We don't usually follow the crowd, but it's probably timely to let you know what Aussiepunt has in store for 2010:
1. Although based in Australia, it is our mission to cover global sports, and this year there will be plenty. The Winter Olympics kicks off in February and our collaboration with www.winterolympicsformguide.com promises to be a terrific one. Then comes the Soccer World Cup. The Commonwealth Games might not interest our North American friends, but where there's an opportunity to find a winner, that's where our main interest lies.
2. More form guides: One of our most well read types of article in 2009 was the form guides we produced for certain events, some of them a little obscure such as the World Series of Poker final table. We'll be looking at ways to keep bringing these to you free of charge. While other sites are for fun, we insist we're here for the fun of it.
3. Celebrity Tipster Friday: We had plenty of success thanks to help from our celebrity tipsters in 2009. Your bankroll, if you followed our punting advice, would have trebled in two months! And while that died off a little towards the end of the year, we'll be endeavouring to bring some of the world's leading punters to the hot seat every Friday, starting with some English Premier League tips next week.
4. News: We're on the media lists of the world's leading bookmakers and sportsbooks. When they've got something to say, we'll let you know.
5. Theories, advice and tips: We're not always right with our betting strategy, but we like to think we're more right than most. Whatever the synopsis, at least we've got the courage to air it for all to see.
6. Keep up to date: If you want up-to-the-minute updates from our blog, follow us at Twitter @globalpunt ... at last count, about 1600 people already were.
7. Free site: We don't charge for any of our information. And we like to be open about what we do. The only way we make money is from the occasional referral to betfair or other reputable sportsbook (see the ads at the right of the page), or the few cents we get if you click on one of the Google ads on this page. For about $1 a day, it's hardly a living, but it's subtle motivation. Well, we did say we did it for the love of it.
8. Interaction: Please, if you've got something to say or share, don't hesitate to add it to the site. We're open to criticism, and we love a chat.
With that promise (you might call it a new year's resolution of sorts), Aussiepunt wishes all readers a happy and prosperous 2010 - we'll certainly be doing our best to help you keep it that way!
Friday, January 1, 2010
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Computer withdrawal symptoms
It's been a long time since I've been without computer access for a week, and I'm getting severe withdrawals.
Apologies to regular readers of this blog for not updating over the past week, but I'll be back on the air in the new year, at which time we'll have plenty of Winter Olympics tips, soccer, horse racing, the list goes on ... if they compete and there's odds on it, we'll be talking about it.
Until then, happy new year to all.
Apologies to regular readers of this blog for not updating over the past week, but I'll be back on the air in the new year, at which time we'll have plenty of Winter Olympics tips, soccer, horse racing, the list goes on ... if they compete and there's odds on it, we'll be talking about it.
Until then, happy new year to all.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Winter Olympics 2010 downhill form guide
I've managed to get a bit of a Christmas present from the team at www.winterolympicsformguide.com. I can't get all the detailed form information, but the synopsis might help when you're trying to pick winners from the World Cup races happening fairly much each weekend leading up to the Vancouver Games.
And the event is the Men's Downhill, which kicks off on the opening day of competition at the Winter Olympics.
The Downhill is pure speed, a race against the clock to the bottom of a defined course.
In many ways, it is the most raw of all Winter Olympic events, at least those on skis.
It is also one of the most dangerous as skiers clock massive speeds. The danger is no better typified by the horrific crash which left Swiss skier Daniel Albrecht in a coma for three weeks with brain and lung injuries.
Albrecht’s story also typifies the courage of these athletes, for he not only survived, but he has vowed to return to the sport, perhaps in 2011.
In an effort to push the limits of their potential, most skiers have crashed out at some point. Already this season, world champion John Kucera has been eliminated from the Winter Olympics after breaking his leg. It's a big blow to the competition, but an even bigger blow to the Canadians who would have ranked him as one of their Gold Medal hopes.
This, however, is the Winter Olympics. All will be doing what they can to win a medal, ultimately gold.
Hundredths of a second can regularly determine placings in Downhill, as it can for most alpine events. That doesn’t leave a lot of room for the better skiers to put in a conservative first run. Rather, they’ll likely be giving it their all from the outset.
When it comes to picking a winner, that makes any selection a bit of a lottery. However, we’ll look for performance indicators which improve our chances and push the percentages in our favour.
The FIS will release its final rankings on January 18, which will allow us to assess the final field. But, based on 2009 rankings and performances in World Cup, European Cup and other FIS races, we’ll have an early look at the top chances.
Not only will that give us a good indication of who might figure in the medals in Vancouver, it will give us a clear view of who to keep an eye on in the two months leading up to the premier event as skiers vie for world champion status.
Manuel Osborne-Paradis (Canada)
Keep an eye on this man – very closely. He’s a Downhill specialist with some interest in the Super G. Ranked 5th in the world, the Canadian speedster will not only have local screaming and cow bells on his side, he’ll have plenty of local knowledge. As a member of Whistler Mountain Ski Club, the 25-year-old will have an appreciation of the course like no other competitor, with an ability to match. Watch the market but we’ll be tipping him early as one of the favourites to win the event. And with Kucera out, the expectation grows even more.
Aksel Lund Svindal (Norway)
The Norwegian turns 27 in December and is in the prime of his career, at the beginning of 2009 crowned overall alpine world champion. He also tops the rankings in Super-G and will no doubt be a threat at the Vancouver Olympics in that discipline, the downhill and the giant slalom. He’s one of the few skiiers in with a realistic chance of multiple medals in the alpine events.
Michael Walchhofer (Austria)
At 34, Walchhofer is one of the veterans of the strong Austrian team, but he is also one of the fastest. In peak condition, this man is true speed and will no doubt be right in the hunt when it comes medal time in the Downhill and Super-G events. Walchhofer is ranked first in the world in Downhill and has some consistent performances. Ignore the 12th place at the World Championships. But we do need to be mindful that his last World Cup victory was in December 2008. If you want a good sighter in Vancouver, this is one of your leading men.
Carlo Janka (Switzerland)
At 23, Janka is the golden boy of the Swiss team and will likely compete in all disciplines. At the World Championships in France in February, he placed first in the Giant Slalom, finishing 0.7 seconds ahead of his nearest rival. That might not seem like a lot, but it’s a sport where hundredths of a second can separate the top few, as happened with the Downhill at the same event where Janka finished third, 0.17 behind the gold medal winner. Already a proven big-race performer and likely only to improve when it comes to February, expect him to be well in the mix in the Downhill event. Ignore some ordinary late-season World Cup finishes to focus on current form, a third at the World Championships and a second in Canada in November 2008.
Didier Cuche (Switzerland)
This guy is likely to start one of the three top favourites for the Downhill and rightly so. At 35, Cuche is a veteran of the sport, but is still going strong as the world’s third ranked all-round alpine skiier. Cuche was in 2007 and 2008 ranked the world’s top Downhill skiier and is unlikely to be outside the top 5 when competitors head through the gates for their gold medal run. It won’t take much for him to recapture form which made him one of the most feared competitors on the planet. His proven record under pressure make him one of the most solid bets of the alpine racing agenda, albeit no certainty to pick up the gold. And his early 2010 form has been absolutely fantastic, of the highest order in the sport. He'll probably be a 3-star pick in our book.
Werner Heel (Italy)
The 27-year-old Italian speedster will likely start one of the favourites for the Super-G. His grace and strength is of the highest ilk and he’s beaten all-comers. Despite being without a World Cup win in the Downhill, he could find himself on the podium if it all comes together for him in Vancouver. He will, however, have to make up a couple of seconds on the quality field, which he might have done during off-season training. Heel is definitely one to follow in the World Cup events before the Olympics.
Klaus Kroell (Austria)
Consistent top 10 finishes in World Cup Downhill competitions see him ranked second in the world for the event. Kroell’s two wins early this year on the World Cup circuit – one in Downhill and the other in Super G – showed that he is a skiier now to be respected. At 29, he is entering his prime at the right time for the Olympics and might be one of the Austrians to shine in Vancouver. We’ll have an eye on his lead-up performances to see how he’s tracking. One of the problems facing all Austrian skiiers is selection, but his timely form might see him nudging for a medal.
Didier Defago (Switzerland)
Defago has an overall world ranking of 6th, having broken into the top 10 off the back of solid performances in two disciplines – the Downhill and Super-G in 2009. Speed is the essence for the all-rounder. At 32, it is remarkable that the Swiss skiier was only last year able to attain a career-high ranking after almost 14 years on the world circuit. This is likely to be his last Olympics and his form indicates he could spring an upset – or at least a medal. He’ll certainly be hungry enough, and with eight Olympic starts already, and 191 World Cup appearances, he might prove to be one of the great tales of the Vancouver Games. Late-season form in March was ordinary, but don’t overlook back-to-back World Cup victories in January – the only skier on the circuit to achieve the feat.
Romed Baumann (Austria)
We’ve included Baumann in the Downhill form guide purely because of his age. At 23, he is better performed in Super Combined and Giant Slalom. But with consistent top 20 finishes in the Downhill, it is worth keeping an eye on his form leading up to the Olympics.
Christof Innerhofer (Italy)
Innerhofer is an accomplished all-rounder and Italy’s best chance of a medal. He carries plenty of speed in the Downhill, and will no doubt pressure the leaders in other events as well. At 25, and in comparison to many of his opponents, Innerhofer is relatively inexperienced with only 50+ World Cup starts and in his first Olympics. But he is a rising star and this might be his opportunity to put his mark firmly on the international scene. Being young and fast, his biggest let-down might be volatility. But at an Olympics, going for broke is a good thing. An example is in December 2008 when Innerhofer had two disastrous Downhill finishes in Beaver Creek and Val Gardena-Groeden, before blitzing the slopes in front of his home Bormio crowd to take home a World Cup victory. He’s one to keep on the radar.
Peter Fill (Italy)
Fill is ranked one position above Innerhofer in the overall world standings, and performances indicate they are very close in their ability to medal. Fill is much more experienced than his countryman, and already has a Winter Olympics under his belt which could serve him well in Vancouver. But it’s difficult to see him able to put in the explosive speed required to hit the Downhill podium.
Erik Guay (Canada)
Guay is built for speed, and speed alone. There’ll be none of that twisting and turning nonsense for one of Canada’s great medal hopes. Rest assured, when he’s flying down the slopes, the cow bells will be ringing at their absolute loudest. At 28, he’s had one Olympc start in 2006, and one World Cup victory since. He’s ranked 6th in the world in Downhill. Expect a performance of great heart in front of his home crowd.
Bode Miller (USA)
Along with Hermann Maier, Miller is by far the greatest skiier of recent times. If he overcomes injuries to race, he’ll show versatility like no other on the American team. Miller was world champion by a long way in 2005 and 2008, and clearly in the top 4 since 2002. If fit, he’s a threat in any of the Alpine disciplines. With two silver medals at the 2002 Games, he’d love to add gold to the list, particularly in the twilight of his career. Miller, if there are any doubters about his extraordinary career at elite level, has 31 World Cup victories to his name. He also has 67 podium finishes. He is truly an amazing athlete. We’ll be monitoring his fitness leading up to Vancouver. It could have a huge bearing on who starts favourite for each of the alpine events.
Benjamin Raich (Austria)
Raich might be regarded one of the best all-round skiers in the world, but it would be unlikely for him to medal in the Downhill, probably his weakest discipline. It is most likely, as happened in the World Championships, that he will skip the event to focus on his strongest events. But a great skier is a great skier and it would be reminisce of us not to keep an eye on his World Cup performances in the next couple of months.
Others to watch:
Hans Olssen (Sweden)
The 25-year-old Swede is rising fast in the world Downhill rankings. In his last two starts, he finished less than 6 seconds behind the leader in his home country, at Are, in March, to finish 3rd, and fourth in Norway four days previously. His off-season preparation will determine whether he’s worth seriously watching leading up to the Olympics.
Ambrosi Hoffmann (Switzerland)
The 32-year-old builder knows what it’s like to win a medal, having picked up the bronze in Super-G at the 2006 Games. He trains for speed and with a third and fourth in consecutive World Cup starts in January, is one worth keeping an eye on. He will be one of the more experienced competitors in the field with more than 190 World Cup starts.
Marco Buechel (Liechtenstein)
If Marco Buechel decides to give the Olympics one final tilt, he will almost certainly be one of the oldest competitors in the field. That will make him one of the most experienced, and having been ranked second in the world in Downhill in 2007, and fourth in 2006, he must be respected. He was fourth in this year’s world championships in the Downhill, his best performance for the season. But that just proves that he can be a big-time competitor and might just find himself on the podium if all comes together in Vancouver.
Marco Sullivan (USA)
Sullivan’s late-season form in 2009 was far from awe-inspiring, but he’s proven he can mix it with the best, having finished third in Wengen, Switzerland, in a World Cup Downhill event, and fourth in Italy in December 2008. He’s won FIS races but will need to be at his absolute best to upset more favoured athletes.
Andrej Jerman (Slovenia)
“Jerry”, as he’s known on the circuit, is 31 and has finished on the World Cup podium three times. His best 2009 finish was 4th in a World Cup event in Norway in January. He’s unlikely to be in the medals but will be worth watching in lead-up events.
Adrien Theaux (France)
Theaux is another rising star. At 25, he’s yet to finish on the podium in a world-class event, but form would suggest his first is not far away. It’s unlikely to be at the Olympics, but a couple of top 10 finishes on the circuit towards the end of last season make him worth watching.
Robbie Dixon (Canada)
Dixon is another local hope and has knowledge of the slopes, being based at the Whistler Mountain Ski Club. His form might not be much to write home about, but with a 5th and 7th in Norway against a world class field, the 24-year-old might just be on the rise at the right time. Those two performances saw him sneak into the world’s top 20 rankings for the event for the first time.
And the event is the Men's Downhill, which kicks off on the opening day of competition at the Winter Olympics.
The Downhill is pure speed, a race against the clock to the bottom of a defined course.
In many ways, it is the most raw of all Winter Olympic events, at least those on skis.
It is also one of the most dangerous as skiers clock massive speeds. The danger is no better typified by the horrific crash which left Swiss skier Daniel Albrecht in a coma for three weeks with brain and lung injuries.
Albrecht’s story also typifies the courage of these athletes, for he not only survived, but he has vowed to return to the sport, perhaps in 2011.
In an effort to push the limits of their potential, most skiers have crashed out at some point. Already this season, world champion John Kucera has been eliminated from the Winter Olympics after breaking his leg. It's a big blow to the competition, but an even bigger blow to the Canadians who would have ranked him as one of their Gold Medal hopes.
This, however, is the Winter Olympics. All will be doing what they can to win a medal, ultimately gold.
Hundredths of a second can regularly determine placings in Downhill, as it can for most alpine events. That doesn’t leave a lot of room for the better skiers to put in a conservative first run. Rather, they’ll likely be giving it their all from the outset.
When it comes to picking a winner, that makes any selection a bit of a lottery. However, we’ll look for performance indicators which improve our chances and push the percentages in our favour.
The FIS will release its final rankings on January 18, which will allow us to assess the final field. But, based on 2009 rankings and performances in World Cup, European Cup and other FIS races, we’ll have an early look at the top chances.
Not only will that give us a good indication of who might figure in the medals in Vancouver, it will give us a clear view of who to keep an eye on in the two months leading up to the premier event as skiers vie for world champion status.
Manuel Osborne-Paradis (Canada)
Keep an eye on this man – very closely. He’s a Downhill specialist with some interest in the Super G. Ranked 5th in the world, the Canadian speedster will not only have local screaming and cow bells on his side, he’ll have plenty of local knowledge. As a member of Whistler Mountain Ski Club, the 25-year-old will have an appreciation of the course like no other competitor, with an ability to match. Watch the market but we’ll be tipping him early as one of the favourites to win the event. And with Kucera out, the expectation grows even more.
Aksel Lund Svindal (Norway)
The Norwegian turns 27 in December and is in the prime of his career, at the beginning of 2009 crowned overall alpine world champion. He also tops the rankings in Super-G and will no doubt be a threat at the Vancouver Olympics in that discipline, the downhill and the giant slalom. He’s one of the few skiiers in with a realistic chance of multiple medals in the alpine events.
Michael Walchhofer (Austria)
At 34, Walchhofer is one of the veterans of the strong Austrian team, but he is also one of the fastest. In peak condition, this man is true speed and will no doubt be right in the hunt when it comes medal time in the Downhill and Super-G events. Walchhofer is ranked first in the world in Downhill and has some consistent performances. Ignore the 12th place at the World Championships. But we do need to be mindful that his last World Cup victory was in December 2008. If you want a good sighter in Vancouver, this is one of your leading men.
Carlo Janka (Switzerland)
At 23, Janka is the golden boy of the Swiss team and will likely compete in all disciplines. At the World Championships in France in February, he placed first in the Giant Slalom, finishing 0.7 seconds ahead of his nearest rival. That might not seem like a lot, but it’s a sport where hundredths of a second can separate the top few, as happened with the Downhill at the same event where Janka finished third, 0.17 behind the gold medal winner. Already a proven big-race performer and likely only to improve when it comes to February, expect him to be well in the mix in the Downhill event. Ignore some ordinary late-season World Cup finishes to focus on current form, a third at the World Championships and a second in Canada in November 2008.
Didier Cuche (Switzerland)
This guy is likely to start one of the three top favourites for the Downhill and rightly so. At 35, Cuche is a veteran of the sport, but is still going strong as the world’s third ranked all-round alpine skiier. Cuche was in 2007 and 2008 ranked the world’s top Downhill skiier and is unlikely to be outside the top 5 when competitors head through the gates for their gold medal run. It won’t take much for him to recapture form which made him one of the most feared competitors on the planet. His proven record under pressure make him one of the most solid bets of the alpine racing agenda, albeit no certainty to pick up the gold. And his early 2010 form has been absolutely fantastic, of the highest order in the sport. He'll probably be a 3-star pick in our book.
Werner Heel (Italy)
The 27-year-old Italian speedster will likely start one of the favourites for the Super-G. His grace and strength is of the highest ilk and he’s beaten all-comers. Despite being without a World Cup win in the Downhill, he could find himself on the podium if it all comes together for him in Vancouver. He will, however, have to make up a couple of seconds on the quality field, which he might have done during off-season training. Heel is definitely one to follow in the World Cup events before the Olympics.
Klaus Kroell (Austria)
Consistent top 10 finishes in World Cup Downhill competitions see him ranked second in the world for the event. Kroell’s two wins early this year on the World Cup circuit – one in Downhill and the other in Super G – showed that he is a skiier now to be respected. At 29, he is entering his prime at the right time for the Olympics and might be one of the Austrians to shine in Vancouver. We’ll have an eye on his lead-up performances to see how he’s tracking. One of the problems facing all Austrian skiiers is selection, but his timely form might see him nudging for a medal.
Didier Defago (Switzerland)
Defago has an overall world ranking of 6th, having broken into the top 10 off the back of solid performances in two disciplines – the Downhill and Super-G in 2009. Speed is the essence for the all-rounder. At 32, it is remarkable that the Swiss skiier was only last year able to attain a career-high ranking after almost 14 years on the world circuit. This is likely to be his last Olympics and his form indicates he could spring an upset – or at least a medal. He’ll certainly be hungry enough, and with eight Olympic starts already, and 191 World Cup appearances, he might prove to be one of the great tales of the Vancouver Games. Late-season form in March was ordinary, but don’t overlook back-to-back World Cup victories in January – the only skier on the circuit to achieve the feat.
Romed Baumann (Austria)
We’ve included Baumann in the Downhill form guide purely because of his age. At 23, he is better performed in Super Combined and Giant Slalom. But with consistent top 20 finishes in the Downhill, it is worth keeping an eye on his form leading up to the Olympics.
Christof Innerhofer (Italy)
Innerhofer is an accomplished all-rounder and Italy’s best chance of a medal. He carries plenty of speed in the Downhill, and will no doubt pressure the leaders in other events as well. At 25, and in comparison to many of his opponents, Innerhofer is relatively inexperienced with only 50+ World Cup starts and in his first Olympics. But he is a rising star and this might be his opportunity to put his mark firmly on the international scene. Being young and fast, his biggest let-down might be volatility. But at an Olympics, going for broke is a good thing. An example is in December 2008 when Innerhofer had two disastrous Downhill finishes in Beaver Creek and Val Gardena-Groeden, before blitzing the slopes in front of his home Bormio crowd to take home a World Cup victory. He’s one to keep on the radar.
Peter Fill (Italy)
Fill is ranked one position above Innerhofer in the overall world standings, and performances indicate they are very close in their ability to medal. Fill is much more experienced than his countryman, and already has a Winter Olympics under his belt which could serve him well in Vancouver. But it’s difficult to see him able to put in the explosive speed required to hit the Downhill podium.
Erik Guay (Canada)
Guay is built for speed, and speed alone. There’ll be none of that twisting and turning nonsense for one of Canada’s great medal hopes. Rest assured, when he’s flying down the slopes, the cow bells will be ringing at their absolute loudest. At 28, he’s had one Olympc start in 2006, and one World Cup victory since. He’s ranked 6th in the world in Downhill. Expect a performance of great heart in front of his home crowd.
Bode Miller (USA)
Along with Hermann Maier, Miller is by far the greatest skiier of recent times. If he overcomes injuries to race, he’ll show versatility like no other on the American team. Miller was world champion by a long way in 2005 and 2008, and clearly in the top 4 since 2002. If fit, he’s a threat in any of the Alpine disciplines. With two silver medals at the 2002 Games, he’d love to add gold to the list, particularly in the twilight of his career. Miller, if there are any doubters about his extraordinary career at elite level, has 31 World Cup victories to his name. He also has 67 podium finishes. He is truly an amazing athlete. We’ll be monitoring his fitness leading up to Vancouver. It could have a huge bearing on who starts favourite for each of the alpine events.
Benjamin Raich (Austria)
Raich might be regarded one of the best all-round skiers in the world, but it would be unlikely for him to medal in the Downhill, probably his weakest discipline. It is most likely, as happened in the World Championships, that he will skip the event to focus on his strongest events. But a great skier is a great skier and it would be reminisce of us not to keep an eye on his World Cup performances in the next couple of months.
Others to watch:
Hans Olssen (Sweden)
The 25-year-old Swede is rising fast in the world Downhill rankings. In his last two starts, he finished less than 6 seconds behind the leader in his home country, at Are, in March, to finish 3rd, and fourth in Norway four days previously. His off-season preparation will determine whether he’s worth seriously watching leading up to the Olympics.
Ambrosi Hoffmann (Switzerland)
The 32-year-old builder knows what it’s like to win a medal, having picked up the bronze in Super-G at the 2006 Games. He trains for speed and with a third and fourth in consecutive World Cup starts in January, is one worth keeping an eye on. He will be one of the more experienced competitors in the field with more than 190 World Cup starts.
Marco Buechel (Liechtenstein)
If Marco Buechel decides to give the Olympics one final tilt, he will almost certainly be one of the oldest competitors in the field. That will make him one of the most experienced, and having been ranked second in the world in Downhill in 2007, and fourth in 2006, he must be respected. He was fourth in this year’s world championships in the Downhill, his best performance for the season. But that just proves that he can be a big-time competitor and might just find himself on the podium if all comes together in Vancouver.
Marco Sullivan (USA)
Sullivan’s late-season form in 2009 was far from awe-inspiring, but he’s proven he can mix it with the best, having finished third in Wengen, Switzerland, in a World Cup Downhill event, and fourth in Italy in December 2008. He’s won FIS races but will need to be at his absolute best to upset more favoured athletes.
Andrej Jerman (Slovenia)
“Jerry”, as he’s known on the circuit, is 31 and has finished on the World Cup podium three times. His best 2009 finish was 4th in a World Cup event in Norway in January. He’s unlikely to be in the medals but will be worth watching in lead-up events.
Adrien Theaux (France)
Theaux is another rising star. At 25, he’s yet to finish on the podium in a world-class event, but form would suggest his first is not far away. It’s unlikely to be at the Olympics, but a couple of top 10 finishes on the circuit towards the end of last season make him worth watching.
Robbie Dixon (Canada)
Dixon is another local hope and has knowledge of the slopes, being based at the Whistler Mountain Ski Club. His form might not be much to write home about, but with a 5th and 7th in Norway against a world class field, the 24-year-old might just be on the rise at the right time. Those two performances saw him sneak into the world’s top 20 rankings for the event for the first time.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Congratulations Miss Gibraltar
I thought I'd share one of the more unusual press releases I've received from bookmakers recently. Victor Chandler moved to Gibraltar, so why not rally his own!
And if anybody took the 250-1, can you let me know?
Victor Chandler offered his congratulations to newly crowned Miss World, Kaiane Aldorino.
The Gibraltar based bookmaker, who changed the online gaming industry forever when he moved from London to Gibraltar 10 years ago, said that the winner had been subject to a large number of bets from local residents.
Victor Chandler, Chairman, commented “The rules only recently changed to allow Gibraltar residents to bet with me, but a lot of local residents are glad they did!
Kaiane was initially a 250/1 outsider, and was still rated 14/1 sixth favourite on Friday, and whilst no residents were on at 250/1 many backed Kaiane at 14/1, and I am genuinely pleased to pay them all.
I am thrilled both for Kaiane and for the whole of Gibraltar.”
And if anybody took the 250-1, can you let me know?
Victor Chandler offered his congratulations to newly crowned Miss World, Kaiane Aldorino.
The Gibraltar based bookmaker, who changed the online gaming industry forever when he moved from London to Gibraltar 10 years ago, said that the winner had been subject to a large number of bets from local residents.
Victor Chandler, Chairman, commented “The rules only recently changed to allow Gibraltar residents to bet with me, but a lot of local residents are glad they did!
Kaiane was initially a 250/1 outsider, and was still rated 14/1 sixth favourite on Friday, and whilst no residents were on at 250/1 many backed Kaiane at 14/1, and I am genuinely pleased to pay them all.
I am thrilled both for Kaiane and for the whole of Gibraltar.”
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Hong Kong sprint horse racing
I've got some money sitting on Scenic Blast. We'll see how she goes!
This comes from Sportingbet:
All Silent has been backed into outright favourite for the Hong Kong Sprint after a string of big bets were placed on the Graeme Begg trained gelding at Sportingbet Australia.
Sportingbet Australia CEO Michael Sullivan said All Silent had been backed from $5.50 to $4.60 this week and he is now a clear favourite ahead of Sacred Kingdom at $5.00.
“All Silent has clearly been the best backed horse this week with bets of $10,000, $5000 and $4000 struck in the past 24 hours,” Sullivan said.
“His form before leaving Australia was dominant and punters are backing him to reproduce it in Hong Kong which would see him take a power of beating.”
Sullivan said there had also been good support for West Australian galloper Scenic Blast while Apache Cat had been a little easy.
“Scenic Blast has been backed from $7.00 to $6.00 this week as well with one bet of $10,000 struck on him as well,” he said.
“Apache Cat has been $8.00 out to $9.50 at this stage but he does have a cult following and I would expect to see support come for him before the race.”
All Silent is also an even money favourite in Sportingbet’s best of the Aussies market ahead of Scenic Blast at $3.00 and Apache Cat at $3.70.
“All Silent has been the only one punters have wanted in that market and he has also been very well supported in the head to heads against the other two where is obviously a clear favourite,” Sullivan said.
HONG KONG INTERNATIONAL SPRINT
Sportingbet Australia Market
All Silent 4.60
Sacred Kingdom 5.00
Scenic Blast 6.00
Apache Cat 9.50
California Flag 10.00
Cannonball 17.00
Total Gallery 18.00
Inspiration 18.00
Laurel Guerreiro 18.00
War Artist 19.00
Borderlescott 26.00
Green Birdie 34.00
One World 41.00
Joy And Fun 51.00
This comes from Sportingbet:
All Silent has been backed into outright favourite for the Hong Kong Sprint after a string of big bets were placed on the Graeme Begg trained gelding at Sportingbet Australia.
Sportingbet Australia CEO Michael Sullivan said All Silent had been backed from $5.50 to $4.60 this week and he is now a clear favourite ahead of Sacred Kingdom at $5.00.
“All Silent has clearly been the best backed horse this week with bets of $10,000, $5000 and $4000 struck in the past 24 hours,” Sullivan said.
“His form before leaving Australia was dominant and punters are backing him to reproduce it in Hong Kong which would see him take a power of beating.”
Sullivan said there had also been good support for West Australian galloper Scenic Blast while Apache Cat had been a little easy.
“Scenic Blast has been backed from $7.00 to $6.00 this week as well with one bet of $10,000 struck on him as well,” he said.
“Apache Cat has been $8.00 out to $9.50 at this stage but he does have a cult following and I would expect to see support come for him before the race.”
All Silent is also an even money favourite in Sportingbet’s best of the Aussies market ahead of Scenic Blast at $3.00 and Apache Cat at $3.70.
“All Silent has been the only one punters have wanted in that market and he has also been very well supported in the head to heads against the other two where is obviously a clear favourite,” Sullivan said.
HONG KONG INTERNATIONAL SPRINT
Sportingbet Australia Market
All Silent 4.60
Sacred Kingdom 5.00
Scenic Blast 6.00
Apache Cat 9.50
California Flag 10.00
Cannonball 17.00
Total Gallery 18.00
Inspiration 18.00
Laurel Guerreiro 18.00
War Artist 19.00
Borderlescott 26.00
Green Birdie 34.00
One World 41.00
Joy And Fun 51.00
Free sports betting strategy and winning advice
Here's a free copy this sports pick wagering and betting system from the team at www.winterolympicsformguide.com.
Obviously, the blurb below is tailored for the Winter Olympics 2010. But I like it so much I think I might start using it on this blog. What do you think? There's a little bit of advertising rubbish mixed in to promote the site, but you can ignore that.
It's worth a read:
Welcome to a broad explanation of our special 5-star betting strategy.
Being mathematically challenged, it doesn't take too many numbers to confuse me, so I like to keep it simple, and that's what this strategy is - simple and easy to understand.
The beauty of it is it also allows you to make up your own mind. If you read the form and want to put some money on a long shot, go right ahead.
Key recommendations
1. Never deposit a bankroll for more than you can lose. Here at Winter Olympics Form Guide, we have formed partnerships with reputable bookmakers. However, we have refused to take accept affiliate deals. There's a principle behind that decision, an ethically-based decision which says we don't want to be put in a position where we're encouraging members to bet more than they can afford. We want people to be enjoying the Winter Olympics, not crying in their morning wheeties with what Gamblers Anonymous calls a gambling hangover. In essence, you're paying for a service. We want to provide that to the best of our ability, without false incentives causing us to unfairly over-play our hand.
2. Never bet more than 20% of your bankroll on any given outcome. Any bet can lose. Over time, however, statistics are usually what out-guns the bookies. By betting a percentage of our bankroll each time we play, we're still giving ourselves the opportunity to grow our bankroll, but we're also giving ourselves the opportunity to fight another day.
So, we're laying our cards firmly on the table by saying we're not commission-driven. That's why you're paying for this service. We're here to work for you - us versus the bookmakers, or in the case of Betfair, us versus anyone else who wants to take us on.
The second of the two fundamental rules also prevents us from making the number 1 mistake made by many gamblers - it stops us from chasing. One loss can have many doubling up. We shouldn't need to do that to make a profit.
Now, with the formalities out of the way, the 5-star system is quite simple. While it might seem there's a little bit of mathematics involved, it certainly doesn't stretch into the realms of rocket science. And what you see won't be very complicated at all.
As any good punter knows, we should always be trying to give our selection odds - even before we've seen those of the bookie. This allows us to see whether we're getting what those in the business call "unders" or "overs".
For example, if we think Canada should be a 2/3 ($1.50) chance against the USA in an ice hockey battle, and the sportsbook operators are paying 5/4 ($1.25), we would be getting "unders" - under the odds, or less than we think we should be getting on that team. To place that bet would be a bad bet because we're not playing the odds to our advantage. We're wasting our ability to pick winners. If, however, the bookmakers were paying 7/4 ($1.75), we'd gladly place the bet because we would be getting "overs". In other words, we think Canada is a quarter of a point better chance than the bookies do.
In essence, what we'll be doing is giving our selections a rating, from 1-5 stars. And before we continue, in more than a two-horse race (or people or teams as the case is with the Winter Olympics), we rarely recommend anyone take odds of less than 1/2 on ($1.50 for a $1 investment). There is often too much to lose and too little to gain. Take it from a punter who's tried the "sure thing" route on a number of occasions, it's too easy to get seriously hurt!
5 Stars:
If this selection is more than 1/2 ($1.50) with the sportsbook operators, we recommend a bet equalling 20% of your bankroll.
Explanation: This is as close as we'll come to a sure thing. We're very confident this selection will win. For example, one of the shortest prices of the Winter Olympics is likely to be Korean figure skater Yu-Na Kim. We'll place 5 stars beside her name. For argument's sake, let's say the bookmakers are paying 3/5 ($1.60 for a $1 investment), and you have a $100 bankroll, place a $20 bet on her to win the event. If she wins, we have a $32 return on our investment, our bankroll increases 12% and we're in a good position to move onto the next event.
4 Stars:
If this selection is more than 3/2 ($2.50) with the sportsbook operators, we recommend a bet equalling 10% of your bankroll.
Explanation: This will likely be one of the favoured runners who we believe has an even money chance of winning the event. Sportsbook operators work on percentages, too, but they're working on the percentage of bets outlayed on all runners in the field. Due to our form analysis, we will have eliminated most of the field from our calculations. It doesn't mean we're right, it just means we've increased our chances of winning. For poker players, if I'm dealt two Aces, and the player opposite me bets all his chips with two Queens, I will always, without fail, call the bet. I am the best chance to win the hand. We need to play the percentages. For example, let's say Lindsey Vonn wins about half of her World Cup races in the Super G during the two months leading up to the Olympics. We can consider her an even money chance to win the event. If the sportsbooks have her at 3/2 ($2.50), we're getting "overs" and we're happy to place the bet. So, again, if your bankroll is $100, lay a $10 bet. If Vonn wins, we'd have returned $25 and our bankroll will have grown 15%. Nice job team!
3 Stars:
If this selection is more than 5/1 ($6) with the sportsbook operators, we recommend a speculator bet equalling 5% of your bankroll.
Explanation: The Men's Downhill is a very open event. While there are probably more than 10 skiers who could realistically win, there are 5 with form suggesting they are the ones most likely to win. If we think we've found the one MOST likely, we'll put 3 stars beside their name. For example, let's stick with the Men's Downhill. We think there are 5 terrific chances, but we think local Canadian hope Manuel Osborne-Paradis has the best chance. We therefore give him 3 stars. If the sportsbooks have him at, let's be optimistic and say 7-1 ($8), we're getting "overs" and again, If your bankroll is $100, lay a $5 bet. If Osborne-Paradis skis his legs off to win, we pick up a very nice $40 return on investment.
2 Stars:
If this selection is more than 12-1 ($13) with the sportsbook operators, we recommend you consider a small speculator, purely for "value". The size of the bet is your decision, but it should never be more than 5% of your bankroll.
Explanation: This rating is for those selections we think are paying handsome "overs". We might, for example, think that Italian Werner Heel's two World Cup wins in terrific time last season warrant him a 1 in 10 chance or better to win the Super G. But sportsbooks have him at 25/1 (and last time I looked, that's what he was paying). Percentages suggest we're getting way over the odds as we see it. In this case, Heel is a great "value" bet. If he loses, we haven't lost much. If he wins, we collect bit time.
1 Star:
These are competitors we recommend you avoid.
Explanation: At times, we might see a competitor we believe to be paying "unders", or less than we think they're worth. Let's go back to one of our earlier selections, Lindsey Vonn in the Super G. Under the hypothetical scenario above, we've listed her an even money chance to win the event. But sportsbook operators have her at 3/4 ($1.75). In this case, we'll put one star beside her name. We might even have tipped her to win in our selections, but we think the risk is too large to place an investment in the outcome. In other words, the sportsbooks have this selection over-rated.
Of course, we can't tell you what to do with your money. Even if you alter the guidelines, the 5-star strategy is a great way of determining a level of confidence in each pick. Ultimately, you're calling the shots. But you're doing it in an envronment we consider to be the best way to enhance the enjoyment of sport without breaking the bank balance. In face, we believe it's the best way to grow your bank balance.
Good luck, and bring on the Games!
Obviously, the blurb below is tailored for the Winter Olympics 2010. But I like it so much I think I might start using it on this blog. What do you think? There's a little bit of advertising rubbish mixed in to promote the site, but you can ignore that.
It's worth a read:
Welcome to a broad explanation of our special 5-star betting strategy.
Being mathematically challenged, it doesn't take too many numbers to confuse me, so I like to keep it simple, and that's what this strategy is - simple and easy to understand.
The beauty of it is it also allows you to make up your own mind. If you read the form and want to put some money on a long shot, go right ahead.
Key recommendations
1. Never deposit a bankroll for more than you can lose. Here at Winter Olympics Form Guide, we have formed partnerships with reputable bookmakers. However, we have refused to take accept affiliate deals. There's a principle behind that decision, an ethically-based decision which says we don't want to be put in a position where we're encouraging members to bet more than they can afford. We want people to be enjoying the Winter Olympics, not crying in their morning wheeties with what Gamblers Anonymous calls a gambling hangover. In essence, you're paying for a service. We want to provide that to the best of our ability, without false incentives causing us to unfairly over-play our hand.
2. Never bet more than 20% of your bankroll on any given outcome. Any bet can lose. Over time, however, statistics are usually what out-guns the bookies. By betting a percentage of our bankroll each time we play, we're still giving ourselves the opportunity to grow our bankroll, but we're also giving ourselves the opportunity to fight another day.
So, we're laying our cards firmly on the table by saying we're not commission-driven. That's why you're paying for this service. We're here to work for you - us versus the bookmakers, or in the case of Betfair, us versus anyone else who wants to take us on.
The second of the two fundamental rules also prevents us from making the number 1 mistake made by many gamblers - it stops us from chasing. One loss can have many doubling up. We shouldn't need to do that to make a profit.
Now, with the formalities out of the way, the 5-star system is quite simple. While it might seem there's a little bit of mathematics involved, it certainly doesn't stretch into the realms of rocket science. And what you see won't be very complicated at all.
As any good punter knows, we should always be trying to give our selection odds - even before we've seen those of the bookie. This allows us to see whether we're getting what those in the business call "unders" or "overs".
For example, if we think Canada should be a 2/3 ($1.50) chance against the USA in an ice hockey battle, and the sportsbook operators are paying 5/4 ($1.25), we would be getting "unders" - under the odds, or less than we think we should be getting on that team. To place that bet would be a bad bet because we're not playing the odds to our advantage. We're wasting our ability to pick winners. If, however, the bookmakers were paying 7/4 ($1.75), we'd gladly place the bet because we would be getting "overs". In other words, we think Canada is a quarter of a point better chance than the bookies do.
In essence, what we'll be doing is giving our selections a rating, from 1-5 stars. And before we continue, in more than a two-horse race (or people or teams as the case is with the Winter Olympics), we rarely recommend anyone take odds of less than 1/2 on ($1.50 for a $1 investment). There is often too much to lose and too little to gain. Take it from a punter who's tried the "sure thing" route on a number of occasions, it's too easy to get seriously hurt!
5 Stars:
If this selection is more than 1/2 ($1.50) with the sportsbook operators, we recommend a bet equalling 20% of your bankroll.
Explanation: This is as close as we'll come to a sure thing. We're very confident this selection will win. For example, one of the shortest prices of the Winter Olympics is likely to be Korean figure skater Yu-Na Kim. We'll place 5 stars beside her name. For argument's sake, let's say the bookmakers are paying 3/5 ($1.60 for a $1 investment), and you have a $100 bankroll, place a $20 bet on her to win the event. If she wins, we have a $32 return on our investment, our bankroll increases 12% and we're in a good position to move onto the next event.
4 Stars:
If this selection is more than 3/2 ($2.50) with the sportsbook operators, we recommend a bet equalling 10% of your bankroll.
Explanation: This will likely be one of the favoured runners who we believe has an even money chance of winning the event. Sportsbook operators work on percentages, too, but they're working on the percentage of bets outlayed on all runners in the field. Due to our form analysis, we will have eliminated most of the field from our calculations. It doesn't mean we're right, it just means we've increased our chances of winning. For poker players, if I'm dealt two Aces, and the player opposite me bets all his chips with two Queens, I will always, without fail, call the bet. I am the best chance to win the hand. We need to play the percentages. For example, let's say Lindsey Vonn wins about half of her World Cup races in the Super G during the two months leading up to the Olympics. We can consider her an even money chance to win the event. If the sportsbooks have her at 3/2 ($2.50), we're getting "overs" and we're happy to place the bet. So, again, if your bankroll is $100, lay a $10 bet. If Vonn wins, we'd have returned $25 and our bankroll will have grown 15%. Nice job team!
3 Stars:
If this selection is more than 5/1 ($6) with the sportsbook operators, we recommend a speculator bet equalling 5% of your bankroll.
Explanation: The Men's Downhill is a very open event. While there are probably more than 10 skiers who could realistically win, there are 5 with form suggesting they are the ones most likely to win. If we think we've found the one MOST likely, we'll put 3 stars beside their name. For example, let's stick with the Men's Downhill. We think there are 5 terrific chances, but we think local Canadian hope Manuel Osborne-Paradis has the best chance. We therefore give him 3 stars. If the sportsbooks have him at, let's be optimistic and say 7-1 ($8), we're getting "overs" and again, If your bankroll is $100, lay a $5 bet. If Osborne-Paradis skis his legs off to win, we pick up a very nice $40 return on investment.
2 Stars:
If this selection is more than 12-1 ($13) with the sportsbook operators, we recommend you consider a small speculator, purely for "value". The size of the bet is your decision, but it should never be more than 5% of your bankroll.
Explanation: This rating is for those selections we think are paying handsome "overs". We might, for example, think that Italian Werner Heel's two World Cup wins in terrific time last season warrant him a 1 in 10 chance or better to win the Super G. But sportsbooks have him at 25/1 (and last time I looked, that's what he was paying). Percentages suggest we're getting way over the odds as we see it. In this case, Heel is a great "value" bet. If he loses, we haven't lost much. If he wins, we collect bit time.
1 Star:
These are competitors we recommend you avoid.
Explanation: At times, we might see a competitor we believe to be paying "unders", or less than we think they're worth. Let's go back to one of our earlier selections, Lindsey Vonn in the Super G. Under the hypothetical scenario above, we've listed her an even money chance to win the event. But sportsbook operators have her at 3/4 ($1.75). In this case, we'll put one star beside her name. We might even have tipped her to win in our selections, but we think the risk is too large to place an investment in the outcome. In other words, the sportsbooks have this selection over-rated.
Of course, we can't tell you what to do with your money. Even if you alter the guidelines, the 5-star strategy is a great way of determining a level of confidence in each pick. Ultimately, you're calling the shots. But you're doing it in an envronment we consider to be the best way to enhance the enjoyment of sport without breaking the bank balance. In face, we believe it's the best way to grow your bank balance.
Good luck, and bring on the Games!
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Why are England's World Cup soccer odds so short ?
I can't say I totally understand the logic behind the way the market has panned out for the World Cup in South Africa 2010.
England has firmed from $7 to $6.50 following a cosy draw - something which in effect guarantees them a place in the final 16. Perhaps the first round match too is easier than most.
But head to head against Spain, Brazil, Argentina and perhaps Italy and Germany, I wonder who would start favourite. Remember, these odds are about who will win the final, not who will cruise through the early rounds.
And I'm not great at maths, but let's do a quick calculation: Hypothetically, let's say England starts $1.40 favourite in the round of 16; $1.60 favourite in the quarter finals; $1.90 in the semis and $2 in the final. An all up bet on that result would equal about $8.50, much greater than the $6.50 odds now offered.
England is just one example. The same could be said for most of the favourites' odds. Simply put, there's much better value in match betting than futures betting.
Aussiepunt's recommendation: Save your money for the head to head clashes.
Odds:
Spain 5.50
Brazil 6.00
England 6.50
Argentina 10.00
Italy 11.00
Germany 13.00
Holland 13.00
France 15.00
Portugal 26.00
Ivory Coast 26.00
Chile 51.00
Paraguay 67.00
Ghana 67.00
Serbia 67.00
Cameroon 81.00
Greece 81.00
USA 81.00
Denmark 101.00
Mexico 101.00
Nigeria 101.00
Uruguay 101.00
Australia 101.00
South Africa 101.00
Others 201.00 Plus
England has firmed from $7 to $6.50 following a cosy draw - something which in effect guarantees them a place in the final 16. Perhaps the first round match too is easier than most.
But head to head against Spain, Brazil, Argentina and perhaps Italy and Germany, I wonder who would start favourite. Remember, these odds are about who will win the final, not who will cruise through the early rounds.
And I'm not great at maths, but let's do a quick calculation: Hypothetically, let's say England starts $1.40 favourite in the round of 16; $1.60 favourite in the quarter finals; $1.90 in the semis and $2 in the final. An all up bet on that result would equal about $8.50, much greater than the $6.50 odds now offered.
England is just one example. The same could be said for most of the favourites' odds. Simply put, there's much better value in match betting than futures betting.
Aussiepunt's recommendation: Save your money for the head to head clashes.
Odds:
Spain 5.50
Brazil 6.00
England 6.50
Argentina 10.00
Italy 11.00
Germany 13.00
Holland 13.00
France 15.00
Portugal 26.00
Ivory Coast 26.00
Chile 51.00
Paraguay 67.00
Ghana 67.00
Serbia 67.00
Cameroon 81.00
Greece 81.00
USA 81.00
Denmark 101.00
Mexico 101.00
Nigeria 101.00
Uruguay 101.00
Australia 101.00
South Africa 101.00
Others 201.00 Plus
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Who will win the Winter Olympics figure skating ?
This is a free sample form guide leading up to the Winter Olympics. It comes from the member site, www.winterolympicsformguide.com, and is a great look at who is in real contention for a medal in Vancouver.
Men's Figure Skating (Winter Olympics 2010) form guide:
The men's event is not quite as clear cut as the women's, but like all of the ice skating events, there are stand-out performers.
And we know that realistically, of the 30 skaters, not all of them have the high level of skill which will be required to pick up a medal. So, here we'll focus on those who do have a chance, look at their recent performances, and hone in on which events will provide us key indicators of form leading up the Games.
The program will kick off on Day 5 of the Olympics with the short program, followed by the main event long program on February 18 (day 7). Skaters who can land the most difficult tricks with the highest elegance and grace will be judged the winner in what seems on the surface to be a complex system.
Many might think the men's event will be a two-man race between the first American in 13 years to be crowned world champion Evan Lysacek and comeback king Evgeni Plushenko from Russia (I can hear the Rocky theme playing already), but there are others in the hunt, such as local hero Patrick Chan.
Let's take a little look at it in perspective. Lysacek achieved his world title with a score of 242.23. Plushenko's first and only performance in his comeback so far on October 24 yielded him a score of 240.65 after missing a landing in the short program. That's how close things are set to be. And don't forget Japanese skater Nobunari Oda who started his 2009/10 Grand Prix season campaign with a 242.53 score in the Trophee Eric Bompard in France.
Keep in mind the game of wits being played in the lead-up to the Games. Normally, all the top skaters would compete in all events of the Grand Prix. But note that on no occasion have the top 3 come head to head. It seems this is a game of tactics as much as it is a game of skill.
Brace yourselves, this will be terrific. It's far too early to make a call yet, but let's make a bold early prediction that the Canadian will start favourite, followed by the Russian and the American, with the Japanese pushing for a medal.
Evan Lysacek (USA)
It's been a long time since the United States figured highly in the men's division, and 13 years since they had a world champion. That was until Lysacek hit the scene and was last year crowned the world's best. Yet, while he was the most consistent skater and managed to put all his components together when it counted, in the World Championships, he was not as dominant as his female equal. He placed 2nd in the Four Continents and three 3rds in Grand Prix events before finishing strongly with victory in the worlds and World Team Trophy in Tokyo.
Form:
November 12: Grand Prix Net Skate America, 1st
October 29: Grand Prix Cup of China, 2nd
March 29: World Figure Skating Championships, 1st
February 8: Four Continents Championships, 2nd
January 25: US Figure Skating Championships, 3rd
November 2, 2008: Skate Canada International, 3rd
October 26, 2008: Skate America, 3rd
Patrick Chan (Canada)
When Chan steps onto the rink to perform his short program in February, he will be 19 years and 48 days old, carrying the hopes of the local Canadian crowd with every jump, spin, and landing. But he's been doing it on the senior circuit now for three years and has some of the best scores in the world, including a 249.19 which won him the Four Continents event where he beat Lysacek by 7.25 points. A leg injury unfortunately prevented him from competing in the Rostelecom Cup in October against Plushenko. And he has only recently returned to the ice with a less-than-Chan-like performance. As fitness returns, expect him to shine.
Form:
November 19: Skate Canada International, 6th
March 29: World Figure Skating Championships, 2nd
February 8: Four Continents Championships, 1st
January 18: Canadian Figure Skating Championships, 1st
December 14, 2008: Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final, 5th
November 16, 2008: Trophee Eric Bompard, 1st
November 2, 2008: Skate Canada International, 1st
Evgeni Plushenko (Russia)
The heads of international skaters would have secretly hung low when they heard the Turin Olympic champion Plushenko was planning a return. Still only 26, he had planned to retire from the sport as a young man to follow professional ambition. But on October 24, he emerged for his long program at the Rostelecom Cup, a Grand Prix event. Worse news for his opponents was that he was able to stick a quadruple-triple toeloop combination, triple axel, triple axel-double toeloop, triple loop, flip, double axel and triple lutz. Sounds fancy, and it is, rating among the highest point range when it comes to degree of difficulty. Even worse, he plans to add another quad to his program later in the season. With a score of 240.65, he blitzed the rest of the field. He won't be anywhere to be seen on world rankings, but that counts for nothing when it comes to winning a gold medal. It might have been a shock for some to see him return to international competitive skating, but he'll be a white hot favourite when it comes time to hit the ice in February.
Form:
October 24: ISU Grand Prix, Rostelecom Cup: 1st
Nobunari Oda (Japan)
Oda might be considered to be the bad boy of international ice skating, having gone through a Japanese Skating Federation ban after a drink driving arrest in 2007. He has also had a questionable state of mind, pulling out of the Japanese Championships late 2007 due to "mental stress". But, now at 22 years of age, that seems to be behind him, last season winning the NHK Trophy and two other events which do not count towards Grand Prix final calculation. Despite not qualifying for the Grand Prix Final, he did register a 7th at the World Championships and 4th at the Four Continents amid the world's best company. He proved that this season he's ready to take the extra step by winning the first major event of the season, the Trophee Eric Bompard event in France. If nothing else, Oda has a colourful heritage - he's the 17th direct descendant of a daimyo during Japan's Sengoku period. But perhaps some of the rebel remains, having been known to do exhibition routines to Motley Crew and Red Hot Chili Peppers numbers. Whether he can compete to the standard of Chan and company remains to be seen, but two wins on the Grand Prix circuit, one of them against Lysacek, is a promising start.
Form:
October 29: Grand Prix Cup of China, 1st
October 18: Trophee Eric Bompard 1st
March 29: World Championships, 7th
February 8: Four Continents Championships, 4th
November 30, 2008: NHK Trophy, 1st
October 17, 2008: Karl Schafer Memorial, 1st
September 28, 2008: Nebelhorn Trophy, 1st
Thomas Verner (Czech Republic)
At 23, the Czech is in his prime as a skater, but it is unlikely he'll be able to push for gold at the Olympics. A repeat of his best performance, at the 2008 Europeans, could see him push for a medal, but he seems a couple of tricks short of making a true impact. Now for the positives. With a 4th in both the Worlds and Grand Prix Final, it would seem logical to suggest he's close to a podium finish. At last year's Europeans, he skated his best short program ever and looked well placed to medal, but made mistakes in the long program. He finished 6th. He has, however, started this season on a positive note, second in the Trophee Eric Bompard Grand Prix event, and winner of the Ice Challenge where he was clearly the highest-credentialled skater.
Form
November 12: Skate America, 5th
November 1: Ice Challenge, Austria, 1st
October 18: Trophee Eric Bompard, 2nd
March 29: World Championships, 4th
January 25: European Championships, 6th
December 14, 2008: Grand Prix Final, 4th
November 22, 2008: Cup of Russia, 2nd
November 9, 2008: Cup of China, 3rd
October 17, 2008: Karl Schafer Memorial, 3rd
September 28, 2008: Nebelhorn Trophy, 4th
Brian Joubert (France)
The 2007 World Champion has the program and the scores to match it with the best if he can reproduce his form of nearly three years ago. He has some of the best jumps in the business and consistently lands quads, something which will be required to medal at the Olympics. Despite finishing 4th at Eric Bompard in October behind other Vancouver hopefuls, at his absolute best, he is the best chance to upset the favourites - as he showed with his bronze medal at the 2009 Worlds, and his gold at the Europeans against elite competition. If there is to be someone to create an upset in the field, Joubert is likely to be the one, but recent form suggests he is not the same skater of old.
Form
November 8: NHK Trophy, Japan, 1st
October 18: Trophee Eric Bompard, 4th
March 29: World Championships, 3rd
January 25: European Championships, 1st
November 16, 2008: Trophee Eric Bompard, 4th
November 22, 2008: Cup of Russia, 1st
Takahiko Kozuka (Japan)
Kozuka is a rising star of the skating rink. He turns 21 on the second last day of the Games, February 27, and will be hoping to celebrate in style with an unexpected medal. To do so, one would think he'll need to improve on his current personal best by at least 10-15 points which is a huge leap in class at this level. But it's difficult to ignore his 2009 results, most notably Skate America, an event he won, beating Evan Lysacek. Given that he is a young figure skater on the rise, it will be worth keeping an eye on his 2010 season results. It is also worth heeding his 2009 season results which, for a skater of his age, were outstanding. They included the World Cup victory at Skate America and three other podium finishes. He started this season with a second in the Cup of Russia. For trivia buffs, his father skated in the 1968 Olympics.
Form
November 8: NHK Trophy, Japan, 7th
October 25: Cup of Russia, 2nd
March 29: World Championships, 6th
February 8: Four Continents Championships, 3rd
December 14, 2008: Grand Prix Final, 2nd
November 16, 2008: Trophee Eric Bompard, 2nd
October 26, 2008: Skate America, 1st
Others to watch
Kevin Van der Perren (Belgium)
The 27-year-old last season continued to perform personal bests, which enabled him to pick up a bronze medal at the Europeans. But he is still at least 20 points behind the best skaters of the competition. He finished 14th in the Worlds and, despite being six-time Belgian national champion and international standard skater, is unlikely to contest the medals.
Artem Borodulin (Russia)
If he skates, Borodulin will be one of the youngest skaters in the competition. At just 20, he is another fast on the rise, consistently appearing on the podium at Junior Grand Prix events. He demanded notice in September when he finished with a bronze medal in elite competition at the Cup of Russia. His best scores, however, are some distance behind those which will be required to medal in Vancouver.
Johnny Weir (USA)
It would be negligent to totally discount the three-time US National champion totally from contention, but it would be unlikely for him to be standing on the podium at the Vancouver presentation ceremony. The 25-year-old had his best international season in 2008 when he finished with bronze medals at both the Worlds and the Grand Prix Final. While his flamboyance is adored by many who follow figure skating (he owns a couple of chihuahuas, does tremendous amounts of work for charity, and has a hand in fashion design), his scores will likely need to lift beyond his personal best to medal. Based on 2009 performances, however, it is possible. He was second in both the NHK Trophy and Skate America last season and this year finished 4th at the Cup of Russia, his only skate for this season's campaign.
Samuel Contesti (Italy)
Despite being 26, the Italian is a figure skater on the rise, and one who could spring an upset in Vancouver. He finished 5th at the Worlds with a personal best ICU score of 226.97 which is about 10 points below what we can expect medalists to achieve at the Games. He also finished 2nd at the European Championships. He started this season with a 4th place finish at the Cup of China. He's one whose form needs to be watched closely in other events leading up to the Games.
Denis Ten (Kazakhstan)
And we thought 20 was young. This guy will be 18 when he hits the ice in Vancouver. He is the first Kazakh skater to win an ICU competition. He is a native Russian speaker, but of partial Korean descent. His personal best scores are some distance from those who will be contesting the medals, but he is a youngster on the rise and well worth watching. Last year, he finished 8th in the Worlds and 9th at the Four Continents.
Brandon Mroz (USA)
It remains to be seen whether the 19-year-old American will get a favourable nod from the selectors to skate. But he is another of the juniors making waves in senior ranks, finishing 9th at the Worlds and 8th at the Four Continents last year, along with a 5th in the Trophee Eric Bompard and 7th at Skate Canada. He also finished 2nd at the US Championships which will do him no harm.
Jeremy Abbott (USA)
With skaters of class ranked above him in the US, Abbott was given a chance to shine at Skate Canada, and took it. He won the event. Coupled with the fact that three of the most dominant figure skaters in the world absent and the other recovering from injury, along with results in other events, it would be fair to suggest the Olympic task is beyond him. But it is the Olympics, where anything can happen.
Men's Figure Skating (Winter Olympics 2010) form guide:
The men's event is not quite as clear cut as the women's, but like all of the ice skating events, there are stand-out performers.
And we know that realistically, of the 30 skaters, not all of them have the high level of skill which will be required to pick up a medal. So, here we'll focus on those who do have a chance, look at their recent performances, and hone in on which events will provide us key indicators of form leading up the Games.
The program will kick off on Day 5 of the Olympics with the short program, followed by the main event long program on February 18 (day 7). Skaters who can land the most difficult tricks with the highest elegance and grace will be judged the winner in what seems on the surface to be a complex system.
Many might think the men's event will be a two-man race between the first American in 13 years to be crowned world champion Evan Lysacek and comeback king Evgeni Plushenko from Russia (I can hear the Rocky theme playing already), but there are others in the hunt, such as local hero Patrick Chan.
Let's take a little look at it in perspective. Lysacek achieved his world title with a score of 242.23. Plushenko's first and only performance in his comeback so far on October 24 yielded him a score of 240.65 after missing a landing in the short program. That's how close things are set to be. And don't forget Japanese skater Nobunari Oda who started his 2009/10 Grand Prix season campaign with a 242.53 score in the Trophee Eric Bompard in France.
Keep in mind the game of wits being played in the lead-up to the Games. Normally, all the top skaters would compete in all events of the Grand Prix. But note that on no occasion have the top 3 come head to head. It seems this is a game of tactics as much as it is a game of skill.
Brace yourselves, this will be terrific. It's far too early to make a call yet, but let's make a bold early prediction that the Canadian will start favourite, followed by the Russian and the American, with the Japanese pushing for a medal.
Evan Lysacek (USA)
It's been a long time since the United States figured highly in the men's division, and 13 years since they had a world champion. That was until Lysacek hit the scene and was last year crowned the world's best. Yet, while he was the most consistent skater and managed to put all his components together when it counted, in the World Championships, he was not as dominant as his female equal. He placed 2nd in the Four Continents and three 3rds in Grand Prix events before finishing strongly with victory in the worlds and World Team Trophy in Tokyo.
Form:
November 12: Grand Prix Net Skate America, 1st
October 29: Grand Prix Cup of China, 2nd
March 29: World Figure Skating Championships, 1st
February 8: Four Continents Championships, 2nd
January 25: US Figure Skating Championships, 3rd
November 2, 2008: Skate Canada International, 3rd
October 26, 2008: Skate America, 3rd
Patrick Chan (Canada)
When Chan steps onto the rink to perform his short program in February, he will be 19 years and 48 days old, carrying the hopes of the local Canadian crowd with every jump, spin, and landing. But he's been doing it on the senior circuit now for three years and has some of the best scores in the world, including a 249.19 which won him the Four Continents event where he beat Lysacek by 7.25 points. A leg injury unfortunately prevented him from competing in the Rostelecom Cup in October against Plushenko. And he has only recently returned to the ice with a less-than-Chan-like performance. As fitness returns, expect him to shine.
Form:
November 19: Skate Canada International, 6th
March 29: World Figure Skating Championships, 2nd
February 8: Four Continents Championships, 1st
January 18: Canadian Figure Skating Championships, 1st
December 14, 2008: Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final, 5th
November 16, 2008: Trophee Eric Bompard, 1st
November 2, 2008: Skate Canada International, 1st
Evgeni Plushenko (Russia)
The heads of international skaters would have secretly hung low when they heard the Turin Olympic champion Plushenko was planning a return. Still only 26, he had planned to retire from the sport as a young man to follow professional ambition. But on October 24, he emerged for his long program at the Rostelecom Cup, a Grand Prix event. Worse news for his opponents was that he was able to stick a quadruple-triple toeloop combination, triple axel, triple axel-double toeloop, triple loop, flip, double axel and triple lutz. Sounds fancy, and it is, rating among the highest point range when it comes to degree of difficulty. Even worse, he plans to add another quad to his program later in the season. With a score of 240.65, he blitzed the rest of the field. He won't be anywhere to be seen on world rankings, but that counts for nothing when it comes to winning a gold medal. It might have been a shock for some to see him return to international competitive skating, but he'll be a white hot favourite when it comes time to hit the ice in February.
Form:
October 24: ISU Grand Prix, Rostelecom Cup: 1st
Nobunari Oda (Japan)
Oda might be considered to be the bad boy of international ice skating, having gone through a Japanese Skating Federation ban after a drink driving arrest in 2007. He has also had a questionable state of mind, pulling out of the Japanese Championships late 2007 due to "mental stress". But, now at 22 years of age, that seems to be behind him, last season winning the NHK Trophy and two other events which do not count towards Grand Prix final calculation. Despite not qualifying for the Grand Prix Final, he did register a 7th at the World Championships and 4th at the Four Continents amid the world's best company. He proved that this season he's ready to take the extra step by winning the first major event of the season, the Trophee Eric Bompard event in France. If nothing else, Oda has a colourful heritage - he's the 17th direct descendant of a daimyo during Japan's Sengoku period. But perhaps some of the rebel remains, having been known to do exhibition routines to Motley Crew and Red Hot Chili Peppers numbers. Whether he can compete to the standard of Chan and company remains to be seen, but two wins on the Grand Prix circuit, one of them against Lysacek, is a promising start.
Form:
October 29: Grand Prix Cup of China, 1st
October 18: Trophee Eric Bompard 1st
March 29: World Championships, 7th
February 8: Four Continents Championships, 4th
November 30, 2008: NHK Trophy, 1st
October 17, 2008: Karl Schafer Memorial, 1st
September 28, 2008: Nebelhorn Trophy, 1st
Thomas Verner (Czech Republic)
At 23, the Czech is in his prime as a skater, but it is unlikely he'll be able to push for gold at the Olympics. A repeat of his best performance, at the 2008 Europeans, could see him push for a medal, but he seems a couple of tricks short of making a true impact. Now for the positives. With a 4th in both the Worlds and Grand Prix Final, it would seem logical to suggest he's close to a podium finish. At last year's Europeans, he skated his best short program ever and looked well placed to medal, but made mistakes in the long program. He finished 6th. He has, however, started this season on a positive note, second in the Trophee Eric Bompard Grand Prix event, and winner of the Ice Challenge where he was clearly the highest-credentialled skater.
Form
November 12: Skate America, 5th
November 1: Ice Challenge, Austria, 1st
October 18: Trophee Eric Bompard, 2nd
March 29: World Championships, 4th
January 25: European Championships, 6th
December 14, 2008: Grand Prix Final, 4th
November 22, 2008: Cup of Russia, 2nd
November 9, 2008: Cup of China, 3rd
October 17, 2008: Karl Schafer Memorial, 3rd
September 28, 2008: Nebelhorn Trophy, 4th
Brian Joubert (France)
The 2007 World Champion has the program and the scores to match it with the best if he can reproduce his form of nearly three years ago. He has some of the best jumps in the business and consistently lands quads, something which will be required to medal at the Olympics. Despite finishing 4th at Eric Bompard in October behind other Vancouver hopefuls, at his absolute best, he is the best chance to upset the favourites - as he showed with his bronze medal at the 2009 Worlds, and his gold at the Europeans against elite competition. If there is to be someone to create an upset in the field, Joubert is likely to be the one, but recent form suggests he is not the same skater of old.
Form
November 8: NHK Trophy, Japan, 1st
October 18: Trophee Eric Bompard, 4th
March 29: World Championships, 3rd
January 25: European Championships, 1st
November 16, 2008: Trophee Eric Bompard, 4th
November 22, 2008: Cup of Russia, 1st
Takahiko Kozuka (Japan)
Kozuka is a rising star of the skating rink. He turns 21 on the second last day of the Games, February 27, and will be hoping to celebrate in style with an unexpected medal. To do so, one would think he'll need to improve on his current personal best by at least 10-15 points which is a huge leap in class at this level. But it's difficult to ignore his 2009 results, most notably Skate America, an event he won, beating Evan Lysacek. Given that he is a young figure skater on the rise, it will be worth keeping an eye on his 2010 season results. It is also worth heeding his 2009 season results which, for a skater of his age, were outstanding. They included the World Cup victory at Skate America and three other podium finishes. He started this season with a second in the Cup of Russia. For trivia buffs, his father skated in the 1968 Olympics.
Form
November 8: NHK Trophy, Japan, 7th
October 25: Cup of Russia, 2nd
March 29: World Championships, 6th
February 8: Four Continents Championships, 3rd
December 14, 2008: Grand Prix Final, 2nd
November 16, 2008: Trophee Eric Bompard, 2nd
October 26, 2008: Skate America, 1st
Others to watch
Kevin Van der Perren (Belgium)
The 27-year-old last season continued to perform personal bests, which enabled him to pick up a bronze medal at the Europeans. But he is still at least 20 points behind the best skaters of the competition. He finished 14th in the Worlds and, despite being six-time Belgian national champion and international standard skater, is unlikely to contest the medals.
Artem Borodulin (Russia)
If he skates, Borodulin will be one of the youngest skaters in the competition. At just 20, he is another fast on the rise, consistently appearing on the podium at Junior Grand Prix events. He demanded notice in September when he finished with a bronze medal in elite competition at the Cup of Russia. His best scores, however, are some distance behind those which will be required to medal in Vancouver.
Johnny Weir (USA)
It would be negligent to totally discount the three-time US National champion totally from contention, but it would be unlikely for him to be standing on the podium at the Vancouver presentation ceremony. The 25-year-old had his best international season in 2008 when he finished with bronze medals at both the Worlds and the Grand Prix Final. While his flamboyance is adored by many who follow figure skating (he owns a couple of chihuahuas, does tremendous amounts of work for charity, and has a hand in fashion design), his scores will likely need to lift beyond his personal best to medal. Based on 2009 performances, however, it is possible. He was second in both the NHK Trophy and Skate America last season and this year finished 4th at the Cup of Russia, his only skate for this season's campaign.
Samuel Contesti (Italy)
Despite being 26, the Italian is a figure skater on the rise, and one who could spring an upset in Vancouver. He finished 5th at the Worlds with a personal best ICU score of 226.97 which is about 10 points below what we can expect medalists to achieve at the Games. He also finished 2nd at the European Championships. He started this season with a 4th place finish at the Cup of China. He's one whose form needs to be watched closely in other events leading up to the Games.
Denis Ten (Kazakhstan)
And we thought 20 was young. This guy will be 18 when he hits the ice in Vancouver. He is the first Kazakh skater to win an ICU competition. He is a native Russian speaker, but of partial Korean descent. His personal best scores are some distance from those who will be contesting the medals, but he is a youngster on the rise and well worth watching. Last year, he finished 8th in the Worlds and 9th at the Four Continents.
Brandon Mroz (USA)
It remains to be seen whether the 19-year-old American will get a favourable nod from the selectors to skate. But he is another of the juniors making waves in senior ranks, finishing 9th at the Worlds and 8th at the Four Continents last year, along with a 5th in the Trophee Eric Bompard and 7th at Skate Canada. He also finished 2nd at the US Championships which will do him no harm.
Jeremy Abbott (USA)
With skaters of class ranked above him in the US, Abbott was given a chance to shine at Skate Canada, and took it. He won the event. Coupled with the fact that three of the most dominant figure skaters in the world absent and the other recovering from injury, along with results in other events, it would be fair to suggest the Olympic task is beyond him. But it is the Olympics, where anything can happen.
Friday, December 4, 2009
Australian of the Year set to be Jon Dee
Seems Australian punters think political correctness will win out at the announcement of the top prize for 2010. The statement is from Sportingbet:
Bookmakers have installed Planet Ark founder Jon Dee as a $2.50 favourite to be named Australian Of The Year 2010.
Sportingbet Australia CE Michael Sullivan said the recycling champion looked the standout amongst a quality field of nominees.
“Jon Dee has been a champion of the environment, not just in Australia but Worldwide,” said Sullivan.
“Given the focus that is currently on environmental issues and the great work he has done, he looks very hard to beat for this honour.”
Others in betting contention include Mental Health expert Patrick McGorry ($4.00) and Alzheimer’s researcher Ralph Martins ($5.50).
2010 AUSTRALIAN OF THE YEAR
Sportingbet Australia Market
Jon Dee (NSW) Environmental Campaigner 2.50
Patrick McGorry (Vic) Mental Health 4.00
Ralph Martins (WA) Alzheimers Expert 5.50
Julian Burton (SA) Charity Founder 5.50
Bruce Englefield (Tas) Tasmanian Devil Advocate 7.50
Warwick Thornton (NT) Filmmaker 14.00
Patricia Easteal (ACT) Human Rights Advocate 17.00
Chris Sarra (Qld) Indigenous Educator 17.00
Bookmakers have installed Planet Ark founder Jon Dee as a $2.50 favourite to be named Australian Of The Year 2010.
Sportingbet Australia CE Michael Sullivan said the recycling champion looked the standout amongst a quality field of nominees.
“Jon Dee has been a champion of the environment, not just in Australia but Worldwide,” said Sullivan.
“Given the focus that is currently on environmental issues and the great work he has done, he looks very hard to beat for this honour.”
Others in betting contention include Mental Health expert Patrick McGorry ($4.00) and Alzheimer’s researcher Ralph Martins ($5.50).
2010 AUSTRALIAN OF THE YEAR
Sportingbet Australia Market
Jon Dee (NSW) Environmental Campaigner 2.50
Patrick McGorry (Vic) Mental Health 4.00
Ralph Martins (WA) Alzheimers Expert 5.50
Julian Burton (SA) Charity Founder 5.50
Bruce Englefield (Tas) Tasmanian Devil Advocate 7.50
Warwick Thornton (NT) Filmmaker 14.00
Patricia Easteal (ACT) Human Rights Advocate 17.00
Chris Sarra (Qld) Indigenous Educator 17.00
Who will score the most goals in the Premier League?
This is the latest release from Victor Chandler in the UK. Tottenham has to be value?
Victor Chandler have opened a market on who’ll score the most goals in the Premier League this season.
At the moment Chelsea and Arsenal are neck and neck on 36 goals a piece, and the firm feel it’s going to be between these two.
“We are making Chelsea the slight favourites but it’s difficult to call.” said VC Spokesman Neal Wilkins.
“Losing Van Persie is a big blow for Arsenal, but Chelsea will also lose players to the African Nations Cup so they might not be so prolific as they have been. That said it’s difficult to see anyone getting close to these two over the season.”
Man United are next in the betting at 5/1 with Liverpool on 10’s and Tottenham on 14’s. United have scored 30 goals so far, Liverpool are on 31 and Tottenham have netted a total of 33.
Who`ll score the most goals in the Premier League this season
Chelsea (36) 1/1
Arsenal (36) 5/4
Man United (30) 5/1
Liverpool (31) 10/1
Tottenham (33) 14/1
Man City (24) 25/1
West Ham (24) 40/1
Aston Villa (22) 66/1
Sunderland (21) 100/1
Burnley (19) 250/1
Fulham (18) 300/1
Hull City (17) 500/1
Blackburn (16) 500/1
Everton (17) 500/1
Bolton (16) 500/1
Wigan (15) 1000/1
Stoke City (13) 1000/1
Birmingham City (12) 1000/1
Wolves (12) 1000/1
Portsmouth (11) 1000/1
2009/2010 season Numbers in brackets are goals scored so far
Victor Chandler have opened a market on who’ll score the most goals in the Premier League this season.
At the moment Chelsea and Arsenal are neck and neck on 36 goals a piece, and the firm feel it’s going to be between these two.
“We are making Chelsea the slight favourites but it’s difficult to call.” said VC Spokesman Neal Wilkins.
“Losing Van Persie is a big blow for Arsenal, but Chelsea will also lose players to the African Nations Cup so they might not be so prolific as they have been. That said it’s difficult to see anyone getting close to these two over the season.”
Man United are next in the betting at 5/1 with Liverpool on 10’s and Tottenham on 14’s. United have scored 30 goals so far, Liverpool are on 31 and Tottenham have netted a total of 33.
Who`ll score the most goals in the Premier League this season
Chelsea (36) 1/1
Arsenal (36) 5/4
Man United (30) 5/1
Liverpool (31) 10/1
Tottenham (33) 14/1
Man City (24) 25/1
West Ham (24) 40/1
Aston Villa (22) 66/1
Sunderland (21) 100/1
Burnley (19) 250/1
Fulham (18) 300/1
Hull City (17) 500/1
Blackburn (16) 500/1
Everton (17) 500/1
Bolton (16) 500/1
Wigan (15) 1000/1
Stoke City (13) 1000/1
Birmingham City (12) 1000/1
Wolves (12) 1000/1
Portsmouth (11) 1000/1
2009/2010 season Numbers in brackets are goals scored so far
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Nottingham Forest to finish third in Championship?
Odds released by Victor Chandler on who will finish (effectively) third in the Championship, without West Brom and Newcastle:
Nottingham Forest, currently in third place in the league are Victor Chandler’s 9/2 favourites in a highly competitive market, followed by Middlesbrough at 5/1 with Leicester, Cardiff & Sheff Utd all available at 7/1.
Further down in the market Blackpool, currently sitting sixth, only three points behind Forest are priced at 20/1.
Victor Chandler spokesman Neal Wilkins said: “West Brom and Newcastle are threatening to open up a gap in the Championship, but with only seven points separating the next 11 teams we thought a market without the top two would prove popular with the fans.
Nottingham Forest are on a great run and will be a tough team to catch, 9/2 looks a very fair price.”
Chandler’s have another reason to hope Nottingham Forest fail to catch the top two in the league.
Chairman Victor Chandler has offered to pay the season tickets of fans should the team, who are sponsored by the bookmaker, win the Championship. An offer that is estimated will cost £6m should it happen.
Nottingham Forest, currently in third place in the league are Victor Chandler’s 9/2 favourites in a highly competitive market, followed by Middlesbrough at 5/1 with Leicester, Cardiff & Sheff Utd all available at 7/1.
Further down in the market Blackpool, currently sitting sixth, only three points behind Forest are priced at 20/1.
Victor Chandler spokesman Neal Wilkins said: “West Brom and Newcastle are threatening to open up a gap in the Championship, but with only seven points separating the next 11 teams we thought a market without the top two would prove popular with the fans.
Nottingham Forest are on a great run and will be a tough team to catch, 9/2 looks a very fair price.”
Chandler’s have another reason to hope Nottingham Forest fail to catch the top two in the league.
Chairman Victor Chandler has offered to pay the season tickets of fans should the team, who are sponsored by the bookmaker, win the Championship. An offer that is estimated will cost £6m should it happen.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Hong Kong International Sprint odds
From Sportingbet Australia:
Scenic Blast has been well backed to take out the prestigious Hong Kong International Sprint on Sunday week.
Sportingbet Australia CEO Michael Sullivan said if he won the Danny Morton trained galloper looked like repeating the pain he inflicted on bookies by winning the King’s Stand earlier in the year.
“Scenic Blast took plenty from us when he won in England and looks like he could repeat the pain here,” said Sullivan.
“We’ve already written a bet of $10,000 at $8.50 and we’re expecting plenty more over the next week and a half.”
Scenic Blast is now into $7.00 with another Australian galloper All Silent the $4.60 favourite and Apache Cat at $8.00.
HONG KONG INTERNATIONAL SPRINT
Sportingbet Australia Market
All Silent 4.60
Sacred Kingdom 4.80
Scenic Blast 7.00
California Flag 7.50
Apache Cat 8.00
Cannonball 14.00
Laurel Guerreiro 14.00
War Artist 15.00
Total Gallery 16.00
Inspiration 17.00
Borderlescott 21.00
Green Birdie 31.00
One World 34.00
Joy And Fun 51.00
Scenic Blast has been well backed to take out the prestigious Hong Kong International Sprint on Sunday week.
Sportingbet Australia CEO Michael Sullivan said if he won the Danny Morton trained galloper looked like repeating the pain he inflicted on bookies by winning the King’s Stand earlier in the year.
“Scenic Blast took plenty from us when he won in England and looks like he could repeat the pain here,” said Sullivan.
“We’ve already written a bet of $10,000 at $8.50 and we’re expecting plenty more over the next week and a half.”
Scenic Blast is now into $7.00 with another Australian galloper All Silent the $4.60 favourite and Apache Cat at $8.00.
HONG KONG INTERNATIONAL SPRINT
Sportingbet Australia Market
All Silent 4.60
Sacred Kingdom 4.80
Scenic Blast 7.00
California Flag 7.50
Apache Cat 8.00
Cannonball 14.00
Laurel Guerreiro 14.00
War Artist 15.00
Total Gallery 16.00
Inspiration 17.00
Borderlescott 21.00
Green Birdie 31.00
One World 34.00
Joy And Fun 51.00
Roy Jones Jnr a good chance to knock out Danny Green
I watched a documentary about the two fighters last night and you'd have to say Jones Jnr is a class above Green. If parochial bets are keeping the odds out somewhat, a Jones Jnr KO might offer good value.
Here's what one of the bookies has to say:
The heavy support for American Roy Jones Jnr to score a knockout victory over Danny Green continued overnight at Sportingbet Australia.
Sportingbet Australia CEO Michael Sullivan said some big overnight bets had forced the price of a Jones knockout in from $3.35 to $2.75.
“We thought the Jones knockout support would end with yesterday’s $10,000 at $3.50,” said Sullivan.
“But another client had a further $10,000 at $3.35 and followed up with $5000 at $3.00 as soon as the price shortened further.
“Still, with Green never been knocked out in his career, we’re more than happy to accommodate the punters.”
Jones is still a dominant $1.30 favourite to win the fight with punters uninterested in backing Green at $3.50.
Here's what one of the bookies has to say:
The heavy support for American Roy Jones Jnr to score a knockout victory over Danny Green continued overnight at Sportingbet Australia.
Sportingbet Australia CEO Michael Sullivan said some big overnight bets had forced the price of a Jones knockout in from $3.35 to $2.75.
“We thought the Jones knockout support would end with yesterday’s $10,000 at $3.50,” said Sullivan.
“But another client had a further $10,000 at $3.35 and followed up with $5000 at $3.00 as soon as the price shortened further.
“Still, with Green never been knocked out in his career, we’re more than happy to accommodate the punters.”
Jones is still a dominant $1.30 favourite to win the fight with punters uninterested in backing Green at $3.50.
Rees loses support in NSW
Press statement from Sportingbet:
Punters have responded to rumours of leadership moves on NSW Premier Nathan Rees in the Sportingbet Australia leadership market, blowing him back out to $3.75 from a short stint as favourite at $3.25.
Amid furious betting on the federal election markets in the wake of Tony Abbott’s ascension, a number of bets on the NSW ALP leadership market have pushed long-time aspirant and former planning minister Frank Sartor to the fore.
Sartor has shortened considerably from $5.00 into $3.75.
Sportingbet Australia CEO Michael Sullivan said that it has been a good day for political punters, who have also been energised by the speculation about the NSW ALP leadership.
“Just when Nathan Rees thought he was safe, the knives seem to be back out,” said Mr Sullivan.
“Punters are telling us that they take the rumours seriously – and this time Rees won’t have the option of sacking Tripodi,” he said.
“Meanwhile the Carmel Tebbutt and Kristina Kenneally options have been exhausted and they look unlikely to run, leaving them to drift in the betting.”
“This leaves Sartor, who we expect will continue to shorten in our leadership market.”
Tebbutt and Kenneally have both drifted to $4.20 and $5.50 respectively.
ALP LEADER AT NEXT NSW STATE ELECTION
Sportingbet Australia Market.
Nathan Rees $3.75
Frank Sartor $3.75
Carmel Tebbutt $4.20
Kristina Kenneally $5.50
Any Other $6.50
Michael Daley $10.00
John Robertson $13.00
Verity Firth $26.00
Amid furious betting on the federal election markets in the wake of Tony Abbott’s ascension, a number of bets on the NSW ALP leadership market have pushed long-time aspirant and former planning minister Frank Sartor to the fore.
Sartor has shortened considerably from $5.00 into $3.75.
Sportingbet Australia CEO Michael Sullivan said that it has been a good day for political punters, who have also been energised by the speculation about the NSW ALP leadership.
“Just when Nathan Rees thought he was safe, the knives seem to be back out,” said Mr Sullivan.
“Punters are telling us that they take the rumours seriously – and this time Rees won’t have the option of sacking Tripodi,” he said.
“Meanwhile the Carmel Tebbutt and Kristina Kenneally options have been exhausted and they look unlikely to run, leaving them to drift in the betting.”
“This leaves Sartor, who we expect will continue to shorten in our leadership market.”
Tebbutt and Kenneally have both drifted to $4.20 and $5.50 respectively.
ALP LEADER AT NEXT NSW STATE ELECTION
Sportingbet Australia Market.
Nathan Rees $3.75
Frank Sartor $3.75
Carmel Tebbutt $4.20
Kristina Kenneally $5.50
Any Other $6.50
Michael Daley $10.00
John Robertson $13.00
Verity Firth $26.00
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Roy Jones Jnr to knock out Danny Green
A points decision is still the favoured result, in the favour of Roy Jones Jnr, but punters seem keen to bet he'll knock out his Australian opponent tomorrow night.
Jones has been backed from $3.50 to $3.35 with Sportingbet Australia to knock out Danny Green.
Sportingbet CEO Michael Sullivan said one punter had placed $10,000 on a Jones knockout victory at $3.50.
“It’s a very confident bet to say Green will have the lights turned off for the first time in his career,” said Sullivan.
“A Jones win by knockout has clearly been the most popular option with punters with plenty of other good sized bets placed on top of the $25,000 to $10,000.”
Jones is a hot $1.33 favourite to win the fight at Sportingbet with Green a $3.30 outsider.
Jones has been backed from $3.50 to $3.35 with Sportingbet Australia to knock out Danny Green.
Sportingbet CEO Michael Sullivan said one punter had placed $10,000 on a Jones knockout victory at $3.50.
“It’s a very confident bet to say Green will have the lights turned off for the first time in his career,” said Sullivan.
“A Jones win by knockout has clearly been the most popular option with punters with plenty of other good sized bets placed on top of the $25,000 to $10,000.”
Jones is a hot $1.33 favourite to win the fight at Sportingbet with Green a $3.30 outsider.
Media a bunch of sheep
What a difference a day makes.
And what a bunch of sheep my peers in the media can be.
Here's how it works:
Step 1: Journalist catches wind of a rumour that Joe Hockey will stab his mate Malcolm Turnbull in the back. And because that's good enough for a change, Tony Abbott pulls himself from the challenge.
Step 2: Journalist number 2 hears the report of said rumour and doesn't want to be seen missing out on the news. Rumour 2 reported as fact in ensuing commentary.
Step 3: Repeat Step 2 until Hockey is a sure thing to win the leadership - almost to the point his own party believes it.
Step 4: Punters are sure they are on a good thing and back Hockey into $1.20, and Abbott out to more than $5 to lead the Liberals to the next election. At no point was there any real evidence aside from media hype to support the move.
Step 5: Liberals go the way they had planned all along and install Abbott to the leadership. Abbott firms to $1.15 to lead the Liberals to the next election and Hockey moves to more than $5 in the market.
Those laughing loudest at the political circus which is now the Liberal Party must surely be the bookmakers.
I also note that the Labor Party has today moved out from $1.15 to $1.20 in the market to win the next election.
I don't get it. If the rumours were so hot yesterday that there was to be a change in Liberal leadership, why didn't the move happen at that point?
And what a bunch of sheep my peers in the media can be.
Here's how it works:
Step 1: Journalist catches wind of a rumour that Joe Hockey will stab his mate Malcolm Turnbull in the back. And because that's good enough for a change, Tony Abbott pulls himself from the challenge.
Step 2: Journalist number 2 hears the report of said rumour and doesn't want to be seen missing out on the news. Rumour 2 reported as fact in ensuing commentary.
Step 3: Repeat Step 2 until Hockey is a sure thing to win the leadership - almost to the point his own party believes it.
Step 4: Punters are sure they are on a good thing and back Hockey into $1.20, and Abbott out to more than $5 to lead the Liberals to the next election. At no point was there any real evidence aside from media hype to support the move.
Step 5: Liberals go the way they had planned all along and install Abbott to the leadership. Abbott firms to $1.15 to lead the Liberals to the next election and Hockey moves to more than $5 in the market.
Those laughing loudest at the political circus which is now the Liberal Party must surely be the bookmakers.
I also note that the Labor Party has today moved out from $1.15 to $1.20 in the market to win the next election.
I don't get it. If the rumours were so hot yesterday that there was to be a change in Liberal leadership, why didn't the move happen at that point?
Monday, November 30, 2009
Turnbull says he has Hockey's support
A press statement from Malcolm Turnbull only moments ago told everybody he's sure he has the support of Joe Hockey. If he can be believed, punters might have been a little premature to back Hockey to be Liberal leader at the next election.
The media likes to latch on to rumours, and it's a pretty big tip that Hockey will tomorrow contest the leadership.
If Turnbull can be believed: It's a big "if".
The Coalition leadership market has become a one-horse race following heavy betting behind Joe Hockey over the weekend at Sportingbet Australia.
Dropping to a near-unbackable $1.20 to lead the Coalition to the next election, Mr Hockey enjoys the absolute support of punters to seize control in tomorrow morning’s leadership ballot.
He has pulled well ahead of conservative candidate Tony Abbott, who now languishes at $5.00, and the apparently outgoing leader Malcolm Turnbull, who has slid out to an unlikely $7.00 in the betting.
Sportingbet Australia CEO Michael Sullivan said that after a tumultuous weekend for the leadership market, punters have crowded around Hockey.
“I’d say Hockey’s visit to John Howard finalised the issue in the minds of punters,” said Mr Sullivan.
“Turnbull seems to have run out of friends and Abbott has the slight issue of his unelectability to overcome,” he said.
Meanwhile other leadership contenders in the Sportingbet Australia market are Andrew Robb ($17), Peter Dutton ($21) and Julie Bishop, who has blown out to $34.
FEDERAL OPPOSITION LEADERSHIP AT THE NEXT FEDERAL ELECTION
Sportingbet Australia Market
Hockey $1.20
Abbott $5
Turnbull $7
Robb $17
Dutton $21
Bishop $34
Any Other $11
The media likes to latch on to rumours, and it's a pretty big tip that Hockey will tomorrow contest the leadership.
If Turnbull can be believed: It's a big "if".
The Coalition leadership market has become a one-horse race following heavy betting behind Joe Hockey over the weekend at Sportingbet Australia.
Dropping to a near-unbackable $1.20 to lead the Coalition to the next election, Mr Hockey enjoys the absolute support of punters to seize control in tomorrow morning’s leadership ballot.
He has pulled well ahead of conservative candidate Tony Abbott, who now languishes at $5.00, and the apparently outgoing leader Malcolm Turnbull, who has slid out to an unlikely $7.00 in the betting.
Sportingbet Australia CEO Michael Sullivan said that after a tumultuous weekend for the leadership market, punters have crowded around Hockey.
“I’d say Hockey’s visit to John Howard finalised the issue in the minds of punters,” said Mr Sullivan.
“Turnbull seems to have run out of friends and Abbott has the slight issue of his unelectability to overcome,” he said.
Meanwhile other leadership contenders in the Sportingbet Australia market are Andrew Robb ($17), Peter Dutton ($21) and Julie Bishop, who has blown out to $34.
FEDERAL OPPOSITION LEADERSHIP AT THE NEXT FEDERAL ELECTION
Sportingbet Australia Market
Hockey $1.20
Abbott $5
Turnbull $7
Robb $17
Dutton $21
Bishop $34
Any Other $11
Friday, November 27, 2009
Hockey to lead Liberal Party: Punters
The punters usually have a fair idea when it comes to forecasting leadership issues. It might not come as soon as Monday, but it looks like Joe Hockey is a good thing to take the Liberals to the next election.
Below is a press release issued today by Sportingbet:
As the Coalition leadership hangs in the balance, punters have unequivocally backed Joe Hockey to lead the Coalition to the next election.
Embattled incumbent Malcolm Turnbull meanwhile languishes in third place in the Sportingbet Australia market – a devastating judgement by punters that is sure to compound his current woes.
With Hockey suddenly shortened to $1.80 and Turnbull drifting out to an improbable $3.50, the instigator Tony Abbott is enjoying a resurgence in the eyes of punters, shortening into $2.75.
Sportingbet Australia CEO Michael Sullivan said that the market had been completely upended by today’s events, but that he expects some wise punters will be happy they backed Joe Hockey come Monday.
“Over the last six months, Hockey has paying upwards of $3 for most of the time as he has not been keen to make a grab at the leadership – and wisely so,” said Mr Sullivan.
“Now punters are getting behind him as it seems that Turnbull’s day is done and Abbott will keep his powder dry – for now at least,” he said.
Meanwhile other leadership contenders in the Sportingbet Australia market are Andrew Robb ($17), Peter Dutton ($21) and Julie Bishop ($21).
Who will lead Liberals at next Federal election?
Sportingbet Australia Market
Hockey $1.80
Abbott $2.75
Turnbull $3.50
Robb $17
Dutton $21
Bishop $21
Any Other $7
Below is a press release issued today by Sportingbet:
As the Coalition leadership hangs in the balance, punters have unequivocally backed Joe Hockey to lead the Coalition to the next election.
Embattled incumbent Malcolm Turnbull meanwhile languishes in third place in the Sportingbet Australia market – a devastating judgement by punters that is sure to compound his current woes.
With Hockey suddenly shortened to $1.80 and Turnbull drifting out to an improbable $3.50, the instigator Tony Abbott is enjoying a resurgence in the eyes of punters, shortening into $2.75.
Sportingbet Australia CEO Michael Sullivan said that the market had been completely upended by today’s events, but that he expects some wise punters will be happy they backed Joe Hockey come Monday.
“Over the last six months, Hockey has paying upwards of $3 for most of the time as he has not been keen to make a grab at the leadership – and wisely so,” said Mr Sullivan.
“Now punters are getting behind him as it seems that Turnbull’s day is done and Abbott will keep his powder dry – for now at least,” he said.
Meanwhile other leadership contenders in the Sportingbet Australia market are Andrew Robb ($17), Peter Dutton ($21) and Julie Bishop ($21).
Who will lead Liberals at next Federal election?
Sportingbet Australia Market
Hockey $1.80
Abbott $2.75
Turnbull $3.50
Robb $17
Dutton $21
Bishop $21
Any Other $7
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Brisbane test cricket novelty bet
Isn't it interesting how bookmakers now must follow the news? It's a great way of getting people interested in their product.
The latest "gimmick" (I couldn't find a better word) is based on comments from the West Indies coach that fast bowler Jerome Taylor has the better of Ricky Ponting.
Yes, Taylor has gotten Ponting out a couple of times. But will the mind games fool the punters?
Given that the Australians are only likely to bat once, it really is a matter of "will he or won't he?".
Sportingbet Australia is offering odds on how many times Jerome Taylor can pick up the scalp of Ricky Ponting in the First Test after West Indies coach David Williams claimed his opening bowler had the Aussie skipper’s measure.
Sportingbet Australia CEO Michael Sullivan said the option of no times was the favourite despite Taylor’s recent statistical dominance.
“We have no dismissals at $1.45, One at $2.65 and Two as a $9.00 outsider given that there’s every chance the Windies won’t even bowl twice,” said Sullivan.
“Ponting is a class act and while Taylor has got him eight times, we’ll back him in a head to head on home soil any day.”
TAYLOR v PONTING
Sportingbet Australia Market
Taylor does not dismiss Ponting 1.45
Taylor dismisses Ponting Once 2.65
Taylor dismisses Ponting Twice 9.00
The latest "gimmick" (I couldn't find a better word) is based on comments from the West Indies coach that fast bowler Jerome Taylor has the better of Ricky Ponting.
Yes, Taylor has gotten Ponting out a couple of times. But will the mind games fool the punters?
Given that the Australians are only likely to bat once, it really is a matter of "will he or won't he?".
Sportingbet Australia is offering odds on how many times Jerome Taylor can pick up the scalp of Ricky Ponting in the First Test after West Indies coach David Williams claimed his opening bowler had the Aussie skipper’s measure.
Sportingbet Australia CEO Michael Sullivan said the option of no times was the favourite despite Taylor’s recent statistical dominance.
“We have no dismissals at $1.45, One at $2.65 and Two as a $9.00 outsider given that there’s every chance the Windies won’t even bowl twice,” said Sullivan.
“Ponting is a class act and while Taylor has got him eight times, we’ll back him in a head to head on home soil any day.”
TAYLOR v PONTING
Sportingbet Australia Market
Taylor does not dismiss Ponting 1.45
Taylor dismisses Ponting Once 2.65
Taylor dismisses Ponting Twice 9.00
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Australia unbackable in Brisbane cricket test
The following press release got me thinking. Just what is "unbackable odds"? Is there such a thing?
There was an article in one of the daily newspapers this week which spoke of mug punters: people who'll take 1% return in the run, only to lose it with a freakish touchdown inside the last minute.
But is $1.26 really unbackable? The bottom line: It is if you don't think Australia can win four tests in a row against the West Indies.
Sportingbet Australia punters don’t expect the First Test against the West Indies to last until Sunday.
Sportingbet Australia CEO Michael Sullivan said punters had decided the value in this Test was on the match duration.
“We can’t write a bet on the Windies and the $1.26 about Australia has the punters looking for some other options,” said Sullivan.
“The match ending on Saturday’s third day has been backed in from $4.50 to $4.00 with nobody expecting the visitors to provide any opposition.”
FIRST TEST – AUSTRALIA v WEST INDIES – MATCH DURATION
Sportingbet Australia Market
Days 1&2 21.00
Day 3 4.00
Day 4 2.00
Day 5 3.00
FIRST TEST – AUSTRALIA v WEST INDIES
Sportingbet Australia Market
Australia 1.26
Draw 5.35
West Indies 12.00
There was an article in one of the daily newspapers this week which spoke of mug punters: people who'll take 1% return in the run, only to lose it with a freakish touchdown inside the last minute.
But is $1.26 really unbackable? The bottom line: It is if you don't think Australia can win four tests in a row against the West Indies.
Sportingbet Australia punters don’t expect the First Test against the West Indies to last until Sunday.
Sportingbet Australia CEO Michael Sullivan said punters had decided the value in this Test was on the match duration.
“We can’t write a bet on the Windies and the $1.26 about Australia has the punters looking for some other options,” said Sullivan.
“The match ending on Saturday’s third day has been backed in from $4.50 to $4.00 with nobody expecting the visitors to provide any opposition.”
FIRST TEST – AUSTRALIA v WEST INDIES – MATCH DURATION
Sportingbet Australia Market
Days 1&2 21.00
Day 3 4.00
Day 4 2.00
Day 5 3.00
FIRST TEST – AUSTRALIA v WEST INDIES
Sportingbet Australia Market
Australia 1.26
Draw 5.35
West Indies 12.00
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