THE BETDAQ PUNTER returns with his usual mix of looking back on the highs and lows of his betting week on BETDAQ and looking forward to this weekend.
It was a profitable weekend seven days ago – now for this weekend with bets on the horses, football and basketball.
But firstly, how did last week fare?
Friday
With so much ahead of me at the weekend and a late night in store for the NBA basketball I only had the one bet on the horses when the excellent David O’Meara sent Gandalak back to the track under a penalty in the 4.00pm at Musselburgh. 2.5 on BETDAQ was the best I could find, but I had a decent chunk on after the way he hacked up in his previous race, and lo and behold, if anything this was even more impressive. I doubt connections were quite so pleased with the four and a half length winning margin which will draw the handicappers’ attentions but a win is a win for me and a good weekend was now a certainty! After what I believe they call a “power nap” I got my bets on for the basketball and watched them both win with a bit in hand (88-80 and 118-105), though naturally I wish I had a) had more on and b) backed them in a double but greed is not a good habit and life goes on with Newmarket and Goodwood tomorrow afternoon.
Saturday
An early start to read the racing press left me even more confused than I was before with tips recorded for five different runners in the 2000 Guineas from the National papers without all the various websites and other “services”. The market suggested Toronado ahead of Dawn Approach and as I hate changing my mind, I settled for a small win bet on the Hannon three year old as well as a small each way bet on Piscean at Goodwood – he looked thrown in off his handicap mark in comparison to his all-weather rating and seemed over priced at 25.0 the win and 7.4 the place though not too much was risked after such a great start to my weekend! Turns out discretion was certainly the better part of valour on the horses at least as Toronado faded badly after looking as if he may make a fight of things and Piscean finished ahead of three horses shorter in the betting after a troubled passage – but still a long way off the pace in tenth. The one bet on the football as advised last week came off (Aston Villa to win at Norwich), though I am still kicking myself for failing to back Wigan as well – it crossed my mind as an option on more than one occasion yet I failed to follow up.
Sunday
Ladies day at Newmarket, two cracking Premier league football matches, and some NBA Basketball at sensible times (not two in the morning) left me feeling rather spoilt for choice as to where to speculate this Sunday. Everton to beat Liverpool at BETDAQ odds of 4.6 was a given (as a true blue myself), and Chelsea to beat Manchester United also looked good value at 3.35 having watched the Champions lethargic display last week, while both Oklahoma City Thunder (1.68) and the new York Knicks (1.44) carried yet more of my BETDAQ balance. As for the horses, well a little bet on Rasmeyaa (13.5/4.1) in the 1000 Guineas added to Lady Nouf (6.2/2.09) in the 5.00pm, for a win and place double would more than do for me to very small stakes. Naturally, it all went badly wrong with a 0-0 draw in the Liverpool derby (and a win for Chelsea thank you very much) but my Guineas runner was out with the washing though it was a fun day none the less and I am slowly learning to take (very small) losses on the chin.
Monday
Horses today plus a small Premier league bet sees me looking for the top trainers again just for the fun of it. I know I am supposed to bet with my mind and not with my heart but I am so against the way Stoke have been playing this season (its football lads, not rugby), that I have no moral choice but to back Sunderland at BETDAQ odds of 2.2 and although I do not know any Italian swear words, I am willing to bet good money that the Sunderland players do after a dressing down from Paulo Di Canio following their last capitulation! My new shortened trainers list (it got out of hand the other week!) only contains the top two names by percentages and that leave me with Daniel Loughnane and William Haggas for the next few days. For Shia and Lua runs at Bath (5.15) as does Nafa (5.45) for Danny, with two at Windsor one at Warwick and one at Bath for the son in law of Lester Piggott. BETDAQ odds of 4.7, 17.0, 5.7, 4.7, and 4.1 only gave me the one winner (4.7 shot For Shia And Lua) for a small loss added to my football loser – not the best day but nothing too shocking.
Tuesday
Only the two bets on the trainers to follow concept today (Cross My Heart 4.20pm Yarmouth and Noble Deed 8.10pm Catterick), so I need to look elsewhere for some other opportunities and voila, Premiership football! Manchester City were doubled up with Wigan in a home win double at BETDAQ odds of 1.44 and 1.84 though as I was not overly convinced Wigan should be odds on, my bet size was reduced accordingly. That was certainly the best move I made as Cross My Heart lost, Noble Deed failed to turn up, and Wigan lost at home (and in my opinion seem almost certain for relegation), so not the best of days but small bets so what the heck!
Wednesday
Confession time – I have signed up to a free ratings service for a short period (is that desperation?), and although there are varying options (ditching – backing more than one horse in a race) and so on, I decided a tiny bet with BETDAQ on the top rated was my way forward. Thanks to a day at work with yet more meetings I placed my bets bright and early with Ile De Re 2.45pm Chester (29.0), Noble Storm 3.15pm Chester (10.0), No Quarter 6.00pm Newcastle (18.5), King Pin 6.30pm Newcastle (7.8), Bright Applause 7.30pm Newcastle (5.4), and Jeannie Galloway 8.00pm Newcastle (8.0). Plenty laid out for a Wednesday, so best to leave the football alone for a change, and pray for just one winner at those sort of prices! Naturally, they had their worst day for ages (is that true or do they just say that to mugs like me I wonder?) with just the one winner at odds of 5.4 not covering the other losses (not quite) but we live to fight another day.
Thursday
In for a penny in for a pound ought to be my new motto as I tried the ratings once again like a punting lemming rushing over a cliff. Sir John Hawkwood 1.45 Chester (5.4), Proofreader 5.00pm Chester (6.8), Aussie Reigns 2.30pm Goodwood (12.0), Welsh Inlet 4.05pm Goodwood (46.0), and Our Folly 4.40pm (3.3), Goodwood were those I was stopping with my cash, though as an Everton supporter my mind was elsewhere with the Moyesiah (David Moyes) off to pastures new, though I did have a decent bet on Leicester v Watford – both teams to score – where the 1.71 on BETDAQ looked just too tempting with the home team needing to score and the away team free scoring all season. Back to the horses (now the results are in) and winners at 5.4, and 3.3 put a smile back on to my face with some up to the minute profit and if they continue like this, I may even let you know who they are in the near future! All I now had to do was sit down with a cold one and watch the football (there are worse ways to waste an evening), and as you may know by now, another bet was lost as Watford failed to score, which caught me completely off guard.
Conclusions:
Bet of the week – Aston Villa winning last weekend – my biggest bet of the week was a successful one for a change.
Disaster of the week – Tuesday! A losing bet on the horses and a losing double on the football – small stakes but that was as bad as it got thank goodness.
Something for the weekend:
Short sweet and profitable last week with one winning football bet (from one), two winning basketball bets (from two), but bet not to mention the horses! I am happy to settle for one bet on the horses this week when Derby runner up Main Sequence heads to Ascot and is the talk of the racing press. He has (apparently) been gelded since last year which has made a man of him (work that one out), has won first time out in both his season to date, and has loftier targets than the Listed race due off at 2.40pm all be them later in the season, and he really ought to win this if the Eclipse is really on his radar for 2013?
Away from the horses and back to the football when Manchester City take on Wigan in a David and Goliath FA Cup Final Saturday afternoon. Odds of 1.37 for a City win does not really appeal but the 2.0 about Manchester City to be winning at half time and full time looks like better value and may be worth a point this weekend?
Finally (no point in giving it all back to the layers thank you very much), how about a Basketball bet on the favourites over the weekend? Friday night/Saturday morning should see easy wins for Miami Heat (1.5), Memphis Grizzlies (1.5), and if we add in the Indiana Pacers (Saturday night/Sunday morning) at odds around 1.6, then the treble is worth a point, if only for a bit of a laugh.
This week’s suggested bets (all prices with BETDAQ and correct at the time of writing):
Horse racing Saturday
2pts Win Main Sequence 2.40pm Ascot
Weekend Football
Saturday
1pt win Manchester City – Manchester City (half time full time) at odds of 2.0 F.A. Cup Final Saturday
Basketball Friday Night/Saturday morning and Saturday night/Sunday morning (NBA).
1pt Win treble Miami Heat (1.5), Memphis Grizzlies (1.5), and Indiana Pacers (1.6) for a 3.6 treble.
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.
