Sports World

Trifolium enters Supreme Novice Hurdle calculations

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 12:31:00 +0000

Charles Byrnes produced a likely sort for serious consideration in the Supreme Novices Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival on March 13 when his Trifolium destroyed a good field at Punchestown to thrust himself firmly into the reckoning for the opening race of the showcase international jumps racing fixture, writes Elliot Slater.

Sent off the 7/4 favourite for the Grade 2 Racing UK Moscow Flyer Novices Hurdle, the five-year-old glided through the heavy ground and was always travelling strongest in the hands of Davy Russell. Sent on into the lead at the third from home, the son of Goldneyev proved way too good for his main market rival, the Willie Mullins-trained Simenon, (formerly a very decent peformer on the Flat with Andrew Balding), who eventually had to settle for second place nine-lengths behind the very impressive winner and a further nine-lengths in front of the third horse home, Fairyhouse winner Caolaneoin. Fans of a Stan James review need to remember this.

Byrnes observed that although Trifolium took a grip in the early stages of the Punchestown contest he settled much better than when second to So Young at Navan on his previous outing and that the youngster is certainly improving with experience. That’s a point that doesn’t seem to have been lost on the layers who were seriously impressed by the winner, cutting him from as big as 50/1 for the Supreme Novices Hurdle prior to his this victory to as short as 10/1 with some firms, although 16/1 can still be found in places. Those search for BetVictor free bets will have to bear this in mind.

Expected to prove to be even more effective on a decent surface, it is looking increasingly likely that Byrnes will let Trifolium take his chance at Cheltenham in what appears to be one of the most open contests of the whole four-day fixture with bookmakers currently making Steps To Freedom a 10/1 ante-post favourite just ahead of Darlan, Cinders And Ashes and Simonsig.

Home gallop to decide Synchronised next target

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 10:10:00 +0000

Synchronised, strongly fancied for the Irish Hennessy Gold Cup at Leopardstown on February 12 and a lively each-way hope for the Betfred Cheltenham Gold Cup just over a month later, will have a crucial gallop at trainer Jonjo O'Neill's Jackdaws Castle gallops to decide whether or not he is ready to take in the big Irish Grade 1 event, writes Elliot Slater.

O'Neill has made no secret of his concern that the surprise Lexus Chase winner has not fully recovered from his exertions in the Leopardstown contest on December 28, and will not allow him to travel back to Ireland if he feels the horse is anywhere short of his best. The gallop should clarify O'Neill's mind one way or the other, with the JP McManus-owned nine-year-old also having a date in the John Smith's Grand National at Aintree in mid-April pencilled in on his calendar. Anyone following the latest Cheltenham Festival odds will be keeping a close eye on which path he decides to take.

Prior to his impressive eight-length defeat of Rubi Light last time out over three miles, most people had viewed the gelded son of Sadler's Wells as no more than a classy staying handicapper, but in making the jump to Grade 1 winner he is now being taken far more seriously having shown he has the cruising speed to mix it with top three-mile performers when the ground is riding soft or heavy.

It's fair to say that on a better surface Synchronised would almost certainly be lacking the necessary gears to lay up with the likes of Long Run and Kauto Star, but should the ground come up soft at Cheltenham he is more likely than most to be putting in his best work at the finish, up the hill over the testing three-and-a-quarter-mile track. A 3/1 shot should he take his chance in the Irish Hennessey, Synchronised is a top price 12/1 fourth-favourite for the Cheltenham Gold Cup itself, behind last year's winner Long Run (9/4).

Buck's looks top dollar after latest imperious victory

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:48:00 +0000

The sensational Big Buck's is reported to be in fine shape after his latest success in the Grade 2 Rewards4Racing Cleeve Hurdle at Cheltenham at the end of January and is bang on target to attempt a fourth successive victory in the Grade 1 Ladbrokes World Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival on March 15, writes Elliot Slater.

Landing a remarkable 15th successive victory over hurdles the Andy Stewart-owned nine--year-old was, (as usual), sent off at prohibitive odds for the three-mile contest and, as usual jockey Ruby Walsh was more than happy to bide his time on the great horse. The pace began to noticeably quicken at the third from home where David Pipe's Dynaste began his move, injecting a further burst of speed at the penultimate flight that for a few strides gave the slightest hope for those opposing the favourite that he might just be in trouble. Fans of Stan James should remember this.

As always though when push comes to shove Big Buck's just seems to find an extra gear, and as he lengthened his stride on the home turn it soon became obvious that he was certain to reel in the brave front-runner who he duly joined and passed at the final obstacle before storming clear up the famous hill to score by a comfortable seven-lengths, prompting Nicholls to suggest that this latest effort might very well have been one of the best of the Cadoudal gelding's glittering career. Those placing a VC bet should bear this in mind.

Already the hottest ante-post favourite of the whole four-day Cheltenham Festival extravaganza prior to this latest effort, Big Buck's was duly cut from a best price of 8/13 to as short as 4/9 now with some leading layers, although bits and pieces of 4/7 and 8/15 can still be found for looking. It would take a very brave man indeed to bet against the star staying hurdler of this generation not winning again and claim a fourth World Hurdle on his next outing.

Featherbed set to face step up in class

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 10:35:00 +0000

The rapidly improving handicap hurdler Featherbed Lane looks set to take his chance in the Grade 2 Rendlesham Hurdle at Haydock in mid-February on his way to a tilt at either the Coral Cup or County Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival a month later, writes Elliot Slater.

Terry Warner, owner of the exciting seven-year-old, suggested that trainer Philip Hobs has earmarked the Haydock event (set to be run this term under the banner of the Betfred Goals Galore Trial Hurdle), after seeing his charge fail by the narrowest of margins to complete a hattrick of wins this term when beaten a nose by the progressive mare Swincombe Flame in the Lanzarote Handicap Hurdle at Kempton in January. Those following the best Cheltenham festival betting will have been impressed.

Having shown promise in his two previous seasons without having made any great impression, Featherbed Lane has improved significantly this term, starting out off a mark of 120 and winning on his seasonal bow at Ascot in November, beating the decent Decoy by two-and-a-half-lengths. A 9lb rise in the weights failed to prevent the gelded son of Saddler’s Hall following up at Aintree three weeks later when slamming Donald McCain’s Reindeer Dippin by 14-lengths to earn a further 15lb rise in his official mark to 144.

At Kempton everything looked set for a third successive win as the James Best-ridden market fancy stormed to the front before the last, but after going a length clear on the run-in he began to idle and opened the door for the relentless Swincombe Flame to come and nab him on the post in the very last stride. Now a 16/1 co-second favourite for the Coral Cup and a 20/1 shot for the Vincent O’Brien Handicap hurdle back at the minimum trip, Hobbs is keen to see just how far his inmate has improved and clearly believes that the Rendlesham Hurdle, set to be run on Featherbed Lane’s preferred testing ground, will provide him with all the answers he needs.

Brady is a marked man

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:59:00 +0000

Ahead of Super Bowl XLVI on Sunday, New York Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul’s directive is clear – stop New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady.

Pierre-Paul has enjoyed a whirlwind start to his professional career since being drafted by the Giants 18 months ago. The Florida-born rookie has 16.5 sacks so far in his sophomore season.

Pierre-Paul realises the Giants must disrupt the flow of the Patriots three-time Super Bowl winner if they are to repeat their shock victory over the same opponents in 2008. The best Super Bowl betting odds reflect this.

That victory came before Pierre-Paul’s time, but the plan hasn’t changed in four years. The defensive end knows closing Brady down will go some way to deciding which team lifts the Lombardi trophy at the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

Pierre-Paul said: "We have to get after him (Brady), and that's what we have to do.

"He can pick our defence. He can throw the ball even if our coverage is very good. That's scary, but as defensive linemen, we just have to get to him fast enough. Our secondary can cover the guys real quick, and hopefully that will help us out."

The 23-year-old originally had his sights set on a career in basketball. A twist of fate redirected his career path. He broke his leg in high school and was convinced by his coaches that his physical attributes would make him a star in the NFL.

"I never thought of playing football. They dragged me onto the field. I didn't know what I was doing. All they said was rush the quarterback, basically, and that's what I did from there on out," Pierre-Paul added.

If Pierre-Paul and his team-mates can stop Brady, he could well be celebrating a first Super Bowl victory in just his second season on Sunday evening.

Soccer debate on tackling causes confusion

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:11:00 +0000

The English Premier League is often regarded in a superior light to all other soccer leagues in world soccer, and one of the primary factors behind this is the fast, furious, and unrelenting nature of the game, with no teams holding back from giving each fixture their all, and players all too happy to put their bodies on the line for the sake of their team.

However, despite that, there is currently a fierce debate raging in the EPL regarding the art of tackling, and in particular the manner in which referees should respond to players throwing themselves wholeheartedly into tackles, with the lunging two footed tackle currently the biggest bone of contention by quite some distance.

With the two footed tackle normally a challenge that involves players jumping in the air, lifting their feet off the ground, and risking a serious injury to their opponent. The punishment, of course, is a red card, which can dramatically alter live soccer betting  markets and punters’ soccer betting tips.

More importantly though you have to consider the risk of serious injury, this particular debate perhaps isn't even worth having, with a number of players in recent years almost seeing their careers brought to an untimely end after such dangerous tackles.

However, perhaps one manager who should be philosophically opposed to this sort of tackling more than any other in England is Arsene Wenger, who has seen a number of his players pick up sickening injuries on the pitch, but the Frenchman seems happy to let these challenges stay in the game, suggesting that the argument isn't quite as cut and dry as you may assume.

With nobody wanting to see players injured on the field of play, there is another side to the argument that suggests the level of interest in the EPL might drastically lessen if the more physical side of the game was eradicated. Unfortunately for English soccer fans, unlike the more technical soccer on display in La Liga, the EPL wouldn't be able to make up for this reduction in excitement for neutrals with a variety of skills and neat footwork, meaning that the future of the league itself could be placed firmly on the line with the banning of physical play.

Mowbray insistent over Williams

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:03:00 +0000

Middlesbrough manager Tony Mowbray has once again insisted Rhys Williams will not be allowed to leave the club despite the young Aussie being linked with a move to the Premiership.

Williams, along with the likes of Matthew Bates and Marvin Emnes, has been heavily courted by a number of top-flight clubs according to live soccer betting markets. However, Mowbray has made it clear none of his squad’s key players will be allowed to leave the club, who are looking to secure a return to the Premier League.

“I'm pretty sure that anyone we don't want to lose won't be leaving,” said Mowbray.

“Rhys Williams is not out of contract and talking to him the boy's pretty comfortable here so I don't see that being an issue.”

“He wants to try and help us get back to the Premier League.”

The versatile Williams has been an ever-present in the Boro side this season, helping the club to fourth in the Championship. The club are now in a great position to mount a genuine bid for promotion this season and will need their star players such as Williams if they are going to have any chance of getting out of this league.

If Middlesbrough fail to secure promotion back to the Premier League, then soccer betting tips suggest they would struggle to hang onto the talented 23-year old. Bolton, West Brom and QPR are among a host of top-flight clubs that have reportedly been tracking the Perth-born midfielder, and will all still be interested come the end of the season.

Promotion will be important for Middlesbrough for a number of reasons; hanging onto their star players will be just one of those.

Shock as Oscar Time ruled out of Grand National

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 11:00:00 +0000

Sam Waley-Cohen was understandably very upset at the news that the gallant Oscar Time who carried him into a superb second place behind Ballabriggs in the 2011 John Smith’s Grand Nationa has been ruled out of action for the rest of the season after sustaining a leg injury, writes Elliot Slater.

Joint-favourite with last year’s big race hero at 16/1 in the ante-post horse racing betting list for this year’s renewal of the ‘world’s greatest steeplechase’, the Martin Lynch-trained 11-year-old had been trained specifically with a return trip to Aintree in mind and had not been seen in action since contesting a staying novice hurdle at Naas in November where he was far from discredited in finishing fourth behind the very useful Zaidpour.

Horse racing betting tips has expected him to reappear following the publications of the weights for the Grand National in mid-February, Waley-Cohen had eagerly been looking forward to being reunited with the horse owned by his father Robert who gave him such a tremendous spin over the awesome fences at the Liverpool track last spring, racing up with the pace for most of the way then coming to challenge at the elbow on the long and tortuous run from the final fence. In the end Lynch’s gelding couldn’t get by Donald McCain’s runner as the pair pulled a long way clear of the rest and went down to a brave defeat by just two-and-a-quarter-lengths.

Although he hasn’t won since landing the extremely valuable Paddy Power Chase at Leopardstown’s 2009 Christmas meeting Oscar Time has run a number of other fine races in defeat, notably when second to Bluesea Cracker in the 2010 Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse and when third to The Midnight Club in last season’s Grade 2 At the Races Bobbyjo Chase at the same track.

Cheltenham ‘Top Trainer’ title looks a three-way contest

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 12:48:00 +0000

If you have been thinking about which trainer to support to come out top at the end of the four-day Cheltenham Festival fixture (March 13-16), then the latest news is that you can bet 2/1 each of three, with last season’s winner Willie Mullins, champion British trainer Paul Nicholls, and festival specialist Nicky Henderson all available at the same odds if you shop around, writes Elliot Slater.

Mullins left the bookies licking their wounds last term having been originally priced up a 13/2 chance to take the title, horse racing betting odds that were soon taking by the hordes of Irish race fans who soon realised they were on to something good as the champion Irish trainer sent out Hurricane Fly, Quevega, Final Approach and Sir Des Champs to win at jumps racing’s premier fixture, seeing off the challenge from both Henderson and Nicholls.

Mullins again looks to have a very strong hand with Hurricane Fly and Quevega bankers for many punters and horse racing betting tips , but Nicholls and Henderson are also set to arrive at Prestbury Park with plenty of guns to fire, Henderson having three live candidates for the Champion Hurdle as well as leading contenders for the novice chase events such as Sprinter Sacre in the Arkle Chase, Bobs Worth in the RSA Chase, and then there is the little matter of Long Run in the Cheltenham Gold Cup itself.

Long Run will have to overcome Nicholls’ superstar Kauto Star if he is to retain the title, while Nicholls will also be very hopeful that the likes of Al Ferof (Arkle Chase), Zarkandar (Champion Hurdle), Silviniaco Conti (Jewson Novices Chase), and a certain Big Buck’s (Ladbrokes World Hurdle) will give him plenty of chances of success.

The 25/1 about Philip Hobbs pipping the aforementioned trio looks generous with the Minehead handler having genuine prospects with Sadlers Risk (Triumph Hurdle), Menorah (Arkle Chase), Fingal Bay (Neptune Hurdle), and Colour Squadron (Supreme Novices Hurdle).

Bud to bow out on biggest stage of all

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 12:20:00 +0000

The admirable 14-year-old Hello Bud is set to have the final race of what has been a very successful career when he competes in the John Smith’s Grand National at Aintree in April for the third and final time, writes Elliot Slater.

The Nigel Twiston-Davies trained veteran finished fifth in the 2009 Becher Chase over the awesome Aintree fences, (having landed the Scottish Grand National at Ayr some six month earlier when beating Gone To Lunch in a tremendous finish), before occupying the same position in the 2010 Grand National, running a blinder and being prominent throughout only to fade approaching the final fence in the race won by Tony McCoy on Don’t Push It.

Returning to the Liverpool track in November 2010 the then 12-year-old put in a tremendous round of jumping to show a clean pair of heels to a host of younger rivals when landing the Becher Chase, but failed to cut any ice back at the track in last year’s Grand National where he weakened from halfway and was eventually pulled up before the 19th fence. Still in front in this season’s renewal of the Becher Chase when blundering and unseating his rider at the Canal Turn, Hello Bud has since put up two solid performances in decent staying handicap chases at Cheltenham and Warwick and connections report him to be looking as good as ever – leading to a flurry of racing betting tips.

Ridden almost exclusively these days by trainer’s son Sam Twiston-Davies, Hello Bud, a borderline case for being high enough in the handicap to sneak into the final 40 for the big race, is quoted at ante-post best racing odds of at least 100/1 to become the oldest winner since 15-year-old Peter Simple in 1853 of ‘the world’s greatest steeplechase’ staged in front of a global audience of well over half a billion television viewers.

Urlacher wants to play no matter the cost

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 15:09:00 +0000

Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher says he is so desperate to play that he regularly gets pain killing injections before games and admits that he would not tell coaches if he felt he had a concussion, just to stay on the field.

The 33-year-old made the revelations on the ‘Real Sports’ show and freely conceded that he had received regular shots of Toradol, which is an anti-inflammatory which can ease injuries, especially in physical sports such as American Football. Even people looking at the in-running Super Bowl odds will have been shocked by the revelations.

"It's normal," Urlacher told "Real Sports." "You drop your pants, you get the alcohol, they give you a shot, put the Band-Aid on and you go out and play."

The news came as quite a shock to interviewer Andrea Kremer who appeared to know a lot more about the side effects of the drug than the veteran middle linebacker.

Toradol has previously been proven to cause kidney failure and gastrointestinal bleeding.

However, Urlacher seemed quite unconcerned about the possible damage he is doing to his body, admitting he didn’t know that they were the side effects and freely admitted that he didn’t mind them, as long as he could still play.

"First of all, we love football," Urlacher said. "We want to be on the field as much as we can be. If we can be out there, it may be stupid, it may be dumb, call me dumb and stupid then, because I want to be on the football field."

Later in the interview he also said he has faked injury in the past after suffering a concussion to allow him to refocus just so he wasn’t replaced.

"If I have a concussion these days, I'm going to say something happened to my toe or knee just to get my bearings for a few plays," he added. "I'm not going to sit in there and say I got a concussion. [Then] I can't go in there the rest of the game."

Cheltenham – Types of Race

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 16:21:00 +0000

The Cheltenham Festival as most people know is the highlight and pinnacle of the National Hunt season and it attracts die-hard followers of the sports, once a year racegoers and first timers alike and one thing that can be confusing is all the different types of races that take place at the Festival.Here is a short guide that will help you understand the differences between the types of races and obstacles that you would see at the Cheltenham Festival over the course of the 27 races and four days.The first thing to differentiate is what are hurdles and steeplechase fences. Hurdles are smaller, more flexible obstacles typically about 3½ feet in height, and a minimum of eight of them are jumped in races which range from 2M to just over 3M at the Festival. Those looking for tips for racing should remember this.Steeplechase fences are larger, rigid obstacles a minimum of 4½ feet high and are run over distances of 2M to 4M at the Festival, once again a minimum of eight obstacles are jumped per race.The Champion Bumper is the only flat race run at the Festival and it regularly showcases some of the most exciting young horses in training, who subsequently go on to make big names for themselves over hurdles or fences. The term "Bumper" comes from the fact that in the past, only amateur riders were allowed to compete and they typically had an ungainly "bumping" style in the saddle in comparison to the professionals. Now we have established what is jumped in a race, let's take a look at the types of race that you could see at Cheltenham. Many of the races will be for novices, so what is a novice? A novice is a horse who has not won a race under a particular code (hurdling or chasing) before the current season. They generally race against their own but there is nothing to stop a novice running in normal hurdles or chases. The last novice to win the Gold Cup was Captain Christy in 1974, whilst Alderbrook was still a novice when capturing the Champion Hurdle in 1995. People who bet on racing should bear this in mind.Moving on we then come to handicaps of which there are 11 at the Festival – some over hurdles and some over fences. The horses in handicaps are allotted different weights assessed on their abilities over past races, the idea being that the different weights will equalise their ability and allow then to finish together. Of course that never happens but if there is a very close finish involving three or four horses you will often hear pundits/commentators say that "is a victory for the handicapper".Although most handicap races are not for the very best horses, this is not true in all cases, and some of the biggest races in the world are handicaps, such as the Grand National. The most prestigious handicaps run at the Festival include the William Hill Chase for staying chasers and the County Hurdle for speedy 2M hurdlers.All races are graded at the Festival are graded - the most prestigious contests are, in descending order of importance, Grade 1s, Grade 2s, Grade 3s, Listed contests, Handicaps to Bumpers - the least prestigious. The more highly graded races attract more prize money and better horses – the most important race at the Festival is the Cheltenham Gold Cup worth £500,000 and the prizes run right down to the one with least money on offer the Foxhunters, worth £40,000 but that race is more about prestige that prize money.The Cheltenham Festival is one of the year's sporting highlights and it moves ever closer. [...]

Mickelson Struggling at Torrey Pines

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 13:20:00 +0000

Phil Mickelson cut a sorry figure in California, yesterday, finishing the first day of the Farmers Insurance Open on five-over-par 72, to tie for 147 on the leaderboard. The three-time Masters champion is currently trailing his compatriots, and current leaders, Spencer Levin and Kyle Stanley, by 15 points.

Mickelson, at 14/1, is the fourth-favourite to win the Masters Tournament at Augusta, in April, behind Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, and Lee Westwood. However, if his performance at Torrey Pines is any kind of indicator, the bookmakers have been a little too generous to the 41-year-old American. People following the best US Masters odds online need to remember this.

With seven bogeys on the opening day, Mickelson starts the second round on the back foot. He made just two shots under par, yesterday, at the 6th and 17th, as his accuracy with the driver fell to under 50 perfect. His putting, often described as his forte, was decidedly average; he made 32 attempts with the stick, over the course of the day.

Mickelson's nightmare in the first round is disappointing for the left-hander, in more ways than one. The HSBC Golf Championship in Abu Dhabi has drawn a number of 'big names' away from the Farmers Open, this week a development that leaves Mickelson as one of the few household names in California.

While it would be unfair to the other golfers at Torrey Pines to suggest that this year's line-up poses less of a challenge to Mickelson, the absence of Tiger Woods, the 'poster-boy' of the Farmers Open, had presented Lefty with an opportunity to rack up some points without Woods breathing down his neck.

Tiger, who is currently tied for third in Abu Dhabi, chose to play in the HSBC Championship, alongside Rory McIlroy, due to the larger prize offered by the organisers, both in terms of money and rankings points. Woods is hoping to stake a claim on Luke Donald's no.1 slot on the Rankings, in time for the start of the Masters Tournament.

Bogut Out 'Indefinitely'

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 13:11:00 +0000

The Milwaukee Bucks' 7ft centre, Andrew Bogut, has been sidelined with a fracture to his left ankle. The Aussie picked up the injury on Wednesday, during the Bucks' 105-99 victory over the Houston Rockets, when he fell awkwardly trying to block a shot. Milwaukee say that Bogut could be out "indefinitely".

Bogut joined the Bucks as their number one pick in the 2005 draft, becoming the first Australian player to be drafted top of the list. The 27-year-old has had a painful time in the NBA, since then, succumbing to injuries on a semi-regular basis. He has not had a problem-free season for at least four years. Those placing an NBA bet online need to remember this.

Speaking after Wednesday's game, Bogut said that he "knew he was in some trouble" when he landed from his block attempt: "Everything's fine with the X-ray [but] tomorrow's the day of reckoning where I go under the MRI machine, and find out my fate." Bogut added that, due to his history of injuries, he is "not optimistic".

The Melbourne-born player has already missed one game this year, Bucks vs. Dallas, on January 13, due to a suspected concussion. His absence was particularly galling for Milwaukee, given that he had been missing on (presumed) compassionate leave for the previous four Bucks' fixtures.

Bogut's list of problems extends back to 2008, when he sustained an injury to his back, an ailment that cost him 43 games. However, his on-court accident in 2010 is his most famous – and painful – problem, to date; he broke his hand, dislocated his elbow, and sprained his wrist in the same fall.

Writing on his Twitter account he said: "I will get back from this. Injury was beyond my control. First step: walking again."

Ovechkin struggling on the rink but rapping off it!

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 13:10:00 +0000

NHL picks star Alexander Ovechkin has endured a pretty difficult season so far, despite finding himself selected for his fifth All Star game, and there are now signs that he might just be starting to think seriously about the state of his career in hockey, with the player posting online images of him rapping in Russian!

Although it is of course up to individual players to determine their own fates in whatever sport they choose to compete in, surely the likes of Alexander Ovechkin have a responsibility to the game of hockey to maintain a clear and intense focus on their own performances if they wish to stand a chance of pushing hockey back into the limelight for all the right reasons, especially after a year in which the sport has been blighted somewhat by big hits, concussed superstars, and more cash problems than it would care to admit.

With hockey, much like the rest of North American sport, being built on the basis that every franchise is looking to support every other one, rather than strive to achieve individual glory for itself at the sake of others, the same must also be true of players who know that they are part of a united front that hockey tries to present to the world.

If the future of hockey and the NHL is going to be bright and spread beyond these shores. Harnessing the ability of supporters from across the world to tune in and watch hockey online, the likes of Ovechkin will need to ensure that they maintain their focus and start getting back to the top of their game rather than looking to seriously pursue their off rink exploits, leaving the sport looking amateur in the extreme.

Five Championship Race Statistics

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 11:14:00 +0000

Statistics and trends are an important part of the Cheltenham Festival. Here are five from the Championship events at the meeting. All of these events (apart from the Ryanair) have a long and rich history and the statistics and trends behind them have plenty of data to back them up.

Stan James Champion Hurdle

Horses that won last time out are very strong statistically in this race and just following those types of horses that were successful last time out landed the one-two again last year. Only four horses in the last 28 runnings of this race have won without winning on their previous outing. A powerful statistic to consider in the Champion Hurdle when attempting to find the winner. Fans of the Cheltenham betting should remember this.

Queen Mother Champion Chase

Previous Festival form is a recurring theme in the championship races at the Festival, notably the Queen Mother Champion Chase and 20 of the last 27 winners have won or finished placed at this meeting in the past. Those looking for 2012 Cheltenham betting tips need to bear this in mind.

Ryanair Chase

Only a seven year history to work with here but the one standout statistic is that all six winners and five of the runner-ups in that period have previously won at Cheltenham. If there is a race where course form counts this is it.

Ladbrokes World Hurdle

With Big Buck’s likely to dominant here there is little chance of the Irish breaking their 17 year hoodoo in this race or a five-year-old being a major challenger as they haven’t won the race since its inception in 1972.

Betfred Cheltenham Gold Cup

A fascinating clash this year between Kauto Star and Long Run will be the major storyline in the race but the fly in the ointment could be Grands Crus – a novice. if he takes his chance, no novice has won since 1974 but, arguably of more relevance, is that only a true great in Dawn Run, who was having only her fifth start over fences when winning an historic renewal in 1986, has won the Gold Cup for horses with less than six chase starts since Mill House in 1963 who had five previous chase starts to his name. This will be Grand Crus’ fifth chase start if he lines up to here, assuming he has a prep-run between the Feltham and Festival. He would add another dimension to what is already a fascinating head-to-head clash.

Tevez future still in balance

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 16:27:00 +0000

The future of Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez is still in doubt after both Inter Milan and Paris Saint-Germain claim that they have ended their interest in the player.

City are reportedly looking for a permanent transfer for their asset, who is worth £30 million in their valuation.

The Argentine has not played for the club since refusing to come off the substitutes’ bench for manager Roberto Mancini in a Champions League tie against Bayern Munich back in September. The Manchester club failed to reach the knockout stage of the competition after finishing third behind the German champions and Napoli.

French side PSG were one of the favourites in the live soccer betting football who were actively involved in trying to sign Tevez. The Parisian club are now managed by former Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti and have Brazilian Leonardo as their director of football, have decided against making an improved offer.

Inter, on the hand, used their official website to confirm they has ruled themselves of the running for Tevez, though the soccer betting tips suggest they may yet come in with a late offer.

Club director Tronchetti Provera said: "Does Tevez still interest us? He no longer does as he (Tevez) is looking to take a different path. Inter have rediscovered their champions and we don't need to have him (Tevez) or anybody else. But he (Tevez) remains a great champion."

The latest development means AC Milan are now strong favourites to land the player’s signature, however, the Italian club may look to initially loan Tevez with the view of a permanent deal in the summer.

Tevez joined Manchester City in 2009 from their neighbours Manchester United, after he played 63 games for the Reds including their Champions League final win against Chelsea in Moscow.

Mome pulls up but is still on course for Aintree

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 15:30:00 +0000

Mon Mome, the 2009 John Smith's Grand National winner who is being prepared for a repeat assault on the 'world's greatest steeplechase', ran well below expectations at Haydock on Saturday in the Grade 2 Peter Marsh Chase but connections put his below-par effort down to the desperate state of the ground and have already drawn a line under the run, writes Elliot Slater.

Despite being faced with unsuitably testing ground hopes were fairly high that the Vida Bingham-owned 12-year-old would put up a good performance at the Lancashire track having run a cracker on his previous start at Cheltenham on New Year's Day when he found only the lightly-weighted Mostly Bob (received 16lbs) too good for him in the very competitive Raceodds Handicap Chase. That run had been on 'Good to Soft' ground but Mon Mome found the heavy underfoot conditions at Haydock all beyond him, regular pilot Aidan Coleman reporting that the veteran was never travelling in the bog-like conditions and that he pulled him up at the 12th when it was clear the horse was simply not enjoying himself and struggling to go the pace. People looking at a Stan James review should remember this.

Trainer Venetia Williams was quick to admit that it might not have been the wisest move (in hindsight) in letting the popular staying chaser run at Haydock, and insisted that he remains on course for a return visit to Liverpool, the scene of his stunning 100/1 success in the 2009 Grand National where he defeated the previous year's race winner Comply Or Die by 12 lengths. Fans of Betvictor racing will remember the event.

Third in the 2010 Cheltenham Gold Cup (to Imperial Commander), Mon Mome returned this term after missing last season through injury and still looks capable of making his presence felt in the top staying handicap chases given the right conditions. Bookmakers currently rate him a 33/1 shot to win back his crown on April 14.

Kraft had Brady worries

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 13:30:00 +0000

Patriots' owner Robert Kraft has admitted that he 'shuddered' when he saw Tom Brady take a bone crunching hit on a 1-yard touchdown drive and even wondered if he'd broken his back.

However, Brady recovered from the shattering blow to spike the ball and punch the air in celebration as he scored the go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter to help his side beat the Ravens 23-20 in the AFC Championship game. Those looking at the pre Super Bowl NFL betting will have been impressed.

Following the incident, Brady says he is fine and so are the patriots as they now head to the Super Bowl to face the New York Giants on February 5th. However, Kraft thought their dreams may have been over when Brady received the hit from linebacker Ray Lewis and thought that the playmaker may have suffered a life threatening injury.

"We all shuddered up in the box," he said. "We thought that his back might have been broken."

When touching it down, Brady had his head pointing towards the ground and Lewis who had been lining up behind the line made the last ditch tackle as he looked to send Brady back over the line.

The 34-year-old however got up straight away from the incident and none of the players on either side rushed in to have their say.

Patriots wide receiver Matthew Slater says this is the way the game should be played and says Lewis had every right to try and tackle Brady.

"That's the way the game should be played, physical," he said.

"This game is not a noncontact sport. So there's going to be hits. We knew that going into the game with those guys. They play physical football and we knew we had to match that going in. I didn't see it as a dirty hit at all."

Tidal Bay shaping up for National reappearance

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 10:07:00 +0000

Tidal Bay's attempt at the Grand National in 2011 came to an end when the 11-year-old unseated rider Brian Hughes in his first attempt at the famous steeplechase.

Despite the setback last season, it is unlikely to stop connections from having another shot at the feature race at Aintree this year, as Paul Nicholls bids for his first Grand National success.

The run in Merseyside last April was the first time he failed to complete a circuit in his 31 career runs and those looking at the 2012 Grand National odds should remember he has shown he has what it takes to get around some tough courses.

Tidal Bay's seasonal reappearance this time came at Cheltenham on New Year's Day when finishing third in a Class Two handicap hurdle at Prestbury Park. The Graham Wylie-owned runner was behind the impressive Houblon Des Obeaux and Kayf Aramis.

Although Tidal Bay has had 11 wins over hurdles, it is over the biggest fences that he has shown his best potential. He started his novice career by winning the Arkle at the Cheltenham Festival in 2008. He followed that up by winning the equivalent novice contest at Aintree a month later.

Tidal Bay's class as a chaser was shown even further last season when he finished sixth in the Cheltenham Gold Cup. It was one of the hottest renewals of the blue riband event at the festival, with Long Run, Kauto Star and Denman all involved in the 3m contest.

Before his second shot at the Grand National, he is like to feature at the Cheltenham Festival once again. He has an entry in both the World Hurdle and the Cheltenham Gold Cup, with connections undecided at this stage about which race to bid for with their mount.

2011 – Record Breakers

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 09:34:00 +0000

2011 proved to be a vintage year for horse racing and there were plenty of feats that deserve to be applauded and lauded especially on the equine front.

Four particular stars worthy of a Kauto Star, Frankel, Goldikova and Rapid Redux. The first three are pretty much household names but the last named my not be as well-known to you all. So let's start with Rapid Redux who broke one post-1900 US record and equalled another while winning 21 races in succession since 2010 (since then victory 22 has been added) – including all 19 starts in 2011. The all-time US record is 23 consecutive victories by Leviathan (1797-1801) and the world record is 56 by Camarero in Puerto Rico (1953-55). Trained by David Wells, the ultra-tough and consistent front-running Rapid Redux is no champion having scored all his victories in lowly company but that should not detract from his superb record this year. Fans of on line racing should remember this.

Kauto Star needs no such introduction and his win on the King George VI Chase on Boxing Day made him the greatest steeplechaser since Arkle and the first horse to win Kempton's mid-season championship race five times, beating the record that he had previously shared with Desert Orchid. When Kauto Star won the Betfair Chase on November 19 he became the only horse, Flat or jumps, to win two different Group/Grade 1 races four times each, as he had already landed the Haydock prize in 2006, 2007 and 2007 – a remarkable achievement. Those looking for a horse betting how to need to bear this in mind.

Frankel bestrode the Flat season and this colossus of a horse and on most rating systems he was a record breaker, his wins in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket and his spectacular four-length victory in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes on the inaugural British Champions Day being performances that will long live in the memory and his record breaking feats look sure to be continued in 2012.

Finally, no equine list of record breakers for 2011 would be complete without the inclusion of Goldikova. She won two Group 1 races in her final year of racing which extended her tally in very top-level races to 15. The six-year-old mare trained by Freddie Head, retired with a total prize-money total of £4,364,886, a record for a filly or mare trained in Europe.

Four very different horses but all ones from whom 2011 was a record breaking year.

Lendl urges patience in Murray Grand Slam hunt

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 15:56:00 +0000

Ivan Lendl believes Andy Murray will eventually break his grand slam duck but he just needs to have patience and take his chance when it arrives.

The British number one certainly looks in good shape at the moment as he aims for glory at the Australian Open. He moved into the last eight on Monday after his latest opponent, Kazakhstan's Mikhail Kukushkin, was forced to retire when two sets down due to a hip injury.

The Scot now meets rising Japanese star Kei Nishikori in the quarter-final - a showdown that is likely to test Murray much more than his games in Melbourne so far - after Nishikori caused an upset when beating sixth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in five sets.

Lendl, who became Murray's coach at the turn of the year, believes his protege is on course to win a Grand Slam sooner rather than later but, at just 24 years old, he knows the world number four still has time on his side. Those looking at the in-play betting odds need to remember this.

He said: "Part of it is maturing, he is still a fairly young player, he is 25 this year.
"He needs experience and some players learn quicker than others, I was one of the slower ones.

"You just do your thing and keep on doing it and when the door opens you have to step through it."

Murray has made it through to three grand slam finals in his career so far but has yet to taste success. He was beaten by Novak Djokovic at the final hurdle in Melbourne 12 months ago and could meet the Serbian World Number One at the sem-final stage this year.

Lendl, though, insists losing finals is all part of Murray's development and he should not be ashamed as he has been beaten by quality players like current world number four Roger Federer and Djokovic.

He added: "Everyone makes a big thing of Andy being 0-3 in finals but he lost twice to Roger (Federer), arguably the best player of all time and certainly in the Open era.

"Losing to Novak (Djokovic) here last year at the time looked like a bad loss but if that had happened at the US Open everyone would have said Novak had had a fantastic year and no-one would have been riding Andy's tail."

Who are the best all-weather trainers?

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 12:25:00 +0000

National Hunt racing will take centre stage for the next couple of months of the year, especially with the big meetings at Cheltenham and Aintree to come but with a cold snap looking likely, the all-weather will be keeping the show on the road as well as entertaining die-hard Flat fans.

So we thought we would take a look at the trainers who perform well on the all-weather over the months of February and March. Many trainers are creatures of habit and looking at their patterns can unearth plenty of potentially interesting angles which will hopefully prove popular in the next couple of months.

In terms of strike-rate over the two months under consideration in the last five years, John Gosden takes the plaudits but doesn't return a level stakes profit, although due to his good strike rate 33% he should be kept on-side in the right situations. Perhaps it would be worth noting the horses that he sends to Southwell and Wolverhampton, where from a handful of runners he has a very good record. Fans of racing betting should bear this in mind.

One trainer who should definitely be kept on your side over February and March is Ed Dunlop and his record of 20 winners from just 68 runners on the all-weather over the past five years marks him down as a trainer to follow. In fact he makes a profit at three of the four all-weather tracks with Lingfield being the odd one out. He is it must be said a rare visitor to Southwell and the fibresand surface but his runners should be noted when he does go there as he has been successful with his runners on his last three visits. Those looking at the online racing need to remember this.

Another favourite to follow over the coming months would be Ralph Beckett who has a fine 23% strike rate in the period we have analysed, with 9 winners coming from just 39 runners, so Beckett is certainly selective with his all-weather runners. Once again there are tracks that are favoured out of the all-weather quartet and in this case Beckett and Kempton fit together very well, five of his winner from 16 runners coming there.

Of course profitable past performance gives no guarantees of future profits, but we will certainly be staying on the right side of the trainers highlighted here – especially under the right circumstances that we have mentioned.

Nuggets Win in Double-Overtime Thriller

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 14:28:00 +0000

Italian forward, Danilo Gallinari, helped the Denver Nuggets snatch an impressive fourth victory on the road, on Saturday evening, claiming a personal-best 37 points to lift the Nuggets above the New York Knicks, 119-114.

Nuggets-Knicks is always an interesting match-up, on account of the two sides' on-court brawl in 2006. Fortunately, the main point of interest at Madison Square Garden, at the weekend, was the stunning display from Gallinari, who was playing against his former team, the Knicks, for the first time since February 2011.

The Nuggets' team was made up of several former Knicks players, including Al Harrington and Timofey Mazgov. Harrington netted 24 points for Denver, while Mozgov, a player who arrived from New York as part of the trade for Carmelo Anthony, alongside Gallinari, collected a career-high 16.

Anthony could not equal Gallinari's prowess on the ball, missing two-thirds of his attempts on the basket, to end on 25 points and 10 rebounds. The Brooklyn-born player was instrumental, albeit accidentally, in giving the Nuggets a layup at the death, when he tossed a pass wide, and into the hands of Gallinari. Anyone following the bookmakers NBA odds will have been astonished.

He did, however, push the game into overtime with just under two seconds remaining on the clock, to spare the Knicks a regulation defeat.

The popular Anthony has struggled with a wrist problem, in recent weeks, a condition that likely contributed to his awkward display, on Saturday. The forward, having missed a number of shots early in the game, was booed by fans. However, he managed to pull himself together in the later stages of the game.

Gallinari found the Knicks' fans rather more welcoming. Despite being an opposition player, the Italian was applauded by New Yorkers: “It was great. I want to thank all the New York fans for the ovation they gave me”. Gallinari added that Madison Square Garden is “always special. You always find extra motivation [to play].”

The Knicks have now lost six games in a row, a tally that makes the Atlantic division of the Eastern Conference look somewhat suspect; New York are in second place, despite having significantly more losses than victories. The Knicks' win-loss ratio of 6-10 makes the 11-5 of the 76ers, in first place, seem phenomenal, in comparison.

Wood misses Six Nations opener

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 13:10:00 +0000

England flanker Tom Wood has revealed his disappointment at being forced to sit out the opening games of the Six Nations due to a foot injury.

The Saints back-rower has been ruled out of the Stuart Lancaster’s side’s first two matches against Scotland and Italy and will have to wear protective boot to aid his recovery which is expected to take four weeks following the injury he picked-up in training.

Wood was mentioned as a potential captain for the Six Nations and has admitted his disappointment at missing out on the start of the tournament. Those looking at the in-play Six Nations odd will be sad that he is missing out.

"This cuts pretty deep, because it's an exciting time for English rugby at the moment," Wood told The Daily Telegraph. "It would be good to have been part of that, to have a real fresh start.”

The 25-year-old is seen as one of England’s brightest stars and having made his debut in last season’s competition, was tipped to establish himself in the side.

Unfortunately, he has been hampered by injuries and former coach Martin Johnson’s sometimes questionable selection policy which meant he only played a minor role in the World Cup.

The former Worcester man first picked-up the injury in November but says he and the Saints’ coaching staff have been managing the problem. However, he believes it has gone on too long and after struggling with the pain, has decided to give it a rest to ensure his long term fitness.

"The injury is one I've been trying to manage for a while, but it needs rest to avoid any operations further down the line. So the foot's going to be in this boot for the next few weeks, immobilised, to give it the best chance of healing," he said.

"One day in November, I changed direction in training and felt what I thought was a tear. It was awkward. I've been in and out of the boot, managing my load and having the odd weekend off. But it's just getting a bit too much now."

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