An Ormeau Road butcher just missed out on the tri-cast in the Grand National on Saturday.
It’s hard enough to pick the winner of the race, never mind the first three home.
Butcher John had placed 6 x £1 reverse tri-casts (total outlay £6).
It was heartbreak for the punter who was on one hell of a sweat as the first four horses came to the final fence.
His three horses were winner Comply or Die (right), Kings John Castle and Slim Pickings who jumped the last as the front three. The bet bit the dust as Slim Pickings started to back track and Chelsea Harbour ran on under pressure to get third place.
The tri-cast paid £2,268.11, so John was beaten out of around two grand as Slim Pickings was a 10/1 shot. To rub salt into the wounds, John also had £30 on Slim Pickings in the race – a really gutting day for the South Belfast butcher.
Friday, 11 April 2008
Title race ready to be blown wide open
The title race could be blown wide open this weekend when Arsenal lock horns with Manchester United on Sunday.
The champions have drifted to 1/4 (from 1/7) with layers to win the Premier League after they were held 2-2 at Middlesbrough on Sunday, which enabled dogged Chelsea to close the gap to three points.
Chelsea have been backed in to 11/4 and look to have the easier run-in – remember they play the Reds on Saturday, April 26 – a day that could detemine where the Premiership title ends up this season. Remember, the Blues are unbeaten at home in four years
Draw specialists Arsenal get a 20/1 quote and remain six points behind Utd after their 1-1 draw with Liverpool. If they could snatch a win on Sunday it would be three points which would keep the Gunners in with a wee bit of a sniff, but can they lift themselves after Tuesday night’s Champions’ League sickener?
Last weekend Sheffield Wednesday let us down in the PG Quad, but we still hope to be visiting the winner’s enclosure before the season ends.
First team down and our weekend nap is in-form SUNDERLAND 5/4 who know a win over Man City on Saturday will guarantee Premiership safety for next season.
READING 5/6 could send Fulham down to the Championship and also guarantee them Premiership football next term.
Another team struggling are BIRMINGHAM 9/5 and they face Champions’ League-chasing Everton – we expect Alex McLeish’s team to cause a bit of an upset here.
Making the weekend PG Quad up are FA Cup Finalists CARDIFF 4/5 who should take all points at home to Blackpool. Let’s hope we finally get that wee bit of luck we need to send us to the settler’s window.
PG XXX: Bristol City v Wolves (9/4), Coventry v Stoke (11/5), Portsmouth v Newcastle (11/5)
( remember those doubles and treble)
FIVEHIT: Cardiff (4/5), Hull (4/5), Crystal Palace (4/7), Queen’s Park (5/6), Dunfermline (4/5)
EURO QUAD: VfB Stuggart (19/10), Seville (6/4),
Valencia (11/10), Ath. Madrid (13/10)
The champions have drifted to 1/4 (from 1/7) with layers to win the Premier League after they were held 2-2 at Middlesbrough on Sunday, which enabled dogged Chelsea to close the gap to three points.
Chelsea have been backed in to 11/4 and look to have the easier run-in – remember they play the Reds on Saturday, April 26 – a day that could detemine where the Premiership title ends up this season. Remember, the Blues are unbeaten at home in four years
Draw specialists Arsenal get a 20/1 quote and remain six points behind Utd after their 1-1 draw with Liverpool. If they could snatch a win on Sunday it would be three points which would keep the Gunners in with a wee bit of a sniff, but can they lift themselves after Tuesday night’s Champions’ League sickener?
Last weekend Sheffield Wednesday let us down in the PG Quad, but we still hope to be visiting the winner’s enclosure before the season ends.
First team down and our weekend nap is in-form SUNDERLAND 5/4 who know a win over Man City on Saturday will guarantee Premiership safety for next season.
READING 5/6 could send Fulham down to the Championship and also guarantee them Premiership football next term.
Another team struggling are BIRMINGHAM 9/5 and they face Champions’ League-chasing Everton – we expect Alex McLeish’s team to cause a bit of an upset here.
Making the weekend PG Quad up are FA Cup Finalists CARDIFF 4/5 who should take all points at home to Blackpool. Let’s hope we finally get that wee bit of luck we need to send us to the settler’s window.
PG XXX: Bristol City v Wolves (9/4), Coventry v Stoke (11/5), Portsmouth v Newcastle (11/5)
( remember those doubles and treble)
FIVEHIT: Cardiff (4/5), Hull (4/5), Crystal Palace (4/7), Queen’s Park (5/6), Dunfermline (4/5)
EURO QUAD: VfB Stuggart (19/10), Seville (6/4),
Valencia (11/10), Ath. Madrid (13/10)
Cink the each-way bet at 80/1
Today (Thursday) sees the start of the 72nd US Masters, writes Kevin Officer.
It is the only major tournament that is always held at the same course, the Augusta National Golf Club, and the history of the course makes the traditional Green Jacket the winner receives the prize a majority of players would choose if asked to select their ultimate glory.
The question on everyone's lips is, can anyone stop the Tiger?
Woods is the shortest priced favourite ever at 11/10 to claim his 14th major – a terrible price considering how hard the Augusta course plays. Yet again the course has been lengthened and plays around 7,500 yards which plays right into the hands of golf’s big hitters.
With victory in the Masters, the first major championship of the season, superstar Tiger could set himself up for a run at golf's holy grail – victories in all four major championships in one year. Tiger is also set to become sport’s first billionaire sportsman by 2010.
Even the great Jack Nicklaus (18 major wins) in his prime was only being priced at 5/1 to win any of the majors so the bookies are running scared of Woods – and no wonder. His stats for his last eight tournaments worldwide in 2008 read seven wins out of eight.
Last year’s winner, Zach Johnson, is priced at 66/1 to repeat last year’s win but is not playing the greatest at the moment.
Of the Europeans playing at Augusta, two players in particular are going well at present.
Irishman and current British Open Champion Padraig Harrington (33/1) and young English hope Justin Rose (40/1), who has climbed to sixth in the world ranking, look the best bet out of the Europeans but an each way bet is advised.
A top five pays 1/4 the odds. Justin Rose believes he has the game to grab the Green Jacket for Europe, nine years after Spain's José Maria Olazábal completed his second victory and 12 years after fellow Englishman Nick Faldo completed a hat-trick of Masters wins. Harrington and Rose are showing signs of form at the right time. So who do we tip to do well at Augusta?
We have gone for Stewart Cink, who is overpriced at 80/1
Apart from Woods (obviously) we have gone for a player who in the last year has started to play well again. American Cink is is a great each way bet which pays 20/1 for a top five finish.
Cink is playing great this year and is certain to make the US Ryder Cup team.
Another player to keep an eye out for is KJ Choi from South Korea. Choi is making huge strides on the U.S tour and again is overpriced at 50/1.
Others to watch out for are the Australian duo of Geoff Ogilvy (33/1) and Adam Scott (40/1).
No Australian has ever won at the Masters, so could this be the year?
This year, those each way bets look the way to go.
It is the only major tournament that is always held at the same course, the Augusta National Golf Club, and the history of the course makes the traditional Green Jacket the winner receives the prize a majority of players would choose if asked to select their ultimate glory.
The question on everyone's lips is, can anyone stop the Tiger?
Woods is the shortest priced favourite ever at 11/10 to claim his 14th major – a terrible price considering how hard the Augusta course plays. Yet again the course has been lengthened and plays around 7,500 yards which plays right into the hands of golf’s big hitters.
With victory in the Masters, the first major championship of the season, superstar Tiger could set himself up for a run at golf's holy grail – victories in all four major championships in one year. Tiger is also set to become sport’s first billionaire sportsman by 2010.
Even the great Jack Nicklaus (18 major wins) in his prime was only being priced at 5/1 to win any of the majors so the bookies are running scared of Woods – and no wonder. His stats for his last eight tournaments worldwide in 2008 read seven wins out of eight.
Last year’s winner, Zach Johnson, is priced at 66/1 to repeat last year’s win but is not playing the greatest at the moment.
Of the Europeans playing at Augusta, two players in particular are going well at present.
Irishman and current British Open Champion Padraig Harrington (33/1) and young English hope Justin Rose (40/1), who has climbed to sixth in the world ranking, look the best bet out of the Europeans but an each way bet is advised.
A top five pays 1/4 the odds. Justin Rose believes he has the game to grab the Green Jacket for Europe, nine years after Spain's José Maria Olazábal completed his second victory and 12 years after fellow Englishman Nick Faldo completed a hat-trick of Masters wins. Harrington and Rose are showing signs of form at the right time. So who do we tip to do well at Augusta?
We have gone for Stewart Cink, who is overpriced at 80/1
Apart from Woods (obviously) we have gone for a player who in the last year has started to play well again. American Cink is is a great each way bet which pays 20/1 for a top five finish.
Cink is playing great this year and is certain to make the US Ryder Cup team.
Another player to keep an eye out for is KJ Choi from South Korea. Choi is making huge strides on the U.S tour and again is overpriced at 50/1.
Others to watch out for are the Australian duo of Geoff Ogilvy (33/1) and Adam Scott (40/1).
No Australian has ever won at the Masters, so could this be the year?
This year, those each way bets look the way to go.
Thursday, 3 April 2008
Grand National meeting begins
A great 3-day meeting to look forward to for punters as the Aintree Grand National meeting jumps off today.
GREAT racing today.
World Hurdle winner Inglis Drever is (11/8) to win the opener but fellow festival winner Ballyfitz (20/1) looks a strong each-way choice. Can Kauto bounce back? He is a (8/11) on shot with old foe Exotic Dancer the danger at (11/2).
Binocular (9/4) and Celestial Halo (13/8) lock horns in the novice hurdle and it looks a close one to call - don't rule out Harper Valley (7/1) who beat Frankochek at Cheltenham earlier in the season.
Christy Beamish (7/1) looks the punt in the Foxhunters Chase which is run over the National fences with the Irish trained Where Now (8/1) the danger.
Leslingtaylor (7/1) won here on his chase debut and is the one to beat in the RED RUM HCAP CHASE - Dev (16/1) will have it's supporters.
My Nap of the day is Franchoek (2/1) in the MERSEY NOV HDLE with the danger being Whiteoak. Junior (10/1) run a great race at Cheltenham and looks the bet in the finale today.
The rest is up to YOU!
Get on Cardiff (5/4) to see off giantkillers Barnsley in FA Cup
NOT AGAIN! Our XXX yet again went close last weekend – two out of three draws for the 18th time this season.
It was still a 10/1 winner for the smart punters who had doubles and trebles. We enter the final full month of the season and we hope another winning quad is round the corner.
We have the FA Cup semi-finals to look forward to and we have three Championship teams in the semi-finals.
We expect Premiership side PORTSMOUTH (1/1) to beat West Brom in Saturday’s game. In-form CARDIFF (6/4) look a solid choice against giantkillers Barnsley who have knocked out Chelsea and Liverpool en route to the semis but have been out of form since that Chelsea victory.
SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY (6/4) are fighting relegation and travel to fellow strugglers Scunthorpe – we think the Owls will get the three points.
Making the weekend quad up are LEEDS (5/4) who got a vital win at Doncaster on Tuesday night and can take all points at Leyton Orient.
PG XXX: Blackburn v Spurs (12/5), Wigan v Birmingham (9/4), Norwich v Burnley (12/5)
PG FIVEHIT: Nottingham Forest (8/13), Carlisle (1/2), Newcastle (8/11), Northampton (4/5), QPR (10/11)
LONGSHOT TREBLE: St Johnstone (3/1), Dundee Utd (11/2), Man City (4/1)
Don’t forget doubles and trebles.
UEFA Cup
Sporting to grab draw
We have the UEFA Cup quarter-finals tonight (Thursday) and what a season Rangers are having. They have ridden their luck at times but Walter Smith’s team are still on for the quadruple.
However, they looked jaded against Celtic and we expect Sporting Lisbon to take a draw back to Portugal for the second leg. The draw is priced at 9/4. Add Fiorentina (1/1), Bayern Munich (1/2) and Bayer Leverkusen (4/6) for our UEFA Cup quad.
It was still a 10/1 winner for the smart punters who had doubles and trebles. We enter the final full month of the season and we hope another winning quad is round the corner.
We have the FA Cup semi-finals to look forward to and we have three Championship teams in the semi-finals.
We expect Premiership side PORTSMOUTH (1/1) to beat West Brom in Saturday’s game. In-form CARDIFF (6/4) look a solid choice against giantkillers Barnsley who have knocked out Chelsea and Liverpool en route to the semis but have been out of form since that Chelsea victory.
SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY (6/4) are fighting relegation and travel to fellow strugglers Scunthorpe – we think the Owls will get the three points.
Making the weekend quad up are LEEDS (5/4) who got a vital win at Doncaster on Tuesday night and can take all points at Leyton Orient.
PG XXX: Blackburn v Spurs (12/5), Wigan v Birmingham (9/4), Norwich v Burnley (12/5)
PG FIVEHIT: Nottingham Forest (8/13), Carlisle (1/2), Newcastle (8/11), Northampton (4/5), QPR (10/11)
LONGSHOT TREBLE: St Johnstone (3/1), Dundee Utd (11/2), Man City (4/1)
Don’t forget doubles and trebles.
UEFA Cup
Sporting to grab draw
We have the UEFA Cup quarter-finals tonight (Thursday) and what a season Rangers are having. They have ridden their luck at times but Walter Smith’s team are still on for the quadruple.
However, they looked jaded against Celtic and we expect Sporting Lisbon to take a draw back to Portugal for the second leg. The draw is priced at 9/4. Add Fiorentina (1/1), Bayern Munich (1/2) and Bayer Leverkusen (4/6) for our UEFA Cup quad.
Punter out of luck
A North Belfast punter was out of luck not once but twice last week with Lucky 15 bets (below).
We begin with last Wednesday night’s bet and our punter placed a £2 Lucky 15 bet – an outlay of £30.
His first horse that night, TABOOR, scooted home at 10/1 to more than cover the outlay of the bet.
His next selection, SLIDAN 16/1, was beaten into fifth in the next but the bet received a boost when JUSTCALLMEHANDSOME won the 7.50 at sevens.
The last selection, CASABLANCA MINX, won the 8.50 at 10/1 to secure a £1,834 payday – not a bad Thursday night’s work. But if his second leg had won you are talking £39,000, but it was well beaten.
The same punter went into the same Sean Grahams pitch the following night and did the same bet.
The bet got off to an absolute flyer when Hammer Of The Gods eased home at 14/1 in the 6.50 at Wolverhampton – what a start!
It got a whole lot better when Lucayan Dancer won the next at 10/1. Our punter had already banked over £300 and the sweat was on.
It got a whole lot better when the gritty Monkey Glas got back up after being headed to win at 4/1.
The sweat was well and truly on and our punter was waiting on Most Definitely. After a ding-dong battle with Kings Fable it was up to the judges to split them. Usually when you are in a photo-finish and your horse is called out first it’s a good sign. 99 per cent of the time your horse has won, so the signs where good for our punter. But he was left devastated as Kings Fable got the verdict. Our punter had just seen £20,000 dwindle to just over two grand – absolutely gutting for the guy. But four grand is four grand.
An Andersonstown punter hit Sean Grahams for £2,031.62 with a £20 draw quad. He took Leeds 11/5, Sheffield Wednesday 11/5, Ipswich 11/5 and Crystal Palace 9/4. Great piece of punting by both lads.
Golf punter cleans up with two 100/1 shots
We all dream of that ultimate bet that could buy you a car or pay off your mortgage.
A lucky Sky Bet golf customer was celebrating on Sunday night after winning £54,385 from just a £5 each-way double. He scooped the tremendous return by combining promising French player Thomas Levet and Andres Romero, both 100/1, to win the Andalucian Open and the Zurich Classic respectively, in an each-way double.
Levet scraped home in a play-off to delight of the punter.
Tuesday, 1 April 2008
McCartans to sell up to Ladbrokes?
Strong rumours in Andersonstown today that local layers McCartans are to sell up to Ladbrokes.
Staff have been summoned to a specialmeeting in the Balmoral Hotel tonight to see what future plans are.
Could this be a April Fool for staff?
English firm Ladbrokes bought over Eastwoods last month and the PG have introduced betting on who goes next!
6/4 McGranghans 7/4 McLeans 7/2 Sean Grahams.
Staff have been summoned to a specialmeeting in the Balmoral Hotel tonight to see what future plans are.
Could this be a April Fool for staff?
English firm Ladbrokes bought over Eastwoods last month and the PG have introduced betting on who goes next!
6/4 McGranghans 7/4 McLeans 7/2 Sean Grahams.
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