City out to 15-2 for title after defeat at Villa Park

 By James Milton 7:41PM 22 JAN 2011 IT took less than 20 minutes for Darren Bent to start repaying the £18m fee that Aston Villa paid for him with the goal that saw off title hopefuls Manchester City on Saturday.

Bent, who was 7-1 to open the scoring, struck from close range
after just 18 minutes and 11-4 shots Villa held on to win 1-0.

The result took Villa up to 16th in the Premier League but City slip to third after their fifth defeat of the season.

Roberto Mancini’s Citizens have been pushed out to 15-2 to win the league and, while they were toiling at Villa Park, rivals Manchester United kept up their unbeaten start to the season with a 5-0 thrashing of Birmingham at OldTrafford.

United are 4-6 for the Premier League after Dimitar Berbatov took his goal tally for the season to 17 thanks to his third league hat-trick of the campaign.

Robin van Persie scored three goals and missed apenalty as Arsenal beat Wigan 3-0 and the Gunners, who move up to second place, are 15-2 for the title.

Tottenham were held to a 1-1 draw at Newcastle, where Gareth Bale went off injured after just ten minutes, and Liverpool won 3-0 at Wolves, who remain in the relegation zone.

Fulham won 2-0 against Stoke, Sunderland won at Blackpool and West Ham held Everton 2-2.

In the Championship, Cardiff are 6-1 to win the division after a 4-2 victory against Watford, in which Craig Bellamy, Michael Chopra and the returning Jay Bothroyd were all on target.

League One leaders Brighton lost 1-0 at Bournemouth, who move into second place. The Seagulls are 7-4 second-favourites for the league behind 13-8 shots Southampton, who lost 2-0 at struggling Tranmere.

Hearts are as short as 7-1 to win the SPL after beating Rangers
1-0. The Edinburgh club are just two points behind the Gers and seven behind leaders Celtic, who have played a game more.

A gamble on the Barnet-Macclesfield double result in Saturday’s League Two fixture at Moss Rose was foiled when the teams finished level at 1-1.

Most firms took their double-result prices down after an unusually high number of bets. Bet365 kept their market
up offering 7-1 from 22-1 just before kick-off, but the bet was scuppered by half-time, when the teams turned round goalless.

FacebookDeliciousDiggStumbleUpon   TOP STORIES Grant looking to boost job prospects by keeping Hammers' run going 7:37pm 25 Jan 2011 Second Service: Federer still 2-1 despite hammering Wawrinka 1:00pm 25 Jan 2011 Road kings Green Bay 8-11 Bowl favourites 4:45pm 24 Jan 2011 Second Service: Nadal cut after crucial win 2:30pm 24 Jan 2011 Leinster 5-2 for second Heineken win after kind draw 9:23pm 23 Jan 2011 Kaymer rises in rankings after Abu Dhabi success 9:10pm 23 Jan 2011 Australia whitewash 8-1 after Sydney ODI-stroll 8:34pm 23 Jan 2011 Baggies defeat sees Di Matteo cut to get sack 8:26pm 23 Jan 2011 Second Service: Federer stays at 7-4 after four-set Robredo success 1:38pm 23 Jan 2011 7:41pm 22 Jan 2011 Show All Current Stories LATEST STORIES Grant looking to boost job prospects by keeping Hammers' run going 7:37pm 25 Jan 2011 Second Service: Federer still 2-1 despite hammering Wawrinka 1:00pm 25 Jan 2011 Road kings Green Bay 8-11 Bowl favourites 4:45pm 24 Jan 2011 Second Service: Nadal cut after crucial win 2:30pm 24 Jan 2011 Leinster 5-2 for second Heineken win after kind draw 9:23pm 23 Jan 2011 Kaymer rises in rankings after Abu Dhabi success 9:10pm 23 Jan 2011 Australia whitewash 8-1 after Sydney ODI-stroll 8:34pm 23 Jan 2011 Baggies defeat sees Di Matteo cut to get sack 8:26pm 23 Jan 2011 Second Service: Federer stays at 7-4 after four-set Robredo success 1:38pm 23 Jan 2011 7:41pm 22 Jan 2011 Show All Current Stories FOOTBALL Grant looking to boost job prospects by keeping Hammers' run going 7:37pm 25 Jan 2011 Baggies defeat sees Di Matteo cut to get sack 8:26pm 23 Jan 2011 7:41pm 22 Jan 2011 Qatar World Cup 3-1 to be held during winter 5:43pm 20 Jan 2011 Arsenal in to 5-1 for Cup after despatching Leeds 10:49pm 19 Jan 2011 Adam 8-11 for January switch 5:41pm 20 Jan 2011 Citizens 7-1 for title after scraping past Wolves 7:52pm 15 Jan 2011 200-1 for no giants to fall 10:56pm 7 Jan 2011 Roy 1-2 to have bossed his last Reds league game 10:51pm 6 Jan 2011 Turmoil continues for Liverpool and Chelsea 10:14pm 5 Jan 2011 Show All Current Stories GOLF Kaymer rises in rankings after Abu Dhabi success 9:10pm 23 Jan 2011 Favourite Ogilvy now a doubtful Hyundai starter 1:18pm 6 Jan 2011 CRICKET Australia whitewash 8-1 after Sydney ODI-stroll 8:34pm 23 Jan 2011 Marvellous Marsh spearheads Australia victory 12:50pm 21 Jan 2011 England 8-11 for Ashes treble after SCG stroll 10:45pm 7 Jan 2011 England 1-12 to wrap-up SCG win in morning 1:52pm 6 Jan 2011 TENNIS Second Service: Federer still 2-1 despite hammering Wawrinka 1:00pm 25 Jan 2011 Second Service: Nadal cut after crucial win 2:30pm 24 Jan 2011 Second Service: Federer stays at 7-4 after four-set Robredo success 1:38pm 23 Jan 2011 Second Service: Saturday's updates and betting news from the Australian Open 1:44pm 22 Jan 2011 Second Service: Thursday's updates and betting news from the Australian Open 1:44pm 20 Jan 2011 Second Service: Wednesday's updates and betting news from the Australian Open 2:50pm 19 Jan 2011 Updates and betting news from the Australian Open 1:39pm 21 Jan 2011 RUGBY Leinster 5-2 for second Heineken win after kind draw 9:23pm 23 Jan 2011 OTHER SPORTS Road kings Green Bay 8-11 Bowl favourites 4:45pm 24 Jan 2011 Rocket still 9-2 for world title after Power win 11:49pm 31 Oct 2010 Froch retains title with scrappy win 11:56am 18 Oct 2009 Specialist road racers should shine at Infineon 8:34am 21 Jun 2009 Roush stable has pedigree to tame Nascar's Monster Mile 12:12pm 31 May 2009 Search our News Archive Sport News RSS Feed All Racing Post RSS Feeds Follow us on Twitter Follow us on Facebook Download our iPhone app

Second Service: Nadal cut after crucial win

 By Adrian Humphries 2:30PM 24 JAN 2011 BOOKMAKERS felt Rafael Nadal took a huge step towards regaining the Australian Open crown on Monday when he swept aside Marin Cilic 6-2 6-4 6-3 to advance to the last eight in Melbourne.

Cilic had beaten Nadal 6-1 6-3 in China in 2009 and the world No. 1 was well aware of the potential danger the Croat provided to his chance of holding all four Grand Slam titles at the same time.

However, Nadal produced a sterling performance against Cilic, slowing down the pace of the match, and his reward is a clash against inferior fellow Spaniard and friend David Ferrer.

Nadal was no bigger than 6-4, and as short as evens, for the title after his win while second seed Roger Federer drifted to 23-10 after his great rival progressed.

A Nadal v Federer final, which was 13-8 before the tournament started, is now 6-5 with Paddy Power, while Bet365 go just 10-11.

Britain’s Andy Murray can never have enjoyed an easier path through a Grand Slam tournament. The world No. 5 was cut to 9-2, having been 8-1, after easing past Jurgen Melzer 6-3 6-1 6-1 just after his scheduled quarter-final opponent Robin Soderling was upset 1-6 6-3 6-1 4-6 6-2 by Alexandr Dolgopolov.

US Open champion Kim Clijsters was tops at 6-4 to claim a first Aussie Open singles crown after surviving a tough test against Eastbourne heroine Ekaterina Makarova, whom she beat 7-6 6-2.

Australian Open best outright prices before last night’s play – men: 6-4 R Nadal, 23-10 R Federer, 9-2 A Murray, 7 N Djokovic, 45 T Berdych, 66 S Wawrinka, 125 A Dolgopolov, D Ferrer; women: 6-4 K Clijsters, 4 C Wozniacki, 11-2 Na Li, 6 V Zvonareva, 12 P Kvitova, 20 A Petkovic, 50 F Schiavone, 100 A Radwanska.

FacebookDeliciousDiggStumbleUpon   TOP STORIES Grant looking to boost job prospects by keeping Hammers' run going 7:37pm 25 Jan 2011 Second Service: Federer still 2-1 despite hammering Wawrinka 1:00pm 25 Jan 2011 Road kings Green Bay 8-11 Bowl favourites 4:45pm 24 Jan 2011 2:30pm 24 Jan 2011 Leinster 5-2 for second Heineken win after kind draw 9:23pm 23 Jan 2011 Kaymer rises in rankings after Abu Dhabi success 9:10pm 23 Jan 2011 Australia whitewash 8-1 after Sydney ODI-stroll 8:34pm 23 Jan 2011 Baggies defeat sees Di Matteo cut to get sack 8:26pm 23 Jan 2011 Second Service: Federer stays at 7-4 after four-set Robredo success 1:38pm 23 Jan 2011 City out to 15-2 for title after defeat at Villa Park 7:41pm 22 Jan 2011 Show All Current Stories LATEST STORIES Grant looking to boost job prospects by keeping Hammers' run going 7:37pm 25 Jan 2011 Second Service: Federer still 2-1 despite hammering Wawrinka 1:00pm 25 Jan 2011 Road kings Green Bay 8-11 Bowl favourites 4:45pm 24 Jan 2011 2:30pm 24 Jan 2011 Leinster 5-2 for second Heineken win after kind draw 9:23pm 23 Jan 2011 Kaymer rises in rankings after Abu Dhabi success 9:10pm 23 Jan 2011 Australia whitewash 8-1 after Sydney ODI-stroll 8:34pm 23 Jan 2011 Baggies defeat sees Di Matteo cut to get sack 8:26pm 23 Jan 2011 Second Service: Federer stays at 7-4 after four-set Robredo success 1:38pm 23 Jan 2011 City out to 15-2 for title after defeat at Villa Park 7:41pm 22 Jan 2011 Show All Current Stories FOOTBALL Grant looking to boost job prospects by keeping Hammers' run going 7:37pm 25 Jan 2011 Baggies defeat sees Di Matteo cut to get sack 8:26pm 23 Jan 2011 City out to 15-2 for title after defeat at Villa Park 7:41pm 22 Jan 2011 Qatar World Cup 3-1 to be held during winter 5:43pm 20 Jan 2011 Arsenal in to 5-1 for Cup after despatching Leeds 10:49pm 19 Jan 2011 Adam 8-11 for January switch 5:41pm 20 Jan 2011 Citizens 7-1 for title after scraping past Wolves 7:52pm 15 Jan 2011 200-1 for no giants to fall 10:56pm 7 Jan 2011 Roy 1-2 to have bossed his last Reds league game 10:51pm 6 Jan 2011 Turmoil continues for Liverpool and Chelsea 10:14pm 5 Jan 2011 Show All Current Stories GOLF Kaymer rises in rankings after Abu Dhabi success 9:10pm 23 Jan 2011 Favourite Ogilvy now a doubtful Hyundai starter 1:18pm 6 Jan 2011 CRICKET Australia whitewash 8-1 after Sydney ODI-stroll 8:34pm 23 Jan 2011 Marvellous Marsh spearheads Australia victory 12:50pm 21 Jan 2011 England 8-11 for Ashes treble after SCG stroll 10:45pm 7 Jan 2011 England 1-12 to wrap-up SCG win in morning 1:52pm 6 Jan 2011 TENNIS Second Service: Federer still 2-1 despite hammering Wawrinka 1:00pm 25 Jan 2011 2:30pm 24 Jan 2011 Second Service: Federer stays at 7-4 after four-set Robredo success 1:38pm 23 Jan 2011 Second Service: Saturday's updates and betting news from the Australian Open 1:44pm 22 Jan 2011 Second Service: Thursday's updates and betting news from the Australian Open 1:44pm 20 Jan 2011 Second Service: Wednesday's updates and betting news from the Australian Open 2:50pm 19 Jan 2011 Updates and betting news from the Australian Open 1:39pm 21 Jan 2011 RUGBY Leinster 5-2 for second Heineken win after kind draw 9:23pm 23 Jan 2011 OTHER SPORTS Road kings Green Bay 8-11 Bowl favourites 4:45pm 24 Jan 2011 Rocket still 9-2 for world title after Power win 11:49pm 31 Oct 2010 Froch retains title with scrappy win 11:56am 18 Oct 2009 Specialist road racers should shine at Infineon 8:34am 21 Jun 2009 Roush stable has pedigree to tame Nascar's Monster Mile 12:12pm 31 May 2009 Search our News Archive Sport News RSS Feed All Racing Post RSS Feeds Follow us on Twitter Follow us on Facebook Download our iPhone app

Grant looking to boost job prospects by keeping Hammers' run going

 By James Milton 7:37PM 25 JAN 2011 WEST HAM are hoping to be on the road to Wembley as they visit Birmingham clutching a precious 2-1 first-leg lead in their Carling Cup semi-final.

But it could also be the road to redemption for boss Avram Grant, who was widely expected to be taking charge of his last game when the Hammers met Arsenal 11 days ago.

However, Grant is now 11-10 with Victor Chandler to keep his job at least until the end of the season, and that price will
surely shorten if the Londoners reach the final tonight.

They are 4-6 to qualify for Wembley, with the Blues 7-5, but both sides are battling for glory amid a backdrop of a fierce relegation battle. Bet365 offer 4-9 that at least one of the pair is relegated this season, while it is 6-1 that both are playing in the Championship next term.

Grant is Hills’ evens favourite to be the next Premier League boss to leave his position but the firm have cut Birmingham’s boss Alex McLeish from 8-1 to 9-2.

Chelsea’s Carlo Ancelotti is 11-2 third-favourite and West Brom’s Roberto Di Matteo is 7-1.

Chelsea’s 4-0 win at Bolton on Monday boosted the Blues’ ailing title challenge and Bet365 are betting on how many points they take from their two games against leaders Manchester United.

They are 15-2 to claim the maximum six points from the crunch matches at Stamford Bridge on March 1 and Old Trafford on May 7.

Kenny Dalglish’s Liverpool are going for back-to-back league wins when they take on Fulham at Anfield and the Scot is 10-11 with Hills to get the job on a permanent basis.

Martin O’Neill is next in the betting at 11-4 with Owen Coyle and Frank Rijkaard at 7-1.

Old Firm rivals Celtic and Rangers, who face Hearts and Hibs this evening, are Hills’s 11-4 joint-favourites to be the highest-scoring team tonight.

Hoffenheim have signed ex-Liverpool winger Ryan Babel in a deal thought to be worth around £6m, while Man City striker Emmanuel Adebayor has joined up with Real Madrid on loan until the end of the season.

Bet365 – how many of Birmingham and West Ham will be relegated? 4-9 one, 5-2 none, 6 two; how many points will Chelsea take from two games against Manchester United? 5-2 three, 10-3 one, 4 four, 5 none, 15-2 six, 9 two.
Hills –highest-scoring team (only these eight count): 11-4 Celtic, Rangers, 10-3 Liverpool, 4 Birmingham, 9 West Ham, 11 Hibs, 14 Hearts, 16 Fulham.

FacebookDeliciousDiggStumbleUpon   TOP STORIES Grant looking to boost job prospects by keeping Hammers' run going 7:37pm 25 Jan 2011 Second Service: Federer still 2-1 despite hammering Wawrinka 1:00pm 25 Jan 2011 Road kings Green Bay 8-11 Bowl favourites 4:45pm 24 Jan 2011 Second Service: Nadal cut after crucial win 2:30pm 24 Jan 2011 Leinster 5-2 for second Heineken win after kind draw 9:23pm 23 Jan 2011 Kaymer rises in rankings after Abu Dhabi success 9:10pm 23 Jan 2011 Australia whitewash 8-1 after Sydney ODI-stroll 8:34pm 23 Jan 2011 Baggies defeat sees Di Matteo cut to get sack 8:26pm 23 Jan 2011 Second Service: Federer stays at 7-4 after four-set Robredo success 1:38pm 23 Jan 2011 City out to 15-2 for title after defeat at Villa Park 7:41pm 22 Jan 2011 Show All Current Stories LATEST STORIES Grant looking to boost job prospects by keeping Hammers' run going 7:37pm 25 Jan 2011 Second Service: Federer still 2-1 despite hammering Wawrinka 1:00pm 25 Jan 2011 Road kings Green Bay 8-11 Bowl favourites 4:45pm 24 Jan 2011 Second Service: Nadal cut after crucial win 2:30pm 24 Jan 2011 Leinster 5-2 for second Heineken win after kind draw 9:23pm 23 Jan 2011 Kaymer rises in rankings after Abu Dhabi success 9:10pm 23 Jan 2011 Australia whitewash 8-1 after Sydney ODI-stroll 8:34pm 23 Jan 2011 Baggies defeat sees Di Matteo cut to get sack 8:26pm 23 Jan 2011 Second Service: Federer stays at 7-4 after four-set Robredo success 1:38pm 23 Jan 2011 City out to 15-2 for title after defeat at Villa Park 7:41pm 22 Jan 2011 Show All Current Stories FOOTBALL Grant looking to boost job prospects by keeping Hammers' run going 7:37pm 25 Jan 2011 Baggies defeat sees Di Matteo cut to get sack 8:26pm 23 Jan 2011 City out to 15-2 for title after defeat at Villa Park 7:41pm 22 Jan 2011 Qatar World Cup 3-1 to be held during winter 5:43pm 20 Jan 2011 Arsenal in to 5-1 for Cup after despatching Leeds 10:49pm 19 Jan 2011 Adam 8-11 for January switch 5:41pm 20 Jan 2011 Citizens 7-1 for title after scraping past Wolves 7:52pm 15 Jan 2011 200-1 for no giants to fall 10:56pm 7 Jan 2011 Roy 1-2 to have bossed his last Reds league game 10:51pm 6 Jan 2011 Turmoil continues for Liverpool and Chelsea 10:14pm 5 Jan 2011 Show All Current Stories GOLF Kaymer rises in rankings after Abu Dhabi success 9:10pm 23 Jan 2011 Favourite Ogilvy now a doubtful Hyundai starter 1:18pm 6 Jan 2011 CRICKET Australia whitewash 8-1 after Sydney ODI-stroll 8:34pm 23 Jan 2011 Marvellous Marsh spearheads Australia victory 12:50pm 21 Jan 2011 England 8-11 for Ashes treble after SCG stroll 10:45pm 7 Jan 2011 England 1-12 to wrap-up SCG win in morning 1:52pm 6 Jan 2011 TENNIS Second Service: Federer still 2-1 despite hammering Wawrinka 1:00pm 25 Jan 2011 Second Service: Nadal cut after crucial win 2:30pm 24 Jan 2011 Second Service: Federer stays at 7-4 after four-set Robredo success 1:38pm 23 Jan 2011 Second Service: Saturday's updates and betting news from the Australian Open 1:44pm 22 Jan 2011 Second Service: Thursday's updates and betting news from the Australian Open 1:44pm 20 Jan 2011 Second Service: Wednesday's updates and betting news from the Australian Open 2:50pm 19 Jan 2011 Updates and betting news from the Australian Open 1:39pm 21 Jan 2011 RUGBY Leinster 5-2 for second Heineken win after kind draw 9:23pm 23 Jan 2011 OTHER SPORTS Road kings Green Bay 8-11 Bowl favourites 4:45pm 24 Jan 2011 Rocket still 9-2 for world title after Power win 11:49pm 31 Oct 2010 Froch retains title with scrappy win 11:56am 18 Oct 2009 Specialist road racers should shine at Infineon 8:34am 21 Jun 2009 Roush stable has pedigree to tame Nascar's Monster Mile 12:12pm 31 May 2009 Search our News Archive Sport News RSS Feed All Racing Post RSS Feeds Follow us on Twitter Follow us on Facebook Download our iPhone app

Harrington plans Pathfork route to Guineas

Triple dead-heat rematch live on Sky Sports News Lister happy with his Derby favourite PaddyComedian is heading for the Arc at SwindonHoly Ground wins well but Romeo goes fastestJimmy Lollie is crowned Greyhound of the YearRead Full News Service Search News Archive

Ask Ferdy Murphy

United five points clear after amazing rally Grant looking to boost job prospects by keeping Hammers' run goingSecond Service: Federer still 2-1 despite hammering WawrinkaRevitalised Blues 7-1 for titleHammers snare O'Neill from MiddlesbroughRead Full News Service Search News Archive

Flat Out misses rest of season with leg injury

Triple dead-heat rematch live on Sky Sports News Lister happy with his Derby favourite PaddyComedian is heading for the Arc at SwindonHoly Ground wins well but Romeo goes fastestJimmy Lollie is crowned Greyhound of the YearRead Full News Service Search News Archive

Pandorama '50-50' for Gold Cup after suffering setback

Pandorama: misses Hennessy Gold Cup and Cheltenham bid in jeopardy

  PICTURE: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)  Pandorama '50-50' for Gold Cup after setback
 By Paul Eacott 11:01AM 25 JAN 2011 PANDORAMA, Ireland's leading hope for the Totesport Gold Cup, is rated only 50-50 to make it to Cheltenham in March after bruising a hock.

RELATED LINKS Hennesy betting Hennessy card Gold Cup betting Free bets Gold Cup forumVisit our Cheltenhamwebsite  The Noel Meade-trained eight-year-old is as short as 12-1 for the Gold Cup, but owner Robert Bagnall has revealed that he has met with a setback, which will rule him out of the Hennessy Gold Cup at Leopardstown on February 6 and leaves his Cheltenham challenge in jeopardy.

"We think he got a knock in his horsebox at Noel's yard and we brought him out for a small canter on Friday and he came back slightly lame," Bagnall told At The Races.

"Over the weekend, he walked him and he appearedto be alright but when he brought him out this morning he came back lame again and the problem seems to be that he has bruised his hock.

"We did an x-ray on the horse and at first it appeared to be a little crack in his hock but we x-rayed the other hock as well and it was identical so we are just hoping that it is a bruised hock and obviously he is going to rest for a week which rules him out of the Hennessey which is coming up too soon." 

Bagnall added: "It is my lifelong ambition to get to Cheltenham and Noel thinks and hopes that it is just a temporary setback that he should get back into training and come alright. He thinks the chances are a good 50-50 that we will get him there.

"It is unfortunate when you get a good one, and you only get one good one in a lifetime. It is just very unfortunate so we hope and pray that it might be just a temporary setback and we will get him to Cheltenham.

"It is definitely not career-threatening to him but on the other hand it could be season-threatening if it is anything more serious than bruising. Withina week we should know for certain."

Pandorama has run twice this season, winning the Grade 1 Lexus Chase at Leopardstown by six lengths on his most recent start, having been pulled up in the Hennessy at Newbury on his seasonal reappearance.

Following the news that Pandorama will miss the Hennessy, Paddy Power make Pride Of Dulcote their new 13-8 favourite for the race, with Joncol next in at 11-4.

Join the betting revolution. Our iPhone app has brilliant built-in betting - download it now or watch the video to discover what our app can do for you. And nowour app is available on Android too!

FacebookDeliciousDiggStumbleUpon Tags:  Cheltenham Festival    

Stewart denies Tote link with Broughton

Triple dead-heat rematch live on Sky Sports News Lister happy with his Derby favourite PaddyComedian is heading for the Arc at SwindonHoly Ground wins well but Romeo goes fastestJimmy Lollie is crowned Greyhound of the YearRead Full News Service Search News Archive

Snow Fairy not certain to head out to Dubai

Timely update yields £65,000 return at DBS Major declines at Barretts January SaleDeath of Jade Hunter, sire of champion AzeriKempton: bright future for Frozen Fire relationF-T unveil strong catalogue for Florida SaleRead Full News Service Search News Archive

Alaivan not certain to run in Totesport Trophy

Timely update yields £65,000 return at DBS Major declines at Barretts January SaleDeath of Jade Hunter, sire of champion AzeriKempton: bright future for Frozen Fire relationF-T unveil strong catalogue for Florida SaleRead Full News Service Search News Archive

Zeb and Europe star in Tied Cottage entries

Timely update yields £65,000 return at DBS Major declines at Barretts January SaleDeath of Jade Hunter, sire of champion AzeriKempton: bright future for Frozen Fire relationF-T unveil strong catalogue for Florida SaleRead Full News Service Search News Archive

So You Think settling into life at Ballydoyle

  A P O'Brien  Comments Log in to post comment Show all comments Comments Help   RELATED STORIES Unbeaten Black Caviar sets up sprint to savour (October 25) 10:45am 25 Oct 2010 So You Think can make his mark on world stage (October 11) 12:24pm 11 Oct 2010 Weight boost for So You Think in Cox Plate defence (September 20) 9:43am 20 Sep 2010 Harbinger remains a case of what might have been (December 27) 10:12am 27 Dec 2010 Safe option not always best when crowning champions (December 6) 9:05am 6 Dec 2010 TOP STORIES Voy Por Ustedes in shock move to Henderson yard 4:00pm 25 Jan 2011 Pandorama '50-50' for Gold Cup after suffering setback 11:01am 25 Jan 2011 Flat Out misses rest of season with leg injury 9:30am 25 Jan 2011 Barry Geraghty has no ground fears for Grandouet 2:55pm 25 Jan 2011 Local Hero to face 'acid test' of Triumph credentials 2:02pm 25 Jan 2011 1:07pm 25 Jan 2011 Zeb and Europe star in Tied Cottage entries 12:58pm 25 Jan 2011 Alaivan not certain to run in Totesport Trophy 12:34pm 25 Jan 2011 Snow Fairy not certain to head out to Dubai 11:34am 25 Jan 2011 Harrington plans Pathfork route to Guineas 6:31pm 24 Jan 2011 Show All Current Stories LATEST STORIES Cheltenham to deploy frost covers on Wednesday 4:49pm 25 Jan 2011 Thyestes hope Whinstone gets alternative option 4:16pm 25 Jan 2011 Voy Por Ustedes in shock move to Henderson yard 4:00pm 25 Jan 2011 Barry Geraghty has no ground fears for Grandouet 2:55pm 25 Jan 2011 Local Hero to face 'acid test' of Triumph credentials 2:02pm 25 Jan 2011 JCR launches points scheme for racegoers 1:40pm 25 Jan 2011 1:07pm 25 Jan 2011 Zeb and Europe star in Tied Cottage entries 12:58pm 25 Jan 2011 FRANCE: Wiener Walzer transferred to Andre Fabre 12:40pm 25 Jan 2011 Alaivan not certain to run in Totesport Trophy 12:34pm 25 Jan 2011 Show All Current Stories REPORTS LEOPARDSTOWN: Hurricane puts Solwhit to sword again 2:53pm 23 Jan 2011 LEOPARDSTOWN: Realt Dubh repels Noble Prince in Arkle 1:50pm 23 Jan 2011 LEOPARDSTOWN: Hidden Cyclone blows away rivals 3:27pm 23 Jan 2011 ASCOT: Master Minded scrapes home in thriller 2:30pm 22 Jan 2011 ASCOT: Cool Moloney excels on Tiger O'Toole 3:06pm 22 Jan 2011 ASCOT: Sparky May foils favourite Carole's Legacy 1:56pm 22 Jan 2011 TAUNTON: Ciceron gives pair a lift after Credit Swap upset 3:35pm 20 Jan 2011 TAUNTON: Red-hot Al Ferof gets off the mark over hurdles 2:35pm 20 Jan 2011 TAUNTON: Credit Swap denied by bold Shammick Boy 1:35pm 20 Jan 2011 WEATHER WATCH At-a-glance weather prospects 5:20pm 25 Nov 2010 Cheltenham to deploy frost covers on Wednesday 4:49pm 25 Jan 2011 Gowran reschedules Thyestes for Friday 12:36pm 22 Jan 2011 DUBAI CARNIVAL Snow Fairy not certain to head out to Dubai 11:34am 25 Jan 2011 Presvis set for first run since Royal Ascot 10:06am 24 Jan 2011 REPORT: Aspectoflove battles home for team Godolphin 4:36pm 20 Jan 2011 REPORT: Zanzamar maintains De Kock trial stranglehold 2:49pm 20 Jan 2011 REPORT: Easy for Dettori as Mendip slams Meydan rivals 6:21pm 13 Jan 2011 REPORT: Britain on mark with Tango's last-gasp win 3:25pm 13 Jan 2011 ARGENTINA: Stars bought for UAE Derby tilt 10:00am 9 Dec 2010 Gitano Hernando to begin World Cup preparation 12:10pm 6 Dec 2010 INTERNATIONAL FRANCE: Wiener Walzer transferred to Andre Fabre 12:40pm 25 Jan 2011 FRANCE: Stan Moore filly third at Cagnes 6:29pm 24 Jan 2011 AUSTRALIA: Burdekin Blues retired after latest setback 5:32pm 24 Jan 2011 INDIA: Hughes faces Derby dilemma after Oaks win 11:26am 24 Jan 2011 UAE: Professor the boss at Abu Dhabi 6:17pm 23 Jan 2011 JAPAN: Tosen Jordan ready for step up to Grade 1 glory 5:41pm 24 Jan 2011 SOUTH AFRICA: Retirement likely for Pocket Power 10:00am 23 Jan 2011 HONG KONG: Lucky Nine beats Xtension in Classic Mile 9:04am 23 Jan 2011 USA: Baffert's golden run continues with Euroears 8:47am 23 Jan 2011 SOUTH AFRICA: Winter warmer than De Kock hotpot 3:50pm 22 Jan 2011 Show All Current Stories RACING BUSINESS Stewart denies Tote link with Broughton 11:34am 25 Jan 2011 Tote bidders Sportech announce 2010 forecast 10:28am 24 Jan 2011 Shortlist of Tote bids expected this week 9:06am 24 Jan 2011 Towcester working on building greyhound track 7:30pm 23 Jan 2011 Syndicate’s ownership opportunity for lovebirds 10:24am 23 Jan 2011 Recognition for Prince sums up spirit of RoR awards 10:09am 23 Jan 2011 32Red wins trademark dispute with William Hill 4:22pm 21 Jan 2011 MP welcomes Commons debate support for racing 1:03pm 21 Jan 2011 Boost for tracks as crowds increase despite weather 12:07pm 21 Jan 2011 Gambling minister in pledge over future funding of sport 7:59am 21 Jan 2011 Show All Current Stories WORLD CLASS Harbinger remains a case of what might have been (December 27) 10:12am 27 Dec 2010 Comma To The Top looks to have bright future (December 20) 4:36pm 20 Dec 2010 JJ cements Black Caviar position as best on planet (December 13) 8:46am 13 Dec 2010 Safe option not always best when crowning champions (December 6) 9:05am 6 Dec 2010 No arguing that Buena Vista was the winner on merit (November 29) 4:44pm 1 Dec 2010 Snow Fairy maintains spell of female dominance (November 15) 10:26am 15 Nov 2010 Blame denies Zenyatta Hollywood ending (November 8) 12:42pm 8 Nov 2010 Call me cynical but Zenyatta faces greatest test (November 1) 11:13am 1 Nov 2010 Unbeaten Black Caviar sets up sprint to savour (October 25) 10:45am 25 Oct 2010 Frankel rated best juvenile of 21st century (October 18) 11:58am 18 Oct 2010 Show All Current Stories RACECOURSE NEWS AND OFFERS AYR: Donald McInnes new head chef 11:43am 23 Jan 2011 NOTTINGHAM: On-course physical therapy for jockeys 11:39am 23 Jan 2011 AINTREE: Grand National tickets selling well 11:34am 23 Jan 2011 FONTWELL: Tables available for fundraising raceday 11:22am 23 Jan 2011 SANDOWN: Comedy on offer after Scilly Isles card 11:15am 23 Jan 2011 FFOS LAS: Opportunities available to join staff 11:10am 23 Jan 2011 UTTOXETER: Tote to sponsor Midlands National for first time 11:01am 23 Jan 2011 NEWBURY: Win Valentine and racing weekend package 11:59am 16 Jan 2011 EXETER: Track repeats Valentine's special offer 11:02am 16 Jan 2011 MARKET RASEN: Special entry offer for Sunday fixtures 11:37am 8 Jan 2011 Show All Current Stories KING GEORGE MEETING Kauto Star recovering well from infection 2:03pm 21 Jan 2011 CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL Pandorama '50-50' for Gold Cup after suffering setback 11:01am 25 Jan 2011 Flat Out misses rest of season with leg injury 9:30am 25 Jan 2011 Barry Geraghty has no ground fears for Grandouet 2:55pm 25 Jan 2011 Local Hero to face 'acid test' of Triumph credentials 2:02pm 25 Jan 2011 McCoy rates Hurricane the biggest danger to Binocular 1:58pm 24 Jan 2011 McCain not afraid to pitch Peddlers against Binocular 12:43pm 24 Jan 2011 Welsh Champion to decide Whisky Festival target 10:44am 24 Jan 2011 Alfa Beat doubtful for National Hunt Chase 4:55pm 23 Jan 2011 Big Buck's and Mikael among World Hurdle entries 12:14pm 20 Jan 2011 GOING AND NON-RUNNERS Wednesday: 12:21am 26 Jan 11 Thursday: 12:21am 26 Jan 11 Friday: 12:21am 26 Jan 11 Saturday: 12:21am 26 Jan 11 Sunday: 12:21am 26 Jan 11 Monday: 12:21am 26 Jan 11 Search our News Archive Horse Racing News RSS Feed All Racing Post RSS Feeds Follow us on Twitter Follow us on Facebook Download our iPhone app COPYRIGHT

JCR launches points scheme for racegoers

Triple dead-heat rematch live on Sky Sports News Lister happy with his Derby favourite PaddyComedian is heading for the Arc at SwindonHoly Ground wins well but Romeo goes fastestJimmy Lollie is crowned Greyhound of the YearRead Full News Service Search News Archive

Local Hero to face 'acid test' of Triumph credentials

Steve Gollings: admits Saturday's race is the 'acid test' for Local Hero

  PICTURE: Martin Lynch  Unbeaten Local Hero to test Triumph credentials By Paul Eacott 2:02PM 25 JAN 2011 TRAINER Steve Gollings is hoping that unbeaten juvenile hurdler Local Hero will put up another bold show in the Grade 2 JCB Triumph Hurdle Trial at Cheltenham on Saturday.

RELATED LINKS Triumph Hurdlebetting Free bets  Local Hero was lightly-raced on the Flat, breaking his maiden at the third attempt in November, but he has won both his starts over hurdles with ease, each time under Tony McCoy.

Gollings said: "The plan is for Local Hero to go to Cheltenham on Saturday for the JCB Triumph Hurdle Trial. He's still very green but he'sprogressing really well.

"His two races have been won extremely easily and, although we know he has a real engine, we just need to know how good that engine is. I think Saturday's race should give us all the answers we need - it's a bit of an acid test for us.

"He has progressed from race to race and I am 100 per cent sure that we have not seen the best of Local Hero, by far.

"He can only win his races, and we can't criticise him because he has won his races very easily - Saturday will tell us an awful lot."

Local Hero is as short as 16-1 for the Triumph Hurdle with Ladbrokes and Gollings added: "He's in great form and AP

Barry Geraghty has no ground fears for Grandouet

Triple dead-heat rematch live on Sky Sports News Lister happy with his Derby favourite PaddyComedian is heading for the Arc at SwindonHoly Ground wins well but Romeo goes fastestJimmy Lollie is crowned Greyhound of the YearRead Full News Service Search News Archive

Voy Por Ustedes in shock move to Henderson yard

Sir Robert Ogden: fresh approach

  PICTURE: Edward Whitaker  "If that level of form is not forthcoming, the horse will be retired and will return to Sir Robert's farm in Yorkshire."

King's stable jockey Robert Thornton used his column in the Racing Post on Monday to pay tribute to the horse he credited with raising his own profile.

Thornton said: "Voy Por Ustedes is one of the best horses I've ridden. I've been aboard him for 29 races, winning 11 and being placed in another 11. His career earnings to date are just £6,000 short of £1 million."

Thornton added: "He raised my profile enormously, and I put him in the same bracket as My Way De Solzen and Katchit when it comes to the top horses I'm lucky to have been associated with."

View Voy Por Ustedes's glittering career in pictures with our photo gallery

FacebookDeliciousDiggStumbleUpon Tags:  Voy Por Ustedes   

Thyestes hope Whinstone gets alternative option

Triple dead-heat rematch live on Sky Sports News Lister happy with his Derby favourite PaddyComedian is heading for the Arc at SwindonHoly Ground wins well but Romeo goes fastestJimmy Lollie is crowned Greyhound of the YearRead Full News Service Search News Archive

Cheltenham to deploy frost covers on Wednesday

Triple dead-heat rematch live on Sky Sports News Lister happy with his Derby favourite PaddyComedian is heading for the Arc at SwindonHoly Ground wins well but Romeo goes fastestJimmy Lollie is crowned Greyhound of the YearRead Full News Service Search News Archive

Indian cricket punters arrested

Small fry punters and bookmakers caught up in this one by the looks of it.

6 held for betting during India-SA ODI

Six persons were arrested in New Delhi for allegedly indulging in betting during the One Day International between India and South Africa on Friday. The gang was using website www.betfair.com for obtaining the latest fluctuating rates for the stake and betting on the cricket match, Chhaya Sharma, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outer), said.

Stake money worth Rs 72,000 was recovered from the house in Rohini Sector 16 in Outer Delhi.


Gotta love how Indian journalism traditions forces them to list the entire website address rather than just referring to them as Betfair. Surely not publishing the URL would be a better idea if it was banned there?

Meanwhile, huge amounts were being traded on South Africa at 1.01 today before Yusuf Pathan scared the willies out of the money-buyers with 105 runs off 74 balls.

Master Minded still the one to beat in Champion Chase

Master Minded can still win the Champion Chase

Master Minded fans may have had a shock on Saturday, when the Victor Chandler winner’s lead was diminished to a disintegrating short head by the line, but the Paul Nicholls-trained eight year old is still the one to beat in the Champion Chase come March. Or so I reckon.

Let’s consider the facts. Firstly,  Master Minded won the race. Okay, he looked like he’d win by as far as he liked after Petit Robin fell and severely hampered Kalahari King (more on those two in a moment). Granted, he was all out to prevail by the narrowest of margins as they smiled for the photo finish. And of course, Somersby would have won in another stride.

But the Ascot race is a furlong further than the Cheltenham race. And the ground on Saturday was on the soft side of good, which it is unlikely to be come March. Master Minded is probably losing a yard of that brilliant speed he possessed earlier in his career (indeed one idiot on here – me, I think it was – suggested he might be a throwaway bet for the Gold Cup. Suffice it to say, I’ve thrown away that throwaway voucher!). For all that, he retains plenty and, bar the second horse, the remainder were seen off by twenty lengths and more.

The runner-up Somersby is both consistent and frustrating. Consistently frustrating, one might say, if one keeps backing him. Clearly, he has huge talent, as podium positions in five consecutive Grade 1 and 2 contests testify. As a reliable punting proposition, he’s a swerve for me though. I mean, even his trainer doesn’t know what trip he wants and reckons he’s a monkey… sorry, I mean a difficult horse to ride and train.

She, Henrietta Knight – trainer of Best Mate and Edredon Bleu, no less – said, “I was really pleased with him as he is not the easiest horse. We were so sure that we wanted the Ryanair but after today’s performance he showed that he is still able to hold his own at two miles so we might go for the Ryanair next year now.”

In other words, we don’t know what trip he wants and he’s a bloody nightmare to train. That is of course excessively harsh, but where my equine investments are concerned, I’m generally looking for a combination of greater certainty about ideal conditions and a bigger price than the 10/1 which is the best of the bookies’ odds.

Mad Max was third, and well beaten, seemingly without excuses. 40/1 for the Champion Chase is about right, I’d say, though again it wouldn’t tempt me. I can’t see how he could possibly reverse this form, and a place is as good as it can get for this chap.

Supreme Novices’ Hurdle 2011 Preview

Home Horse Racing Systems ReviewsBest Horse Racing SystemsHorse Betting SystemsRacing Winners ReviewFormat Racing System ReviewAll By The BookBookie AnnihilationHorse Racing Betting Systems: Would You Like to Work With Me?All Weather Backing System ReviewBetting System Scams: How To Beat The ScammersTrainer Trackstats 2010/2011 ReviewBetfair Winner System ReviewBetfair Killer System ReviewThe Bookie DemolisherRacing Revelation ReviewRacing Trends ReviewSimply The Best ReviewSupreme Handicap ReviewFP System ReviewFive Year Consistency PlanRacing Investment Form’Horse Laying SystemsLittle Acorns Review 2010Dream LaysBetting MaximizerLowlay System ReviewRacing Secrets

January Transfer Window Betting Odds Suggest Liverpool, Spurs and Man City Could Make Big Moves This Week

 Subscribe in a reader

There is just a week left in the January Transfer Window and some bookies are taking bets on where several high profiles players will be playing their football next month. It can often be hard to make big signings in January as clubs are more reluctant to let their best players leave mid season but Aston Villa and Man City have already made big signings this month and there could be a few more big transfers to come.

The most certain transfer that could happen this month appears to be Blackpool’s Charlie Adam to Liverpool. He is long odds on to make that move in the next week and if he doesn’t go to Liverpool, the bookies think he will move to Aston Villa or Everton.  Either way it seems he will leave Blackpool this month.

Emmanuel Adebayor is massively out of favour at Eastlands and he has been linked with a move away from Man City for some time now. Reports this week suggest he could be on his way to Monaco and the bookies agree, he is odds on to join his former club, Real Madrid see the other option with Jose Mourinho likely to be in for a striker with his star man Gonzalo Higuain out injured.

No transfer window would be complete without plenty of ins and outs at White Hart Lane and it looks as though Spurs could still be making some changes up front. It has been well publicized that they are after a striker and if Andy Carroll moves, Spurs are the favourites to sign the Geordie striker.  There could also be some moves the other way – Fulham are now the favourites to sign away striker Robbie Keane whilst Sunderland could look to replace Darren Bent with Roman Pavlyuchenko.  They are favourites to sign the Russian if he moves but he looks more likely to remain at Tottenham until the end of the season.

To get more free football betting tips like these PLUS free bets and tipster competitions, visit OLBG.co.uk.

Early Super Bowl Stunner: The Line

By Robert Ferringo

We now have early Super Bowl 45 odds and I have to say, I’m shocked. And I don’t really get shocked by early Super Bowl odds.

The Packers are -2.5 favorites over the Steelers right now with a total at 45.0. The fact alone that Green Bay is favored made me do a triple-take; the NFC has not been favored in the Super Bowl since 2002, when the Rams were mammoth favorites against the Patriots.

It isn’t even the fact that Green Bay was the No. 6 seed out of the NFC. Pittsburgh was the same seed in 2006 when they were laying points to Seattle. But what surprised me about it was that I figures that the books would know that with Pittsburgh and its ravenous fan base that they would be getting hit with Steelers money for the next two weeks.

I called a friend of mine that is a sportsbook manager in Las Vegas to ask him what the deal was. And he said that not only were the Packers favored, but all of the sharp early money was pouring in on them. Some books were forced from an opening of -2.0 to -3.0.

So there you have it. Perhaps the sharps were as surprised as I was but then accepted that this is what I call an

NCAA Basketball – Villanova holds on to early lead to defeat Syracuse

Villanova got back at Syracuse and gives the Orange its 2nd straight loss. Last time they meet the Syracuse Orange (18-2, 5-2 in the Big East) held Villanova to a 8-of-28 on three-pointers for an overwhelming 18 point win at the Carrier Dome. On this last game, it was time for payback. Guards Maalik Wayns and Corey Fisher worked together for a combined 6 out of 7 shooting from outside the arc in the first half to give Villanova a 40-29 margin on the first half. That was enough to survive Syracuse’s effusive comeback in the last minutes and win the game 83 to 72.

Maalik Wayns scored 21 points, completed 1 rebound, 2 assists and 2 steals to lead Villanova into securing its 8 win in the last 11 games against Syracuse. The Orange had depended mostly on a zone defense to secure a very good record so far this season, keeping teams to a low 28 percent conversion rate from the three point range. Still, it was up to Jay Wright, Nova’s head coach, to guide the Wildcats into braking past the zone-system and clear up an ample margin so early in the game.

Corey Fisher was another key-player for the Wildcats. He scored 16 points, recorded seven assists and four turnovers. Corey Stokes had also 16 points and Antonio Pena 10 and Villanova gave the Syracuse Orange their second consecutive lost, after recording 18 consecutive wins from the very beginning of the season. Villanova scored all but two of its 24 attempts.

For the Syracuse Orange Rick Jackson had 16 points and 15 rebounds, to complete his 13th double-double, and Brandon Triche completed 14 points. This was the second straight game for each squad against a top-10 team. Villanova lost 61-59 at No. 8 Connecticut on Monday, when the Orange lost 74-66 at Pittsburgh after falling behind 19-0.

After missing the loss to Pittsburgh due to a head injury, Syracuse’s Kris Joseph led all scorers with 23 points, 16 in the second half. Villanova made a season-best 11 3-pointers in the win, shooting 45.8 percent (11 for 24) from 3-point range.

Syracuse will now play Seton Hall on Tuesday. They will then hit the road to play Marquette on Saturday. The Villanova Wildcats are 17-2 and 5-1 in the Big East for the season, holding on to quite a good record so far this season. Villanova sits second in the Big East Standings followed closely by Syracuse. The Big East is lead by Pittsburgh, which holds an impeccable 7-0 record on conference play and 19-1 overall record. Syracuse is third in the AP top 25. The Ranking is lead by the Ohio State Buckeyes with an 18-0 season and then followed by the Kansas Jayhawks. The guys from Kansas are 17-0.

Stick around for more coverage on NCAA Basketball. We’ve got all your wagering needs covered. Whether you want to bet on parleys, straight bets, full games or half times, Betias.com is your best choice.

NFL – Green Bay Packers defeat the Chicago Bears for a spot on the Super Bowl

by Stephen Lars on Jan.24, 2011, under Football, Sports News

The Green Bay Packers can start packing their bags for Texas to play for the Vince Lombardi Trophy at Super Bowl XLV. With an impressive 21-14 win over the Chicago Bears on the road, the Packers have now linked three consecutive wins on the road to make it into the biggest sports betting event of the season. Only three other teams have managed to win three playoffs road games to make it into the Super Bowl. Two out of those three have returned home with the trophy: the 2007 New York Giants and the 2005 Pittsburgh Steelers. The 1985 Patriots won the three road games but lost the Super Bowl.

Aaron Rodgers didn’t have his best game ever. As a matter of fact, a quick look at his numbers would make you think he was somewhat of a disappointment. With a 55.4 passer rating, Rodgers was far away from what he has been showing since mid-December during the last two win-or-go-home games of the regular season. But despite his numbers, he was they key-player behind the Packers win over the Bears. The first-year rookie ran for a score and perhaps made his best play of the game in quite an unusual fashion for a quarterback: he completed a touchdown saving tackle that could quite easily have changed the outcome of the game.

The Bears, on the other hand, had to deal with a whole lot of issues on their offensive end. Jay Cutler, the starting quarterback, had been playing way under par before he had to leave the game during the third quarter because of some sort of knee injury. Let it be stated that no one is sure when or how he got injured. As if that was not enough, the Bears’ coach Lovie Smith reaction to the reporters’ questions concerning the nature and the details of Cutlers injury certainly didn’t help to clear up the situation.

Cutler was replaced by the Chicago Bears primary back-up Todd Collins. He was no good. For a moment it really seemed as if the Packers would be able to put on at least a 3-touchdown advantage over the Bears. Things got so bad on Chicago’s side that they had to play their odds and use a third quarterback on the game. Little-known Caleb Hanie came in and was the man in charge of giving the Bears their only hope.

Hanie had a chance to tie the game after the Bears’ defense finally got their act together. Unfortunately he threw a ball straight into the Packers defensive lineman B.J. Raji who ran for 18 yards and into the end zone to give the Packers a 21-17 lead. But Hanie had a few more tricks under his sleeve.

He then completed a 35-yard touchdown pass to Earl Bennet to get the Bears to a 7-point deficit with little under five minutes to play. The Bears recovered the ball, but their last chance to tie the game was frustrated when the rookie quarterback threw his second interception on a fourth down on the Packers 29 yard line.

Aaron Rodgers went 17 of 30 for 244 yards no touchdown passes, two interceptions and a touchdown rush. Not his best numbers, that’s for sure, but heck, the talented quarterback is guiding his team into Super Bowl on February 6.

NFL – Pittsburgh Steelers defeat the New York Jets for the AFC Championship

Running back Rashard Mendenhall and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger kept on opening the Jets defense, finding open spaces in the right, the left and straight through the middle as they opened up a 24-3 margin in the second half, that was simply too much of a deficit for the spirited Jets to close down in the second half. At the end, despite a decent game from Mark Sanchez and Co, the Steelers defense held back the Jets for a 24-19 win that will take them straight into the Super Bowl against the Green Bay Packers in two more weeks.

The Pittsburgh Steelers had the key to stop on their feet that team that was working its way into the Super Bowl by winning games against the odds. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was an utter disappointment in this game. Well, not exactly. I mean, if you look into his passer’s rating you will notice that he had an awful game. At 35.5, that is his second worst postseason game. Still, it seems that Big Ben is quite a master of winning it ugly. When he won Super Bowl XL five year ago against the Seattle Seahawks he had a 22.6 passer rating. And in 2004 when he defeated the Jets for the AFC divisional round he had a 57.8. But perhaps, he completed passes and pushed off defenders when the team needed him most because for the third time in six season the Steelers are going to the Super Bowl.

That was it for the trash-talking New York Jets. It seems that head coach Rex Ryan and quarterback Mark Sanchez and Co. had left all they had on their previous game against the New England Patriots. This time around there was no trash talking from Jets during the week and there was very little to be seen from the team that managed to leave behind Peyton Manning and Tom Brady in back to back games. For context, that’s that 10th time since 2001 that a team have played both quarterbacks in back to back games. Only the Tennessee Titans had defeated them both.

Sanchez completed 22 of 33 for 233 yards and two touchdown passes with no interceptions. With a 102.2 passer rating, he certainly outplayed Ben Roethlisberger. Still, Big Ben went 10 of 19 for 133 yards, no touchdowns and 2 interceptions, and somehow managed to guide his offensive to a win. Perhaps the key was to be found in the great performance of Mendenhall. The running back completed 92 of his 121 yards in the first half, for 27 carriages and 1 touchdown.

Rex Ryan had been bragging all the postseason about his solid defense. And that’s when the Steelers turned things around. The Steelers usually relay on their air raids to keep on moving the chains. This time around, Big Ben took a step down and let his men do most of the work over the land. His offensive linemen kept on opening spaces for the runners to break into the Jets D like it had swinging doors.

Despite the effort, and working their way back into the game in the second half, it was just too little and too late for the Jets to really had a chance to get back in the game. The early hole was too deep, even after a 4-yard TD pass to Jerricho Cotchery made it 24-19 with 3:06 remaining. The Steelers kept it smart, moving the ball with each opportunity, and the Jets never got the ball back.

Changes in midfield key to Liverpool progress

Liverpool’s season is currently perched on a knife-edge following their recent victory over Wolves. The win was their first under Kenny Dalglish, and the fact that it was both away from home and came with the added bonus of a precious clean sheet make it an even rarer treat, although the football odds did suggest they should have secured a comfortable victory. Next up they face Fulham and Stoke, before travelling to Stamford Bridge to take on a resurgent Chelsea side

Nottingham Forest v Bristol City Preview

Both of these sides were tipped to push for the playoffs at the start of the season yet only one side is matching those expectations. After a slow start, Nottingham Forest have finally found their feet and they enter this game having just broken into the top six. Bristol City meanwhile are struggling at the other end and despite a pre-season of promise, the Robins are languishing in 17th position.

They may have reached the playoffs last season, but there were big doubts over whether or not Nottingham Forest could repeat their success after failing to add to their squad during the summer. Manager Billy Davies was one of the first to say his team wasn’t good enough, although in the last couple of months they have improved drastically and they have just broken into 6th place. It comes following a run of five victories from their last six and having won their last four, they certainly approach this fixture with plenty of confidence behind them. Their position certainly isn’t concrete, they only sit one point ahead of 7th place Watford, but looking at the bigger picture they have only played twenty five games which is three less than some of the sides up there. If the City Ground outfit can continue to grind out results, there now appears to be no reason why they can’t match, or even better, last season’s achievements.

Bristol City meanwhile may have improved slightly over recent months, but Keith Millen has still not convinced the Ashton Gate faithful that he is the right man for the job. City have at least paved some distance between themselves and the drop zone, with the club now six points clear of the bottom three, but they are still underachieving in 17th considering some of the talent at their disposal. Their form of late is not too brilliant either and without a win in four, Millen’s men need to stop the rot sooner rather than later. On a more positive note, they did manage to keep a clean sheet in their last game at Crystal Palace

Doncaster v Barnsley Preview

This rearranged South Yorkshire derby promises to be a cracking encounter, with these two sides right beside each other in the table having accumulated the same amount of points. While both are small clubs in comparison to many in the division, both have managed to cement solid league positions with Doncaster entering this game in 15th spot while Barnsley are in 16th.

Since entering the division a few years ago, Doncaster have become renowned for being a team with not many goals in them

Kellock gets his chance to lead

Glasgow second-row Alastair Kellock has been named as Scotland’s captain for next month’s Six Nations tournament. The 29-year-old has returned to Andy Robinson’s Scotland squad after missing the autumn internationals with a knee injury and has been named as the side’s captain after impressing in the job during the victorious summer tour of Argentina.

The captaincy arrives with Kellock after something of a pass the parcel situation, with Rory Lawson, Mike Blair and Chris Cusiter all spending time wearing the armband over the last year. Kellock will have a Scotland squad with a rare sense of confidence around them following an impressive 2010, which saw back-to-back victories in Argentina before autumn defeats of Samoa and world champions South Africa and the rugby betting odds suggest they could make an impact in the Six Nations.

The Glasgow forward has shown he is back to full fitness this season following his knee surgery and has earned his chance to lead to his country in Scotland’s opening game of the tournament against France. Glasgow have had an impressive season so far, recently recording back-to-back Heineken Cup wins over Wasps and Newport and Kellock has been instrumental to his side’s success. Speaking to scottishrugby.org, Kellock expressed his excitement at being given the captaincy.

“To get the chance to captain Scotland for the opening Six Nations game is huge. I was delighted to make the squad, especially after being out for almost six months with my knee after Argentina, and now to be named as captain is a real highlight, particularly with the competition for places,” he said.

           Related PostsJohnson patches his forwards togetherSix Nations key to World Cup gloryScotland vs Argentina previewScotland vs FranceEngland can look forward without trepidationTags: Add a Comment

Name

Mail (will not be published)

Website

Portsmouth v Burnley Preview

This game features two sides who were plying their trade in the Premiership last season; although ambitions of a swift return appear to be slim at best. While they have overcome their miserable start to the campaign, Portsmouth are still languishing in the lower regions of the table while opponents Burnley occupy a mid-table place position.

Many bookmakers stopped taking bets on Portsmouth being relegated just before the season began, with many believing that their severe financial problems would get in the way of any sort of form on the pitch. On that basis, their supporters should be delighted with the season so far, with the Fratton Park outfit currently sat in 18th position

Second Service: Wednesday's updates and betting news from the Australian Open

Racing Post   Home Cards Results News Tipping Blogs News Archive Statistics Courses Betting Site Photos Jobs Classifieds Shop Free Bets Directory Racing Cards Results News Tipping Blogs News Archive Statistics Courses Betting Site Photos Jobs Classifieds Shop Free Bets Directory BettingBloodstock News Upcoming Sales My Shortlist Sales Results Stallion Book Ratings Leading Lists Blogs RP Yearling Bonus RP Breeze-Up Bonus Greyhounds News Betting Cards Results Post Pack Trap Draws Classifieds Blogs Free Bets Sport Sport News Sport Blogs Betting Free Bets Gaming Learn to play Poker Play Poker Now Poker News Poker Blogs Play Casino Now SpreadsShopMembers' Club   

Arsenal in to 5-1 for Cup after despatching Leeds

 By Adam Scriven 10:49PM 19 JAN 2011 ARSENAL were cut from a best price of 6-1 to 5-1 to win the FA Cup after a dogged if not impressive 3-1 defeat of Championship side Leeds in their third-round replay at Elland Road last night, although they are rated 4-1 joint-best by Blue Square and 888sport.

The Gunners earned a 1-1 draw first time round only when Cesc Fabregas converted a 90th-minute penalty, but it looked like this meeting could be a much more one-sided affair when Samir Nasri put the 8-13 match favourites ahead after five minutes.

Bacary Sagna doubled the lead after 35 minutes, but Bradley Johnson brought the home side back into it with a sensational strike from outsiude the box just two minutes later.

But Robin van Persie, who came onto the field only after 71 minutes took just five minutes to make his mark and break the hearts of the home crowd.

Arsenal will now face League One Huddersfield in the fourth round at their Emirates stadium base on January 30.
Manchester United remain market leaders for a first win in the competition since 2004 at 4-1 with Manchester City joint-second favourites with Arsenal at a general 5-1.

FacebookDeliciousDiggStumbleUpon   TOP STORIES Updates and betting news from the Australian Open 1:39pm 21 Jan 2011 Marvellous Marsh spearheads Australia victory 12:50pm 21 Jan 2011 Qatar World Cup 3-1 to be held during winter 5:43pm 20 Jan 2011 Second Service: Thursday's updates and betting news from the Australian Open 1:44pm 20 Jan 2011 10:49pm 19 Jan 2011 Second Service: Wednesday's updates and betting news from the Australian Open 2:50pm 19 Jan 2011 Second-favourite Clark out of Bob Hope Classic 3:22pm 19 Jan 2011 Adam 8-11 for January switch 5:41pm 20 Jan 2011 Citizens 7-1 for title after scraping past Wolves 7:52pm 15 Jan 2011 Jenkins blow to Wales' Six Nations hopes 3:43pm 10 Jan 2011 Show All Current Stories LATEST STORIES Updates and betting news from the Australian Open 1:39pm 21 Jan 2011 Marvellous Marsh spearheads Australia victory 12:50pm 21 Jan 2011 Qatar World Cup 3-1 to be held during winter 5:43pm 20 Jan 2011 Adam 8-11 for January switch 5:41pm 20 Jan 2011 Footy fans constantly fail to hit the target 2:44pm 20 Jan 2011 Second Service: Thursday's updates and betting news from the Australian Open 1:44pm 20 Jan 2011 10:49pm 19 Jan 2011 Second Service: Wednesday's updates and betting news from the Australian Open 2:50pm 19 Jan 2011 Second-favourite Clark out of Bob Hope Classic 3:22pm 19 Jan 2011 Citizens 7-1 for title after scraping past Wolves 7:52pm 15 Jan 2011 Show All Current Stories FOOTBALL Qatar World Cup 3-1 to be held during winter 5:43pm 20 Jan 2011 10:49pm 19 Jan 2011 Adam 8-11 for January switch 5:41pm 20 Jan 2011 Citizens 7-1 for title after scraping past Wolves 7:52pm 15 Jan 2011 200-1 for no giants to fall 10:56pm 7 Jan 2011 Roy 1-2 to have bossed his last Reds league game 10:51pm 6 Jan 2011 Turmoil continues for Liverpool and Chelsea 10:14pm 5 Jan 2011 Nani's strike sends United three points clear 1:55pm 5 Jan 2011 Rangers remain 10-11 for top flight return with title 7:04pm 3 Jan 2011 Blues drift to 6-1 for title retention after Villa draw 8:16pm 2 Jan 2011 Show All Current Stories GOLF Second-favourite Clark out of Bob Hope Classic 3:22pm 19 Jan 2011 Favourite Ogilvy now a doubtful Hyundai starter 1:18pm 6 Jan 2011 CRICKET Marvellous Marsh spearheads Australia victory 12:50pm 21 Jan 2011 England 8-11 for Ashes treble after SCG stroll 10:45pm 7 Jan 2011 England 1-12 to wrap-up SCG win in morning 1:52pm 6 Jan 2011 England 2-5 for SCG win after Cook and Bell tons 2:02pm 5 Jan 2011 TENNIS Updates and betting news from the Australian Open 1:39pm 21 Jan 2011 Second Service: Thursday's updates and betting news from the Australian Open 1:44pm 20 Jan 2011 Second Service: Wednesday's updates and betting news from the Australian Open 2:50pm 19 Jan 2011 RUGBY Jenkins blow to Wales' Six Nations hopes 3:43pm 10 Jan 2011 OTHER SPORTS Champion Lewis 7-1 to retain PDC title 4:44pm 4 Jan 2011 Rocket still 9-2 for world title after Power win 11:49pm 31 Oct 2010 Froch retains title with scrappy win 11:56am 18 Oct 2009 Specialist road racers should shine at Infineon 8:34am 21 Jun 2009 Roush stable has pedigree to tame Nascar's Monster Mile 12:12pm 31 May 2009 Search our News Archive Sport News RSS Feed All Racing Post RSS Feeds Follow us on Twitter Follow us on Facebook Download our iPhone app

Second Service: Thursday's updates and betting news from the Australian Open

Racing Post   Home Cards Results News Tipping Blogs News Archive Statistics Courses Betting Site Photos Jobs Classifieds Shop Free Bets Directory Racing Cards Results News Tipping Blogs News Archive Statistics Courses Betting Site Photos Jobs Classifieds Shop Free Bets Directory BettingBloodstock News Upcoming Sales My Shortlist Sales Results Stallion Book Ratings Leading Lists Blogs RP Yearling Bonus RP Breeze-Up Bonus Greyhounds News Betting Cards Results Post Pack Trap Draws Classifieds Blogs Free Bets Sport Sport News Sport Blogs Betting Free Bets Gaming Learn to play Poker Play Poker Now Poker News Poker Blogs Play Casino Now SpreadsShopMembers' Club   

Footy fans constantly fail to hit the target

 By bruce millington  2:44PM 20 JAN 2011 Racing Post editor Bruce Millington's Thursday column for January 20 is reproduced here . . .

WHAT a funny lot we football fans are, with our hopelessly misdirected shows of emotion. We come over all angry, frustrated and sympathetic about totally the wrong things.

Here are four examples of what I mean:

1. Footballers changing clubs
Darren Bent goes from Sunderland to Aston Villa and the phone-ins are full of people asking why. It's patently obvious why. The only thing people should be questioning is why so many people are questioning the move.

He was on around £35,000 a week at Sunderland and is believed to be on nearer £80,000 at Villa. Throw in the signing-on fee and the long contract and you'd have to think the guy would have been insane if he'd done anything other than accept Villa's offer.

And let's not forget, Bent was completely unwanted at one point in his career, when he was so inactive at Tottenham that he actually hired a personal trainer - and paid the bill - to improve his fitness.

Now he's shown his ability, he's perfectly entitled to reap the rewards, although I do feel for the Sunderland fans.

2. Managers getting the boot
Every day thousands of people lose their jobs, and in many cases that creates severe stress for the person who has been given the heave-ho.

How will they feed their family? What hope have they got of finding alternative income? What earthly chance have they got of punting like a lunatic now?

A football manager gets the elbow and football supporters everywhere feel a collective tugging on their heartstrings.

The poor guy. He didn't deserve that. These club owners are brutal,  etc. No mention that the victim of the chairman's trigger finger is likely to walk away with a significant (and sometimes obscenely massive) severance cheque, and is liable to be minted anyway. Too many managers are sacked too quickly, but the actual victims of these decisions are the clubs, whogenerally show no improvement under the new leader.

3. Foreign footballers who speak truthfully to the media
Denilson's the latest person to be found guilty of the serious crime of trying tobe as honest as possible in an interview and then having his words twisted like a corkscrew.

The hapless Brazilian is one of the worst players I have ever seen to regularly appear in an Arsenal shirt but that doesn't mean he deserves such intense castigation as he's receiving for having said, quite rightly, that Cesc is not a natural leader or a demonstrative captain.

He probably made the comment in passing to a foreign journalist over a convivial cup of coffee in a swanky Parisian pavement cafe, only to gasp in horror when he saw yesterday's papers in which his remarks look like they've been made with a conviction that suggests he's seriously considering having ‘Cescis not a great captain' tattooed on his forehead. The sooner everyone realises tabloid footy hacks regularly take a quote from an interview published elsewhere and blow it into major diplomatic incident the better.

4.Players asking the ref to book an opponent
Rafael, before his sending-off at Spurs, waved an imaginary card at the ref after he'd been clattered, and the commentators went into a predictable frenzy of admonishment,
along the same old boring lines of "we don't like to see that in the English game".

Why not? What's so bad about it? If you were randomly punched in the face in the street and a policeman was standing there doing nothing, would you not ask why he wasn't feeling the miscreant's collar?

I see absolutely nothing wrong with a player seeking justice if he thinks he's been hard done by. Get over it. It's no big deal.  You want a truly reprehensible appeal? How about when players ask to be awarded a throw-in or corner when they know full well that the ball came off them last? That's cheating, pure and simple. It happens numerous times in every match, often followed by a stream of obscenities towards the official when they are not given the decision they are trying to dishonestly gain, and yet nothing is ever said.

The dauntingly fascinating festival
IN two months' time it will all be over. I'll have dropped a fortune, wrecked my liver and be relying on Arsenal winning the Prem for some kind of miracle recovery.

In the meantime, it's great to bask in the false hope that Cheltenham will bring financial riches as well as the guaranteed sporting splendour. This year's festival has a dauntingly fascinating look to it, with the vast majority of races being far more wide-openthan usual. I've got a sneaky feeling for Big Buck's in the World Hurdle if that helps.

Updates and betting news from the Australian Open

1:39pm 21 Jan 2011 Marvellous Marsh spearheads Australia victory 12:50pm 21 Jan 2011 Qatar World Cup 3-1 to be held during winter 5:43pm 20 Jan 2011 Second Service: Thursday's 1:44pm 20 Jan 2011 Arsenal in to 5-1 for Cup after despatching Leeds 10:49pm 19 Jan 2011 Second Service: Wednesday's 2:50pm 19 Jan 2011 Second-favourite Clark out of Bob Hope Classic 3:22pm 19 Jan 2011 Adam 8-11 for January switch 5:41pm 20 Jan 2011 Citizens 7-1 for title after scraping past Wolves 7:52pm 15 Jan 2011 Jenkins blow to Wales' Six Nations hopes 3:43pm 10 Jan 2011 Show All Current Stories LATEST STORIES 1:39pm 21 Jan 2011 Marvellous Marsh spearheads Australia victory 12:50pm 21 Jan 2011 Qatar World Cup 3-1 to be held during winter 5:43pm 20 Jan 2011 Adam 8-11 for January switch 5:41pm 20 Jan 2011 Footy fans constantly fail to hit the target 2:44pm 20 Jan 2011 Second Service: Thursday's 1:44pm 20 Jan 2011 Arsenal in to 5-1 for Cup after despatching Leeds 10:49pm 19 Jan 2011 Second Service: Wednesday's 2:50pm 19 Jan 2011 Second-favourite Clark out of Bob Hope Classic 3:22pm 19 Jan 2011 Citizens 7-1 for title after scraping past Wolves 7:52pm 15 Jan 2011 Show All Current Stories FOOTBALL Qatar World Cup 3-1 to be held during winter 5:43pm 20 Jan 2011 Arsenal in to 5-1 for Cup after despatching Leeds 10:49pm 19 Jan 2011 Adam 8-11 for January switch 5:41pm 20 Jan 2011 Citizens 7-1 for title after scraping past Wolves 7:52pm 15 Jan 2011 200-1 for no giants to fall 10:56pm 7 Jan 2011 Roy 1-2 to have bossed his last Reds league game 10:51pm 6 Jan 2011 Turmoil continues for Liverpool and Chelsea 10:14pm 5 Jan 2011 Nani's strike sends United three points clear 1:55pm 5 Jan 2011 Rangers remain 10-11 for top flight return with title 7:04pm 3 Jan 2011 Blues drift to 6-1 for title retention after Villa draw 8:16pm 2 Jan 2011 Show All Current Stories GOLF Second-favourite Clark out of Bob Hope Classic 3:22pm 19 Jan 2011 Favourite Ogilvy now a doubtful Hyundai starter 1:18pm 6 Jan 2011 CRICKET Marvellous Marsh spearheads Australia victory 12:50pm 21 Jan 2011 England 8-11 for Ashes treble after SCG stroll 10:45pm 7 Jan 2011 England 1-12 to wrap-up SCG win in morning 1:52pm 6 Jan 2011 England 2-5 for SCG win after Cook and Bell tons 2:02pm 5 Jan 2011 TENNIS 1:39pm 21 Jan 2011 Second Service: Thursday's 1:44pm 20 Jan 2011 Second Service: Wednesday's 2:50pm 19 Jan 2011 RUGBY Jenkins blow to Wales' Six Nations hopes 3:43pm 10 Jan 2011 OTHER SPORTS Champion Lewis 7-1 to retain PDC title 4:44pm 4 Jan 2011 Rocket still 9-2 for world title after Power win 11:49pm 31 Oct 2010 Froch retains title with scrappy win 11:56am 18 Oct 2009 Specialist road racers should shine at Infineon 8:34am 21 Jun 2009 Roush stable has pedigree to tame Nascar's Monster Mile 12:12pm 31 May 2009 Search our News Archive Sport News RSS Feed All Racing Post RSS Feeds Follow us on Twitter Follow us on Facebook Download our iPhone app

Boost for tracks as crowds increase despite weather

Double for Jason Foster as the Springbok hots up Triple dead-heaters set to meet again at RomfordMinnies Penske lands the feature race at HoveHoney Trampas crowned Coronation Cup champBAGS/SIS announce a 100K boost for Bags dogsRead Full News Service Search News Archive

Leopardstown confident of racing on Sunday

Double for Jason Foster as the Springbok hots up Triple dead-heaters set to meet again at RomfordMinnies Penske lands the feature race at HoveHoney Trampas crowned Coronation Cup champBAGS/SIS announce a 100K boost for Bags dogsRead Full News Service Search News Archive

HONG KONG: British & Irish Classic form on show at Sha Tin

Sport news  TOP STORIES Bent 2-1 for dream start at Villa Updates and betting news from the Australian OpenMarvellous Marsh spearheads Australia victoryQatar World Cup 3-1 to be held during winterSecond Service: Thursday's updates and betting news from the Australian OpenRead Full News Service Search News Archive

Peddlers Cross has three rivals in Haydock Champion Trial

Double for Jason Foster as the Springbok hots up Triple dead-heaters set to meet again at RomfordMinnies Penske lands the feature race at HoveHoney Trampas crowned Coronation Cup champBAGS/SIS announce a 100K boost for Bags dogsRead Full News Service Search News Archive

MP welcomes Commons debate support for racing

Double for Jason Foster as the Springbok hots up Triple dead-heaters set to meet again at RomfordMinnies Penske lands the feature race at HoveHoney Trampas crowned Coronation Cup champBAGS/SIS announce a 100K boost for Bags dogsRead Full News Service Search News Archive

Tom Scudamore returns with three Ascot rides

Death of champion Miesque, dam of Kingmambo Goffs release trimmed Feb catalogueLingfield: half-brother to Lahudood off the markFirst winner for Beresford scorer Albert HallEncouraging debut for Sunline half-brotherRead Full News Service Search News Archive

SOUTH AFRICA: Gibraltar out to fill gap on De Kock's cv

Gibraltar Blue: winner of five of six South African starts for Mike de Kock

  PICTURE: Goldcircle.co.za  Gibraltar Blue out to fill gap on De Kock's cv By michael clower 1:21PM 21 JAN 2011 Preview: South Africa, Saturday 2.25pm GMT

Kenilworth: Betting World Cape Flying Championship (Grade 1) 5f, turf, 3yo

Mullins still wary of Solwhit threat to Hurricane Fly

Double for Jason Foster as the Springbok hots up Triple dead-heaters set to meet again at RomfordMinnies Penske lands the feature race at HoveHoney Trampas crowned Coronation Cup champBAGS/SIS announce a 100K boost for Bags dogsRead Full News Service Search News Archive

Kauto Star recovering well from infection

Death of champion Miesque, dam of Kingmambo Goffs release trimmed Feb catalogueLingfield: half-brother to Lahudood off the markFirst winner for Beresford scorer Albert HallEncouraging debut for Sunline half-brotherRead Full News Service Search News Archive

Scoop6 pot could swell to £400,000 on Saturday

Sport news  TOP STORIES Bent 2-1 for dream start at Villa Updates and betting news from the Australian OpenMarvellous Marsh spearheads Australia victoryQatar World Cup 3-1 to be held during winterSecond Service: Thursday's updates and betting news from the Australian OpenRead Full News Service Search News Archive

32Red wins trademark dispute with William Hill

Double for Jason Foster as the Springbok hots up Triple dead-heaters set to meet again at RomfordMinnies Penske lands the feature race at HoveHoney Trampas crowned Coronation Cup champBAGS/SIS announce a 100K boost for Bags dogsRead Full News Service Search News Archive

Mould-breaking filly Miesque dies aged 27

Double for Jason Foster as the Springbok hots up Triple dead-heaters set to meet again at RomfordMinnies Penske lands the feature race at HoveHoney Trampas crowned Coronation Cup champBAGS/SIS announce a 100K boost for Bags dogsRead Full News Service Search News Archive

Buckler aims for repeat win with The Sawyer

Double for Jason Foster as the Springbok hots up Triple dead-heaters set to meet again at RomfordMinnies Penske lands the feature race at HoveHoney Trampas crowned Coronation Cup champBAGS/SIS announce a 100K boost for Bags dogsRead Full News Service Search News Archive

Monet's Garden progress gives homecoming hope

Monet's Garden: battling infection

  PICTURE: John Grossick  Owner David Wesley Yates visited the hugely popular chaser on Friday at the Oaklands Veterinary Centre in Yarm in North Yorkshire, where his 13-year-old has been delighting vets with his recovery.

"Without getting too carried away, he is certainly going the right way and I am hoping that before too long they can bring him home back to Greystoke," he said.

"If he continues the way he is doing this next week we will have a look by the end of the week and maybe just think about something like that. Wouldn't that be fantastic? And what a homecoming he will get!"

Wesley Yates, who defied the advice of two different vets to have Monet's Garden put down when the infection was diagnosed, had not been to visit the grey for a while and said: "He was in good form and his wellbeing was very encouraging. It was the first time I had seen him for a few weeks and I noticed the difference."

View Monet's Garden's glorious career in pictures with our photo gallery

 

FacebookDeliciousDiggStumbleUpon Tags:  Monet's Garden  Comments Log in to post comment Show all comments Comments Help   RELATED STORIES Monet's Garden continues his recovery 4:37pm 18 Jan 2011 Monet's Garden has another good day in infection fight 5:00pm 16 Jan 2011 TOP STORIES Champion tests loom for Master and Peddlers 4:59pm 21 Jan 2011 Mould-breaking filly Miesque dies aged 27 5:01pm 21 Jan 2011 Monet's Garden progress gives homecoming hope 5:31pm 21 Jan 2011 Kauto Star recovering well from infection 2:03pm 21 Jan 2011 Mullins still wary of Solwhit threat to Hurricane Fly 1:47pm 21 Jan 2011 Tom Scudamore returns with three Ascot rides 1:14pm 21 Jan 2011 Peddlers Cross has three rivals in Haydock Champion Trial 12:53pm 21 Jan 2011 Forecast gives hope for Saturday's Thyestes Chase card 2:32pm 21 Jan 2011 Ten Fires team face anxious wait as Thyestes reserve 10:33am 21 Jan 2011 Mullins puts Flat Out to the test in Irish Arkle 10:24am 21 Jan 2011 Show All Current Stories LATEST STORIES Champion tests loom for Master and Peddlers 4:59pm 21 Jan 2011 Monet's Garden progress gives homecoming hope 5:31pm 21 Jan 2011 Buckler aims for repeat win with The Sawyer 5:10pm 21 Jan 2011 Mould-breaking filly Miesque dies aged 27 5:01pm 21 Jan 2011 32Red wins trademark dispute with William Hill 4:22pm 21 Jan 2011 Scoop6 pot could swell to £400,000 on Saturday 2:38pm 21 Jan 2011 Kauto Star recovering well from infection 2:03pm 21 Jan 2011 Mullins still wary of Solwhit threat to Hurricane Fly 1:47pm 21 Jan 2011 SOUTH AFRICA: Gibraltar out to fill gap on De Kock's cv 1:21pm 21 Jan 2011 Tom Scudamore returns with three Ascot rides 1:14pm 21 Jan 2011 Show All Current Stories REPORTS TAUNTON: Red-hot Al Ferof gets off the mark over hurdles 2:35pm 20 Jan 2011 TAUNTON: Ciceron gives pair a lift after Credit Swap upset 3:35pm 20 Jan 2011 TAUNTON: Credit Swap denied by bold Shammick Boy 1:35pm 20 Jan 2011 NEWBURY: Arkle hope Finian's Rainbow strolls home 1:49pm 19 Jan 2011 SOUTHWELL: Bear's Affair mauls rivals on hurdle debut 2:35pm 18 Jan 2011 FAIRYHOUSE: Ryanair aim for easy winner Golden Silver 2:21pm 16 Jan 2011 FAIRYHOUSE: Our Girl Salley made to work for five-timer 1:17pm 16 Jan 2011 WEATHER WATCH Forecast gives hope for Saturday's Thyestes Chase card 2:32pm 21 Jan 2011 Wincanton and Haydock face Saturday inspections 8:35am 21 Jan 2011 At-a-glance weather prospects 5:20pm 25 Nov 2010 Leopardstown confident of racing on Sunday 12:31pm 21 Jan 2011 Four replacement jump fixtures revealed by BHA 5:33pm 17 Jan 2011 INTERNATIONAL SOUTH AFRICA: Gibraltar out to fill gap on De Kock's cv 1:21pm 21 Jan 2011 HONG KONG: British & Irish Classic form on show at Sha Tin 12:37pm 21 Jan 2011 USA: Baze ready to roar on Smiling Tiger 11:57am 21 Jan 2011 AUSTRALIA: Ascot plan for dual Group 1 winner Witness 1:54pm 20 Jan 2011 AUSTRALIA: Good news at last for jumps community 1:32pm 20 Jan 2011 AUSTRALIA: New Sydney race club announces key posts 1:25pm 20 Jan 2011 SOUTH AFRICA: Mother Russia impresses in gallop 10:31am 20 Jan 2011 HONG KONG: Noble Conqueror floors bigger names at Valley 5:59pm 19 Jan 2011 JAPAN: Double for Cristian Demuro at Funabashi 12:57pm 18 Jan 2011 USA: Bourbon Bay now five out of five at Santa Anita 2:48am 18 Jan 2011 Show All Current Stories DUBAI CARNIVAL REPORT: Zanzamar maintains De Kock trial stranglehold 2:49pm 20 Jan 2011 REPORT: Aspectoflove battles home for team Godolphin 4:36pm 20 Jan 2011 REPORT: Easy for Dettori as Mendip slams Meydan rivals 6:21pm 13 Jan 2011 REPORT: Britain on mark with Tango's last-gasp win 3:25pm 13 Jan 2011 ARGENTINA: Stars bought for UAE Derby tilt 10:00am 9 Dec 2010 Gitano Hernando to begin World Cup preparation 12:10pm 6 Dec 2010 RACING BUSINESS 32Red wins trademark dispute with William Hill 4:22pm 21 Jan 2011 MP welcomes Commons debate support for racing 1:03pm 21 Jan 2011 Boost for tracks as crowds increase despite weather 12:07pm 21 Jan 2011 Gambling minister in pledge over future funding of sport 7:59am 21 Jan 2011 MPs warned reforming levy could breach EU law 2:20pm 19 Jan 2011 IG confirms Extrabet World Cup boost 9:41am 19 Jan 2011 Former RUK chief Brown coming back to Britain 5:22pm 16 Jan 2011 Akehurst win-fest carries on Epsom’s resurgence 10:37am 16 Jan 2011 Coward to speak at racing industry course 10:27am 16 Jan 2011 Leopardstown date for Boyzone's Ronan Keating 9:37am 16 Jan 2011 Show All Current Stories WORLD CLASS Harbinger remains a case of what might have been (December 27) 10:12am 27 Dec 2010 Comma To The Top looks to have bright future (December 20) 4:36pm 20 Dec 2010 JJ cements Black Caviar position as best on planet (December 13) 8:46am 13 Dec 2010 Safe option not always best when crowning champions (December 6) 9:05am 6 Dec 2010 No arguing that Buena Vista was the winner on merit (November 29) 4:44pm 1 Dec 2010 Snow Fairy maintains spell of female dominance (November 15) 10:26am 15 Nov 2010 Blame denies Zenyatta Hollywood ending (November 8) 12:42pm 8 Nov 2010 Call me cynical but Zenyatta faces greatest test (November 1) 11:13am 1 Nov 2010 Unbeaten Black Caviar sets up sprint to savour (October 25) 10:45am 25 Oct 2010 Frankel rated best juvenile of 21st century (October 18) 11:58am 18 Oct 2010 Show All Current Stories RACECOURSE NEWS AND OFFERS KEMPTON: Track offers free entry after sponsorship deal 12:40pm 16 Jan 2011 ASCOT: Ten-act line-up set for Shergar Cup day 12:08pm 16 Jan 2011 NEWBURY: Win Valentine and racing weekend package 11:59am 16 Jan 2011 LIMERICK: Course offers Australia Day package 11:44am 16 Jan 2011 FFOS LAS: Welsh Champion Hurdle day offer 11:33am 16 Jan 2011 FONTWELL: Racegoers offered £15 'six pack' 11:17am 16 Jan 2011 EXETER: Track repeats Valentine's special offer 11:02am 16 Jan 2011 GUERNSEY: Travel incentives for annual meeting 10:58am 16 Jan 2011 MARKET RASEN: Special entry offer for Sunday fixtures 11:37am 8 Jan 2011 TAUNTON: Two-for-one grandstand entry offers 5:00pm 31 Dec 2010 Show All Current Stories KING GEORGE MEETING Kauto Star recovering well from infection 2:03pm 21 Jan 2011 Khyber Kim could next be seen in Welsh Champion 2:57pm 16 Jan 2011 The Nightingale found to have a fibrillating heart 12:11pm 16 Jan 2011 Waley-Cohen accepts Cheltenham challenge for Long Run 11:08am 16 Jan 2011 Kauto Star had small bleed after race - Nicholls 10:43am 16 Jan 2011 GRAND NATIONAL MEETING O'Neill plots route to National for Don't Push It 3:22pm 19 Jan 2011 Grand National Trial date for West End Rocker 10:17am 17 Jan 2011 CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL Big Buck's and Mikael among World Hurdle entries 12:14pm 20 Jan 2011 Henderson maps out plans for hurdling team 5:21pm 19 Jan 2011 Gordon Elliott among 12 riders for Festival charity race 12:19pm 17 Jan 2011 GOING AND NON-RUNNERS Saturday: 12:14am 22 Jan 11 Sunday: 12:14am 22 Jan 11 Monday: 12:14am 22 Jan 11 Tuesday: 12:14am 22 Jan 11 Wednesday: 12:14am 22 Jan 11 Thursday: 12:14am 22 Jan 11 Search our News Archive Horse Racing News RSS Feed All Racing Post RSS Feeds Follow us on Twitter Follow us on Facebook Download our iPhone app COPYRIGHT

Champion tests loom for Master and Peddlers

Double for Jason Foster as the Springbok hots up Triple dead-heaters set to meet again at RomfordMinnies Penske lands the feature race at HoveHoney Trampas crowned Coronation Cup champBAGS/SIS announce a 100K boost for Bags dogsRead Full News Service Search News Archive

Australian Open previews

I've been writing betting previews of the Grand Slam tennis tournaments for over a decade now, the latest instalment can be found at PuntingAce, men's and women's articles on the same page.

My fee from the articles has been donated to the Qld Floods Appeal.Posted byScott Fergusonat21:37

Tennis match-fixing to be investigated

Settle down, it's nothing from Melbourne but the bent-as-a-three-bob-note ATP match from St Petersburg in October between Filippo Volandri and Teymuraz Gabashvili. The Evening Standard reports that the Tennis Integrity Unit is investigating the circumstances around this match.

I posted twice on this match originally, here and then a day later here.

Volandri will almost certainly retire this year anyway, so I suspect any penalty will be meaningless anyway.Posted byScott Fergusonat18:50

What Kempton Tells Us About Cheltenham

Can Binocular win the Champion Hurdle after winning the Christmas Hurdle?

As must always be the case, dear reader, after big pre-season races, the ante-post markets for the Cheltenham Festival events receives a rare old shake down.

On Saturday, Kempton hosted its two premium Boxing Day fixtures, the Christmas Hurdle and King George VI Chase.

Favoured for the two events were Binocular, last season’s Champion Hurdler, and four-time King George winner (as well as two time Gold Cup winner), Kauto Star.

History will have already dictated to you that Binocular won readily enough in the former, and Kauto finished a respectable third behind Long Run in the latter, Nicky Henderson’s up and coming chasing import.

But what does Kempton’s Christmas (or, in this case, January) form tell us with regards to the Champion Hurdle and Gold Cup at Cheltenham in March? Let’s mull the deeper lessons of history to learn more.

In fact, each of the Christmas Hurdle winners who went on to contest the Champion Hurdle in the last ten years were beaten in the latter race. This list includes Go Native, the last Christmas Hurdle winner, who was sent off 11/4 favourite at Cheltenham.

However, contrast that with beaten horses in the Christmas Hurdle who go on to win in the Blue Riband at the Festival.

Binocular was only third in the Christmas Hurdle last year, but was simply imperious up Cleeve Hill come March.

Before him, Punjabi fell behind Harchibald on Boxing Day 2008 before winning the Champion Hurdle in 2009.

We then have to go all the way back to 2001/2 find the next Champion Hurdle winner to have run in the Christmas Hurdle. Hors La Loi III could finish no better than third to Landing Light at Kempton before finally lowering Istabraq’s crown at the Festival.

So the message is clear – be extremely wary of Christmas Hurdle winners in the Champion Hurdle. They often go off very short prices, but the totally different course constitution and pace in the race makes for a contrasting test of a horse’s racing talents.

Placed horses in the Christmas Hurdle have a decent record in the Champion, which might imply a second glance at the form of Donald McCain’s Overturn (25/1 for the March showpiece) and Alan Fleming’s Starluck (50/1).

The latter does seem to be a poor battler but could run into a place off his high cruising speed, and the former will stay well, so McCain looks to have a strong hand for the race with Peddlers Cross in there pitching too.

Sam’s Lucky 9 Lays Review

Home Horse Racing Systems ReviewsBest Horse Racing SystemsHorse Betting SystemsRacing Winners ReviewFormat Racing System ReviewAll By The BookBookie AnnihilationHorse Racing Betting Systems: Would You Like to Work With Me?All Weather Backing System ReviewBetting System Scams: How To Beat The ScammersTrainer Trackstats 2010/2011 ReviewBetfair Winner System ReviewBetfair Killer System ReviewThe Bookie DemolisherRacing Revelation ReviewRacing Trends ReviewSimply The Best ReviewSupreme Handicap ReviewFP System ReviewFive Year Consistency PlanRacing Investment Form’Horse Laying SystemsLittle Acorns Review 2010Dream LaysBetting MaximizerLowlay System ReviewRacing Secrets

The Dubai Carnival 2011

Carnival’ is certainly the most appropriate word to use to describe Dubai’s racing scene at the moment, writes Ross Birkett from Meydan.

As many of the best racehorses from around the globe gather to do battle at Meydan over ten weeks of world-class racing, the atmosphere here is one of excitement, and anticipation, and it gives you a real feeling that you are at the centre of it all with the eyes of the planet on you.

The Dubai Racing Carnival couldn’t have got off to a better start for us Brits last Thursday as the ultra-tough Steele Tango flew home with a wet sail to land the last race. The win was a huge credit to his trainer Roger Teale, who you are generally more likely to see at Lingfield than Longchamp.

One talented horse like Steele Tango is all a small trainer needs to make a name for himself and Teale has found that star. Last seen when gamely finishing second to Credit Swap in the Cambridgeshire, I’m expecting the six year old to step out of handicap company and maybe nick a Group race before the Carnival comes to an end.

Despite a slightly disappointing season on British shores, Godolphin notched a quickfire double on ‘home’ territory. Ryan Moore gave Rock N Roll Ransom a peach of a ride to win the 1m3f handicap, and what made the success more interesting was the breeding of the gelding – he is the son of one of my favourite mares: Zee Zee Top. Some of you may remember her as a real hardy performer for Sir Michael Stoute and she put up her best display when winning the Prix De l’Opera in 2003.

With all the various nationalities bouncing around the place, there’s a real cosmopolitan feel to the track and the hotel where everyone stays. My personal highlight has been watching crack French jockey Christophe Soumillon ride out every morning for Mike De Kock, but also interesting are the lesser known faces that you encounter.

I was chatting to a Brazilian lad who has travelled over with Luca Cumani’s string and it was insightful to hear his views on Man Of Iron. The horse won the Breeders’ Cup Marathon in 2009 for Aiden O’Brien and was subsequently bought by a syndicate for a hefty sum. He’s failed to earn back even a fraction of that price tag and it must be disappointing for his connections and trainer Cumani.

The Brazilian said that the horse still shows huge ability on the gallops in the morning and every time he goes to the races they expect him to win. It’s amazing then to see him finishing out the back all the time. Another snippet of info that I gathered was that his stablemate, Drunken Sailor, has acclimatised very well since travelling over. Watch out for him in the coming weeks.

The news came through this week that Aiden O’Brien has put aside his problems with Godolphin to send horses over to race in Dubai for the first time in six years. Cape Blanco has been entered for the World Cup in March and will take a hell of a lot of beating if he turns up. I bumped into a lad who has been working at Ballydoyle and was in the Emirates for a holiday.

He said the horse to watch out for in 2011 was Apache. The three year old finished second on his only outing to date but those in the know say that this huge animal will be better with time and his entries, which include the Derby and Guineas, support these thoughts.

For all Dubai can throw money at the racing, they cannot boast the one thing that British racing can – history and tradition.
This was demonstrated nowhere better than at Kempton on Saturday when Kauto Star tried to rewrite the record books by becoming the first horse to win the King George for a fifth time. It was a sad sight to see him fail in the task but his replacement looks like he could be a bit special too – Long Run.

We’ve all read the hype that has followed this horse since he was bought from France last season but now he is finally living up to it. It remains to be seen whether he is tough and strong enough to win a Gold Cup but you wouldn’t bet against it judging by the performance he put up at the Sunbury venue.

The race also, for me, marked a change in the order of top-level steeple chasing. The heavyweight domination of Kauto and Denman will probably never be seen again and a new order has arisen, led by Long Run and Imperial Commander.

- Ross

--

English Premier League Soccer – Blackpool v. Sunderland

1X2 TipsEnglish Premiership
Italian Serie A
Spain Primera Division
German Bundesliga
French Ligue One
Netherlands Eredivisie
Scottish Premiership
Belgium Pro League
Greece Super League
Austrian Bundesliga
Portuguese Liga
Turkish Super League
English Championship
English League One
English League Two
Scottish Div One
Scottish Div Two
Scottish Div Three
Tipster Competition
OLBG
Tipster CompetitionLive Football Scores
Football Scores

Allardyce and Jol Favourites for Grant’s Job As Next West Ham Manager

 Subscribe in a reader

Avram Grant will live to see another day as West Ham Manager but it does look like this will be his last season.  There’s speculation as to how he managed to stay in the hot seat

Spurs suggest they are still in the title race… but they aren’t

1X2 TipsEnglish Premiership
Italian Serie A
Spain Primera Division
German Bundesliga
French Ligue One
Netherlands Eredivisie
Scottish Premiership
Belgium Pro League
Greece Super League
Austrian Bundesliga
Portuguese Liga
Turkish Super League
English Championship
English League One
English League Two
Scottish Div One
Scottish Div Two
Scottish Div Three
Tipster Competition
OLBG
Tipster CompetitionLive Football Scores
Football Scores

Pienaar picks Spurs over Chelsea

 Subscribe in a reader

Everton Midfielder Stephen Pienaar has finalised his move to Tottenham Hotspur after turning down the opportunity to join Chelsea. The South African spoke to both clubs before settling on a move to White Hart Lane in a move believed to be worth around

Next Liverpool Manager Odds Point Towards British Appointment

 Subscribe in a reader

The Next Liverpool Manager Odds are starting to take serious shape and although an announcement isn’t expected until the summer, you can see how the Liverpool board are thinking just by looking at the latest odds.

The current favourite at around even money is Kenny Dalglish, the man who is currently in charge at Anfield. It is easy to see why he is favourite and such a short price; he is popular with the fans and the players and early signs are that they are improving, although results haven’t quite gone their way yet. Dalglish is a worthy favourite but may just be worth taking on as his age suggests he isn’t a long term appointment.

The next name in the Next Liverpool Manager Odds is Martin O’Neill. He has been linked with a move to West Ham but that now looks dead and Liverpool seems a much better fit for a manager who is well known as someone who gets the best out of his players. O’Neill is around the 2/1 mark and it is an appointment that would make from both sides.  Don’t be surprised to see O’Neill given the Liverpool job in the summer.

Another British manager who could be up for the job is Owen Coyle. His stock is rising quickly having done a great job at Burnley and now Bolton and the fact that he is young, British and likes his teams to play football means he is going to be highly sought after over the next few years. The first big team to move for Coyle could be rewarded well, but he may have to fight for the Liverpool job with foreigners such as Frank Rijkaard, who has also been linked with becoming the Next Liverpool Manager.

We recommend visiting OLBG.co.uk for more free tips, odds and an Exclusive Free Bet from the many bookies before getting your Next Manager bets on.

English Premier League Soccer – Aston Villa v. Manchester City

1X2 TipsEnglish Premiership
Italian Serie A
Spain Primera Division
German Bundesliga
French Ligue One
Netherlands Eredivisie
Scottish Premiership
Belgium Pro League
Greece Super League
Austrian Bundesliga
Portuguese Liga
Turkish Super League
English Championship
English League One
English League Two
Scottish Div One
Scottish Div Two
Scottish Div Three
Tipster Competition
OLBG
Tipster CompetitionLive Football Scores
Football Scores

Spurs Man Utd Odds

It may only be January but things are really hotting up in the Premier League and Tottenham V Man Utd is going to be yet another clincher in the race for the title.

With three games in hand, Manchester United are currently one single point behind arch rivals Manchester City, whose most recent win saw them top the league. Arsenal are only one point behind United and Chelsea, though down, are certainly not out.

A win for Manchester United today will see them back on top with two games in hand but Spurs may have other ideas!They currently sit in fifth place, just two points behind Chelsea and desperate for an automatic spot next year’s Champions League, they’ll be out for nothing less than a win today.

It’s so close bookies aren’t calling it with odds being almost identical for both teams, with united just getting a teeny slight edge over Spurs. In fact, best odds are on a draw. Or, you could put your money on an ‘anytime scorer’ where you can get around 6/4 on Berbatov and Rooney to score at some point in the match.

Whatever the outcome, you can be sure that all eyes will be on the match today, not least those from the blue side of Manchester!

Tags: Match odds for United, Spurs to beat Man Utd, Spurs V Man Utd Odds, Tottenham V Manchester United Odds, United to beat Spurs, United to winShare

Blankety Blank Slot

For those of you who don’t remember Blankety Blank, it was a quiz show that ran for seventeen years in the UK, and sadly I am one of the older viewers who will remember it being presented by Terry Wogan who did the first stint from 1979 to 1983! He was then succeeded by Les Dawson and Lily Savage.

As you can imagine from the choice of presenters the show itself bordered on slapstick, with the two contestants trying to guess the dominant answer that the six celebrities had given to what was usually a comedic statement or question

Setting Yourself Goals

In all walks of life it is important to set yourself goals and poker is no different. Setting goals can help to keep you focussed on the long term rather than allowing you to get caught up in the short term results, can help you to map your progress and can encourage you to keep playing even when the cards are not falling your way.

Those over at betfairpoker.com note that the act of setting goals is important but setting the right goals for you is vital otherwise they can have the co,mplete opposite desired effect that you wanted them to have. Setting the wrong type of goals, or making them too ambitious can see you become disillusioned, which in turn can cause you to play in a less than optimal way, losing you money and confidence.

A common goal and one that almost every poker player worth his salt has set at some point in their career is a monetary one, that is a goal of making a certain amount of money. It should be quite obvious why this is a popular goal choice but I advise you not to make any goals that revolves around money. This is simply because you do not have full control over how much money you earn as you can play perfect poker yet still lose money, and setting money related goals can often see you play too aggressively when you are chasing a total and too passively if you have reached your goal and are trying to protect it.

The same goes for goals relating to volume, or hands and tournaments played. Whilst I fully agree that it is critical to play as many hands and tournaments as you can if you want to be a successful poker player, setting goals heavily linked to volume can go horribly wrong, for reasons similar to monetary goals. Firstly, you may find yourself behind pace for your goal and start to add extra tables in order to catch up or you may find yourself folding more so that your hands per hour rate increases, both are bad for your game.

The best goals to set, whether using the Betfair Bonus or not, are those that you have full control of, such as promising yourself that you will study a set amount of hours per week in relation to how many hours of table time you put in, or trying to learn how to keep your emotions under control. Do not let your goals completely consume you and you will not go far wrong.

Tags: focus, game, goal, long term, poker, poker tipShare

Super Saturday For Highflying Henderson

When A Media Luz fell at the second last whilst holding a winning chance in the opening race of Kempton’s King George fixture on Saturday, trainer Nicky Henderson must have wondered if it was going to be one of those days, writes Elliot Slater.

As things transpired, had the filly gone on to win the race she would have been the first of an amazing six winners on the card for her popular handler. As it was, he had to settle for just five, including sending out the first two in the William Hill King George VI Chase with the tremendous Long Run (9/2) and the tough as teak Riverside Theatre. Henderson’s 357/1 five-timer stole the show on a day when many had expected his arch-rival Paul Nicholls to bask in the limelight once again with Kauto Star. But it wasn’t to be for Nicholls, who left the Sunbury track empty-handed.

French import Nadiya De La Vega (4/7f) made a winning start to her career with Henderson, landing the novices’ chase in some style, earning quotes of as short as 16/1 for the Arkle Trophy. In the next race Henderson’s 15/8f Chablais impressed most observers with an authoritative display in the novices’ hurdle after which he received quotes of around 12/1 for the Neptune Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival. Skint failed to justify favouritism in the handicap hurdle finishing second, but normal service was resumed in the next when Polyfast (9/2) returned from a long absence to carry top weight to victory in the handicap chase, to complete a hat-trick for Barry Geraghty. Those who had placed horse racing bets on Henderson’s charges would have been very pleased by events.

Tony McCoy was aboard Henderson’s Binocular (13/8f) a brilliant winner of the Grade 1 Christmas Hurdle and now a strong favourite to retain his title in the Champion Hurdle, before Sam Waley-Cohen gave Long Run a superb ride to lad the ‘King George’ from stable companion Riverside Theatre. The party at Seven Barrows on Saturday night must have been something special and Henderson could be forgiven for not surfacing too early on Sunday morning after a truly memorable performance the day before.

Tags: horse racing, king george, Nicky Henderson, odds, tipsShare