5/12

All mentioned horses placed bar the gamble Cricket Boy. Or Jaune was stone last, ideal for the lay, and Besiktas - I was pleased with the 0-0 cover as I did expect a tight game, and it ended 0-0 so I simply won my stake back - no losses

HEavy ground at Wetherby and Chepstow and Navan today makes betting difficult

1250 STHL
BETTING FORECAST: 11/10 Brigadoon, 6/4 Going French, 9/1 Adam De Beaulieu, 10/1 Maldon Prom, 14/1 Major Monty, 50/1 Dispol Fay, R Woody, 66/1 Safari Camp.

DIOMED VERDICT: A toss-up between BRIGADOON and the more battle-hardened Going French, with the selection arguably having the more scope for improvement.

Class 6 2 year old 5 furlong event here and no ground concerns. Will this involve the front 2?

Going french has been placed 6 times, but Brigadoon has Fallon on board 1.23 and 1.28 the front 2 to place

100 NAVAN
BETTING FORECAST: 4/6 Osana, 5/2 Dancing Tornado, 7/2 Fisher Bridge, 16/1 Port La Chaine.

2/11 the fav now and looks a 3 horse race with 2 places. HEavy ground but Osana was a winner in heavy in a 14 runner event last time No place market for some reason.

110 WETHERBY
BETTING FORECAST: Evs Rory Boy, 11/10 Gansey, 8/1 Calin Royal, 200/1 Allegedly Red.

DIOMED VERDICT: Gansey and Calin Royal will relish underfoot conditions, but RORY BOY's form looks very strong in this context and he must be hard to beat if he adapts to the ground.

One clear outsider makes this an interesting probability race for place only betting. Gansey won in heavy last time, but Rory is a potential " hard to beat" with the proviso he handles ground as he has generally been running in good. Again where is the place only market on BEtfair?

135 CHePSTOW
BETTING FORECAST: 8/13 The Begrudger, 5/1 Strategic Approach, 6/1 Bally Sands, 8/1 Inside Dealer, 16/1 Quintero, 33/1 Norwest, Sandofthecolosseum, 40/1 Holmwood Legend, 50/1 Tallyho Tara, 100/1 Classic Diamond, Joe Twist.

DIOMED VERDICT: The sky is the limit for THE BEGRUDGER and it will be disappointing if he is beaten here.

"from the family of Denman" - nice!! Price gapper here and I suppose as an Irish pointer he will be used to heavy cos all it does over here is rain, rain, rain! 1.18 to place and confidence in the market

5 of the 11 runners are 50/1 or bigger

200 NAVAN
BETTING FORECAST: 2/5 Quinola Des Obeaux, 7/2 Bostons Angel, 8/1 Glenstal Abbey, 14/1 Quito De La Roque, 20/1 Bideford Legend, 25/1 Thelobstercatcher, 33/1 Gaelic Grounds.

Obligatory Mullins odds on shots usually deliver, only 2 places though 1.19 to place

620 WOLVES
BETTING FORECAST: 13/8 James Barrymore, 11/4 High Constable, 5/1 Fusaichi Flyer, 6/1 Barreq, 13/2 Saharia, 16/1 Ming Master, 50/1 A P Ling, Set In Ice.

DIOMED VERDICT: JAMES BARRYMORE has the form and experience to win an ordinary maiden like this.

Same connections as Toss off yesterday who placed with ease for Richard Hughes and Hannon.
The straight 8, and 2 very clear outsiders reduce the competitive field to 6, 3 to place.
Good recent placed form 1.13 to place

750 WOLVES
BETTING FORECAST: 13/8 Full Toss, 5/2 Bee Stinger, 9/2 Chocolate Caramel, 13/2 Red Expresso, 10/1 Acropolis, Anfield Road, 33/1 Midnight Bay, 150/1 Bond Cruz.

DIOMED VERDICT: BEEst try at 1m4f last time and he can go one better.

The aforementioned Full Toss a non runner, and the close proimity of BEe stinger in the betting forecast augurs well as Full toss won yesterday. Will this be 2 or 3 places? es , 3 places but prices not formed properly given 8 hours to the off.

FOOTBALL - Portsmouth v Burnley - generally overs in Burnley's away games -could look at over 1.5 goals. 1.32
Arsenal v Stoke - 1.26 - tricky to call as Van Persie still out? 4 draws away from Stoke, and a 1-0 win away to Spurs means that Stoke can be good spoilers. 1.21 over 1.5 goals. Stoke have played 3 of the top 4 and lost 2-1 and 2-0 away to Chelsea and Man Utd. Lost 4-0 away to Liverpool.Will Stoke do what they did to Spurs and get an away goal then shut em out.
West Ham V United - over 2.5 goals in all home games this season and over 2.5 goals in their last 10 games. HAve scored twice against Arse and Liverpool. 1-0 Man Utd win last time.
Under Zola, Hammers are set up to attack , but will they be set to frustrate? Looks good for over 1.5 goals today. Or a lay of West Ham. United have lost 3 already away from home, and this will not sit well with Fergie

Real v Almeria - Almeria held Barca to a 1-0 win at the Nou camp, and Real have been winning 1-0's recently in edgy affairs, thanks largely to Higuan despite a misfiring Kaka who has been Kaka this season
Looks another for my patented back home team and cover the stakes on the 0-0

Deportivo v Barca - poor against Xerez but respect to Xerez for shutting them out. Barca have tended to be held in away games - 3 draws and 3 2-0's are the main scorelines away for Barca. The team were was shuffled a bit against Xerez. 3 1-0 home wins for Depor so they can score and keep scorers ( like Sevilla) to zero goals .

SHORTLIST
Heavy ground at most jumps venues means good opportunities go amiss.
1250 STHL - Going french has placed in 6 of 7 starts, unplaced only in class 2 ( expected) - market mover Maldon Prom may be fly in the ointment.
Hope is this is between the front 2. Can Going French place again?

135 CHePSTOW - the begrudger has not run under rules and a degree of caution that he may be overbet given his relations to Denman .First run since 15th March though,first run over obstacles in a race environment, 3 miles and heavy
620 wOLVEs - James barrymore 1.13 to place is reasonable enough for the Hughes/Hannon combo in a race which should involve just 6
750 wolves - Bee stinger v interesting given this is still 3 places.
Arsenal v Stoke - shut em out or will the free scoring home side show themselves. Intriguing game .Expect a home win given Stoke's record v top 4 sides this season
West Ham v United - over 1.5 goals 1.28 could give us a good run for our money, just as long as the last head to head 1-0 isn't replicated. Hammers last 10 have been over 2.5 goals, and all home games been over 2.5 goals
Real Madrid - I would back Real and then cover stake with a 0-0.
ONE A DAY
HORSES - 620 Wolves - james barrymore looks worthy of a place today for the winning combo yesterday in a race where only 6 should be battling for 3 places
BUT with another non runner in the 750 Wolves, Bee stinger, under Fallon, only has 3 to beat to place with nearest rival, yesterday's winner Full Toss not running - one clear outsider leaves 5 fighting for 3 places. Low grade claimer but should be competitive to place and right man on board
FOOTBALL
Given Stoke's losing record against top 4 sides, Arsenal should win eventually at 1.25 and I am sure Wenger will have noted how good they were versus Spuds who usually score plentiful. Trade out after the Arsenal breakthrough. Potential to cover the 0-0 incase the Stoke bus is playing!!
Hammers games are over 2.5 goals heaven and the hope is this continues against United with 1.28 eminently tradeable. The ideal is a Hammers first goal as I cannot see United not making an eventual breakthrough.
SO, for me, the rock solid bet today would seem to be the straight Arsenal win, tradeable after they score first.
Good luck