Friday, March 4, 2011
Sports World |
- Clerk's Choice could prove a value Champion each-way bet
- Making sense of the World Snooker Championship odds
- Johnson looks to push on in the Masters
| Clerk's Choice could prove a value Champion each-way bet Posted: 04 Mar 2011 07:45 AM PST On bare form the Michael Banks-trained Clerk's Choice has to find about 10lbs worth of improvement if he is to be in their pitching at the business end of the Stan James Champion Hurdle on March 15, the opening day of the four-day jump racing showpiece fixture, writes Elliot Slater. It's been a while since a small yard has had a horse good enough to potentially win the Champion Hurdle, (Flakey Dove for the Price family springs to mind, and she went on to win the crown back in 1994), so it is good for racing and the grass roots of the industry that owner/trainer Banks has a horse even worthy of his place in the line-up. Those looking at the Queen Mother Champion Chase odds may want to consider a bet on the Champion Hurdle instead. Originally trained on the Flat by Newmarket handler William Jarvis for whom he proved a decent handicapper at around a mile-and-a-quarter, the Bachelor Duke gelding joined Banks' Cambridgeshire yard in winter 2009 and after running third on his hurdles bow in March of last year rattled up a superb four-timer, the last of which was in October at Cheltenham where he trounced Royal Mix by a stunning 21-lengths in the Sportingbet.com Hurdle. The handicapper saw fit to raise Clerk's Choice by a massive 31lbs for that win, and in much higher grade he finished fourth to Carlito Brigante the following month when an odds-on chance, before occupying the same position when running a much better race to be beaten just nine-lengths by Menorah in the International Hurdle, fading only in the last 150 yards. The key to Clerk's Choice is decent ground. If the going is good (even good to soft in places), he is a very decent horse, but doesn't really operate when the ground is on the soft side. Should the course at Cheltenham dry out then odds of up to 80/1 might prove tempting to risk a few pounds each-way on a horse who clearly has plenty of ability.  |
| Making sense of the World Snooker Championship odds Posted: 04 Mar 2011 02:29 AM PST You would think that the Snooker World Rankings and Ladbrokes Snooker Betting for the forthcoming World Snooker Championship would follow similar lines. However, there are some surprising differences. It's no surprise that world number one John Higgins is the 5/1 favourite with Ladbrokes to claim his fourth world title. He has won the crown twice in the last four years – in 2007 and 2009 – and has also tasted success at the UK Championship and Welsh Open this season. However, Ladbrokes' second-favourite is Ronnie O'Sullivan, who is currently ranked number 10 in the world. On his day, 'The Rocket' can be unplayable but he has shown patchy recent form. He has won the Premier League of Snooker and reached the final of the World Open during 2010/11 but crashed out of the UK Championship and the Welsh Open at the First Round stage. He is 6/1 in the Snooker World Championship betting. Ladbrokes' third-favourite is world number five and current Masters champion Ding Junhui. The popular Chinaman is currently on a high after his Masters success whilst he has also reached the quarter-finals of the World Open, German Masters and Welsh Open this campaign. He will be hoping to do one better than his appearance in the final of last year's China Open before improving on his poor record at The Crucible, where he has never been beyond the Second Round. He is 7/1 in Ladbrokes Snooker Betting to secure his first world title. World numbers two, three and four - Mark Williams, Neil Robertson and Mark Selby – are all 8/1 in Ladbrokes Snooker Betting and prove that the field will be highly competitive in Sheffield when the tournament begins on 16 April. Robertson will be aiming to defend his crown despite having an indifferent season to date but he has the ability to raise his game on the day. It is clear that the World Championship will be extremely competitive and that it will be a rollercoaster ride of potting action and top snooker, and as for staking a claim on a winner – it truly is a tough one to call.  |
| Johnson looks to push on in the Masters Posted: 04 Mar 2011 02:06 AM PST World number 14 Dustin Johnson will head to the US Masters with plenty to prove in a tournament that he has been consistently solid if unspectacular. His two appearances at Augusta have seen Johnson record finishes of tied 30th and 38th, this despite his game seemingly being perfectly suited to the course. The American has the power to compete with his long game and the finesse to get in position with his short game. There are plenty who are backing the 26-year-old to push on this year, starting next month at the Masters and he will no doubt attract a fair few golf bets ahead of the event. There is an argument that says Johnson should already have two majors under his cap at this stage of his career. The American managed to blow a three-shot lead in last year's US Open to finish tied for eighth before having his play-off spot at the PGA Championships taken away, for a controversial grounding of a club in a bunker. The determined Johnson managed to bounce back though and picked up his fourth tour win by winning the BMW Championship at Cog Hill in September. His end of season form resulted in Johnson finishing the year fourth on the PGA Tour money list and he'll be looking to push on this year. The American may well be hoping rain plays a part in the upcoming Masters after establishing himself as one of the best 'mudders' in world golf. If rain does arrive at the same time as the tournament tees off then Johnson's chances may increase significantly.  |
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