That’s 3 big ones in a row! 

The last week has seen a few nice winners. 

Winter is most definitely here the weather has changed the clocks have gone back and we settle down to a really exciting jump season. I’m going to put out 2 more horses to follow next week so watch out for that! 

I love the jump’s and I think this year might just be very special. We have taken on some new information from some top jumps yards and some that are lesser known. Smaller yards have winners at much better value as the markets tend to devalue the horses they run. Whatever happens we are as ever determined to bring our members a 4th and 5th year of continuous profits. 

Today’s free bet is Catterick 12-55 Handicap (Class 6) 5f Campion 28/1 with Paddy Power showed plenty of early pace last time at Newcastle a track that seems to work out better for horses coming off the pace. Catterick very much favours horses near the pace so I can see a much better performance from him. Ground should be fine too and dropping in trip also looks ideal. 

Bets for our main service will be out around 11.30 am today so there is plenty of time to get involved.

CLICK HERE – 12 Month Membership Only £96.00!

Today’s Sports Betting Preview – By Rick Elliott

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Wales Look Too Good For Any Denmark Eleven

Futsal is to football what Twenty20 is to Test match cricket. Fundamentally it’s the same sport but the two versions are like chalk and cheese. A dispute between the Danish FA and the players meant the squad for the home match against Wales could be made up of futsal players. In that case Wales would be massive odds-on to win the match so betting on the Nations League fixture is fraught with danger. Even if the dispute is resolved and Denmark play the first string there could be vestiges of grievance which makes WALES the bet to win the match at 14/5 with Coral.

After completing his career Grand Slam in the 2016 French Open Novak Djokovic suffered a dip in form. He had achieved the ultimate career objective so motivation became an issue in this unforgiving sport. The Serb won the Wimbledon championships this summer and can add to his tally of major titles in the final of the US Open. Juan Martin Del Potro has had his injury breaks and deserves a second US Open but DJOKOVIC has the hunger and must be backed at 4/9 with Paddy Power.

The quality of the racing at York is always a cut above what takes place at most other courses. Their meeting today is lucrative compared to the majority of other Sunday fixtures around the tracks. The best horse on the card on ratings is Limato and that status can be confirmed with a win in the listed race at 2.55 but the odds are short. At a working man’s price INTERNATIONAL MAN is the each way tip in the handicap over one mile two and a half furlongs (2.20) and the best odds are 20/1 with bet365.

This Weeks Sports Betting Preview – By Rick Elliott

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Two Huge Champions League Fixtures And Punchestown

In a massive week for sports betting the highlight is the semi-final first legs in the Champions Leagues that bring together some of the biggest clubs from England, Italy, Germany and Spain. It’s no coincidence that the richest and most prestigious leagues in Europe are represented in the last four of the most lucrative domestic competition in the world.

Liverpool at home to Roma and Bayern Munich at home to Real Madrid would take a lead without conceding into the second matches next week. Tonight Everton host Newcastle in a meaningless match but its worth bearing in mind that eight of Newcastle’s last 12 away matches have produced at least three goals. With nothing to play for OVER 2.5 GOALS is the bet at 5/4 with Betfair.

The Punchestown Festival in Ireland is the equivalent of Cheltenham in Britain. It’s a five-day betting bonanzas of Grade 1 races that features the best horses trained in the country. The action should be competitive but there is now a duopoly. Gordon Elliott and Willie Mullins dominate jumps racing across the Irish Sea. They have the backing of wealthy owners who invest in the best horses who win the top races.

The subplot of Punchestown is the trainer’s championship in which Elliott has a decent lead. However, MULLINS is a past master of getting his horse fit when it matters most and should be backed at 5/4 with William Hill to be the top dog in Ireland. SON OF REST is the banker bet at the today’s Flat meeting at Navan (6.00) and on offer at 4/1 with Ladbrokes.

So there is plenty of racing and football betting action this week and the usual tournaments in tennis and golf. For those of you who enjoy a marathon more than a sprint the 17-day World Snooker Championship trundles on all week at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield. Mark Selby was knocked out in the first round which makes the task on the best player in the tournament easier. RONNIE O’SULLIVAN cannot be opposed to win a sixth world title at 6/4 with Paddy Power.

Declan O’Donoghue

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One of the best ante post betting opportunities every year is the “To win any race at the Cheltenham Festival” market.

So far Paddy Power, William Hill and SkyBET are the only majors to have dipped their toes in the water, but no doubt most of the remainder will be following in the weeks ahead.

William Hill have already been stung with support for Black Hercules, though they are still best priced, by some way, at 14/1.

He runs this weekend so we’ll know more quite shortly, but it’s easy to see his appeal as he seems a tough and very versatile sort.

Certainly he would have plenty of options, and were the wheels to come off this week he could finish up in one of the handicaps – remember Wicklow Brave did something similar last year.

One eye catcher for me is Long Dog who is chalked up at 12/1 by Paddy Power.

Sizing John really could be anything, and “tens” with Paddy Power and William Hill is not be sniffed at.

It’s an important market as trainers – or owners – can change their minds so often.

Perhaps the most obvious case – though not perhaps widely known – was Hardy Eustace.

On the first of his Champion Hurdle years, connections crossed the Irish Sea with the intention of running in the Coral Cup!

In fairness to the late and greatly missed Dessie Hughes, a gentleman to his fingertips, any time the horse won that season on the home circuit he did mention the possibility of a Champion Hurdle tilt.

“He could be good enough for it you know, and might just go for it.”

“He’s a real two and a half miler and that’s what you need for that race” mused the man who had booted Monksfield home in his second time winning the Champion.

It’s history now of course that Hardy did indeed run in the Champion in 2004.

Given a great front running ride by Conor O’Dwyer he scored at 33/1 from defending champ Rooster Booster.

He repeated the dose a year later winning that epic finish with Harchibald.

Incidentally the much under rated O’Dwyer has a remarkable Cheltenham record.

He won four times at the Festival – the Champion Hurdle twice with Hardy Eustace and the Gold Cup twice Imperial Call (1996) and War Of Attrition (2006).

I haven’t seen Monksland priced yet for that win any race at the Festival market.

He has certainly made an excellent start over fences, but should the Willie Mullins and Gordon Elliott teams dominate in the novice chase department, he could always be switched back to hurdles.

The Ladbrokes World seems unlikely though as he never landed a blow last season and didn’t seem to get the trip anyway.

Coneygree was a great Gold Cup winner last year – when, relevant to what we were talking about earlier, it was a late call to run him in that too – a lovely family triumph and a wonderful and heart warming display.

Not sure I’m mad about the vibes about him this season though.

The latest we heard is that he may now go for the Lexus, as it seems an easier option than the King George.

Well it might well prove to be that indeed, though it’ll be no penalty kick either with Road To Riches, Carlingford Lough and Don Poli likely rivals.

But either way looking for the easier route is not exactly a ringing vote of confidence behind the defending Gold Cup champ.

Hopefully the whole Gold Cup picture will be a lot clearer after the Christmas jousting and indeed Smad Place is now in the mix too.

Don Cossack certainly commands respect and while Vautour should get the three miles at Kempton, though going further again at the Cotswolds is an unknown factor.

That said, many thought Kicking King and War Of Attrition wouldn’t get the Gold Cup trip yet they did – and how!

In fact War Of Attrition had to hold off the previous year’s Aintree Grand National hero Hedgehunter and in the end he did so with plenty to spare.

Back next Saturday.

Declan O’Donoghue

Irish Racing Club

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Betting Opportunity Eye-Catchers

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I have to say the highlight of the weeks racing for me was seeing the return to form of Sprinter Sacre. He put in a super round of jumping and powered away from a high class field up the Cheltenham hill.

I never had a penny on him but to see such a high class horse return to his best form gave me as much of a thrill as backing a winner. One has to say it was a brilliant bit of training by Nicky Henderson as this horse has had so many problems over the last year.

Now I was lucky to see the greatest chaser of all time run in Arkle and in my opinion at his very best Sprinter would have given him a close race. Mind you the Henderson horse is best at shorter trips and Arkle was best at three miles.

I can hear people saying what about Kauto Star, Denman, Best Mate etc,etc, yes they were all top class but there was only one Arkle and Sprinter has to be the best of this Century when firing on all cylinders.

We had three great days racing at the Paddy Power meeting but the midweek jumping is of a very mediocre standard. In fact tonights Kempton card puts todays jumping to shame with a top class listed event as the main feature.

It was good to land last weeks free tip with Chookie Royale but you won’t hear me shouting about 7/4 winners as I’m sure you could have found that one yourself if you studied the form.

For this weeks Howies Hottie I’m sticking with the Kempton polytrack in the 7.25 which is a good class staying handicap over 2 miles. The selection is Communicator from the Balding yard with the excellent Oisin Murphy taking the ride.

The gelding ran a good race in the Cesarewitch but I feel this slightly shorter trip will suit him better. He is drawn in the car park however it shouldn’t be a problem as he is a hold up performer and I expect Oisin to drop him in and try to make his move in the long home straight. One thing for sure win or lose he should be a decent each way price.

EYE-CATCHERS

SYNTHETIC SURFACES

Lord Reason trainer J.Ryan – Noted running on over a mile and worth a try over further.

Philba trainer M.Appleby – He was placed last time when sticking to the inside rail which might have been slower ground on the day.

Dont Be trainer Sir M.Prescott – She could never get a clear run at Lingfield after being held up at the back and finished full of running.

Mr Rock trainer G.Baker – This one is owned by Sir Alex Ferguson and when running at Wolverhampton he ran with the choke out and ran out of petrol. He is a lot better than that and must be given another chance.

JUMPERS

The Romford Pele trainer Rebecca Curtis – The gelding is named after Ray Parlour the ex Arsenal player and he was noted staying on strongly at Cheltenham last week. If he brushes up his jumping he could be one for either the Welsh or Aintree Grand Nationals.

Next Sensation trainer M.Scudamore – Jumped like a stag at Cheltenham but a return to the minimum trip would help his cause.

Renneti trainer W.Mullins – He ran on strongly last week at the Paddy Power meeting and is worth a try at a longer trip.

Back next Wednesday have a good week and be lucky.

Howard Davis-Shaw.

 

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