THE WORLD SNOOKER CHAMPIONSHIP gets under way at the Crucible this weekend and Sean Grahams make Ronnie O’ Sullivan their 4/1 jolly, closely followed by John Higgins, who gets a 9/2 quote.
Last year’s champion Higgins is a hard man to beat at the Sheffield arena and will be thereabouts as usual.
Ronnie O'Sullivan has been described by many as the most naturally gifted player ever to grace the green baize, but sometimes his head is just not in it and he seems to get bored midway through matches. If that’s what he’s like, then fair enough, but he should remember that ordinary, hard-working punters might have good money on him. The world number one goes into virtually every tournament as the bookies' favourite but the big question for punters is, which Ronnie O’Sullivan will turn up this year? If it’s the Ronnie O'Sullivan who wants this championship then the 4/1 on offer could be the summer holidays spending money. But if it’s the bored, irritable Ronnie, then he will be home by the end of the first week.
Local hopes will lie with Antrim player Mark Allen who could be the outside bet of the tournament at 18/1.
He looks to have a good draw and we think he could at least get to the semi-finals, and then if he can hold his nerve... you just never know.
Last 10 winners
2000 Mark Williams bt Matthew Stevens 18 - 16
2001 Ronnie O'Sullivan bt John Higgins 18 - 14
2002 Peter Ebdon bt Stephen Hendry 18 - 17
2003 Mark Williams bt Ken Doherty 18 - 16
2004 Ronnie O'Sullivan bt Graeme Dott 18 - 8
2005 Shaun Murphy bt Matthew Stevens 18 - 16
2006 Graeme Dott bt Peter Ebdon 18 - 14
2007 John Higgins bt Mark Selby 18 - 13
2008 Ronnie O'Sullivan bt Ali Carter 18 - 8
2009 John Higgins bt Shaun Murphy 18 - 9
Horse Racing
Poker to hold all the aces at Ayr
WE HAVE had Nationals at Fairyhouse and Aintree, and now it’s on to Ayr for the Scottish National this weekend – all this in the space of 13 days.
Local punters revelled in Tony McCoy’s English National glory on Saturday with Sean Grahams reporting big bets on Don’t Push It and so did a few off our bloggers who took our advice last week. Andytown punter Jimmy Mallon had more to shout about than most after cleaning up with a £20 double on Saturday.
Jimmy took From Dawn To Dusk at early odds of 14/1 to win the listed John Smith's Handicap Chase which gave him £300 riding on DON’T PUSH IT at an early 20/1. Those odds as we know tumbled to 10/1 but Jimmy didn’t care, picking up £6,300 on Monday morning and has told us a cruise beckons for him and the missus.
On to this weekend’s racing and we start with the big one at Ayr – the Sottish Grand National, and what a cracking race it looks.
We might have lost the mighty Denman earlier in the week but excellent horses go to post for this gruelling four-mile race.
Ferdy Murphy held back and didn’t send his Cheltenham winner POKER DE SIVOLA to Fairyhouse for the Irish National, targeting this race instead.
The trip will be not a problem as he won over the distance in the National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup at the festival and looks the one to beat on Saturday.
Of the outsiders, the veteran Himalayan Trail catches the eye and has been in great heart, winning his last two races. He does like the ground a touch softer, but at 25/1 he could well run into a place.
Sean Graham Bet: Poker De Sivola 6, Chief Dan George 7, Meanus Dandy 8, Faasel 12, Gone To Lunch 12, Killyglen 14, Theatrical Moment 14, Razor Royale 16, That’s Rhythm 16, Halcon Genelardais 20, Lothian Falcon 20, Mobaasher 20, Air Force One 25, Dom D’Orgeval 25, Hold The Pin 25, Merigo 25, Nenuphar Collonges 25, Out The Black 25, Scots Dragoon 25, Auroras Encore 33 – the others you can have for 33s or more
FLAT IS BACK
The Flat season is back in full swing and we have Newmarket on today where the Craven Stakes is the big race. I’m looking forward to see if Elusive Pimpernel has trained on from last year; if so, he will take some beating.
We have a liking for CANFORD CLIFFS for the Guineas and he has his prep run on Saturday in the Bathwick Tyres Greenham Stakes – the 5/1 price on a Guineas win will tumble if he wins on Saturday.
Keep an eye out for DANSILI DANCER in the Dubai Duty Free Finest Surprise Stakes – he fairly skated home at Kempton but could go off here at a half-decent price with Adam Kirby doing the steering.
Weekend Soccer
BATTLE OF MANCHESTER
BLOODY Brighton let us down in a close Fivehit last week but four winners at this stage of the season is still good going.
It’s that time of the season that punters need to study the league tables and check out who’s playing for what.
We have the Champions League and Europa Cup semi-finals next week and the PG is sticking its neck out and going with a Bayern Munich success in this year’s competition at 9/2 and Liverpool to lift the first ever Europa League title at 7/4.
Let’s get started with this weekend’s quad and we start with the big game of the weekend – the Manchester derby.
Man City will hope to end Man Utd’s dream of the title and will do just that if they can beat their arch rivals at Eastlands come Saturday lunchtime.
The champions dropped vital points last weekend at Blackburn which enabled Cheslea to go four points clear of Ferguson’s team who now can’t afford to drop any more points. MAN CITY (8/5) go into the game on a goalscoring high after knocking in 11 goals in their last two matches and know a win could all but cement that Champions League spot. We think they will edge this one.
MIDDLESBORO (3/1) are chasing Swansea and Blackpool hard for that last play-off spot and we think Gordon Strachan’s team can grab the three points they need at promoted West Brom.
BLACKPOOL (6/5) are the other contenders for that remaining play-off spot and can keep the pressure on with a win over Nottingham Forest.
Making the weekend quad up are SOUTHAMPTON who are chasing that remaining play-off spot in League One and can gather all points at Yeovil.
The quad pays £228 for a £5 outlay. A bigger gamble than usual, but there’s all to play for.
We start the draw treble this week at Ewood Park where Everton pay a visit to take on a hard-to-beat Blackburn side who Man Utd failed to break down last weekend. We think a point beckons for each of these teams.
MILLWALL travel to play-off-chasing HUDDERSFIELD on Saturday and both teams might be happy with a point.
KILMARNOCK simply cannot afford to lose at HAMILTON on Saturday and a point could ease their relegation fears.
On to the five-hit and we start in League One where LEEDS (4/5) look a cracking bet to keep their automatic promotion push going with a win at Gillingham.
BURY (1/1) have found their feet again and can grab all points at home to Port Vale.
SUNDERLAND (8/13) can put the final nail into the Premiershp coffin of Burnley.
IPSWICH (10/11) can make home advantage count with a win over Doncaster at Portman Road.
And BRADFORD (10/11) can grab their second win in five days when they entertain Barnet.
PG Competition
We have 6 sets of 4 tickets to giveaway for the opening day of the Punchestown Festival (TUESDAY 20th April)
To win them just call us us before 11.30 am on Monday and answer this question -
Who won the Scottish Grand National on Saturday?
Call Tracy on 90619000 ext 229 or email puntersguide@irelandclickcom or post the answer and your name on the Blog.
Friday Nag: RJEEF (14/1) second race Newbury
11 comments:
that horse now 20-1
Mackers
any arsenal supporters alive?
a4e? no?
the title will be back at stamford bridge where it belongs
true blue
Former Derry City player Gareth McGlynn has been banned for two months for improper betting while at the club.
McGlynn, now playing for Bohemians, placed bets on five games although none of these involved Derry.
However, he was punished for placing bets on matches in the league which his club was playing in.
whats going on here?
can players not even have a bet on football even if its not their club they are betting on?
jim mac
jimmy mac,i seen a bet that he had done and it was a 20quid double and one of the teams was something like man city to beat newcastle or vice-versa in the F.A. cup and it didnt even touch. It was a nonsense that the powers that be were making such a big deal as he woulda bin lucky winning 100quid. Not exactly Amarillo Slim material
johnnyboy
well according to the investigation there was sigificant amounts of money being placed so i think your £20 is waff off the mark
P.J Hall
It was in the free state daily mirror and the free state sun weeks ago that he did a 20quid double. i think he did Derry, even though he wasnt playing, and like i said either city to beat newcastle or vice-versa. The 2 things im 100% sure on is that it was an FA cup game and 20quid was metioned. Im sure it would be easy enough to check. Dont shoot the messenger,thats what the 2 papers said.
johnnyboy
Mr McGlynn admitted betting on matches in the League of Ireland when he played for Derry City.
Mr O'Neill admitted placing eight bets of between £10 and £200 on games in the League of Ireland. Six of the bets were on matches involving Derry City.
what the papers said
pj hall
Ladbrokes foul up!!
Fans were left fuming as Ladbrokes refused to pay out odds of 175/1 that Tottenham would beat Chelsea 2-1 with a Jermain Defoe goal - because of a mistake in store.
Locals lapped the offer up but were left upset when the shop in Northumberland Road, Tottenham, only paid out on the correct odds of 35/1, but the bookies insisted they were in the right.
“I’m gutted,” Mark Gooding, 51, told The Sun after he put £5 on the outcome.
He was only paid £180 and not the £880 he thought he had won.
Ladbrokes said sorry for the error but insisted they would not pay out on wrong odds that arose from a “clerical mistake”.
Punchestown Selections:-
3.40 Ikidunot 14-1
4.20 Son Amix 3-1
4.55 Magnanimity 11-4
Guinness Gold Cup DENMAN (NAP) f/c Barbers Shop
6.05 Tavern Times 11-4
6.40 Stewarts House 9-2
7.15 Tyrone Golden Run 6-1
well someones telling lies cos ive got the paper in front of me saying that he admitted to 5 bets between 20quid (the one i seen weeks earlier) and 100 quid (irish sun p46) although in fairness the irish mirror p47 just says he bet on 5 league games but doesnt say if it was 5 single bets or an accumulater. Its probabley somewhere between the 2. Either way its not big money involved and we can only go on what we've read
johnnyboy
well all the £100 bets build up.
Its not about big money its about the fact what he was doing was illegal and against the league rules.
He obviously thought he was being smart with inside info.
see for story:http://extratime.ie/newsdesk/articles/3296/
he should be banned for life.
jim jordan
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