Month: January 2018

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Read It Roll It Hole It: Ep 4

Not a great performance for our golf picks last week with both having MC after their names, but the elephant is well & truly taking up a lot of space in the room on the PGA tour after the shocking display by JB Holmes on Sunday night. Upon hitting his ball into the right rough on the 18th,  after he walked up and seen his ball it took him 4 minutes and 10 seconds to play his second (VAR is faster than that!!) While trying to make a decision to go for the green or not,  what does the melt do, lay up, with Alex Noren waiting on the fairway to play his second. Needing a birdie to win and by the time he got to play he changed his club selection and fired one over the green but got up and down to force a play off with eventual winner Jason Day. The powers that be in the PGA have got to do something now or the game is ruined. They should just look at their European counterparts who have addressed these issues and also fining players for not calling out four. Come on guys, a bit of common sense!  But as a wise man once said, the thing about common sense is that it’s not that common!!

On to this week’s action the European tour heads to Malaysia where Stenson is currently 8/1 favourite. Going to keep it simple this week, I have a strong fancy for South Korean Juenghan Wang @ 33/1, T6 and T15 in the last two weeks in fields a lot stronger than this. If he keeps up that form will go very close in this. The PGA tour is in Scottsdale this week for the Phoenix Open, the 17th hole a par 3 which is fully enclosed brings something completely different for the golfers this week, which they seem to enjoy. Down to trying to get the winner, this is not easy but we’ll give it a shot! Speith heads the betting @ 9/1 with some classy golfers just behind him in the market. Rickie Fowler @ 14/1 is one I fancy as this place is made for him. Chappy @ 55/1 did us a favour being placed a few weeks ago and a good showing here is also on the cards, but this week’s pick is the Italian Francesco Molinari @ 80/1, if he has an above average week on the greens he will contend, getting the cobwebs out of the system last week should be ready to go.

Giving a quick mention to the egg chasing this week, the six nations starts with the mainland being @ 11/10 jollies followed by the Irish @ 7/4 no value there so my advice is back the draws in the individual games and if one clicks you will show a small profit.

On to the other sports, it’s great to have the GAA back last week even though it’s only the league, we will see some good competitive games especially in the Hurling with Tipp and Waterford clashing Saturday night. The Superbowl is on the Sunday night with the New England Patriots taking on the Philadelphia Eagles something to watch if you have trouble sleeping and you don’t need to get up for work Monday morning.

The football can settle down too, the on field stuff now for the rest of the season as the window is shut. For me, the best bit of business was City getting Laporte from Bilbao, one bet and one bet only in the football it’s a max on West Brom  @ 9/5 to beat Southampton, no explanation needed just get on!!

Friday morning see’s the return of the racing blog with a preview to the Dublin racing festival which takes place over the weekend and an update on our Cheltenham preview night.

Bets:

Juenghan Wang @ 33/1 ew (Maybank Championship)

Francesco Molinari @ 80/1 ew (Phoenix)

West Brom 9/5 v Southampton.

 

P/L  + €197.75 to a €10 level stake.

 

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Read It Roll It Hole It: Ep 3

To start the ball rolling this week – an ante post football selection, its Bournemouth to get relegated from the Premier league @ 8/1. This is going to be some dog fight this year, with ten teams covered by six points at the moment. Swansea picking up three big points the other night against Liverpool, there is no one safe! Why Bournemouth, I just think,  that the players they have are getting a bit stale and there’s not many fresh faces around – they are value at the price and after they lose their next match away at the bridge will be trading at half this. On to the weekends football, nothing stands out in the Spanish league and its FA cup weekend in the UK, hard to call!!

On to the golf where last week turned out well with Tommy Fleetwood winning @ 20/1 and Kevin Chappell being placed @ 50/1. Hard to follow that, but we will try. The European tour heads to Dubai this week with another strong field, Rory heads the market @ 9/2, his long game is in great shape at the moment but needs to tighten up from 100 yards in. When that comes he will blitz the field some week. Sergio is second favourite where I think Fleetwood should be and if he didn’t win last week I’d  be lumping on this but it’s hard to go back to back.  He is well capable.  Going to pin my colours this week to the puppy dog Matthew Fitzpatrick @ 18/1 even though he has an afternoon draw on day one, I think his price might be better than that after day one but that’s a tough one to call because you don’t want him too far back. He loves playing in Dubai like most of the golfers but he has a victory(not on this course) and great finish last week and when he gets the flat stick working he can go very low on any day. Fabrizio Zanotti  @ 150/1 catches the eye, but @ 12/1 to finish in the top ten makes more appeal, I’m sure you will get a great run for your money. Nice to see Pat Perez coming over from the states to play this week.

The PGA tour moves to Torrey Pines in San Diego, where a certain Tiger Woods is making another comeback. A place where he has won around 7 times, all I will say on him hope he stays healthy, the game is more fun with him around. John Rahm won this event last year so heads the betting this week after his play-off victory last time. I said last week on the blog that I didn’t think course and format would suit but it was a very weak field and it took him a long time to kill off Andrew Laundry in the play-off. This course is right up his alley but again it’s hard to go back to back. This week’s field has way more depth with Fowler, Rose, Matsuyama and Day right behind Rahm in the betting. Two Europeans, Molinari and Lowry well suited by this place and fancy both to play well but both coming back from breaks.  Brian Harmon is the one this week we are going to go for @ 33/1, a very close call between himself and Patrick Cantlay. Harmon has played well around this place before and comes into this week with some good solid form behind him. Tom Lovelady is a golfer you’re going to hear a lot about in the future, strong finish last week and @ 400/1 he is worth a euro each way!!!

On the horse racing front Thursday sees the Thyestes chase taking place in Gowran Park. It’s going to be a war of attrition as the official going is heavy. I think it’s going to ride very sticky also. I was hoping to have a confident selection for this race but that’s impossible now. The John Mulhern Galmoy hurdle has an interesting look to it with some interesting characters lining up. The rest of the Irish meetings over the next few days comprise of Dundalk Friday night, Fairyhouse Saturday and Naas on Sunday where they are opening their new stand. We will have a full racing blog next week previewing the Dublin racing festival. Over the next few days we will be announcing the line- up for our first Cheltenham preview night so keep a look out for that on all our platforms. There will also be a tab on the site called Cheltenham Preview.

 

Bets: Bournemouth to get relegated @ 8/1.

Matt Fitzpatrick @ 18/1 ew (Dubai Desert Classic)

Brian Harmon @33/1 ew (Farmers Insurance)

 

P/L  + €217.75 to a €10 level stake.

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Read It Roll It Hole It: Ep 2

The European tour gets into full swing this week, with a stellar field turning up in Abu Dhabi for the HSBC Championship. Defending champion Tommy Fleetwood has five in front of him in the betting, DJ, Rose, McIlroy, Stenson and Casey. TF is a different animal now, on and off the golf course.  He recently got married and they had their first child. Good pal Ian Finnis on the bag, and winning the Race to Dubai last year,  life is good. TF has a good draw also with the pairing of DJ and Rory for the first two days, the boys will be trying to out drive each other and Tommy hitting his approach to the green first most times, will have the boys shooting at pins all the time and that for me, is a recipe for disaster. Saying that DJ is world number one for a reason and winning two weeks ago on his last start the boy doesn’t lack confidence. TF is the stand out each way bet @20/1 with Paddy Powers who are paying 7 places.

The PGA tour heads back to the main land this week to La Quinta golf resort in California, where the golfers will play the first three days on three different courses and the cut is made Saturday which leaves  one day for a shoot out. This is always a very hard tournament to predict. John Rahm is currently 10/1 favourite, which in my opinion, is way too short.  I think there will be other events more suited to his talent.

It could be a week to take a chance on a few longshots.  Sung Kang @ 100/1 might be worth a look.  Kevin Chappell @ 50/1 each way 7 places is the main selection for me. Chappy is one of those golfers on the fringe of making the US ryder cup team and an early victory could make his dream come through.

This week I will give a mention to the NFL as it is championship Sunday, in the NFC conference the Eagles take on the Vikings and in the AFC the Patriots host the Jaguars.  Good viewing late Sunday night if like me you’re not the best bo peeper!!

This weekend, football is not full of classic match ups, but saying that I got 3 stand out bets to keep our good run going. On the sports betting front, Leicester @5/6 home to Watford is a banker! Even though beaten 2-1 in Vicarage road on the 26th December I think Leicester will have too much for the hornets come Saturday, as Puel is getting to know his players better, I expect them to finish the season strong. Valencia are making the trip to Gran Canaria  Saturday evening and the away side @3/4 must be taken so I suggest doubling these two up to make nice odds off 9/4. The match I’m most looking forward to watching is the class between Real Betis and Barcelona in the Villamarin Sunday evening. Basically it’s going to be a goal fest, believe you me! Betis will probably score 2 but how many will they concede. Barca were 2 down away to Sociedad last Sunday but won 2-4 and this week they can easily score 4, with Suarez back to top form I’m going to say over 5.5 goals @9/2 currently (which won’t last) is cracking value.

 

The racing this weekend, weather permitting of course, let’s start across the pond where Ascot host the Clarence House chase Saturday. For me Un De Sceaux  wins,  bar a fall, simple as that, but at odds of 8/11,I’lI be a watcher. A champion hurdle trial is to be run at Haydock Saturday. OMG don’t like races to be called trial or something else, especially when the field attracts this sort of quality, and yes I know both races are sponsored by the same firm, The New One 6/4 followed by Chtibello @11/4, I’m still shaking my head typing this, saying that the winner gets 43K!! The Irish racing has the usual Friday night fixture in Dundalk. I suppose Geological will add to his 120k that he has already won. Not bad for a horse that Damien English picked up for €800. Shows it can be done! Navan holds a competitive looking card Saturday, while in Thurles, on Sunday the feature Kinloch Brae Chase holds 12 entries at this stage and American Tom is the one that catches the eye.

 

Best Bets:  Tommy Fleetwood (Abu Dhabi) each way 20/1, 7 places.  Kevin Chappell (Career Builder PGA Tour) each way 50/1, 7 places.

Leicester City, Valencia, Double 9/4.

Real Betis v Barcelona, Over 5.5 Goals  9/2.

 

P/L + €55.25 to a €10 level stake on the sports bets.

Verdict: Good week on the tipping front both golfers showing good profit, Tommy Fleetwood winning @20/1 and Kevin Chappell  placed @50/1. The two football bets were unlucky, the double Leicester/Valencia, Leicester won easily and Valencia beaten 2-1 after taking the lead, conceded a very soft penalty where the got a player sent off and ended up with nine. Betis v Barca ended up 0-5, one short but surprisingly  was scoreless at halftime.

P/L + €217.75 to a €10 level stake on the sports bets. (Roll on next Week)

 

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Don’t Mess with my TuTu

This week I would  just like to mention two far more accomplished blogs than mine Kevin Blake and his ATR Blog and Denis Beary with Odds and Sods.  Kevin started by looking for another all-weather track to be built on the site of Tipperary racecourse, but Denis did his piece after that saying more or less that Irish racing needs to work on the product they have at the moment. Both boys put across great points to be fair and both are well worth a read. Personally I think the south could do with an all-weather facility as I think trainers would get great use out of it , but as Denis says Tipperary on a Tuesday would have a long way to go to get anywhere near the Friday night product that Dundalk produce when it comes to betting turnover and exposure, but maybe someone will have a Kevin Costner moment like in Field of Dreams “If you build it he will come”..

 

On the week that some firms are going non-runner no bet for the Cheltenham festival, is ante post betting a dying art?  Well it’s a dangerous art, especially if you fancy a short price one. This week the news on Thistlecrack and Death Duty to name just two falling by the wayside, I would recommend if you really like an ante post bet it’s ok if you spot a big price one. My advice is to wait. Lots of value around come festival time with bookies falling over themselves with offers etc.

 

Finally, before we have a look at the weekend racing, I  just want to mention how far the Irish NH program has come over the years with its scheduling, I think the powers that be should say job well done, compared to our friends across the water. Lots of work to be done by the BHA but I suppose we got the cream of the NH horse’s over here.

 

The Moscow Flyer novice hurdle takes place at Punchestown tomorrow where we see the Gordan Elliott trained Mengli Khan return after he ducked out in the incident packed novice hurdle at the  Christmas meeting in Leopardstown, I’m willing to give him a second chance but he will need to have his business head on to get the better of Getabird. Sunday, sees the Dan Moore handicap chase take place at Fairyhouse where Acapella Bourgeois is the current favourite over his stable companion Polidum. I can’t have either of them but in saying that I’m not that hopeful about anything else in the race. There lies the dilemma!!

 

No sports blog this week, but the sports bet is below. The tipping got off to a good start with James McCarthy getting booked @2/1 in the Merseyside Derby. Celta Vigo were unlucky to draw with Real Madrid but I did advise  the safer bet was to Lay Madrid @1/2.  Glenn Durrant is still going strong in the Darts.

 

Bets: West Brom 23/20 v Brighton

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Read it Roll it Hole it: Ep 1

First of all, the name of the sporting blog “Read it Roll it Hole it” came from a comment from a ten year old caddie Eddie Lowery, who carried the bag for Francis Ouimet to win the US Open in Brookline, beating Harry Vardon and Ted Ray in a play-off in 1913. I recommend, if you haven’t seen it yet, a film called “The greatest game ever played” which tells the story of this achievement.

Why the sporting blog? Well, i got a great interest in all sport’s so the Blog will now have two categories the SWK Blog is all about the horse racing and Read it Roll it Hole it will be for all other sport’s, so here we go. Not everyone likes the horse’s but we all like a bit of sport and if I can point you in the way of the action coming up, you never know we might get a tip or two to come up!!

This weekend sees the introduction of VAR (video assistant referee) into the football over in the UK for the FA cup and also the league cup semi finals next week. Going to go into this with an open mind personally I think it’s good but hope it improves the game and we won’t be stopping every few minutes but time will tell!!

For me, two stand out matches are tonight’s clash of the Merseyside rivals, too close to call but hope it’s a fiery contest.  The other one to catch the eye is Arsenal’s trip to City ground on Sunday to take on Nottingham Forest. With the return of La Liga also this weekend, how will our good friend Diego Costa get on in his return with Atleti, where he scored during the week in their cup game. The match with the best prospect if you’re going to watch a game, is Sunday night’s clash between Celta Vigo and Real Madrid in the Balaidos.

On the home front Neill McDonald walked away from Limerick FC yesterday morning to take up a position as Scunthorpe United’s assistant coach. It could be a long old season above in the market’s field for the faithful few!!!

A quick look around at the other sporting events taking place, the egg chasers Munster take on Connacht and surely not going to do the grand slam of losses to the provinces or are they!! The hurlers welcome Kerry to the Gaelic Grounds at 2pm Sunday and should follow up with another win after their good result against Cork last week in the Munster League. The BDO version of the darts starts tomorrow. Not a relation to the PDC but someone has to win it and Glen Durrant is a worthy favourite. On the golfing front the wrap around season in the PGA got under way Thursday with the tournament of champion in the beautiful Kapalua course in Maui.

Hope you like my first ever sporting blog and don’t mind if you comment. Below is a few bets to pay for the pints over the weekend.

 

Liverpool v Everton:              James McCarty 2/1 ( To be shown a card) make sure he’s starting first.

Celta Vigo v Real Madrid:    Celta Vigo 11/2 to win more safer bet is to Lay Madrid and u got the draw on your side.

Glen Durrant:                          11/8 BDO outright winner.

 

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Knobheads Knuckleheads and Shortheads

Was going to write a review of the Christmas racing but, by now that’s history! You can listen to the boys from the final furlong podcast who did it, who I would recommend to listen to, as it’s good fun, featuring some good guests. Tony Keenan is one of my favourites! Anyway, the point I want to make is the large amount of jockeys and trainers being trolled on social media…. “some Fxxking lamp” wrote on Andrew Lynch’s page and I quote ”U need beating u ugly like cunt.. corrupt.. cunt hope some horse gives u kick in your little pea of a brain.. u ugly corrupt fucker”.  I won’t mention his name, but the tweet is still up on Andrew’s page. This is one of hundreds of jockeys that are getting abuse from knobheads, who back losers. Get over it you melt!!!  We all back losers, even when Ruby was working for RTE the other day and the two Mullins horses fell at the last he commented “I suppose that’s my fault”.  BTW I thought Ruby is good television. Most of these fellows haven’t ever ridden a bike, do mind a horse.  For the record, I don’t know any jockeys personally and haven’t talked to anyone about this,  my point is the racing game does not want this crap with pundits coming out saying that the jockeys and trainers should be more social media friendly.  In fairness it would be good for the game but while this stuff is going on some of the jockeys don’t give a toss but others do.  With the younger brigade trying to move up the ladder looking for a good job, so they can make it pay for a couple of years.  This game can end anytime for these jockeys as we know it’s the only sport that two ambulance follow the action round. Most of the Jockeys spend their  time wasting and trying to control their weight and most nights they go to bed,  they wake up having nightmares that they are Augustas Gloop after falling into the river of chocolate in Willy Wonka’s factory. It’s very hard to get new people involved in racing, as I know,  trying my best to get this racing club off the ground. So what do we need to do to get rid of these people who have €2.50 ew on a 7/2 shot on their phone while sitting in the pub sipping their craft beer. Probably not much, but we could pass a law for them to be gelded.. Look….. we have the best of everything equine in this country and other countries would love to have a small bit of our talents. There are so many good young trainers and jockeys both men and women coming through on this ever moving conveyor belt if we don’t look after them the belt will buckle and break. On a personal level the racing family should be pushing the girls more into the limelight because the younger generation can see that this game is for both boys and girls, for instance take our top lady pro rider Rachael Blackmore for me she’s top notch, does lots of things right & is a great judge of pace with good hands &  gets horses to jump well. She already has over 60 winners ridden as a professional mostly over the jumps but has one on the flat also. Rachael is not the only girl doing well with Nina, Katie, Kate, Jane and Lisa to name a few more. Finally back to our troller sure if he knew Andrew Lynch was corrupt why did he not Lay him!! Everyone one know’s that their’s only one good looking male jockey The Stud!!