Blog Feed: Sport is made for betting

Eurovision Preview

Published on 2012-05-26 03:18:00

If you love a bit of cheesy TV, then you'll be parked on the sofa tonight watching the bohemoth production that is Eurovision. Regular contributor James Jack spends far too much time watching this stuff! Follow him on @materialista27. As you should all be aware, this Saturday night sees the final of the Eurovision Song Contest. If this is the first you're hearing about it, you've missed two cracking semi-finals, including most of the novelty acts who have now been sent home. Tuesda [..] > read more

now is the time to get stuck in on Next Manager markets

Published on 2012-05-24 18:03:00

As an update to the article linked under Popular Pages, I've written a lengthy article for BettingExpert about how to play the Next Manager Markets on Betfair. Here's an excerpt: Leave Backing To The Mugs, This Is All About LayingThese markets are all about rumours on Sky Sports News, Twitter, in the papers and any other remotely credible source. Mugs love the rumours, from the downright ridiculous to the tenuously credible. Bookies love stirring the market up by saying they've seen support from [..] > read more

long overdue industry update

Published on 2012-05-21 16:56:00

Haven't written one of these for a while, so a lot to catch up on, and probably plenty I've missed! News today that several big wagering companies have to pay back taxes in Spain. Nothing they've been asked for previously, but conveniently at the same the country is flat broke and are in the process of awarding new gaming licences. Purely above board of course, but I doubt the chances of any firm trying to acquire a licence are any better than 50/1 without paying a wad for their earlier business [..] > read more

Doomben Cup Day preview

Published on 2012-05-18 14:29:00

It's another big day of racing in sunny Queensland, headlined by the Group 1 Doomben Cup. The team from @Priomha dissect the form in detail.... With Black Caviar at the consulate applying for a visa, the Carnival leaves South Australia and heads north to Queensland for the running of the Group 1 Doomben Cup over 2000m. It is the highlight of an 8-event card, seven of which are black type. With the weather predicted to be fine, the track conditions perfect we will look to steer you into a few wi [..] > read more

The Mount Gambier Cup

Published on 2012-05-17 18:15:00

It might just be a $40k country cup to most people, but this is my home town Cup, the biggest day of the year for the South Australian city of Mount Gambier. It's not a bad little field either with the usual regional trainers leading the charge. The Scott Group Mt Gambier Cup 2400m1. Hissing SidDid nothing in the Warrnambool Cup, a race he won last year, but did draw the outside with top weight, was wide the whole way with an average jockey aboard on a heavy track in a much tougher race, so plen [..] > read more

Middleton Stakes preview

Published on 2012-05-16 15:58:00

The Dante meeting at York sets the scene before Epsom and Royal Ascot in June. It's a big, spacious track where every horse should gets its chance - although straight races will be plagued by the inevitable draw bias discussion. James Jack, @materialista27, attacks one of Thursday's highlights, the Middleton Stakes. Betfred Middleton StakesThe Middleton Stakes is a Group 2 for fillies and mares aged four years or older. It is run over a distance of 1 mile, 2 furlongs and 88 yards (2,092 metres), [..] > read more

Chester Vase preview

Published on 2012-05-09 15:33:00

The highlight of day two at Chester is the Vase for 3yo colts and geldings. It might be a small field but it's a classy one as we lead into the Derby. Making his blog debut is Jack Milner. You can read more of his excellent work on his blog or by following him @jjmsports. --------------The Chester Vase is another one of the fine races in the Chester May festival, a Group 3 contest over the extended mile and a half, given the twists, turns and general undulations associated with Chester's track, [..] > read more

Chester Cup preview

Published on 2012-05-08 16:10:00

The flat season is now fully underway after Guineas weekend and now the first of the midweek festivals, the three-day Chester meeting. If you've never been to Chester during a race week, you are certainly missing out! Making his debut on the blog is Mark Charlton. You can read more of his work on his blog or follow him on Twitter, @oddspundit.--------------- The start of the flat season on the Roodee beckons with the Chester May Meeting getting underway on Wednesday. The showcase feature race on [..] > read more

1000 Guineas preview

Published on 2012-05-05 19:15:00

No volunteers to take on this preview so looks like it's my turn! Can only knock up a short one though. 3.15 1000 GuineasWonder filly Maybe is the obvious favourite, she's won five from five, progressing from Group 3 to Group 2 to the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes, all over 7f. By Galileo, a mile should be the least of her worries. Beat all-comers last season, some say she could even be the best of her age group, male or female. By that logic, she should be an even shorter price than the impress [..] > read more

5.35 Newmarket preview

Published on 2012-05-05 19:14:00

And to conclude Sunday's programme is another handicap, again analysed by Dan Kelly, @muffinmannhc.------------------------- Guineas weekend ends with a typically competitive looking 3yo handicap, and here's my two against the field. Mubaraza was campaigned with a 3yo season in mind when running in his maidens. Backed on debut from 100s into 16s, he stayed on well from the side which was at a disadvantage from the off and looked as though the experience would bring him on. It duly did, but ev [..] > read more

2.05 Newmarket preview

Published on 2012-05-05 19:12:00

Sunday's card at Newmarket opens with quite a tricky handicap, just the sort of puzzle which Dan Kelly, @muffinmannhc, lives for... --------- A race which has been bereft of quality until Times Up win last year, this year's running looks a far sharper renewal. If there's one good thing about the Shergar Cup then it's surely the inability of some jockeys to ride the round course, and Yutaka Take is a prime example of such, the good thing you wonder is the fact that Rock A Doodle Doo comes here af [..] > read more

The 2000 Guineas preview

Published on 2012-05-04 15:37:00

The highlight of the weekend in British racing is undoubtedly Saturday's 2000 Guineas. There's no Frankel in the line-up this year, is the hotpot from Ballydoyle ready to do better than stablemate St Nicholas Abbey who arrived with similar wraps? Dan Kelly assesses the field in the first classic of 2012. Follow him on Twitter @muffinmannhc. The 204th running of this race will have to go some to beat the spectacle that was the 203rd, or simply Frankel's Guineas, but where last year had one phenom [..] > read more

Makti Suffolk Stakes preview

Published on 2012-05-04 15:09:00

Handicap expert Dan Kelly, @muffinmannhc, dissects the form of the opening race of the Newmarket weekend. 1400 Newmarket Makti Suffolk StakesThis race saw the beginnings of an incredible rise through the ranks by Green Destiny last season, resulting in dual Group 3 success and a far from disgraced 6th in the Champion Stakes at Ascot, however I very much doubt this years renewal has a lurker of that potential. Fury is currently heading the market and I can understand why. Gelded in the summer he [..] > read more

Jockey Club Stakes preview for Newmarket

Published on 2012-05-04 11:06:00

It might be Guineas weekend at Newmarket but there is a quality supporting card too. Regular guest contributor James Jack, @materialista27, takes on the distance race of the weekend. Qatar Bloodstock Jockey Club StakesThis Group 2 contest is for 4 year olds and older and is run over one and a half miles on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket. In the past this race has been a 1 mile 2 furlongs contest and even 1 mile 6 furlongs up until 1963. Recent winners of the event include Shirocco, Silver Patriarc [..] > read more

Gold Coast features preview

Published on 2012-05-04 07:51:00

One of the many decent race meetings to be conducted in Australia tomorrow takes place at the Gold Coast Turf Club, with a day full of black type races. With thanks to @brissyraces, here's a look at a couple of the features. Race 7, Prime Minister's Cup: Too many to go over them all so if I don’t mention your horse don’t worry too much. MID SUMMER MUSIC has to go on top. I’d be lying if I said gate 15 wasn’t some type of concern and they have said they won’t be up on pace. She has been [..] > read more

Wagga Wagga Gold Cup Day preview

Published on 2012-05-03 15:40:00

Here we are, JAM Media Wagga Wagga Gold Cup Day for 2012. A day where it should be easier to find a winner than Town Plate day. The Cup itself is a fantastic race where there are six genuine chances and a few outsiders if things can go their way on the day. Race 1 - 12:40PM WAGGA RSL CLUB MAIDEN PLATE (1200 METRES)In what can be looked at as a very weak opener I have to put SNOWGUMS on top. A last start 2nd at Goulburn which was not a bad run at all, she had previously run 4th behind HENDRIC [..] > read more

Wagga Town Plate day preview

Published on 2012-05-02 17:41:00

It's a great week for racing around the world, and rural NSW has a carnival of its own in Wagga. Alex Donnelly (@alexdonnelly14) makes his blog debut to preview the year's best racing on his home turf. Here's what the early morning looks like today at the course. With the racing focus leaving the Sydney carnival and moving onto Brisbane in the coming weeks, Wagga gets their 2 day carnival and time to shine. It has being raining steadily for the last 2 days with some early showers expected tomorr [..] > read more

The Kentucky Derby

Published on 2012-05-01 08:57:00

Fantastic racing around the world this week - Guineas weekend at Newmarket in the UK, the Warrnambool Carnival followed by the Prime Ministers' Cup meeting at the Gold Coast in Australia, and then there's the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. My blog is always open to any blogger/aspiring writer who wants to gain some exposure with a feature race preview, drop me an email or contact me on Twitter to volunteer! Taking the reins for the Run for the Roses, the 138th Kentucky Derby, is Phil Derbysh [..] > read more

Punchestown Champion Hurdle Preview

Published on 2012-04-27 05:30:00

It's just a four-horse field in today's feature but it is full of class. James Jack, @materialista27, assesses the field.Rabobank Punchestown Champion HurdleThe Punchestown Champion Hurdle is a Grade 1 race, open to horses aged four years or older. It is run over a distance of about 2 miles (3,219 metres), and there are nine hurdles to be jumped. The race was established in 1999 and previous winners are the who's who of Irish hurdle racing including Istabraq, Hardy Eustace, Brave Inc [..] > read more

Punchestown Bumper preview

Published on 2012-04-27 05:07:00

It might be extremely wet at Punchestown this week but that doesn't stop the winners flowing. @jimgilch is back with his look at Friday's Bumper. > read more

when the rain buckets down....lay the field

Published on 2012-04-26 11:58:00

Have only been dabbling on the lay the fields today, doing some races and missing others through no other reason than time available, and wouldn't you know it, I've missed THREE 1.01s getting beaten (two at Wolverhampton, one at Perth). Best I could manage on a race I got involved in was getting a 1.05 beaten.... however my 'jackpot' line was set at 1.04! Still in profit, just no sign of that big result. So while I was setting up for the big cross-country slog at Punchestown, one of the 1.01s ge [..] > read more

Doncaster Day preview

Published on 2012-04-20 15:48:00

It's Sydney's big day of racing this Saturday, but they've had plenty of rain (>150mm in 48 hours midweek). The fields remain strong and most horses in Sydney have some sort of wet track form anyway. The guys from @Priomha share their homework with you below. If you need a formguide, this is the place to look - Racenet.---------------------------------------------It would not be a Sydney Autumn Carnival without wet weather playing a huge role. And so it is this weekend. Sydney has been receivi [..] > read more

Grand National preview 2012

Published on 2012-04-13 16:35:00

Someone had to step up to the podium to take on the biggest and possibly the hardest race of the year. Adam Ward is that man....Grand National preview 2012The greatest steeple chase in the world, but from a betting perspective The Grand National is one of the hardest races. All the hours of form study and opinions can go straight out of window, from a simple mistake or interference from another runner. My thoughts on the race is that you’ve done well if your horse finishes!1.SYNCHRONISED - Thi [..] > read more

the grand finale, the John Smith's Champion Bumper

Published on 2012-04-13 16:10:00

OK, so it's not officially called the Champion Bumper but the proper title is too darn long as you'll see below... Making his debut previewing on the blog is Jim, @jimgilch.5.35: John Smith´s Champion Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race Grade 2 (CLASS 1) (4-6yo) 20 runners 2m1f Good.A different TentMy original post selected a non-runner! Here is my new offeringGiven that six of the last seven renewals of this race have been won by horses priced at 14/1 or bigger, this is traditionally no easy [..] > read more

Maghull Novices Chase

Published on 2012-04-13 16:08:00

It's turned out to be a small field, but we could just be seeing a superstar in action. Time will tell. James Jack, @materialista27, previews the race. The Maghull Novices' Chase is a Grade 1 Chase which is open to horses aged five years old and up. It is run at over two miles and there are twelve fences to be jumped. The event was established in 1954, and it has been known by various titles. It is currently named after Maghull, a town located to the north of Aintree. For a period the race was [..] > read more

Aintree Hurdle preview

Published on 2012-04-13 15:49:00

Small But Perfectly FormedTom Essex (@cynically_me)John Smith's Aintree HurdleRacing has never been shy of shooting itself in the foot and small fields - which fly in the face of those campaigning for greater and/or minimum prize money - do little to generate either emotional or financial interest. Indeed, they often make for largely unspectacular viewing, but this year's Aintree Hurdle can be forgiven its diminutive, six-runner status.As the adage goes, it's small but perfectly formed.Contender [..] > read more

ATC Sires Produce - 2yo Grp 1, 1400m

Published on 2012-04-13 15:17:00

It's not just Aintree that has the top notch racing at the moment, there's a brilliant card of racing at the home of racing in Sydney today/tonight depending on which hemisphere you're in. The Australian Derby is the feature of the all black-type meeting, but the juvenile feature is the Sires' Produce Stakes, featuring the undefeated half-brother to Black Caviar. Brendan from Priomha assesses the field succinctly.The second leg of the two year old triple crown will see the Golden Slipper winner [..] > read more

Topham Chase preview

Published on 2012-04-12 17:18:00

More from aspiring sports journalist Calum Madell, who has his own website, TheYoungRacegoer and can be followed on Twitter @calummadell.The Topham Chase looks as tough as usual. The handicapper seems really stretched in this with bottom weight coming from 10lb out of the handicap but that hasn't stopped a number of past winners coming from absolutely anywhere in the handicap.I've not known a race like this where you can almost split the field in two, possibly even three of classy horses rated f [..] > read more

4:50 2m4f Handicap Hurdle preview

Published on 2012-04-12 16:17:00

Dan Kelly, @muffinmannhc, again with this listed, non-terrestrial TV, race.This handicap hurdle has a solid feel to it with novices and confirmed 2m 4f specialist coming head to head and here's my three against the field.Bourne was beat at the 2nd hurdle in the Martin Pipe Condititonals race. Hampered and shunted into the wing of that hurdle, Brooke never looked happy with his position throughout the race and as such I am happy to forgive that run. Either way, you can only be impressed by his w [..] > read more

Tangle Teaser Top Novices' Hurdle, Grade II

Published on 2012-04-12 16:07:00

Another of our previously successful guest bloggers return, Dan Kelly,@muffinmannhc. He was on fire during Cheltenham tipping Son of Flicka and Sir des Champs.Tangle Teaser Top Novices' Hurdle, Grade III'm yet to be sold on the Supreme Hurdle form, and simply with Darlan and Prospect Wells taking such a chunk out of the market I have to look elsewhere.Vulcanite has the talent, but it's difficult to pinpoint when he'll actually decide to show it. Captain Conan is the selection of Barry Geraghty [..] > read more

Melling Chase preview

Published on 2012-04-12 14:13:00

James Jack landed Krypton Factor in the Golden Shaheen in Dubai at his latest appearance on my blog. What is in store for him at Aintree? Follow him @Materialista27 Melling ChaseThe Melling is a steeplechase for five year olds and up and is run over two and a half miles at Aintree. The runners, mostly from the fields of the Queen Mother Champion Chase and the Ryanair Chase at the Cheltenham festival will tackle sixteen fences. It was first run in 1991 and is a Grade 1 with a total purse of £175 [..] > read more

the sectional angle for Aintree today

Published on 2012-04-12 03:33:00

Racing authorities in Britain don't make easy for punters who want to rely on facts such as accurate distances and sectional timing. If you want to do it, you have to do it the hard way, but it can certainly provide the rewards for doing the 'hard yards'. And it's not just for flat racing either. Sectional timing devotee Steve Lines, @sjlone1, takes a look at today's action at Aintree.National Hunt SectionalsRemember when you started jogging…….. and how you sprinted the last 20 yards to the [..] > read more

Liverpool Hurdle preview

Published on 2012-04-11 15:18:00

The Festival of the Fake Tan bottle, also known as Aintree, kicks off tomorrow. Making his debut on my blog is aspiring sports journalist Calum Madell, who has his own website, TheYoungRacegoer and can be followed on Twitter @calummadell.The Liverpool Hurdle.Big Bucks looks an absolute certainty in this to take his record to 17 UK hurdle wins from 17 starts and also to land this race for the fourth time in succesion. Unlike last year where he had the prospect of Grand Crus to overcome, there is [..] > read more

Is Betfair's time up in Australia?

Published on 2012-04-11 03:57:00

Breaking news from Racing Victoria Limited (RVL), the premier racing body in Australia. In light of the recent Federal Court ruling in favour of Racing NSW and the right to charge a turnover fee for offering wagering on their racing, RVL has swiftly elected to switch from their fee model based on gross profits (possibly from the start of the new racing season on August 1). This is in stark contrast to their previous statements saying that the difference in figures wasn't a great deal, it was far [..] > read more

Betfair vs Racing NSW verdict

Published on 2012-04-11 02:55:00

The dust is now beginning to settle on the Racing NSW victory in the Federal Court case against Sportsbet and Betfair over racefields fees. The betting firms won the original case, claiming collusion between Racing NSW and TABCorp in the type of rights fees paid and how it was determined. Racing NSW head honcho Peter V'Landys, amid plenty of criticism and abuse for frivolously wasting money on legal costs, including from yours truly, refused to take the decision lying down and appealed. Many [..] > read more

Aintree Festival previews

Published on 2012-04-10 18:21:00

Aintree is upon us again and after the success of Cheltenham and Dubai World Cup night, it's time to let the bloggers and aspiring writers back onto the site to share their expertise.First up it's Jon da Silva, also known as @CreamOnTop, covering the Betfair, no, the Totesport, no, it's the um... BetFred Bowl!The ethos here is that of a Field Size fetishist still getting overCarruthers Hennessy.Skeptical that with so little in the trainer's title whether everyhorse is being run because it's a pe [..] > read more

hope for investors in the Centaur scandal?

Published on 2012-04-06 03:43:00

In a breaking story, it has been reported that directors of the failed sports investment fund Centaur have had their assets frozen in order to repay investors. It is believed that managing director Keith Sobey skipped town trying to avoid prosecution however he either naively thought Ireland was a safe enough place to hide or had a lingering feeling of guilt and sat waiting for that knock on the door.Sobey, the name behind Centaur (read the original story here), is believed to own four houses, w [..] > read more

Dubai Sheema Classic

Published on 2012-03-30 18:46:00

It's my turn for this one, too good a race not to be covered!Songcraft - The least-exposed of these with only five starts under his belt, two low-grade wins in France, followed by two wins in Meydan and then close up behind Mikhail Glinka and Cavalryman in a Group II this month, after being held up down the straight. Still improving but surely a little out of his depth at this stage of his career. Could be an ideal Melbourne Cup horse later this year.Bold Silvano - too bad to be true here last s [..] > read more

Golden Shaheen preview

Published on 2012-03-30 16:24:00

James Jack returns after his work on Cheltenham to preview the elite sprint race of the night - the Golden Shaheen. Follow him @Materialista27The Shaheen is a Group 1 for 3yo+ run over 6 furlongs on the Tapeta surface. Prior to the move from Nad Al Sheba, this race was run on the turf, but due to the constraints of the track at Meydan, the Shaheen moved to the artificial surface. Nearly £775k is the winner's purse and we have Rocket Man in the field who tasted glory last year. Runners are prev [..] > read more

Dubai World Cup preview

Published on 2012-03-30 15:56:00

An excellent analysis here from Phil Derbyshire. Follow him on Twitter @Mo_LickerIntroductionThe most likely question to be asked of the contenders before the running of the 2012 Dubai World Cup in Meydan will be, ‘Will that form be translated onto Tapeta?’As a result, a brief, but crucially important analysis of Tapeta is required if the race is going to be properly handicapped.Tapeta has helped to eradicate the kickback seen on dirt tracks and provided sounder footing for acceleration. Thi [..] > read more

sectional times angle at the Dubai World Cup

Published on 2012-03-30 09:30:00

Guest blogger Steven Lines, @sjlone1, takes a look at the Dubai World Cup meeting from a sectional timing angle, something almost totally foreign to British punters!Dubai World Cup Sectional TimesThe recent announcement of the use of sectional timing during the QIPCO Champions Series has given racing presenters and pundits much welcome alternative filler to the common fare of flawed breeding analysis. Instead of searching through a three-generation pedigree grasping to find “the one to take fr [..] > read more

Dubai World Cup meeting

Published on 2012-03-27 06:57:00

Stay tuned for previews this weekend of the richest meeting in the world, the Dubai World Cup from Meydan. If you'd like to be a guest blogger, drop me a line on here or Twitter. At least three races covered so far, hoping to cover at least half of them and I might even get time to write one.... > read more

Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Chase

Published on 2012-03-15 17:43:00

James Jack, @materialista27, runs through the field for the final race of the week... The Grand Annual closes the festival on Friday and is a Grade 3 handicap for 5 year olds and older The runners will tackle 14 fences over 2 miles and a half furlong on the New Course. Despite it's position in the running order of the festival, the Grand Annual is the oldest race of the week and was first run in 1834. As the race carries the name of his father, Nicky “oh gee I've had another winner” Henders [..] > read more

Martin Pipe Conditional preview

Published on 2012-03-15 17:17:00

After the Gold Cup it gets very tough. Bookies hoping to cash in on the last couple of races as the Festival winds down and the one-day drinkers get right into it. Jim Kent @jkbet has lined up to take a stab at one of the toughest races of the week.MARTIN PIPE CONDITIONAL JOCKEY'S HANDICAP HURDLENamed after the great trainer and this being only the fourth edition, I've drawn the short straw here, as it's been notoriously difficult to crack, but I will have a go anyway.I'm narrowing my runners do [..] > read more

Albert Bartlett preview

Published on 2012-03-15 16:40:00

The Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle is a tough test, three miles for the out-and-out novice stayers. Andy Charles, @capitalgull, lines up the form.American Spin – A late comer to the hurdling ranks at eight, and did win an egg and spoon race at Fontwell, but well and truly up against it in this grade.Benheir – Asking a lot to progress from being beaten at Ffos Las (easy winner there on debut) last month and needs to find a couple of stones to challenge the leading lights. Big Occasion – Co [..] > read more

Vincent O’Brien County Hurdle

Published on 2012-03-15 16:02:00

A top class handicap race named after possibly the greatest ever trainer to set foot on a British racecourse. And typically, it looks damn hard to solve. Solving the puzzle is Richard Skeen, whose blog can be found here.Vincent O’Brien County Hurdle (Grade 3) A right old cavalry charge of a race run over 2m 1f for five year olds and older. The race tends to feature runners who have met previously throughout the season notably at the Ladbroke Hurdle at Ascot, the Betfair Hurdle at Newbury and t [..] > read more

Triumph Hurdle preview

Published on 2012-03-15 10:27:00

The big juvenile race of the week is the Triumph, and stepping up to the plate is Andy Charles, @capitalgullTriumph HurdleArctic Reach – Plating class on the flat but made hay last summer when the ground was quick, although well beaten by Countrywide Flame even back then. Off (bar a jumpers bumper) for a while now and wouldn’t have the class to win this.Asaid – Two low grade wins wouldn’t be enough to win this, although he did split those with a fourth behind Hisaabaat in a Grade 1 in Ir [..] > read more

the big one - Cheltenham Gold Cup

Published on 2012-03-15 10:01:00

Big race coverage comes from Clint Smith, better known on Twitter as @snipersnipesCheltenham 15:20 Betfred Cheltenham Gold Cup Chase (Grade 1)£500000.00 added, 5yo plus, 3m 2f 110y, Class 1Here we have possibly the most prestigious race of the week, a culmination of months of work and preparation, a lifetime of dreams and aspirations; everyone wants a Gold Cup Winner!To the purist it looks a fairly straightforward fight with Long Run holding all the aces, can anyone turn a river card to bust th [..] > read more

political move for Betfair in California

Published on 2012-03-14 18:01:00

Interesting move here by Betfair just when they are working hard to strike a deal with the Horsemen's Group in order to get exchange wagering off the ground in California. It's already passed through legislature, it just needs approval by industry stakeholders to get going. This isn't the first time they've bought the naming rights to a racecourse, Sandown in Melbourne, Australia, was called Betfair Park for three years (2009-2011) until the deal was recently taken over by Sportingbet.Betfair si [..] > read more

Byrne Group Plate Handicap Chase preview

Published on 2012-03-14 17:33:00

Once again it's Dan Kelly attacking a wide open handicap..Whereas yesterday was a day for the market leaders this race most certainly hasn't been punter friendly with last 4 winners being priced 25/1 18/1 33/1 66/1 and I fancy an upset here. These are my 3 against the field:Matuhi ran a good 6th in this race last year off 135, and even though here rated 144 I feel he has a better chance round this time round. He finished third behind Calgary Bay and Hectors Choice back here on New Years Day, b [..] > read more

Jewson Novices Chase preview

Published on 2012-03-14 17:05:00

Back for more after tipping Son of Flicka today is Dan Kelly, @muffinmannhc. Thursday kicks off with the newest Grade 2 race on the schedule, the Jewson Novices Chase which has attracted quite a handy field. A month ago Peddlers Cross was bombproof, now he's severely on the nose...Well this little number has certainly livened up in recent weeks. Sprinter Sacre, or the lack of work, has seen Peddlers Cross' target shifted, and Sir Des Champs, well with Mullins any declaration he makes, is always [..] > read more

Champion Bumper preview

Published on 2012-03-13 17:38:00

Some people love it, others hate it - it's the Champion Bumper. I quite like it as there are no obstacles to get in the way! The team at @cheltofestival have helped me out again with this thorough preview:Mathew Waters previews the Champion Bumpernote - written before final declarations, so runners and prices may differ.In the 19 runnings of this race, significant trends have emerged. It has been a strong race for the Irish, with 14 Irish winners (6 from Willie Mullins alone), from only around [..] > read more

Coral Cup preview

Published on 2012-03-13 16:56:00

These handicaps are far too hard for my liking, but some people love them. Here's Dan Kelly's take on the time-honoured Coral Cup.Coral Cup - three against the fieldThis year's Coral Cup is one of the classiest renewals we've seen in years, and with six last time out winners in the field, many come into the race on the upgrade. That is the usual make up of winners as shown by Carlito Brigante and Spirit River in recent years, however here are my three against the field.Form of F9090 wouldn't in [..] > read more

Queen Mother Champion Chase preview

Published on 2012-03-13 15:56:00

Another excellent piece of work from @marcowenbanks who will be writing a few previews for the blog this week.Sizing Europe will be defending his Champion Chase crown in 2012, and Big Zeb will be looking to emulate Moscow Flyer in regaining his 2010 title. Henry De Bromheads 10yo is arguably the best 2 mile chaser at the game at present, but the best don't always win races. Certainly the stats could be viewed as against his chance.The "Irish" too, are defending this crown. In addition to the 1-2 [..] > read more

Diamond Jubilee National Hunt Chase preview

Published on 2012-03-13 15:39:00

Stepping up to take on Wednesday's toughest looking race is David Plane, @planey2k. You can read more of his musings on his blogChicago Grey’s crown will be handed over to another Irish chaser tomorrow in the shape of WP Mullins’s Soll. See him in the flesh and you’ll be forgiven for double-taking, as this son of Presenting - built muscular, with a dark, liver chestnut coat and a huge pair of lungs – resembles famous Cheltenham favourite Denman. Soll, who will be ridden by Katy Walsh, [..] > read more

RSA Chase preview

Published on 2012-03-13 15:13:00

Excellent work from @marcowenbanks who will be writing a few previews for the blog this week.Grands Crus plans are finalised and the RSA Chase it is, in preference of the Gold Cup. BOBS WORTH is still in the picture although The Old Bill might want a word!So David Pipe has finally made the decision that GRANDS CRUS should run in the RSA. A good decision in my mind as I don't think the Gold Cup is any place for a Novice and it could have ruined the horse. Not such a good decision if, like me, you [..] > read more

JLT Specialty Handicap Chase preview

Published on 2012-03-12 16:29:00

Several more races on the card on Tuesday but I'm out of guest bloggers for Day 1 so the good fellas at Cheltenhamfestivalinfo.com have let me publish some of their impressive work. They're covering the lot this week, visit the site to read their opening day previews.JLT Specialty Handicap ChaseA 3 mile race where no horse has defied an official rating of 150+ for 29 years and the last 12 winners have all been rated less than 144 (although the last four winner were rated 142 or 143, so close to [..] > read more

Cross Country preview

Published on 2012-03-12 16:19:00

My next guest previewer for Cheltenham is James Jack, @materialista27, taking on the most unique race at the Festival.Glenfarclas Handicap Chase (Cross Country Chase) 3m7f Good to FirmTraditionally one of the most exciting and confusing races of the festival run over 3 miles 7 furlongs and comprising of 32 obstacles including timber rails, hedges, a national fence and a water jump, not forgetting the infamous cheese wedges. All 7 renewals of this race have gone to Ireland and “specialist” En [..] > read more

The Supreme Novices' Hurdle preview

Published on 2012-03-11 17:06:00

The Festival gets underway with the Supreme Novices' Hurdle. The roar from the crowd as the tapes fly back for the first race of the week is something to behold! It's time to pass the reins over to my first guest writer of the week, Adam Ward (@AdamHWard) with his preview of the race.Cheltenham Festival preview: Day 1- Supreme Novices HurdleThe Supreme Novices’ normally has a so-called ‘good thing’ who is usually the previous year’s Bumper winner, but for the last three years the hot-fav [..] > read more

Cheltenham week

Published on 2012-03-11 15:46:00

The greatest week in European racing is about to start and you're mad if you won't be deep amongst the action. I confess to being more of a flat punter and certainly a far better analyst of flat racing, so I will be handing over the reins to a number of National Hunt enthusiasts this week with much more time than me on their hands. Names on the honour roll this week include Adam Ward, James Jack, David Plane, Marc Owen-Banks, Dan Kelly, Richard Skeen, Andy Charles and Clint Smith. There's still [..] > read more

Newmarket Preview

Published on 2012-03-09 16:02:00

This could just be the best sprint race I have ever seen. There's no Black Caviar but, by crikey, the depth behind her is exceptional. Out of 23 runners, there are only a handful I genuinely give no hope to. This will be a very important form race for Royal Ascot as several of these intended to travel over.From the top:Hay List: entitled to be called the second-best sprinter in the world, with his last five defeats being behind the mighty mare. He's the only horse to have challenged her, and he' [..] > read more

anyone keen to write Cheltenham previews?

Published on 2012-03-08 04:11:00

I'm not confident of having the time to do any previews next week for the Festival, do any of the amateur bloggers/pundits out there want to have a go? I can't pay you anything for it but happy to plug you here, on Twitter etc. My readership is quite widespread, not just diehard National Hunt fans so I'd like to see something which would appeal to a wider audience - i.e. possibly people discovering Cheltenham for the first time and wondering what it's all about.Here a couple of examples of race [..] > read more

late night races aren't great for trading

Published on 2012-02-28 00:19:00

The Daytona 500 was rained off on Sunday, and again Monday afternoon local time, so the race was run on Monday night, which meant it started after midnight UK time. And it has just finished at 6am UKT. So combine that with being shown on a premium channel, Premier Sports, and it made it a pretty poor trading race this year unfortunately. Overall matched volume on Betfair way lower than any previous year. Still got a green book, but nothing like in previous years and not worth the effort really. [..] > read more

California exchange betting could still be a long way off for Betfair

Published on 2012-02-27 11:40:00

I told you this battle was going to be a lot harder than just convincing the legislators...Exchange wagering grilled at CHRB meetingExchange wagering in California drew some strong opposition from The Stronach Group and several horsemen's organizations during its first California Horse Racing Board committee hearing Feb. 9 at Santa Anita.Commissioners David Israel and Richard Rosenberg heard testimony regarding implementation of exchange wagering in the state following passage of state legislati [..] > read more

the battle against match-fixing - can it be won?

Published on 2012-02-09 18:10:00

Some damning stats in this article from BBC Sport. This is a fight FIFA are no more likely to win than the Occupy groups are to takeover the world's financial districts or someone to achieve world peace....Report shows match-fixing rife in Southern and Eastern EuropeThe true scale of match-fixing, racism and violence in European football has been revealed in new statistical research due to be released on Tuesday.FIFPro, the worldwide union for professional footballers, conducted a survey of thou [..] > read more

Offshore betting tax and levy bill introduced in the Commons

Published on 2012-02-07 18:54:00

A long-touted, but never developed until now, Bill to bring offshore betting from UK residents into line has been introduced in the Commons by @matthancockmp. The crux of the plan is to stop the big High St bookies skiving offshore and avoiding paying tax and levy on wagers which pass through their servers in havens like Gibraltar with a much kinder tax rate. Almost all the big betting firms now run their online and/or telephone betting operations outside of the UK, paying tax and levy only on t [..] > read more

Betfair dropping out of South Africa.. for now

Published on 2012-02-07 17:53:00

If you're living in, or planning to visit, South Africa after next week, you'll have a problem trying to use Betfair. With sports betting licences now being granted to foreign companies (Ladbrokes and Sportingbet are two of the early licensees), the world's biggest betting exchange are in the process of applying for a traditional sportsbook licence. While that is in progress, they will be blocking access from within South Africa, in order to keep on the right side of local authorities.Betfair to [..] > read more

Unibet make their choice in the Aussie market

Published on 2012-02-07 07:24:00

Australian online bookmaker BetChoice has long been a potential acquisition target for European bookmakers wanting to step into the lucrative Australian market. Numerous firms are believed to have looked at them closely, but stepped back for a number of reasons including price tag and local bans on non-wagering products. BetChoice was the brainchild of Colin Tidy and Mark Morrissey, veterans of the Australian bookmaking fraternity, and like their counterparts Mark Read, Con Kafataris, Terry Lill [..] > read more

not the best of times for English cricket

Published on 2012-02-02 15:36:00

England Cricket is going full-throttle through the rollercoaster at the moment. After securing the no.1 Test ranking then not losing a Test during the summer, the England team were flying. A few months later, consider these contrasts in fortunes:1. A huge new contract from Sky Sports to cover England home games until 2017, yet ECB Chairman makes himself sound a right tool by declaring 'pirate' websites live streaming games as the anti-Christ and the biggest problem the game has. GREED is the big [..] > read more

67 Zimbabwe football players suspended after match-fixing probe

Published on 2012-01-31 11:49:00

Not sure the football world is really going to miss the 102nd-ranked team in the world being suspended. Have to have some sympathy for them, when you live in a country under a dictator like Mugabe, and almost certainly paid peanuts, what respect are you going to have for ethics? Last year I blogged about a report that Sepp Blatter and Robert Mugabe were supposedly lecturing local footballers about the evils of corruption.... pot - kettle - black!Zimbabwe Football Players Suspended in Match Fixin [..] > read more

tennis previews

Published on 2012-01-24 17:29:00

In case you have been missing them, the places to go areThe TOTEandThe SharkMy usual rants at the world of sports and betting probably won't resume until the Australian Open finishes... > read more

tennis trading podcast

Published on 2012-01-21 07:01:00

Some of you might have seen this already via other blogs or my Twitter acct. During the week I was honoured to be the guest pundit on the X Traders weekly podcast with @mattfinnigan. Matt is a former disciple of the Betfair Academy who I trained way back in 2006/07. Since then he has set up his own trading club - the X Traders, covering a variety of sports. On their podcasts, they regularly bring in a guest to add a different perspective about various sports. Tennis being my forte, I was invited [..] > read more

Protectionist bollocks from the ATP

Published on 2012-01-17 08:49:00

Slightly old news now, but I've just found the time to write properly about this. Reports in the press last week of spectators being ejected from the Auckland tournament for 'illegal' betting, which is simply protectionist propaganda from the ATP. There is no 'illegal' betting taking place here - New Zealand has bans on foreign betting firms advertising in NZ but they certainly don't prosecute users of Betfair or Bet365 for example. The courtsiders are simply taking advantage of being ahead of t [..] > read more

more Aus Open content

Published on 2012-01-16 08:50:00

More material I hope you'll enjoy reading:Tournament preview at TheShark.com.au (note these previews are Betfair-oriented, so they will be slightly different to content written for TheTote.com.au)It's Aussie Open time which means a plethora of betting and trading opportunities on Betfair.Match betting is the obvious choice for quick investments, but betting in-running is tricky with the Federal online ban meaning you have to ring up to trade your position. The outright markets though aren't clas [..] > read more

Greek and Turkish football in crisis

Published on 2011-07-04 17:04:00

UEFA's anti-corruption team has been busy, handing over vast amounts of evidence to the Greek and Turkish prosecutors over local match-fixing.Police announce arrests in Greek match-fixing probeTurkish football in crisis after match-fixing investigati > read more

Korean football faces shutdown over match-fixing

Published on 2011-06-30 08:04:00

It's getting rather messy in South Korea, the imaginatively named K-League has been infested with match-fixing and now the government is getting involved.K-League faces shutdown threat over match-fixing scandalSEOUL, Jun 30 (Reuters) - South Korea's > read more

around the traps

Published on 2011-06-29 08:54:00

A lot to catch up on after my recent time away, here are some of the stories making the news:The Australian Federal Government has promised a review of online gambling and might finally do away with the ridiculous ban on in-play betting online. But t > read more

Betfair to screw biggest winners for more cash

Published on 2011-06-28 18:12:00

Once upon a time, Betfair's best marketing line was 'Winners Are Welcome'. Not any more. In a desperate move to show the shaer market they have more options to increase their revenues, Betfair's biggest winners will be hit with an even higher Premiu > read more

Centre Court, here I come!

Published on 2011-06-27 02:31:00

Off to the tennis today, got Centre Court tickets via the ballot for the best day of action at any Grand Slam tournament. You will find my preview of all today's action linked below....Wimbledon action aplenty > read more

back in action this week

Published on 2011-06-26 14:02:00

I'm back after a refreshing break away after Royal Ascot, normal service will resume shortly..... > read more

Royal Ascot Saturday

Published on 2011-06-18 04:31:00

Unlikely to have time to do any form today, focusing on the Wimbledon previews instead. Having a 2yo race 'for progeny of stallions who have won over at least 1m2f' to open the day doesn't inspire betting - why not just say 'for horses bound to end u > read more

Royal Ascot - Friday

Published on 2011-06-17 05:31:00

Got killed by the rain yesterday, changed plans considerably and consequently had a poor day. Ignored all the hype about Brown Panther which turned out to be more than justified. He looks a very good type!Today is tough once again, but that's the bea > read more

Royal Ascot form - Thursday

Published on 2011-06-15 17:59:00

Fantastic results on Wednesday with winners in the opening two races at 11/1 SP, with better prices available earlier or on Betfair. But absolutely gutted that So You Think was beaten, without even a penny on him. Awful tactics from Aiden O'Brien, em > read more

Royal Ascot form - Wednesday

Published on 2011-06-14 18:18:00

A nice start to the week with Sweet Sanette running well for a gallant third at 16/1. Had the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th horses for the trifecta which paid a few grand, unfortunately Prohibit spoiled the party!JERSEY STAKESTricky race this. The favourite > read more

Royal Ascot form - Tuesday

Published on 2011-06-13 17:42:00

Take this with a grain of salt as I've had a few shockers with my last big UK racedays (with mates at Cheltenham and Epsom), but hopefully there'll be some info in here worth noting.QUEEN ANNE STAKESGreat match race between Canford Cliffs and Goldiko > read more

tennis rort exposed on Challenger Tour

Published on 2011-06-10 17:09:00

With thanks to ShankTennis for this article.....The Romanian media picked this one up last week - an attempted sting at the Rijeka challenger event, but with plenty of matches involved.Today, the company Advanced Betting System, Super Bet operator, w > read more

Greek licensing plan is just a tad ambitious

Published on 2011-06-10 08:38:00

The basket case of the EU, Greece, has decided to move with the times and licence other gambling operators in the country in order to clear some of its monumental debts. Greeks are renowned for their love of betting but they've mostly had to do it th > read more

How many fuckups is Paul Roy entitled to?

Published on 2011-06-09 13:28:00

I'm sick of this bullshit of the 'age of forgiveness'. Not that long ago, people had honour - when they laid their cards on the table and screwed up royally, they packed their bags and left. These days it's like the Aussie cricket team - harder to le > read more

media and politicians love a beat-up

Published on 2011-06-09 11:40:00

After a few attempted rorts in rugby league and a few plunges based on leaked team information, the major Australian sports, backed by a few clueless politicians and media desperate for a story, have proposed clampdowns on exotic bet types. Now we al > read more

Extrabet not worth tuppence

Published on 2011-06-09 06:47:00

No surprise to learn today that IG Index are writing off the value of Extrabet and starting on redundancy deals for their staff. As predicted here 10 months ago, the £20m they were hoping for was simply ridiculous.£7.75m being written off including > read more

Fred wins the Tote sale

Published on 2011-06-03 06:20:00

It wasn't much of a secret after rumours broke last night but BetFred have today been named as the successful bidder for the UK Tote. Traditionalists will have a bit of a moan but one bid was based on cold, hard cash; the other was based on a lot of > read more

Match-fixing makes it into Korea

Published on 2011-06-02 09:06:00

A source tipped me off about this several months ago. A major Asian betting monopoly would take certain Korean football matches off the board without making a big deal about them, knowing that they were likely to be fixed. Now the stories are breakin > read more

Time for a new tack perhaps...

Published on 2011-06-02 05:38:00

So once again England are ridiculed and isolated for making a stand against the self-righteous clowndom that is the Federation of International Football Associations. Pillars of the international anti-corruption community like Benin, Congo and Fiji y > read more

Serie A rife with match-fixing and FIFA is still bent

Published on 2011-06-01 07:50:00

Nothing new here, but glad to see the Italians are actually doing something about it!Ex-Italy striker arrested for match-fixingROME (AFP) - Former Italy striker Giuseppe Signori was among 16 people arrested for match-fixing in a co-ordinated sting by > read more

Koellerer given life ban for match-fixing

Published on 2011-05-31 10:57:00

Daniel Koellerer, widely regarded as the biggest @£%& in professional tennis, has received his just desserts today with a life ban from professional tennis and a fine of $100k.The Tennis Integrity Unit works under a shroud of secrecy so there are no > read more

industry news round-up

Published on 2011-05-31 07:27:00

Betfair's share price is up 35p this morning, including a recovery from a 20p drop after a climb of 40p in the first two hours of trading, after it fell to a new low of 752p last week. Here's one for you - how would you price up "First to leave their > read more

if only this was a big betting event in the UK...

Published on 2011-05-29 15:37:00

I didn't watch the Indy 500 live nor see the market so far all I know there could have been £50k+ matched on the market, but since it's on a par with the Daytona 500, chances are it only traded £5k.Rookie J.R Hildebrand is a long way clear, comes i > read more

Australian sports bodies told to rein in the betting coverage

Published on 2011-05-27 03:31:00

As mentioned here several weeks ago, the amount of betting editorial and odds plugging during live broadcasts of Australian sport is over the top. Public sentiment was turning against it and it was inevitable that something would have to be done.Now > read more

the excuses are out already

Published on 2011-05-26 07:57:00

Workforce makes his seasonal debut tonight in the Group III Brigadier Gerard Stakes at Sandown, over 1m 2f, or 2000m for those of us who aren't stuck in the 50s.This is a horse who last year claimed the self-proclaimed 'biggest race in the world', th > read more

the moneybuyers get burned again hurrah, hurrah....

Published on 2011-05-26 06:11:00

OK, so Kim Clijsters was in control of the match and a set and 5-2 up, but she did come into this match under a major injury cloud and is scratchy on clay.Huge effort from Arantxa Rus, finally starting to realise some of that potential she showed as > read more

Grand Slams and 1.01s

Published on 2011-05-24 10:39:00

Biggest 1.01 of the French Open so far goes to Nicolas Almagro, who should have put away Lukas Kubot in straight sets, but alas, he did not....And yesterday, we had another one, OK for pennies at 1.01, but plenty fairly close to it, with Christina Mc > read more

Paddy Power to flee Ireland's new tax?

Published on 2011-05-23 08:16:00

Gee, never would have seen this coming - the Irish government wants to introduce a 2% tax on all wagers with firms licensed in Ireland. Very few of their competitors will have to pay it, so why should they for their online and telephone operations? S > read more

Betfair UK is falling down

Published on 2011-05-22 05:27:00

Not a glowing article about them in the Guardian today, just backing up the anecdotal stories heard elsewhere. The problem for them is that many of those staff listed as leaving are the 'good eggs', frustrated as hell by the impenetrable cliques and > read more

French Open previews

Published on 2011-05-22 04:13:00

And they're off at Roland Garros. Here are my previews from PuntingAceScott Ferguson's French Open PreviewsGood luck! > read more

Xenophon, you are a dead set idiot

Published on 2011-05-18 03:36:00

There's been more than enough proof over the years that this South Australian senator is just a headline seeker when it comes to his views against gambling. I admired his stance against pokies (slots/fruit machines in other parts of the world) which > read more

Bet 365 heads Down Under

Published on 2011-05-17 08:56:00

The King of In-Play betting, Bet365, has announced it will apply for an Australian betting licence, in the Northern Territory, where most of the Aussie firms operate. While it is a highly credible licence - the restrictions placed on firms (security > read more

Betsson take over Betsafe

Published on 2011-05-16 04:41:00

This news is a few days old now but with Blogger down for a couple of days last week, I couldn't post it...Betsson acquires Betsafe in €60m deal Betsson has acquired fellow Nordic operator Betsafe in a deal valuing the company at up to €60m (£52 > read more

No Secrets

Published on 2011-05-12 11:37:00

The above video won't mean much to anyone unless you're Australian and of my era, but it's a brilliant song and the title, No Secrets, links well to this story.American trainers wouldn't dream of running a horse without Lasix or other permitted medic > read more

Paddy Power ad beats the complaints, but Betfair and 888 fall foul

Published on 2011-05-12 05:52:00

The most complained about ad on UK TV last year was from Paddy Power, showing that there are way too many people out there who need to get a life. It's humour FFS. It's refreshing to know the Advertising Standards Authority understand the difference > read more

One rogue German state defies the national plan

Published on 2011-05-11 16:02:00

Last month, German politicians voted to regulate online gambling with a farcical, uncompetitive regime which would only send punters abroad in search of half-decent odds. At least 15 of the 16 states voted for it, one - Schleswig-Holstein - rocked th > read more

Sportingbet chasing Centrebet

Published on 2011-05-11 03:54:00

News this morning that another company is set to launch a bid for Centrebet, the first Australian bookmaker to bet online back in 1997. It has been mentioned here before that the Kafataris family are keen to cash in, but previous interests from Europ > read more

and here comes Black Caviar!

Published on 2011-05-10 07:48:00

We've been blessed in recent weeks with some absolute superstars of racing: Black Caviar destroying sprint fields in AustraliaFrankel running rivals off their feat in the 2000 GuineasSo You Think starting his European campaign by demolishing some ave > read more

folks are dumb where I come from

Published on 2011-05-06 09:30:00

Every country breeds people who aren't the most educationally gifted. We need these people in society to do various jobs that others aren't keen on, whether that's a trade or collecting our bins or picking up glasses in nightclubs. But in Australia, > read more

the profile of a football match-fixer

Published on 2011-05-06 05:58:00

Good piece from today's Daily Telegraph, detailing the grubby career of a Singaporean who wasn't interested in fair football matches....Wilson Raj Perumal: the convicted match-fixer who ran international empire yards from WembleyTo those who met him > read more

Fletcher gets a year

Published on 2011-04-30 05:18:00

A strange decision this one - either he's guilty of getting a horse pulled up and deserves a long ban, or he's not? The grey area in between seems a bit odd.Punter disqualified for a yearHigh profile punter Stephen Fletcher has been disqualified by Q > read more

Eurovision action

Published on 2011-04-28 11:20:00

It's a shame there's no clear favourite for Eurovision this year, I might have been able to repeat this performance from a couple of years back. Stepping back to a slightly lower profile market and trying to lay the field can really pay off - the fin > read more

Surprise research finding equivalent to 'drinking beer will make you drunk'

Published on 2011-04-26 07:28:00

Shock horror in this one - a Betfair-funded study favours exchange betting and says it has caused no damage to the racing industries in the UK and Australia.Now I'm not going to get into the argument of whether it has or it hasn't, but you could bet > read more

'well-placed racing industry source' in dreamland

Published on 2011-04-19 11:13:00

High-flying Sydney punter Steve Fletcher is facing a battle to retain control of his punting empire after being implicated in a Queensland racing betting scandal.$1m punter faces banFEARLESS Sydney punter Steve Fletcher - the man who was Eddie Hayson > read more

Value doesn’t pay the bills

Published on 2011-04-18 08:51:00

An extremely rare guest post on my blog, from a former bookmaking colleague who has been a pro punter now for several years, Vasu Shan. You can follow him on Twitter @vasman60-----“Value doesn’t pay the bills”. I’ve always hated that express > read more

the day the poker died

Published on 2011-04-15 18:37:00

Massive day for online poker with serious criminal charges being laid against the biggest online poker firms who target the American market....Online poker companies indicted for fraudNEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- The founders of the three largest Internet > read more

How much is too much?

Published on 2011-04-12 02:51:00

The pressure is on the AFL to start restricting betting advertising as public sentiment starts to swing against it. Aussie TV is awash with betting company adverts now, not only during ad breaks but throughout local sports broadcasts. Odds updates, p > read more

Hypocrisy goes wild after Grand National tragedies

Published on 2011-04-11 15:49:00

Saturday morning - the tabloids can't get enough of the Grand National race. Free bets galore as they partner up with bookies and get every celebrity mug they can find to tip a horse in the big race. It's the world's greatest race they sa > read more

German govt in cuckoo land

Published on 2011-04-07 17:49:00

For several years, there has been much debate about German law and the licensing of sports betting. It's a country divided up into provinces which often have conflicting laws. Most, if not all, of the 'legal' online betting licences in Germany stem f > read more

UK Gambling Commission actually does something....

Published on 2011-04-07 14:41:00

....But it wasn't over sporting integrity, it was over a voting & betting scandal on the X Factor...Virgin Media staff in X Factor bet scamThree Virgin Media employees have been sacked after using internal data on X Factor voting to bet on the show.T > read more

Takeout increase means Californian racing going downhill fast

Published on 2011-04-05 08:01:00

Californian racing authorities, in their infinite wisdom, decided that to fix all their funding issues they should screw the punter for even more money by increasing margins on most exotic bet types. A basic understanding of economics will tell you t > read more

US racing to finally move in the right direction?

Published on 2011-04-04 19:09:00

Potentially a huge story this. American racing has serious issues in a lot of areas - drugs, broadcast rights, not enforcing penalties nationwide, wagering margins... but now it seems there might be a body prepared to start doing something about it.T > read more

Monday roundup

Published on 2011-04-04 08:44:00

Not got as much time on my hands at the moment, so I'll try to keep the site fresh with a weekly update as a minimum...Betfair shares break back through the £10 mark as their financial trading arm LMAX flounders. The newly-recruited CEO has gone aft > read more

Another item for the FIFA are bleeding idiots file

Published on 2011-03-29 06:45:00

Item in today's RP suggests FIFA are considering banning in-play betting on football over corruption fears. 'What a great idea' will say the do-gooders and Daily Mail readers who don't have a clue about the outside world. Any knowledge of betting in > read more

Racing tariffs - here one day, gone the next

Published on 2011-03-29 02:23:00

The Horsemen's Group in British racing put their head above the parapet last week and made a stand - encouraging trainers to boycott any races where prizemoney did not meet the recommended amount. Big name stables such as Godolphin and Richard Hannon > read more

how exactly do you send a lottery company broke?

Published on 2011-03-28 05:44:00

I haven't followed this whole story, but this really is bizarre. A proper lotteries company with a local monopoly should be a licence to print money....Sazka board declares insolvencyPrague, March 22 (CTK) - The board of Czech lottery operator Sazka > read more

Betfair share price recovering

Published on 2011-03-24 09:10:00

With confidence that the shambolic pre-Cheltenham site crashes are over now their servers are fully operational in Gibraltar, Betfair's share price has started to climb again. It has been helped today with a case win in the Netherlands, part of a lon > read more

did I miss a big race meeting this week?

Published on 2011-03-18 18:47:00

Bloody new job, virtually missed everything! Went on Tuesday but barely had a bet outside of that. Poor planning on my part, although it did save me quite a bit of money.... that's not really the point of Cheltenham though is it? > read more

so good..da-da.. so good..da-da..

Published on 2011-03-11 10:53:00

I got you, do-do-doo....... sang the legendary James Brown.England suffer deep embarrassment again. Not only losing to Bangladesh, but looking gone (traded at 10), taking quick wickets to trade 1.03, and then screwing it up! Great death bowling from > read more

Betfair becomes latest member of TaxDodgers'R'Us

Published on 2011-03-08 07:25:00

No great surprises here as the Betfair share price continued to slide, they needed to do something. Sources told me that a Gibraltar office was being fitted out several weeks ago in preparation for the move, which shocked nobody. Do Betfair deserve t > read more

The greatest gubbing of all time!

Published on 2011-03-02 10:58:00

Excuse me while I piss myself, over and over again.The greatest gubbing of all time. That's over £8 million traded at 1.04 or shorter. Almost £5 million at 1.02 or shorter. £2.7m matched at 1.01.England, fresh from possibly the best ODI of all-tim > read more

Betfair to bid for leading US racetrack Monmouth Park

Published on 2011-03-01 16:36:00

News surfaced late last week that the state of New Jersey wish to sell off Monmouth Park thoroughbred track and Meadowlands harness track to help fix the state's ailing finances. One of the names mentioned as a potential bidder has been Betfair.Betfa > read more

Eurosportbet to close UK-facing business

Published on 2011-03-01 12:01:00

Hardly a surprise in this news, they were never going to be a serious bookmaker without advertising outside their own network. The French market, where the government forces them to bet to joke percentages making winning long-term inconceivable, was > read more

yet another England footballer scandal

Published on 2011-02-26 16:01:00

... to be broken by News of the World at 2215 GMT. Front and back page apparently. You think these overpaid prats would learn one day.Nope, it's Ashley Cole again, allegedly shooting someone. Speculation that it's anyone from a Chelsea backroom staff > read more

Betfair share price back into freefall

Published on 2011-02-24 04:53:00

Another broker says sell, another week of dreadful unplanned site outages, another marketing campaign criticised by the Advertising Standards Authority.... It's not looking good for Betfair shareholders, now trading in the 850p range, getting dangero > read more

Some days I'd love to be a judge

Published on 2011-02-23 03:09:00

When I was at high school, I fancied the idea of being a lawyer, probably from watching too much LA Law. Once I got to uni I realised it was never going to happen and soon changed my career plans (which I then did a few more times before stumbling in > read more

Daytona trading last night

Published on 2011-02-21 08:36:00

No marvellous green book to show off this year, although it was a decent profit on turnover considering how little liquidity was on Betfair. Being on Premier Sports for the first time didn't help since very few people have subscribed to it, plus the > read more

Professionalism in racing

Published on 2011-02-17 17:31:24

Glad to see the rescheduled meeting going ahead at Newbury tomorrow. Awful scenes last Saturday with the freak electrocution of two horses before the first race. You just can't write procedures in a manual to deal with something as bizarre and unexpe > read more

bent pointless international friendlies - who'd have thought?

Published on 2011-02-14 13:13:00

Two games played in an international friendly double-header at a Turkish resort, none of the teams involved are ranked in the FIFA Top 50, and no local representation either.Gee, doesn't sound fishy at all. Oh, and all SEVEN goals across the two matc > read more

Annoying and misleading Betfair TV ad banned

Published on 2011-02-09 03:16:00

You seriously have to wonder where the brains department of Betfair have disappeared to. A TV campaign based around the theme 'cut out the middleman'. Look it up in the dictionary - Betfair are the irrefutable definition of the word:mid·dle·man  > read more

Farcical law to suppress honesty in the media

Published on 2011-02-08 16:20:00

Former jockey Dean McKeown was as bent as a three-bob note and was warned off British racecourses in 2008 for his role in pulling up 11 horses trained by Paul Blockley. He is guilty, that part is etched in stone. Yet ATR presenter Sean Boyce is facin > read more

Even sumo is bent these days...

Published on 2011-02-07 04:27:00

It's not a good sign for the innocence of the world if even sumo wrestling is facing match-fixing problems....Sumo wrestling rocked by match-fixing scandalThe head of Japan's sumo association has apologised to fans after it was revealed wrestlers may > read more

is sport finally starting to win the fight against corruption?

Published on 2011-02-06 02:23:00

Could sport be fighting back against the corrupt individuals who wish to poison their respective games to line their own pockets? Encouraging signs this week with cricket and rugby league both acting to stem the tide.In cricket, first the British Cro > read more

OUCH!

Published on 2011-02-05 10:58:00

I love listening to managers like Arsene Wenger moaning about referees and anything else they can blame their problems on.... How do you explain this one Voyeur? Arsenal led 3-0 after 10 mins and 4-0 at half-time. Newcastle scored four times in the s > read more

Betfair gets closer to cracking the US

Published on 2011-02-01 08:25:00

News today that the governor of New Jersey has signed a bill permitting exchange betting within the state. It's not a given for Betfair or any other company trying to operate a betting exchange on horse racing, it just allows the possibility of such > read more

Perth racing faces a critical decision

Published on 2011-01-30 07:14:00

When a state capital of over 1m people has two racecourses close to the city, the inevitable pressure to sell one of them will occur as the popularity of horse racing continues to diminish relative to alternative entertainment options. Racing in Wes > read more

Betfair shares battling to fight back

Published on 2011-01-28 03:55:00

Early in the week Betfair shares cracked the £10 mark again for the first time in a while, things were starting to look up, particularly on the back of some hard work promoting the company to its float partners last week. But that price took a real > read more

The betting shops in city centres debate

Published on 2011-01-26 10:58:00

Interesting discussion in today's Racing Post about 'plagues' of betting shops in city centres. Councils and residents are getting sick of them, the big bookies love them and can't get enough retail shops. Why I hear you ask? Racing& > read more

nice work if you can get it

Published on 2011-01-24 04:27:00

Sportsbet, the original sports bookmaker in Australia, was set up in the 1980s by a roguish chap called Bryan Clark. He eventually sold it around 2001 to a firm with suspicious overseas betting links, and pressrue from regulators and bank managers fo > read more

Indian cricket punters arrested

Published on 2011-01-23 09:39:00

Small fry punters and bookmakers caught up in this one by the looks of it.6 held for betting during India-SA ODISix persons were arrested in New Delhi for allegedly indulging in betting during the One Day International between India and South Africa > read more

Tennis match-fixing to be investigated

Published on 2011-01-21 12:50:00

Settle down, it's nothing from Melbourne but the bent-as-a-three-bob-note ATP match from St Petersburg in October between Filippo Volandri and Teymuraz Gabashvili. The Evening Standard reports that the Tennis Integrity Unit is investigating the circu > read more

Australian Open previews

Published on 2011-01-16 15:37:00

I've been writing betting previews of the Grand Slam tennis tournaments for over a decade now, the latest instalment can be found at PuntingAce, men's and women's articles on the same page.My fee from the articles has been donated to the Qld Floods A > read more

the horror of the Queensland floods

Published on 2011-01-12 06:28:00

For 24/7 coverage, visit ABCNews24Please donate to the Official Qld Govt Floods appeal, and/or support any fundraising events being arranged around the world.I must admit I underestimated the earlier stage of the Queensland floods, with the misguided > read more

today's No Shit Sherlock award goes to...

Published on 2011-01-11 03:20:00

...Wikileaks for telling us something blatantly obvious...Bulgarian football's 'mafia links' exposed in cablesSome of Bulgaria's most popular football clubs have ties with mafia bosses, who use them to launder money, according to a US diplomatic docu > read more

Courtsiders not welcome in Chennai

Published on 2011-01-10 10:50:00

Courtesy of TennisformA betting racket has rocked the ongoing Chennai Open tennis tournament in the city reports the Deccan Chronicle. The event organisers unearthed the scam after an interrogation of four foreign nationals — two Germans, an Italia > read more

betting/life maxims

Published on 2011-01-09 10:24:00

Haven't found much to rant about today, so I thought I'd reprint some very useful betting philosophies I've found on different sites. This batch were originally found on the Slipperytoad blog.Mistakes are the portals of discovery. James Joyce - Irish > read more

at least have some dignity in defeat

Published on 2011-01-05 02:55:00

Australia have been completely outplayed in this Ashes series. With the exception of the WACA where one cricket expert on Twitter said 'Aliens invaded Mitchell Johnson's body for a week and then left', it hasn't even been close. England have been eve > read more

do Irish punters have any rights at all?

Published on 2011-01-04 07:45:00

Irish racing stewards post a strong case for most useless in the world, allowing races to start while jockeys aren't yet on board, suspending a jockey for overuse of the whip despite the fact he dropped it at the start or an on-course bookmaker doing > read more

punters shafted again by lame rules and poor stewarding

Published on 2011-01-03 11:04:00

The UK racing industry insists on running these low standard all-weather meetings to generate turnover to pay the Levy. The Levy fund isn't enough to provide decent prizemoney for these rubbish events. Ireland, slated recently for not having their al > read more

Betfair in the USA - still a long way off

Published on 2011-01-02 20:08:00

Over the past few months, there has been some excitement about the prospects of exchange wagering being permitted in the USA, particularly California and New Jersey. The governments of these two states have passed legislation to allow exchange bettin > read more

Bravo Sportingbet

Published on 2011-01-01 07:07:00

Sportingbet have been announced as the naming rights sponsor of the Queen Mother Champion Chase during the Cheltenham Festival. They replace Seasons Holidays, who like most travel companies, will be feeling the pinch from the recession.Why bravo? Unl > read more

a city built on sin and excess can only go tits up when the economy crashes...

Published on 2011-01-01 06:26:00

No great surprise here - most over-rated city in the world I reckon, even more fake than the oases built in the desert like Dubai and Doha. Casinos and clubs charging $20 for a drink do nothing for me....Las Vegas in crisisParty Over AS MAYOR of Las > read more