Sport is made for betting

It's Dubai World Cup weekend when the world racing spotlight turns to the obscenely rich and the delights of Meydan racecourse. Taking on the feature sprint race is international racing aficionado Calum Swan, @calumswanlaw . ------------------ Dubai Golden Shaheen G1 1200m Dirt 1505 GMT Big Macher - Californian sprinter who climbed the ranks from Maiden Claiming level to G1 winner when besting Goldenscents in the Bing Crosby at Del Mar. Hasn't been able to replicate that level of form since and was below par when only fifth in a G2 when last sighted. Will need to run right up to his best form in order to strike here Cool Cowboy - Former US speedball who was four from four on Dirt over 1200 metres when based stateside. He lost his unbeaten record over the distance when only 4th on his debut for Watson in the Mahab Al Shimaal, but he travelled really well before tiring late on. His trainer was on record as saying he was a week or two behind schedule for that assignmen...

Melbourne's autumn carnival winds down as the attention moves north of the Murray, but Moonee Valley still has a couple of feature races under the Friday night lights before the clocks go back. This week it's the Alister Clark Stakes for 3yos, a race which launched the career of the mighty Vo Rogue all those years ago... Sharing their shrewd analysis is the team from Premium Racing Services ------------------------- Alister Clark Stakes Moonee Valley Friday March 20 Race 6 - 9:15PM G2 3YO, 2040m PRS Speed Map Expecting that, having drawn the closest barrier to the rail that No.5 MASTER RESET crosses and leads the field with No.13 MAASTRICHT and No.10 GENERAL JAMES coming across and sitting behind him. The speed outside that trio is reduced, likely enabling this trio to slow the tempo down mid race. By this time of the night, it will be established whether or not there is a noticeable bias, so play close attention to that as it is a challenge to predict what (i...

The last of the G1 Novice Hurdles is the Albert Bartlett, a gruelling three mile test which has thrown up the likes of Wichita Lineman, Bobs Worth and At Fishers Cross in recent years. It's a race that's worth looking at in depth - while there have been four successful favourites under 2/1 in the last decade, there have also been a couple of 33/1 shots claiming victory. My turn to have a crack at this one, certainly an intriguing contest, even more so by a decent drop of rain overnight. ------------------------- Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle 3m New Course, Grade 1 £120,000 1440GMT Willie Mullins brought a ridiculously strong team to Cheltenham particularly in novice hurdle ranks but was denied in the Neptune by another Irish runner in Windsor Park. This time Willie has five horses in his armoury, and all of them have multiple recent wins. In racecard order: Arbre Vie Lightly-raced French import with only five starts to date, and just two for the Mullins camp. ...

Amongst the set weight championship races, there are some cracking handicap races during the Festival and the County Hurdle is always near the top of that list. Get out the darts or just listen to the shrewd advice of Adam Webb, @adamwebb121 , on the back of tipping the first three in the World Hurdle yesterday. --------------------------- Vincent O'Brien County Hurdle 2m1f Handicap, Grade 3, £80,000 1405 GMT Thank you for all the congratulatory tweets after today’s result. Whilst it didn’t go the way planned, at least the top three I could make a case for finished in the placings. Congratulations to both Gavin Sheehan and Warren Greatrex for their debut wins at the Festival and what a way to do it! This preview won’t be as long but the County Hurdle is always a minefield with so many potentially well handicapped horses who have been laid out for the race. Ireland head the market with several contenders including Quick Jack who has probably had this race in mind since ...

The final day of the Festival kicks off with the juvenile feature, the Triumph. In theory the raw, developing hurdlers should be prone to dealing a surprise or two but those at the pointy end of the market have a very good record in recent years. After success with Moon Racer in the Champion Bumper, it's the return of Harriet Fuller, @HattieLFuller , to the tipping podium. ------------------------- Triumph Hurdle 2m 1f New Course £120,000 Grade 1 for 4yos 1330 GMT The Triumph Hurdle betting is dominated by Nicky Henderson with his three runners, Peace and Co (11/4), Hargam (11/2), and Top Notch (8/1). Of these three I would give the latter the best chance tomorrow, but not as good a chance as two of Alan King’s horses. Peace and Co has done nothing wrong, since his impressive British debut at Doncaster he then went on to win a better race at Cheltenham, confirming his promise. Peace and Co looks every bit a chaser in the making, anything he does this year will be a bonu...

The feature of the final day, if not the whole Cheltenham Festival, is the Gold Cup. This year's cast isn't rated to be the strongest of all time but it certainly isn't a race where finding the winner is a simple task. And that's before the rain arrived! In the hotseat for the blue riband event is Chris Day, @chrisday100 . ---------------------- Betfred Cheltenham Gold Cup 3m 2.5f New Course, Grade 1 Track GOOD at time of posting but significant rain forecast What a festival it's been but for many the best is yet to come. We've had the point and fire victories of Mullins' big guns earlier in the week and the fight back of Paul Nicholls with Graded and handicap victories demonstrating just why many of us consider him to be the best trainer and placer of horses we've ever seen. As we go into the final day the highlight is undoubtedly the Gold Cup, a race which retains the open look it has had since the days when Kauto Star, Denman and Imperial Co...

The staying hurdler trophy of the week is the Ladbrokes World Hurdle. Maybe not quite as sexy as the Champion Hurdle, but a field of 17 and 11/2 the field in a Grade 1 race is a beautiful and rare thing. Tasked with the preview for this appealing engagement is Adam Webb, @adamwebb121 . ------------------- Ladbrokes World Hurdle Three miles, Grade 1 1520 GMT The picture of the 2015 Ladbrokes World Hurdle has been an unclear one for the majority of the season with many twists and turns regarding potential leading contenders, some of whom have fallen by the wayside. Firstly More Of That, last year’s impressive winner who looked to have the world at his feet. We saw him at Newbury’s Hennessy meeting in the Long Distance Hurdle where he looked on paddock appearance to be carrying some condition. On unfavourable testing ground, he struggled home when third behind Medinas and Cole Harden. Trainer Jonjo O’Neill was quick to suggest he needed a wind operation but ever since, the vi...

Day three of the Festival and it's usually one of those days which just feels it is stretched further than it needs to be, a remnant of the expansion from three days to four a decade ago. But the two features this year make up for that. And after the rather disappointing Queen Mother Champion Chase today, perhaps it's for the better that we can erase that memory swiftly by travelling five furlongs further. Prolific contributor Chris Day, @chrisday100 , analyses the big chase of the day, the Ryanair. -------------------------- Ryanair Chase 2m5f New course, Grade 1 1440 GMT The Ryanair Chase is one of Cheltenham’s newest Grade 1s and, despite its detractors, regularly throws up one of the most competitive fields of the week. Favourite for this year’s contest has long been Don Cossack , unbeaten all season and clear on ratings for the race sponsors. Always held in the highest regard by connections, he appears to be fulfilling his promise and has earned the right to be...

Wednesday's card concludes with the Champion Bumper, a Marmite sort of race that doesn't take everyone's fancy. It still has to be won though, and the bookies will have the satchels open, so let's see what Harriet Fuller, @hattielfuller has found with her magnifying glass... ------------------------ Champion Bumper Two miles, Grade 1 National Hunt Flat 1715 Wednesday I find myself in an extremely unusual situation this year, as not only do I have a couple of strong fancies for the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham, but I am also looking forward to it. Normally, when looking through the cards, by the time I stumble upon the bumper I pour myself a large whiskey and put my head in my hands. It is a lottery, last year's winner Silver Concorde I didn’t even give a second look. But this year is different and there are two horses (maybe three) that I am looking forward to see. And who knows, I could even find the horse that will end the Irish dominance in the race a...

Second up on Wednesday is the RSA Chase, for novice chasers over three miles. There's a bit of a boom over the favourite here, and after endless debate over which race he should run in, he lines up here in the classier race. Making his debut on the blog is aspiring Irish writer, Robbie Fahy, @rfahy00 . Welcome aboard! --------------------------- RSA Chase 3m 110y, Grade 1 Novices' Chase The RSA has been quite an open race over the last number of seasons. Three of the last five winners have been double digit odds in the market (12/1, 10/1, 16/1) and you have to go back to 2009 (Cooldine) to see the last time a favourite has triumphed in the Novices race. Winning this race requires many things, accurate jumping, a good traveller and most of all, the hardest thing to find in a novice, a stout stayer. That trick usually does not develop until the later years but with a good quality renewal, it is certain that the winner will need to get every yard of the 3 miles 110 yard con...

Wednesday's Cheltenham card opens with the Neptune for novice hurdlers, over a slightly longer distance than Tuesday's opener. Once again, it's over to Chris Day, @chrisday100 for his preview. ----------------------- Neptune Investment Management Novices' Hurdle 2m5f, Grade 1 The traditional curtain raise on Queen Mother Champion Chase day is The Neptune Investment Management Novices’ Hurdle, run over 2 miles 5 furlongs and often considered a better trial for next year’s Champion Hurdle than the Supreme, run over two miles on Tuesday. This year’s betting is headed by two Willie Mullins’ runners (bet you didn’t expect that), both with very different backgrounds. Nicholls Canyon , ridden by Ruby Walsh, is an ex-flat horse who rose to a rating of 104 for John Gosden before being bought by Graham Wylie and has won three of his four completed starts over hurdles, only unseating when favourite for a Leopardstown Grade 1 over Christmas. His last run was quit...

The traditional Festival opener, the race the bookies are falling over themselves trying to give the best customer offer to hook you in for the entire week. So it's not just about finding the winner, it's about finding the best offer - provided you are in the UK or Ireland where you can take advantage of them - bit harder from Australia. As part of the excitement of arriving early at Cheltenham, it's my turn to preview the Supreme Novices' Hurdle. Tune in at 1330GMT to listen to the roar as the tapes go up on the first race. ------------------------ Supreme Novices' Hurdle Grade 1 Hurdle, 2m 1/2 f 1330 GMT For weeks this race has all been about the Willie Mullins-trained favourite Douvan. Does he provide the bulletproof start to the Festival for punters, or are there chinks in his armour? This is a race for young, rising hurdlers, so the form isn't completely exposed. Form versus potential, the eternal punters' conundrum... In saddlecloth order: Al...

Not long now until the Festival begins! The first two races have Mullins hotpots dominating the market so it's not until the third race before we have a decent betting contest - the Ultima Business Solutions Handicap Chase. Blog regular Chris Day, @chrisday100 , steps up to solve this testing encounter. ------------------------- Ultima Business Solutions Handicap Chase 3m 1f, Grade 3 Race 3, 14:40 GMT Before we get to see if Faugheen is the next Istabraq or The New One the next Ruling, there’s the little matter of the 3 mile 1 furlong Ultima Business Solutions Handicap Chase to consider, a red hot, fast and furious first day contest to warm us up and how royally it does. The annual game in the run up to the Festival is to spot anything in green and gold making incredible improvement or being tenderly handled with a view to winning one of these big handicaps. With current favourite, Pendra , it’s not been so easy as he’s not been seen since November when emptying over sh...

If you've ever had the urge to write a betting preview of a race or big sporting event, now's the time to have a go! You'll have to do it for free but it's a great opportunity to collate your thoughts for better punting or to showcase your talent and expertise to future employers. It's also a great chance to break the shackles and unleash a strong opinion that mightn't be allowed out in other places for you! Above all, I want to see knowledge and opinions. Generic, short previews can be found anywhere - show the world you know what you are talking about and it's worth reading your material right through to the very end. If the tip wins, that's great, but more important is making people think, particularly about angles they may not have considered previously. Next week is obviously Cheltenham, if that doesn't float your boat then there's Dubai World Cup night, The Championships in Sydney, Aintree, Punchestown, the return of the Flat season in...

It's all hotting up in Sydney on the road to the Championships. Big bucks on offer tomorrow and this is quiet a tricky race with no runner especially set for the race - they've all got bigger targets ahead. And tat, as we've so often seen in the past, can lead to a boilover. Returning after a successful debut last week is astute Sydney form student Ben McDermott, @BTMcDermott . --------------------- 2015 Canterbury Stakes Group 1 WFA, 1300m Royal Randwick, $500,000 R7, 1610 local time, 0510 GMT Form guide Odds Comparison Runners in saddlecloth order: Sacred Falls (Purton/ Waller) Sound miler resuming. Hasn’t won first up in his last five preparations and his two trials leading into this run suggest he will need a couple of runs before he starts producing his best. Will be set for the Doncaster but may struggle this year under the handicap conditions. Criterion (Bowman/ Hayes) Made the successful progression into WFA races last Spring and is sure to come...

It's Australian Guineas Day at Flemington with a decent support card, ahead of next week's Super Saturday programme. Analysing the stayers' race for the blog are the seasoned professionals from Premium Racing Services , providing the first of several previews for the weekend. ------------------------ Roy Higgins Quality Flemington, 2600m, Listed Race. Race 5, 3:10PM local, 0410 GMT. PRS Speed Map The pace looks to be ok without it being too genuine with Zadon and Tuscan Fire expected to be the on pace runners. Unsure who will take the lead outright, could be a surprise runner with a change of tactics which is hopefully notified by the stewards pre-race. You Think So also has the potential to push forward like he did last start, but they went at an extremely slow tempo which rated well below the benchmark. Martinvast has also in the past push forward with some successful, including here four runs back. PRS Market: This market is of our system's ‘raw’ price...

Flat racing fans in Britain haven't got long to go, the turf season is nearly upon us again. One punter who can't wait for it is Stephen Boardman, @ste_b85 , and he's got in early with a preview of the traditional opener to the season, the Lincoln. ------------------ Lincoln Handicap antepost March 28, Doncaster Heritage Handicap, One Mile. With most eyes currently focused on Cheltenham and Aintree, the Lincoln at Doncaster often gets passed over and neglected as it sits neatly wedged between the two colossal jumps festivals. This can sometimes prove to be a blessing in disguise for those of us who prefer to dine at the table of flat racing. It's often an enjoyable experience to sip the fine wine it has to offer at this time of the year; a rich bodied, exquisite tasting reserve from Yorkshire which can prove easy on the wallet; the Lincoln ante post market. The last five winners of the event have been rated 98, 104, 95, 90 and 102. So with the victor coming from...