Tag: Liverpool

Grand National 2015 – Final field and ratings

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

There were no withdrawals from the top forty at the final declaration stage for Saturday’s Aintree Grand National. That means no place in the field for the David Pipe trained duo, The Package and Broadway Buffalo. Unless there are any late jockey changes, Katie Walsh will not get the chance to complete the Irish/English Grand National double.

Here are the final forty with our star ratings from 1 to 5 and the best prices available.

Lord Windermere ***

The winner of the 2014 Cheltenham Gold Cup but pulled up this year on unfavourable ground. Has the right conditions here but will surely be anchored by his weight. 40-1 Bet365

Many Clouds ***

Won the Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury and took his chance in the Gold Cup, finishing sixth. Leighton Aspell bids to follow up last year’s win on Pineau De Re but this one also has plenty of weight. 33-1 William Hill

Unioniste ***

Runs in the same colours as 2012 winner Neptune Collonges but does not look likely to get the soft ground that he loves. 33-1 Sportingbet

Rocky Creek *****

A very impressive winner at Kempton in February and looks capable of improving on his fifth place from last year. 10-1 Ladbrokes

First Lieutenant **

Trainer Mouse Morris had two horses in the frame in the Irish National on Monday and hopes are high for Nina Carberry’s mount. Stamina may be the problem here as his only three-mile win came on the Mildmay course here. 33-1 Sportingbet

Balthazar King *****

Runner-up last year to Pineau De Re and missed the Cheltenham festival to go straight for the National. Jockey Richard Johnson is still trying to win the race after 18 attempts. 10-1 Bet365

Shutthefrontdoor ****

Bidding to give Tony McCoy a fairytale send-off. He won the Irish National last year but Jonjo O’Neill would like to have been able to get one more race into him this season. 15-2 Sportingbet

Pineau De Re ****

Trying to emulate Red Rum by winning back-to-back Grand Nationals but is now 8lbs higher in the handicap. Daryl Jacob takes over in the saddle with Leighton Aspell claimed for Many Clouds. 25-1 Ladbrokes

Ballycasey ***

Ruby Walsh won on Papillion and Hedgehunter but Ballycasey still has a lot to prove. Very light on experience for the hurly-burly of the Grand National. 40-1 Skybet

Spring Heeled *****

Stable companion of Lord Windermere and a winner at Cheltenham last year. Nick Scholfield was third on Teaforthree in 2013 and fancies his chances of improving on that here. 22-1 William Hill

Rebel Rebellion ***

Won veterans’ race at Newbury last month and does not look the pick of the four Nicholls runners. Stamina could be an issue for this one. 66-1 Sportingbet

Dolatulo **

The winner of the Rowland Meyrick Chase at Wetherby in December but has been well beaten over hurdles since. Warren Greatrex enjoyed his first Cheltenham festival victory last month but it’s difficult to see him adding a Grand National with this one. 66-1 Sportingbet

Mon Parrain **

He was runner-up to Always Waining in the Topham Chase way back in 2011 but that was about as good it as it got. Will be a first National ride for 17-year-old Sean Bowen who has ridden two trebles in the last seven days. 50-1 Coral

Carlito Brigante NON-RUNNER

Night In Milan ***

Won the Grimthorpe Chase at Doncaster last season but missed the cut for the National. He looks the sort to be up with the pace in the early stages but may struggle on the second circuit. 33-1 Ladbrokes

Rubi Light **

Has won his last two starts over shorter distances at Thurles and Wexford. Was at his peak back in 2012 and it will be a surprise if he stays the marathon journey. 100-1 Coral

The Druids Nephew ****

Won a big handicap at the Cheltenham festival for Neil Mulholland who has booked Aidan Coleman to replace the injured Barry Geraghty. Cheltenham festival winners generally have a poor record here but could he buck the trend? 14-1 Paddy Power

Cause Of Causes *****

Gordon Elliott won with Silver Birch in 2007 and has a good each-way chance with Cause Of Causes. He won over four miles at Cheltenham last time but this is his first sight of the National fences. 18-1 Bet365

Godsmejudge ****

Won the Scottish National in 2013 and finished second in the same race last year. He has been very disappointing this season but would have a great chance on his best form. 22-1 Skybet

Al Co ****

Won the Scottish National at 40-1 last season and Denis O’Regan takes over in the saddle from the injured Jamie Moore. Has been brought along quietly for this race and connections are optimistic. 25-1 Ladbrokes

Monbeg Dude ***

A respectable seventh last year and a past winner of the Welsh National at Chepstow. Disappointing in his trial at Cheltenham and most of his best form has been on soft ground. 40-1 BetVictor

Corrin Wood **

One of two runners for Donald McCain who won with Ballabriggs in 2011. Has struggled to recapture his novice chasing form. 80-1 Sportingbet

The Rainbow Hunter **

Has unseated his rider in the past two Grand Nationals and pulled up on his only run this year. 66-1 BetVictor

Saint Are ***

Finished ninth here in 2013 and was third in the Becher Chase in December. Warmed up for this with a minor victory at Catterick. 33-1 Bet365

Across The Bay **

Was going well in the lead when carried across the track by a loose horse last year. That was a long way from the finish but will surely be up with the pace again this year. 50-1 Paddy Power

Tranquil Sea *

Past his prime at thirteen years of age and held by Soll on Newbury form. 100-1 BetVictor

Oscar Time **

The oldest horse in the field at fourteen and placed in two previous Nationals. Would need to re-write the record books to win at his age. 50-1 Bet365

Bob Ford *

Won the West Wales National at Ffos Las in terrible ground and not going to get his conditions here. 100-1 BetVictor

Super Duty **

Was a useful novice with Donald McCain but has shown nothing so far for Ian Williams. 80-1 Sportingbet

Wyck Hill **

Was bought by JP McManus for the 2013 National but lost his form. Repaid some of the investment by winning the Eider Chase last year for David Bridgwater. 66-1 Sportingbet

Gas Line Boy *

Stable companion of Balthazar King but not in the same league and has been hit hammered by the handicapper for a win at Haydock in November. 100-1 Paddy Power

Chance Du Roy ***

One of three runners for Philip Hobbs and a regular visitor to Liverpool. He is one of the most experienced runners over these fences and should put in a clear round without quite having the pace to win it. 40-1 William Hill

Portrait King **

Won the Eider Chase in 2012 but has dropped down the handicap since and looks past his prime. 80-1 Sportingbet

Owega Star *

Peter Fahey’s eight-year-old was well beaten at Naas last month and looks out of his depth here. 100-1 Sportingbet

River Choice *

A rare French raider but little to suggest that he will do anything other than make up the numbers. 150-1 Sportingbet

Court By Surprise ***

Emma Lavelle is bidding to become the fourth woman to train a Grand National winner and this is her first runner in the race.  Was awarded the race at Wincanton last time but capable of putting in a clear round. 50-1 Coral

Alvarado ***

The Rucker family have been placed in the last six Grand Nationals and Alvarado has the responsibility of making it seven. Paul Moloney will try to pop him round safely and worry about getting a place on the second circuit. 20-1 Paddy Power

Soll ***

David Pipe’s only runner as he bids to follow up his victory with Comply Or Die in 2008. He was seventh in 2013 when trained by Jo Hughes and has won both of his races since joining Pipe. 22-1 Betway

Ely Brown *

He was off the track for nearly year after picking up an injury and surely lacks the experience for this race. 100-1 BetVictor

Royale Knight **

Scraping in at number forty, Royale Knight is a stable companion of Pineau De Re but that is probably the best thing that you can say about his chances here. 33-1 Ladbrokes

Premiership Preview April 4th – 6th

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

The Premier League returns after the International break and kicks off with the lunchtime clash between Arsenal and Liverpool at the Emirates.

Arsenal have the incentive of moving above Man City into second place with the champions not due to play until Monday. Their recent form has been impressive, including their brave attempt to overturn a 3-1 deficit in the Champions League against Monaco. They could not quite manage the 3-0 win that they needed but I was impressed with their all-out attack that night.

Olivier Giroud is the man in form with Alexis Sanchez having gone off the boil slightly in recent weeks. Arsene Wenger has plenty of attacking options including Theo Walcott and they should be able to unlock the Liverpool defence. The visitors are currently on a run of six away games without conceding but the suspension picked up by Martin Skrtel could prove damaging.

Liverpool’s hopes of a top four spot will be severely dented if they lose this one with Manchester United also having improved in recent weeks. The Red Devils grabbed a 2-1 win at Anfield last time, courtesy of two goals from Juan Mata. The Spaniard has been steady rather than spectacular this season but produced a piece of individual brilliance to seal the points.

With Wayne Rooney also in good form, it is difficult to see Aston Villa coming away with anything from Old Trafford this weekend. Tim Sherwood should be able to steer them to safety and they still have the FA Cup to chase.

Jose Mourinho has been busy with his calculator and the Blues need six wins and a draw to seal the title from their remaining nine games. Those fixtures include Arsenal, Liverpool and Man United so they cannot afford to drop points at home to Stoke. They have a phenomenal record against the Potters but may start without Diego Costa. His hamstring is still an issue, although he is in Saturday’s squad.

Harry Kane did not hit the target for England against Italy but will still be basking in the glory of his goal against Lithuania on his debut. Tottenham travel to Burnley on Sunday and should be good enough to take all three points. Sunderland take on Newcastle in desperate need of points but they cannot expect any favours from their Tyneside rivals.

Man City could find themselves in fourth place by the time they face Crystal Palace on Monday night. They could be trailing Chelsea by nine points so they will need to dig deep to keep their title hopes alive. Sergio Aguero has a habit of bailing them out when they need it and he can do so again on Monday.

Arsenal to beat Liverpool @10-11 William Hill

Olivier Giroud to score at any time @13-10 Bet365

Man United (-1) to beat Aston Villa @5-6 Paddy Power

Juan Mata to score at any time @2-1 Totesport

Chelsea (-1) to beat Stoke @5-6 Paddy Power

Tottenham to beat Burnley @5-4 BetVictor

Harry Kane to score at any time @6-5 BetVictor

Sergio Aguero to score at any time @9-10 BetVictor

Grand National – 74 remain after latest declaration stage

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

There are 74 horses remaining in the £1million Aintree Grand National on April 11th after thirteen were taken out on Tuesday.

As expected, Carlingford Lough was withdrawn after a disappointing run in the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Also out are: Rolling Aces, Alderwood, Boston Bob, Shotgun Paddy, Theatrical Star, Roi Du Mee, Katenko, Living Next Door, Make A Track, Prince De Beauchene, Cedre Bleu and Buddy Bolero.

The good news for followers of our ante-post advice is that Monbeg Dude has been given the all-clear despite a poor run at Cheltenham. Connections could find nothing wrong with the horse physically and have decided that he resented the tongue-strap which will not be used at Aintree.

Our other selections also remain in contention with Shutthefrontdoor, Spring Heeled and Cause Of Causes all prominent in the betting. We highlighted the chance of Shutthefrontdoor prior to Cheltenham and his price has collapsed from 20-1 to 8-1. Champion jockey Tony McCoy will almost certainly be on board the favourite and has said that victory in the race may well be the perfect time to retire.

Spring Heeled (tipped at 33-1) is now a top priced 20-1 for Jim Culloty who still has top weight Lord Windermere entered in the race. Jockey Davy Russell has joined Barry Geraghty on the side lines through injury while Bryan Cooper is suspended. Russell revealed earlier this week that Culloty had removed him from the ride on Lord Windermere after his poor run in the Gold Cup. He became detached soon after the start and was eventually pulled up. The ground had gone against him on the day but Culloty clearly was not satisfied with Russell’s performance.

Paul Nicholls intends to run all six of his remaining entries headed by Rocky Creek and Unioniste. Rocky Creek looks the obvious pick after finishing fifth last year and putting up a lifetime best to win at Kempton last time out. Unioniste could yet emerge as one of the gambles of the race if the going becomes soft.

Last week we added Cause Of Causes to our portfolio at 33-1 and he is now a top price 20-1. He also races in the JP McManus colours carried by Shutthefrontdoor.

If you have not yet had a bet on the race, look out for non-runner – no bet terms. Bet365, Totesport, Betfred, Stan James and Betfair are already offering this provision.

Premiership Preview – Sunday 22nd March

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Manchester City finally managed to apply a bit of pressure to Premiership leaders Chelsea by beating ten-man West Brom 3-0 on Saturday. The gap is now three points but the Blues have two games in hand starting with a trip to struggling Hull City on Sunday.

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho reports no serious injury concerns ahead of the match but Hull are without striker Nikija Jelavic. That could be a big blow to their hopes of avoiding the drop. Steve Bruce’s side are currently just three points above eighteenth placed Burnley. A win would put them level with Everton but they have struggled against the top sides this season. Tottenham, Southampton and Man City all won at the KC Stadium and Chelsea are odds-on to continue the sequence.

If there is some value to be found, it may be with Eden Hazard in the goal scorer markets. The brilliant Belgian has opened the scoring in three of the last four away games for the Blues. He is also the designated penalty-taker and Chelsea are long overdue a favourable award.

The big match of the day is the clash between Liverpool and Manchester United at Anfield. Both sides are in contention for a top four spot and automatic Champions League qualification. Liverpool really need a win to continue the momentum of their charge up the table and are the only unbeaten side in the Premiership in 2015.

United played well in the first half against Tottenham last week and raced into a 3-0 lead. Wayne Rooney was in fine form that day and will be hoping to end a run of nine games at Anfield without scoring. Louis van Gaal has been rather harshly treated in the media despite taking United into third place and a win here would be a massive result. Neither defence looked secure at the start of the season but they have tightened up a lot recently. It could be worth taking a punt on a 0-0 draw at around 9-1.

The final game of the day is at Loftus Road as QPR try to drag Everton into the relegation battle. The Toffees eased their fears with a comfortable win over Newcastle last weekend but were hammered in the Europa League on Thursday. This looks another tricky one to call and the draw makes most appeal at 5-2.

Liverpool v Man United DRAW @5-2 Bet365

Liverpool 0 Man United 0 @10-1 Coral

Eden Hazard to score first @6-1 Paddy Power

Eden Hazard to score and Chelsea win @11-4 Paddy Power

QPR v Everton DRAW @5-2 Boylesports

FA Cup Quarter-Final Preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

The FA Cup dominates the weekend football with only one Premiership match taking place. The powers-that-be have saved the best until last with Manchester United’s clash with reigning champions Arsenal on Monday.

The action gets under way at lunchtime on Saturday with the un-inspiring game between Bradford and Reading. Bradford are still euphoric from their 4-2 win at Stamford Bridge and saw off Sunderland in the last round. Having claimed two Premiership scalps, they will be bitterly disappointed if they cannot beat Reading but this could be a tight contest. Reading have won their last three matches in the competition away from home. There have been red cards in recent meetings between these two so stand by for a stormy encounter.

Aston Villa and West Brom will be sick of the sight of each other if they cannot get a result inside 90 minutes. The two slugged it out on Tuesday night with Tim Sherwood delighting the home fans with his pitch-side antics. Quite where the FA Cup fits in with their battle to stay in the Premier League I am not so sure but this looks ominously like draw material.

Liverpool became tournament favourites after the draw gave them a home tie with Blackburn. They are not playing the same fast-flowing football that nearly won them the league last season but they are grinding out results. A 2-1 win over champions Man City was backed up by a midweek victory over Burnley to keep them in the chase for a Champions League place next season. They should have too many guns for Rovers, particularly with Daniel Sturridge gradually returning to form.

Man United have worked their way into the top four but you wouldn’t know it from the press reports. We keep reading about “long-ball football” and the miserable form of Di Maria and Falcao and yet United are fourth in the table. They have not exactly worked teams over this season but fortune seems to be on their side. Tim Krul’s brainstorm gave them a 1-0 win in midweek at Newcastle and they will be relishing the clash with Arsenal.

The Gunners are a bit of a puzzle with solid league performances either side of that horror show in the Champions League against Monaco. They are defending their precious silverware and odds of 2-1 look generous.

Bradford to beat Reading @13-8 Betfred

Aston Villa v West Brom DRAW @11-5 Matchbook

Liverpool (-1.0) to beat Blackburn Rovers @10-11 Sportingbet

Arsenal to beat Man United @2-1 Bet365

Premier League Preview 4th March

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

There are some cracking Premier League matches lined up for Wednesday night as Chelsea and Man City continue their chase for the title.

The Blues were given some valuable breathing space by City’s 2-1 defeat at Anfield on Sunday but will need to be at their best to take three points at West Ham. Sam Allardyce usually has a trick or two up his sleeve against the Blues and managed to enrage Jose Mourinho with a 0-0 draw at Stamford Bridge last season.

West Ham’s season is in danger of petering out but they will surely be up for a London derby. Oscar only played a few minutes as substitute in the Cup final on Sunday and he could be worth a bet to score the opener in a narrow win for Chelsea.

City are not exactly in a slump after losing to Barcelona and Liverpool and it is worth remembering that they scored nine in their previous two matches. Normal service should be resumed at the expense of Leicester City at the Etihad. The bookmakers aren’t giving much away here but Sergio Aguero could be worth a look in the goal scorer markets.

BTSport are at St James’s Park to see Newcastle play Man United, traditionally a fixture that brings plenty of goals. United have made steady if not spectacular progress under Louis van Gaal and can just edge this one. You are not going to get rich by backing Liverpool to beat Burnley following their impressive win over City on Sunday. The Clarets usually put up a brave fight and may give Reds’ supporters a few nervy moments.

If there is to be an upset on Wednesday it could come at White Hart Lane. Mauricio Pochettino looked a thoroughly miserable figure in the Wembley rain as he saw his side crash out of a second Cup competition within the space of a few days. He will doubtless ring the changes for the visit of Swansea but may find it difficult to motivate his dishevelled troops. The Swans look worth a bet to sneak a victory with 1-0 being generously priced.

Arsenal bounced back from their embarrassing defeat against Monaco with a comfortable 2-0 win over Everton. They now face struggling QPR and should come away with all three points. Stoke play Everton in the night’s remaining fixture. The Toffees are proving impossible to predict at present, following their impressive Europa League form with a poor display at Arsenal. Stoke have a way of grinding out the results lately and will fancy their chances of another three points here.

Sergio Aguero to score two or more @7-2 Boyle Sports

Man United to win by one goal @11-4 Skybet

Santi Cazorla scores and Arsenal win @100-30 Paddy Power

Stoke 1 Everton 0 @13-2 Bet365

Tottenham 0 Swansea 1 @15-1 BetVictor

Swansea to beat Tottenham @9-2 Totesport

Oscar to score and Chelsea win @4-1 Paddy Power

Liverpool to win by one goal @14-5 BetVictor