Author: Online Betting Pro

I am a punter that loves to follow the horse both in Australia and the United Kingdom. I enjoy writing about sports betting and also casino, poker and bingo. In my spare time I like to keep fit by playing football and going for long bike rides. I also like to travel the world and see amazing place s and meet wonderful people along the way.

Cheltenham blog – The £100 million fall!

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The bookmakers were saved an estimated £100 million pay-out on the opening day of the Cheltenham festival when Annie Power crashed out at the final hurdle in the Mares’ Hurdle.

Bookmakers had feared a multi-million pound pay-out with Irish trainer Willie Mullins and jockey Ruby Walsh having four red-hot favourites on the card. Douvan started the ball rolling in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and was quickly followed by Un De Sceaux in the Arkle Chase.

The bandwagon rolled on in the Champion Hurdle when Faugheen led home stable companions Arctic Fire and Hurricane Fly in a Mullins 1-2-3. Everything appeared to be going to plan for Annie Power as Ruby Walsh moved her through to lead on the home turn. They quickened up going to the last but took off a stride to early and crashed out of the race.

The race was battled out by Nicky Henderson’s Polly Peachum and the Mullins-trained Glens Melody, runner-up to Quevega a year earlier. The photo finish went in favour of Glens Melody to provide him with a fourth winner on the day. Fortunately Annie Power and Ruby Walsh returned unscathed and it is only the punters left nursing their wounds.

Most of the special offers from bookmakers had focussed on the Mullins runners so they still face a hefty pay-out, but not nearly as bad as it might have been. There were enhanced prices offered on the first three Mullins winners for new customers and money back offers on the Supreme and the Arkle. With four winners already on the board, Mullins is now closing in on Nicky Henderson’s record of seven festival winners in one season.

Special Offer

Open a Racebets account and you can get 10-1 about either Sire de Grugy or Sprinter Sacre for tomorrow’s Champion Chase (maximum £5 stake per customer – new customers only).

Latest Festival Updates

Coneygree will definitely run in the Gold Cup after being taken out of the RSA Chase on Wednesday. Boston Bob is also thought likely to run in Friday’s feature race in preference to the Ryanair Chase.

Willie Mullins has taken Briar Hill out of the World Hurdle but will still be represented by Zaidpour and Abbyssial. All of the other major contenders stood their ground.

Market Movers

Wednesday – Don Poli (RSA Chase) 2-1 BetBright

Thursday – Don Cossack (Ryanair Chase) 7-2 Sky Bet

Friday – Coneygree (Gold Cup) 12-1 Sky Bet

Queen Mother Champion Chase Preview

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The feature race on day 2 of the Cheltenham festival is the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham at 3.20. With three former champions in the field, this looks like producing the race of the week. Here is big race guide.

Sprinter Sacre (100-30 Betway)

Nicky Henderson’s Sprinter Sacre had the chasing world at his feet after winning here two years’ ago. He suffered his first defeat over fences when pulled up with a fibrillating heart at Kempton in the Desert Orchid Chase in December 2013. Every precaution was taken to make sure that he was fit to return to action in January when second to Dodging Bullets. If he is back to his best he will be crowned champion chaser for a second time.

Sire de Grugy (100-30 888Sport)

Gary Moore’s Sire de Grugy filled the void left by Sprinter Sacre last year and was a thoroughly deserving winner of this race. His season got off to a disappointing start when unseating his rider at Newbury but he bounced back with a comfortable victory at Chepstow last month. He is usually held up in his races and Jamie Moore will be keen to tuck in behind Sprinter Sacre before delivering a late run.

Dodging Bullets (11-2 Paddy Power)

Paul Nicholls has won this race four times already and Dodging Bullets has every chance of providing him with a fifth success. He has disappointed at this meeting in the past and does seem to finish his races better on flatter tracks like Ascot, although he came up Sandown’s testing finish well enough to win the Tingle Creek. He had a clear fitness advantage over Sprinter Sacre last time but deserves to take his chance.

Champagne Fever (6-1 Boylesports)

Champagne Fever was narrowly denied a festival hat-trick when beaten in the Arkle Chase last year. Willie Mullins has still not decided on the best distance for the grey but he is likely to be ridden aggressively here. His jumping has been questionable in the past but he put in a good round last time and has every chance.

Mr Mole (9-1 888Sport)

Paul Nicholls has a useful second string in Mr Mole, unbeaten in his last four races over fences. He enjoyed a facile success at Newbury following the departure of Sire de Grugy but is yet to prove that he is up to this class.

Simply Ned (20-1 Coral)

Nicky Richards runs Simply Ned who finished in front of Dodging Bullets at Cheltenham in November. The heavy ground was against him at Leopardstown last time but it would be a major surprise if he were good enough to win this.

Sizing Europe (50-1 Bet365)

Sizing Europe won this race in 2011 and has finished runner-up on two occasions since. He is now thirteen years of age and was no match for Champagne Fever at Clonmel in November.

It is difficult to see any of the remainder getting into this. Special Tiara beat Balder Succes at Kempton in December but has much more to beat here. Clarcam is stepping out of novice company while Somersby is past his best and Savello is a decent handicapper.

Verdict

  1. Sire de Grugy 2. Champagne Fever 3. Dodging Bullets 4. Sprinter Sacre

Cricket World Cup: Day 24 Preview

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Just when the World Cup was starting to follow script England go ahead and put in their worst performance of the tournament to gift the writer ammunition for today’s important World Cup questions.  We’ll also review today’s game featuring Ireland and India.

The Three Big Questions

Why were England so bad?

Where do we start.  We didn’t agree with their team selection for much of the Cricket World Cup, we don’t like their mindset, and their best two bowlers had bad tournaments.  Then there’s the focus on ‘data’ and the domestic competition featuring 18 counties which is simply too big.  Looking at the points individually, the team selection and game plan were the glaring errors.  England’s cautious approach is in stark contrast to the way the tournament frontrunners are playing.  Watch McCullum, de Villiers or Maxwell bat.  No one goes close to playing with that sort of freedom in the English set up (Ali and Buttler are the two closest), therefore they are always going to be behind the 8-ball in modern cricket.  You saw the ease their 309 was chased down by Sri Lanka.  Those scores don’t win games anymore.  They needed to give Hales more cricket, get him at the top and get Buttler up the order too.  It also would have helped if Stuart Broad didn’t go 35 overs without a wicket in the middle of the Cricket World Cup.

Where do they go now?

Moores and Morgan both have to go.  Moore showed just how dreadfully out of touch he is when he claimed he would “analyse the data” to determine where they went wrong.  And Morgan just can’t hold his place in the team as a batsman, so has to go.  Downton should probably join them on the heap; possibly James Whitaker (chairman of selectors) too.

They could turn to players like James Vince, Jason Roy and Ben Stokes are good enough to build a squad around.  Not KP though.

Any more upsets?

Still could be plenty, including today’s match previewed below. The quarterfinals are also the perfect chance for Pakistan, Bangladesh, West Indies, Sri Lanka or Ireland (depending on who gets there) to provide a shock.  If you love a cheeky outsider punt this could be your tournament.

Today’s Matchup

India v Ireland, Seddon Park (Hamilton – fine), starts 2:00pm local time.

India – $1.20

Ireland – $4.00

The stunning Seddon Park hosts unbeaten India against surprise packages Ireland in today’s only game.

Both sides are arguably stronger with the willow than with the leather, so today’s match could be a high scorer.  Having said that, India have surprised some with the improvement in their bowling since their time in Australia, and no teams have got away on them.

Ireland have had just one bad performance form their lot so far.  They should still be feeling pretty good about themselves and will take comfort from the fact that England’s exit makes them European Champions.

We’re sniffing an upset…

Today’s Bet

The upsets continue bet.  Ireland haven’t beaten India in a one-day international before but back them to do it today on a head to head bet at $4.00.

Odds taken from Unibet Australia.

Cricket World Cup: Day 23 Recap

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England were sent packing from the Cricket World Cup following an embarrassing 15 run loss to Bangladesh.  In the process, Bangladesh qualified for the knockout stages for the second time in their history and sent the nation into a state of total delirium.  Whereas, England will be on the receiving end of some hefty criticism.

Day 23 Results

Bangladesh v England

It began so promisingly for England.  They won the toss, the ball was swinging, James Anderson returned to form and took two early wickets and then they took their foot of the throat.  From 9/2, Bangladesh were able to recover through the promising Sarkar and Mohammad Mahmudullah.  The pair put on 8 to start the recovery, before Mahmudullah combined with captain, Mushfiqur, in the second signigficant partnership of the innings.  Mahmudullah went on to became the first Bangladesh batsman to score a World Cup hundred with a frantic single, and Mushfiqur thumped 89 from 77 balls to help his side reach a defendable 275.  The total was their best ever ODI effort against England and came without a notable contribution from Shakib.

If England’s bowling began promisingly, so too did their batting effort.  Despite the early loss of Moeen Ali, England were handily placed at 121/2 with Ian Bell and Joe Root looking well-settled.  However, a flurry of wickets instigated by the energetic Rubel Hossain took the wind from the sales and left the chase in tatters.  121/2 became 132/5 (and then 163/6) as the Bangladesh fielding and bowling unit created a cauldron type environment for the English to melt.

Asking too much of Jos Buttler (65) and Chris Woakes (42*), England fell 15 runs short to wrap up their most disappointing World Cup campaign of all time.  Ruben took four wickets including the final wicket of James Anderson to book the quarterfinal spot, and book an early flight home for England.

Bangladesh 275 for 7 (Mahmudullah 103, Mushfiqur 89) beat England 260 (Buttler 65, Bell 63, Rubel 4-53) by 15 runs

Champions League – Porto and Real to progress

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The Champions League returns this week with the first four quarter-finalists to be decided. The match of the week looks to be the clash at Stamford Bridge between Chelsea and PSG on Wednesday night with the tie delicately poised at 1-1. We will be previewing that game in detail tomorrow.

Tuesday night sees Porto welcome Basel to Portugal with the tie also level at 1-1 after the first leg. The home side are unbeaten in the competition this season and finished top of Group H.  They have not lost any of their last eight home games in Europe and are bidding to reach the last eight for the first time since 2008/09.

They have won six of their last seven matches in all competitions and have not conceded a goal in five league matches. Basel scraped through to the last sixteen by knocking out Liverpool on matchday six but finished 11 points behind Real Madrid in their group. They have only been to the knockout stages once before where they were thrashed 8-0 on aggregate by Bayern Munich. It’s difficult to see anything other than a home win for Porto, probably without reply.

The other tie sees Real Madrid defending a 2-0 lead at home to Schalke. They should have few problems reaching the last eight for the fifth consecutive season as they try to become the first side to defend the trophy in the modern era.

Real put Schalke to the sword at the same stage last season, winning 9-2 on aggregate with a 6-1 victory at the Bernabeau. The German side have improved under new coach Roberto di Matteo but face an impossible task trying to rescue the tie. Ronaldo scored four against Schalke last year and scored in the first leg so it is no surprise to see him short in the goal scorer markets here.

Schalke edged through courtesy of a goal from substitute Max Meyer against Maribor in their final group match. They recorded their first victory in five league games last weekend but this may be an exercise in damage limitation for the visitors. Carlo Ancelotti’s men can afford to be patient and pick them off in the second period.

Tips

Ronaldo to score and Real Madrid win @8-13 Paddy Power

Real v Schalke: Over 2.5 goals scored @4-9 Betfair

Porto to beat Basel to nil @6-5 William Hill

Cheltenham Preview Tuesday 10th March

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The Cheltenham Festival gets under way on Tuesday with the bookmakers braced for a Willie Mullins onslaught. He saddles four hot favourites with Douvan, Un De Sceaux, Faugheen and Annie Power. 888Sport are offering 20-1 about all four winning and there will be plenty of takers.

We like to search out a little bit of value where we can find it and there are plenty of special offers on the first race. The pick of them is from William Hill where all losing bets are refunded as free bets up to £25. L’Ami Serge has done nothing wrong for Nicky Henderson and the form of his Newbury win in November looks pretty smart with Kilcooley and Violet Dancer both claiming valuable prizes since. If there is to be a shock, it could come from Seedling who has been carefully prepared for this race all season by Warren Greatrex.

If you’re betting on the Arkle, Paddy Power will refund your stake as a free bet if Un De Sceaux wins. That makes Vibrato Valtat a very tempting proposition at 6-1. I had wondered if he was keeping a bit to himself in his races but he strode clear at Warwick last time impressively.

The Festival Handicap Chase should give the bookies a bit of relief from the big hitters. I’ll be interested to see how Monbeg Dude gets on here as he is one of our Grand National hopes this year. I don’t think the going will be soft enough for him to win but hope to see him run on into fourth or fifth. Connections have decided against running Mendip Express in the National this year but they may live to regret it if he comes up the hill impressively here.

We have covered the Champion Hurdle in detail and Arctic Fire is a hopeful each-way selection in small field. I’m not convinced that Faugheen is a specialist two-miler but the same applies to The New One who looks his biggest threat. Annie Power looks difficult to beat in the Mares Hurdle and the 7-1 with Skybet looks a generous offer for new customers. As an each-way alternative, try L’Unique at 20-1 for Alan King providing that there is no significant overnight rain.

In the National Hunt Chase I am siding with Cause Of Causes who was unlucky not to peg back Spring Heeled last year. I respect the chances of King’s Sego Success and Very Wood will be popular if Mullins has already enjoyed a field day. The closing handicap looks tricky but Tony McCoy will surely be among the winners this week at some point and Bold Henry has course form.

1.30 L’Ami Serge @7-2 William Hill*

1.30 Seedling @16-1 William Hill* (each-way)

*Stakes refunded as free bets on all losers

2.05 Vibrato Valtat @6-1 Paddy Power** Stakes refunded as free bets if Un De Sceaux wins

2.40 Mendip Express @16-1 Paddy Power (each-way)

3.20 Arctic Fire @20-1 Totesport (each-way)

4.00 Annie Power @7-1 Sky Bet*** New customers only – max. £5

4.00 L’Unique @20-1 Coral (each-way)

4.40 Cause Of Causes @8-1 Paddy Power (each-way)

5.15 Bold Henry @12-1 Ladbrokes (each-way)

Special bet – Willie Mullins four-timer Douvan, Un De Sceaux, Faugheen, Annie Power @20-1 888Sport