Well I had a pretty good week last week (and I hope you had the same) – not with my bets I hasten to add, but with my new tablet I got free of charge by changing my phone and portable Wi-Fi provider – I can’t really name them here but do shop around, I now have a new toy, more internet, and am paying a smaller monthly bill, it’s pretty rare I ever get that lucky!
As for the bets, well Germany beat Greece by more than 1.5 goals on the handicap so we landed that bet on BETDAQ at 2.12, but somehow England managed to salvage a draw with South Africa, kicking my Rugby Union treble in to touch (sorry, I just couldn’t resist). Golf was one where I made the most of my mobile access as John Merrick did OK without ever really threatening the leaders, but having backed him on BETDAQ at 156.0 I managed to get out after day two when he banged in a round of just 65 and shortened to 55.0 so a profit was made once again and I may be on to something (famous last words), and we will see if we can strike again with a similar scenario? I am delighted to say that nothing tempted me in to a bet on the England game (not even the BETDAQ prices which were a decent percentage better than anything else I could see), and that was my wisest move of the week. It’s not my place to criticise but it wasn’t really worth watching let alone risking money on and in my eyes it is time to retire half the squad and bring through some youngsters so I can get stuck in for the World Cup qualifiers which are not that far away.
Black Caviar won as expected at Ascot on Saturday but the punter who has £100,000 to win at 1.5 must have needed a clean pair of trousers as her jockey dropped his hands way too early and nearly got caught on the line, after which I suspect he would have been hung drawn and quartered by the thousands of Aussies who had come over to cheer her on had she been beaten, but her record remains intact even though we still don’t really know how good she actually is. Plenty of other punters seemed to know what they were doing with the well backed Sea Moon at BETDAQ odds of 4.4 (I was on Aiken at 5.5 who was fourth) and then Camborne at BETDAQ odds of 7.0 (I didn’t have a bet), but we all got it right (except the layers) when Simenon made it two wins from two starts in marathon events at the meeting. It is easy for anyone to be wise after the event but he had won so easily over two and a half miles on the Tuesday that he had to be the proverbial good thing here, with television pundits thankfully insisting he would not stay the extra two furlongs (?) and helping me get a better price. Although he apparently opened at 3/1 (4.0) on course some of us had snapped up a little 4.4 on BETDAQ and then sat back to watch as he bobbed along mid field before looking to work his way in to contention, and power clear for a seven length success. Fact is this was a serious training performance by Willie Mullins and I wonder how long it can be before a billionaire owner tempts him to work on the flat with the bluebloods and ignore Cheltenham and the like?
As I write this the second finalist has only just been decided after a far better match than many expected, so time to nail my colours to the mast with a bet on the final. Naturally, it seems sure to be cagier than the earlier rounds (more to lose I suppose), but I do get the feeling that Spain are beginning to look pretty tired, and I am still anything but convinced about the idea of playing without an out an out striker. To me that could play in to the hands of the Italian (and Yes, I expected to write “Germans” there), who seem almost destined to win having struggled to crawl out of their group, been all over England and now seeing off one of the favourites. I can in all honesty see a final where both sides could cancel each other out plus a few cynical fouls and plenty of play acting which is never good for the game, but 2.66 for the Italian win looks value to me and worthy of a point in a game where I just do not see a clear favourite.
Horse racing are next on my long list of sports to bet on this weekend and there is so much quality action around the Country that I feel spoilt for choice! Something for everybody and better prices on BETDAQ mean more bets than normal I suppose (I can’t help it), but ten if one or two win we can all be quids in which has to be worth the risk? We won’t get rich backing the best horse on show this weekend but it will be a shock if Camelot gets beaten in the Irish Derby from The Curragh on Saturday but even BETDAQ odds of 1.31 can’t tempt me even though I suspect the jockey needs to fall off for him to lose. Newcastle put on one of the best betting races of the year on Saturday when up to twenty runners go to post for the Northumberland Plate, a two mile handicap and lucky pin job but if he has recovered from Royal Ascot, I will be on Gulf Of Naples for Mark Johnston. He ran an absolute blinder in the Gold Cup over two and a half miles when less than two lengths fourth after trying to make all the running, never giving up and finishing in front of horses officially rated his betters. Now officially rated 113 he runs off his old mark of 107 here (thanks to the race rules), which makes this progressive stayer effectively six pounds well in and worthy of an each way bet at the current BETDAQ price of 8.5 the win and 3.2 the place, though as I write they have just abandoned Friday’s card so the meeting may not even be on (meaning all my work could be for nothing)!
Higher up the racing scale in the non handicaps at Newmarket, I have been following Baileys Jubilee ever since she won so impressively here back in April and looked top class. You guessed it, three more runs have seen her well and truly put in her place though last time out she did get badly hampered at Ascot and that run can be forgiven. How many chances any of us give her is up to each individual but I am going in again for the Listed race at 2.30pm where I am hoping Kieren Fallon can steer her away from trouble and at least in to the front three.
Golf bets are beyond me but not beyond others and Ryan Nelson is then one I have been told to be on in the A T & T National this weekend. 29.0 with BETDAQ is not as big as I hoped but bigger than elsewhere (have a look though, you could get lucky), but he is the “form horse” in the field outside of the big names who attract all the punter cash, leaving us with chances to make some money. Again, picking a winner seems to me to be asking too much but if he has a good round or even two we should be able to get out at a lower price and guarantee to lock in a profit.
This week’s suggested bets (odds correct at the time of writing):
Football:
2pts Win ITALY Euro 2012 Final Sunday at BETDAQ odds of 2.66
Horse racing:
1pt Each Way GULF OF NAPLES 3.20pm Newcastle Saturday at BETDAQ odds of 8.5 the win and 3.2 the place
1pt each way BAILEYS JUBILEE 2.30pm Newmarket Saturday at BETDAQ odds.
Golf:
1pt Win RYAN NELSON A T & T National this weekend at BETDAQ odds of 29.0 with the intention of getting out at a profit if he makes the cut (or before).
Did you know that as well as checking the realtime prices on BETDAQ below – you can also log into your account and place your bets directly into BETDAQ from BETDAQ TIPS.
