Although it is a decent day of racing today it would be easy to get carried away with things, so i have remained cautious & sided with a few that look to hold real solid claims at decent prices.
Lingfield -
1.5 Point DOUBLE TO WIN @ 13/2
14:05 - EXAMINER = WON & 14:35 - GALICIAN = LOST
Starting with the William Haggas trained 3 year old EXAMINER. Still lightly raced & makes only his fourth appearance today but has performed with plenty of promise on all 3 of his runs to date. Finished a creditable 4th on debut before nicely winning a C&D maiden next time out. Last time out he ran a good race to finish a close second & didn't look too lose much in defeat since the winner was a well backed Andrew Balding favourite & is since an Epsom Derby Entrant. Despite the small field this is by no means a gimme; however; i think EXAMINER has shown the strongest form out of this bunch so far & has looked steadily progressive so far for a jockey/trainer who enjoy a respectable strike rate together. The second part of the double comes in the form of the Mark Johnston trained GALICIAN who has been the model of consistency over the past few months, posting form figures of 2232331 from his last 7 starts. Last time out over C&D he took a similar contest to this one & won so in a good manner making all & always staying on best from the front to win by the best part of 2 lengths. Another eye catching angle to this race is the fact that GALICIAN the highest rated horse in the race (102) is getting 4 lbs in weight all round. There are of course a few other contenders who can get seriously involved at this level but GALICIAN appears to be in good order at the moment & if turning up in a similar mood to last time he can go close here.
Kempton -
14:05 - CAPTAIN CHRIS - 3 Point Win @ 2/1 = WON
Philip Hobbs' top chasing 10 year old will have to give weight all round here but this certainly looks the sort of contest where he should be capable of laying down a bold bid. The former Grade 1 & 2 winner performed with real credit on his seasonal reappearance when a very close third in the Peterborough chase before Christmas, finishing less than a length behind the front two & it would be surprising if he wasn't a fair bit sharper for the run. Previously a winner on heavy ground so the conditions should pose no threat. Champion Court who lines up here today finished a neck in front of Hobb's gelding last time out but he'd had the benefit of a run & has since unseated in the King George so it would be a reasonable bet that CAPTAIN CHRIS if on his game could get the better of that rival here today. Willie Mullins' progressive 7 year old Twinlight is also feared although there are sizeable question marks over the suitability of this step up in trip as he looks far more effective over 2 miles. Overall CAPTAIN CHRIS has achieved more than most of this field so providing he is fit & up for it he should post a solid effort.
14:40 - JUNCTION FOURTEEN - 1.5 Points EW @ 11/2 = LOST (fell last fence, stake refunded with paddy power)
Emma Lavelle's 5 year old has improved for each of his four runs to date & has looked somewhat impressive in doing so. Stayed on to win a novice hurdle over 20f at Fontwell in November before romping to an 11 length victory last time out over C&D when upped in both class & trip. The manner in which he won that day gave the impression that he had more to give & it would be foolish to say he is done improving just yet. This does look his hardest task to date but he relished similar conditions to these last time & it would be no surprise to see him cut it at this higher level. This looks a fairly decent field where a case could be made for plenty but in races like these i like to look for an improver & JUNCTION FOURTEEN looks just that. Looks fairly well weighted & top NH jockey Richard Johnson takes the ride. Overall on the form showed so far this gelding looks to have a decent shout & with an EW price available he looks a good bet to fill one of the places.
Weekend Football 11/01/2014 - (Premier League)
From @BGibbs92
Starting with Tottenham vs Crystal Palace (Sat, 15:00). Forgetting their league position for a moment Palace have acquitted themselves well of late all things considered, picking up 4 points from a potential 9 & were arguably unlucky to leave the etihad empty handed a few weeks ago. They have also only conceded 8 goals & kept three clean sheets since Tony Pulis took charge. Despite this improvement in form though Tony Pulis men still find themselves very much in the relegation battle & travel to White Hart Lane where they will face a Tottenham side aiming to bounce back after a poor cup defeat at the hands of North London rivals Arsenal. A side who look more like the attacking one of old under Tim Sherwood, who since being appointed has won 3 out of his 4 premiership games, seeing his side score 9 goals in the process. No doubt Spurs fans will be hoping for a big win here today after a disappointing performance in the cup & this looks a good opportunity for them to keep up with the pace in the battle for the top 4. Tottenham are still missing some key players through injury, the likes of Sandro, Vertonghen & Paulinho all remain sidelined; however, Andros Townsend, Gylfi Sigurdsson & Lewis Holtby return to fitness (available for selection) which will bring a welcome boost a squad that has been running thin of late. Spurs look much more of a goal threat under Tim Sherwood & if they turn in a similar performance as the 3-0 beating of Stoke in their last home PL game its hard to see them not taking all 3 points.
Everton are another side attempting to keep tabs on that coveted 4th place as they welcome Norwich to Goodison today. The visitor's find themselves dangerously flirting with the wrong end the table at present & it's doesn't look likely that things will get any easier today for the side who are without a win in their last 5 games. Scoring goals away from home has been a problem for Chris Hughton's men who have only managed to net 7 times on their travels, a stat which bodes well for an Everton side who are the highest scoring team at home outside the top 4. Loan signing's Deulofeu & Romelu Lukaku have both had real positive impacts for Everton & if lining up today they are just a couple of players who could cause real headache for a Norwich defence that have conceded no fewer than 22 times this season away from home. In contrast Everton have looked strong at home, losing only once & scoring 19 goals from the 10 games played at Goodison. The omens are good for the visitors though, they are unbeaten in 5 appearances against the toffees; however, If Roberto Martinez's men are on song here today it is hard to envisage Norwich causing an upset.
Betting Selections -
Tottenham -1 (2-0)
Everton -1 (2-0)
1 Point Double @ 7/2 (paddy power) = WON
Also,
Tottenham over 1.5 team goals (2-0)
Everton over 1.5 team goals (2-0)
Man City (Sunday) over 1.5 team goals (0-2)
Arsenal (Monday) over 1.5 team goals (1-2)
1 Point 4 Fold @ 9/2 (bet 365) = WON
Feel free to leave any feedback over twitter @BGibbs92
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