Thursday, March 10, 2011
Sports World |
- Furyk looks to roll back the years
- Planet struggling to make the Gold Cup line-up
- Salley misses Cheltenham after scoping badly
| Furyk looks to roll back the years Posted: 10 Mar 2011 07:42 AM PST Jim Furyk has been one of golf's most consistent performers since turning pro in 1992, still challenging the game's elite has he enters his forties. His stunning record in the majors hasn't brought the success it has perhaps deserved, his only major title coming at the 2003 US Open. Last year was a decidedly mixed year for the 40-year old, with three tour wins glossing over relatively disappointing performances in the four majors. Furyk missed the cut at the Masters and the Open and finished outside the top 10 at the US Open and PGA Championships. His disappointing Masters campaign last year was only the second missed cut at Augusta in his 14 appearances at a tournament where Furyk has racked up numerous top-20 finishes and two fourth place finishes. The Masters Golf betting odds suggest he will struggle to make an impact on the tournament this year, and he could really struggle. So far in 2011, Furyk has failed to carry his momentum from the end of last year. The 40-year old was well below his best in the recent WGC-Accenture Match Play, his second round exit coming at the hands of Ryan Palmer. Furyk played well in places during the Match Play tournament but failed to see the job through with late bogeys bringing about his downfall. While Furyk won't go into the Masters as one of the favourites, it would be a brave man who fully writes off the Pennsylvanian's chances of mounting a serious challenge in the year's first major. If Furyk can reproduce the kind of form he showed at the end of last year then the 40-year old could roll back the years at Augusta.  |
| Planet struggling to make the Gold Cup line-up Posted: 10 Mar 2011 04:51 AM PST Planet of Sound who put himself in the picture as a possible Cheltenham Gold Cup contender when he won the Guinness Gold Cup at Punchestown last April, looks set to miss the race. Philip Hobbs who's trains Planet Of Sound, has announced that the horse, who finished fifth in the King George at Kempton on his most recent start, has an infection in a hind leg and will not run in the blue riband event unless he is 100% sound by Saturday. Sadly for his supporters, the trainer seems very pessimistic about this and it seems likely that anyone who has planning to back the horse will have to look elsewhere and if they decide to do this they will have plenty of choice in the Cheltenham betting offers. Not seen as being in with an excellent chance of winning the Gold Cup, it seems unlikely the trainer will want to take any risks with a useful looking horse who should be capable of winning other high profile races in the future. Those looking to bet on Cheltenham 2011 won't be seeing her next week though. Although he isn't among the market leaders for the Festival feature, he is a runner who would interest the each way players, as he can be given place claims on his best form. So it will be interesting to see if Hobbs declares him fit enough to go into battle on Friday.  |
| Salley misses Cheltenham after scoping badly Posted: 10 Mar 2011 02:27 AM PST The Prunella Dobbs yard's hopes of a Cheltenham Festival 2011 success for their in-form mare Our Girl Salley have been dashed following the news that the six-year-old has scoped badly and will not be right in time to take her chance against Quevega in the David Nicholson Mares Hurdle on Tuesday, writes Elliot Slater. Our Girl Salley has been a revelation this season and was one of the few potentially serious rivals to Quevega, Willie Mullins' red-hot favourite for the 'David Nicholson', a race she will attempt to win for the third successive year. An 8/1 chance with some firms and expected by connections to run a big race next week, there was no hiding the disappointing that Dobbs felt on realising that her stable star would miss her chance to shine on the biggest stage of all. Punters who had planned on backing the horse may want to look at the Cheltenham Gold Cup instead. A winner of three bumpers last season before taking her chance over timber, Our Girl Salley has proved a very adept hurdler, winning in style on her debut at Navan in November, beating Sugar Bullet by 10-lengths. Stepping up to Listed company at Leopardstown's prestigious Christmas fixture in late-December, Dobbs' mare showed she has what it takes to go a long way in the hurdles sphere in easily disposing of some good opponents to land the ITBA Mares Hurdle. At Fairyhouse a couple of weeks later she batted on bravely to land another Listed event under regular jockey Barry Geraghty and has since been given a break to freshen up and ready herself for taking on Quevega at Cheltenham. Sadly, that won't be happening now, but Dobbs has settled for looking to take on some of the big guns at Punchestown and Fairyhouse this spring and hopefully get a chance next year to show what Our Girl Salley can do at Cheltenham.  |
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