Monday, February 14, 2011
Sports World |
- Finian's Rainbow impresses in Arkle warm-up
- Tiger finally bares his teeth
- Can the Yankees return to glory in 2011?
| Finian's Rainbow impresses in Arkle warm-up Posted: 14 Feb 2011 07:18 AM PST Nicky Henderson has a strong chance of landing the Arkle Chase at Cheltenham in March with Finian's Rainbow. The 8 year old was a very smart novice hurdler last season and finished fourth in the Neptune Investment novice hurdle over 2 miles and 5 furlongs at the festival. However he has taken his form to a new level since meeting the larger obstacles in winning the grade 2 Kingmaker novice chase at Warwick, he extended his record over fences to three wins from as many starts. The win at Warwick came in what turned out to be a messy four-runner race, on ground that was a little sticky and may not have been ideal for the gelding by Tiraaz. However the fact that he still managed to win impressively was testament to his natural talent. At Cheltenham with a much stronger gallop to chase and a bigger field set to go to post, he should settle better and that is likely to see him show the true ability he possesses, and anyone looking to place Cheltenham 2011 bets should remember this. Few trainers have a better festival record than Nicky Henderson and the master of Seven Burrows is sure to have the likely favourite fully tuned up for the big day and he seems sure to run a big race. Eagle-eyed punters may also be able to spot some tips for Grand National action, as one or two horses may be given a run out before the Aintree event. As ever there will be a strong challenge from across the Irish Sea and the biggest challenger from that side of the water may be Realt Dubh. Noel Meade's novice has gone from strength to strength in recent times and has already picked up a pair of grade one chases at Leopardstown. Those wins though have been achieved on ground softer than he is likely to encounter at Cheltenham and although he is respected Finian's Rainbow may well have too much speed at the business end.  |
| Posted: 14 Feb 2011 06:08 AM PST Tiger Woods' form at the Dubai Desert Classic will come as a massive relief to the former world number one. His unshakable belief in his ability is well-documented, but the long run of poor form must have given him some doubts, even if he wasn't amongst those who deemed his recent decline to be terminal. The remedial work done on Woods' swing and short game under the watchful eye of coach Sean Foley in a much-needed off-season was put to the test after an erratic display in the opening round in Dubai and Woods delivered in fine style in the second round, carding a bogeyless 66. This was undoubtedly his best round since he returned to golf early in 2010. For a player who has won 14 majors it does not constitute a return to top form, but it is a base to work on that was absent for most of last year. Of course, the golf betting odds usually suggest Woods will do well in a tournament, but it's hard to escape the feeling that he is still living off past glories. The low points were numerous in 2010. The sixth missed cut of his career at the Quail Hollow Championship, the second round 79 in the same tournament, the 78th place finish at WGC-Bridgestone Invitational and the winless year all contributed to a crisis that suggested the way back to the top would not be easy. This has proved to be the case, as consistency remains a problem. He mixed an eagle and some stunning drives with some three putts and wild approaches in his opening round at Dubai, a hit-and-miss standard of play that he set in finishing joint 44th at the Farmers Insurance Open in his opening tournament of the year. However, Woods' signs of improvement are clear to see, especially as he found his Dubai form in a historic threesome with Lee Westwood and Martin Kaymer, the men who have overhauled him in the world rankings – the best possible preparation for the latter stages of a major. Woods has the pedigree and experience and form to triumph at Augusta and might well arrive with the necessary current form.  |
| Can the Yankees return to glory in 2011? Posted: 14 Feb 2011 03:26 AM PST After another postseason disappointment, there is no team that makes more effort to fix what went wrong faster than the New York Yankees. They have the cash to do it and every offseason they throw a lot of money around in an attempt to right the ship instantly. This offseason has not been one that would be considered by MLB betting pundits as a success. They did not get the big fish they wanted and had to make some tough decisions on keeping two of their greatest players ever. Cliff Lee, the All-Star pitcher, was the guy they wanted but could not get in the end. Lee would of made them one of the instant World Series favourites. It wasn't just Lee passing on the Yankees that hurt the most. It was his decision to go to another East Coast team, the Philadelphia Phillies. The Phillies, who are also trying to get back to the World Series, have taken the Yankees' blueprint for success and done it even better as of late. They keep coming up with good minor league prospects while spending money like crazy. Clearly they learned from the best and now it is paying off. The Yankee pitching staff will roll out Rafael Soriano and Pedro Feliciano that will help a bullpen that could be New York's strength if David Robertson, Boone Logan and Joba Chamberlain find consistency. With so many question marks hanging on the Yankees' starting rotation past CC Sabathia, bullpen depth could be what carries them through the season. In the end, nearly two-thirds of the Yankees' free agent spending went to retaining Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera. Baseball betting pundits note how New York's 2011 lineup will look very similar to last season as the only change will be new catcher Russell Martin. The Yankees spent $4 million on Russell and hopes he can return to his 2007 stats and not what he has put up lately. Top prospect Jesus Montero will add some much needed youth into the lineup giving the Yankees another potent bat. In an offseason of what many consider a disappointment, The Yankees will still be one of the stronger teams in the American League. The question comes down to, did they improve enough? The Boston Red Sox should be the prohibitive favourite after adding Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez to their already talented squad.  |
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