Big Saturday Multiple: MTK eyeing final Europa League place

Jonno Turner casts his eye over action across the continent as he bids to select three value picks to make up his Big Saturday Multiple - at odds of 7s...

We're off to Scandinavia for our first pick of this three team multiple - and Landskrona host IK Brage at the Landskrona IP, looking to extend some impressive home form.

The home side line up for this clash sitting ninth in the Superettan,  but their recent results on their own patch somewhat belie that position - and they have lost just one of their last seven outings in front of their own fans.

Jorgen Pettersson's side have managed three clean sheets from five at home, and will be keen to maintain that strong defensive record as they face second bottom Brage.

The visitors go into this clash in miserable form, and have lost six of their last seven encounters home and away.

Conny Karlsson's charges are already a little but cut adrift from the rest of the division - and just five points from their opening five games this campaign suggests that the Borlange side could be in for a long, hard season.

They will be desperate to avoid recording a fourth consecutive defeat away from the Domnarvsvallen, but I reckon their hosts' momentum will be too much for them to handle.

Bet 1: Landskrona @ 1.75

Switching our attentions to Hungary now, and MTK Budapest welcome Debrecen to the Stadion Hidegkuti Nandor.

The hosts are in mixed form of late, and just two wins from their last eight sees them priced slightly bigger than usual here.

But their results on their own patch have been consistently impressive, and five wins from their last half a dozen in front of their own fans stands them in good stead this afternoon.

Four clean sheets from five at home indicates that Jozsef Garami's newly promoted side are adjusting well to life in the top tier, and they currently sit fifth in the table - just three points off third place, which would qualify them for European competition.

That makes this final home clash even more important for the Blue and Whites, and they'll be looking to burst out of the traps in this game.

Visitors Debrecen travel to Budapest sitting just one place behind their hosts, but suffering from inconsistency on the road, as is underlined by two wins from eight.

Elemer Kondas' won the title last year, but have struggled to repeat that success this year, and have missed out on the Europa League places this time around - which suggests that they may not have the motivation to match their hosts.

Bet 2: MTK Budapest @ 2.1

To the Swedish top tier now, and the Allsvenskan - as in-form Mjallby line up against bottom side Halmstads at the Strandvallen.

Anders Torstensson's side go into this clash sitting fifth in the table, and will be desperate to secure another three points in order to heap further pressure on the top four.

And four unbeaten on their own patch, consisting of three wins and a draw, will give the Hallevik side much confidence ahead of this encounter.

They have notched a whopping 10 goals in their last three games in front of their own fans, and that suggests that much of their their threat lies in the final third - particularly the likes of key attacking figures Kristian Haynes and Markus Ekenberg.

Visitors Halmstads travel to Blekinge County having won just one of their last 10 games, and that leaves them propping up the rest of the division - having accumulated eight points in that time.

Boss Jens Gustafsson will be feeling the pressure of life in the top tier following their promotion from the Superettan last campaign - and six without a win away from home suggests that HBK might struggle in this one.

Two 1-0 defeats on the bounce will have knocked confidence in the away dressing room, and a trip to free-scoring Mjallby would not be the choice of the visitors at the moment.

Bet 3: Mjallby @ 1.9

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Open de Nice Cote d'Azur Betting: Top half of the draw the place for Nice value

"With only Querrey and the qualifiers to concern him now that Istomin is out on day one surely 51.0n/a on Roger-Vasselin is too big under these circumstances.."

Back to lay Roger-Vasselin at 51.0n/a

With just a week to go until the 2013 French Open the ATP Tour moves on to Nice and Dusseldorf for a final chance for some clay court match practice. Sean Calvert runs the rule over the contenders in Nice..

Last week's tactic of backing players in the bottom half of the draw in Rome proved to be the right one.

My choices of Juan Martin Del Potro and Richard Gasquet would both have made a profit on that basis, but I'm really disappointed that neither made the semi final and particularly in Delpo.

The big Argentine had a virtual walkover to the last four, but when you pick loses to an inspired run from Benoit Paire of all players you know your luck is out.

The week before the French Open sees the big names taking a week off, which in the case of the Open de Nice Cote d'Azur has seen number one seed Tomas Berdych withdraw from the tournament.

What Berdych was thinking in entering in the first place I'm not too sure, but he's out and that leaves an opportunity for someone at a handy price to make the final in this ATP 250 clay court event.

The home players always get raucous support here in Nice and Gilles Simon in particular as a Nice-born star is always well-backed by the crowd here and he's likely to go well.

But Simon is in the much tougher-looking bottom half of the draw that also features John Isner, Lleyton Hewitt, Andreas Seppi, Pablo Andujar, Gael Monfils, Fabio Fognini and Santiago Giraldo amongst others.

In contrast, the top half has Sam Querrey and Marcel Granollers as the highest ranked players and surely there is a real opportunity here this week if we can find the right player to side with.

Undoubtedly, the draw has been kind to Denis Istomin and Edouard Roger-Vasselin after the bizarre decision to replace Berdych at the head of the draw with Montanes, who gets Berdych's bye through to the second round. Number eight seed Istomin was beaten 6-2, 6-2 by Ricardas Berankis on Sunday though and that section represents an opportunity for Roger-Vasselin.

Others in with chances in that top half of the draw include Albert Ramos and Carlos Berlocq, but once again this par are drawn to face each other early, and surely Paul-Henri Mathieu has to come back to form at some point too.

Granollers should be itching to do better after taking a beating from Benoit Paire in Rome and Querrey can't be advised on clay having not bettered the second round on the dirt since winning Belgrade in 2010.

The bottom half of the draw has a far more competitive feel to it, with Fognini perhaps my favourite given his relatively easier draw, although he may have to face Isner in the last eight, which could be a spoiler.

Andujar will be a popular choice after his good run in Madrid, but he's been priced accordingly and 22.021/1 seems short for a player who hadn't been past the second round of any tournament since Cincinnati last summer prior to La Caja Magica.

Hewitt continues to enjoy wild cards as his career winds down and he hasn't been past the quarter finals of any European clay court tournament since the now defunct Portschach event back in 2007.

Seppi is very up and down at the moment but mainly down and he's won just two matches on the tour this season on clay. A thumping loss to Fognini at home in Rome last week won't have done much for him either and he looks lacking in confidence right now.

Simon should go well this week at home, but he's too short in the betting for my liking and hasn't sparkled at all lately, while Monfils looks to be struggling with his fitness still and will be tired after a run to the final at the Bordeaux Challenger that ends today.

Others that may take advantage of players who don't want to exhaust themselves ahead of Roland Garros are Robin Haase and Paulo Lorenzi, but the big names won't be going all out for this title and I like the idea of siding with Roger-Vasselin this week at around 51.0n/a.

On home soil, the wild card could go well and he's been unlucky in recent weeks on clay being drawn against David Ferrer, Andy Murray, Milos Raonic and even last week in Bordeaux he drew eventual champion Monfils.

This week his draw has been much kinder and with only Querrey and the qualifiers to concern him now that Istomin is out on day one and surely 51.0n/a is too big under these circumstances.

Recommended Bet
Back to lay Roger-Vasselin at 51.0n/a

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Timeform Irish SmartPlays: Looking for a place lay? It's Sorted

Tipping / Timeform / 01 March 2012 / Leave a Comment

Today's Irish racing comes from Thurles

"Sorted rather reverted to type when putting up a lacklustre effort at Naas last time and the handicapper appears to caught up with him"

A trappy betting card at Thurles this afternoon, but Timeform's Irish team have managed to come up with two win bets and a place lay in the hope of keeping this column's readers in profit.

For all she disappointed at the track last month, it's hard to imagine Dare To Doubt not being good enough to see off her most obvious danger in Mayo Mystique, and few of the others, in the mares maiden chase at 14:25. The drop back in trip looks sure to suit Dare To Doubt given that she travelled strongly for a long way in a stronger race last time, and her form over timber was vastly superior to any of today's opposition.

The Grade 2 novice hurdle looks an above-average renewal and, although he has to give weight to all of his rivals, the vote goes to the improving Folsom Blue (15:55), who has done little wrong over hurdles to date. It's a relection of the strength in depth the Gigginstown Stud organisation hold in the novice hurdling division that Folsom Blue looks set to swerve Cheltenham in favour of today's contest, and Conor O'Dwyer's up-and-coming stayer looks more progressive than the consistent Lyreen Legend.

Sorted (16:55) can't be trusted implicitly (twice refused to race) and, though he scored at Punchestown in December and was a creditable second at Down Royal next time, he rather reverted to type when putting up a lacklustre effort at Naas last time and the handicapper appears to caught up with him. Owenacurran Milan, Oscar Hill and Beckwith Star all boast solid each-way credentials, so it looks worth opposing Sorted in the place market.

Timeform SmartPlays

Back Dare To Doubt in the 14:25
Back Folsom Blue in the 15.55
Place lay Sorted in the 16.55

David Cleary is focusing on a pair of Donald McCain's horses at Ludlow where the in-form trainer holds three entries...

The Dubai World Cup Carnival continues at Meydan, which means another three SmartPlays from Timeform's Dubai Handicapper Stephen Molyneux......

Can Nick's selection beat the Reste of the field at Ludlow today?...

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Timeform Irish SmartPlays: Place your faith in Balmont Mast

Ireland / Patrick Jupp / 05 October 2011 / Leave a Comment

The action at Navan is due to get under way at 14:35 today.

"The opening maiden over five furlongs looks to contain plenty of dead wood and a safe play could be Balmont Mast for a place only."

Another day where big fields predominate in Ireland as our attention turns to a seven-race card at Navan...

The opening maiden over five furlongs (14:35) looks to contain plenty of dead wood and a safe play could be Balmont Mast for a place only. Balmont Mast is clearly temperamental, which makes an additional win bet a risky proposition, but he also has some of the best form on offer and does tend to travel well into his races before hanging fire so his temperament isn't such a concern for this type of play (already placed three times in career), while a good seasonal reappearance allays worries about a five-month absence.

The apprentice handicap over the same course and distance half an hour later looks a relatively weak affair despite the field size, with in-form horses thin on the ground, let alone well-treated ones. With that in mind it could be worth chancing Wellmarked. Admittedly the races in which he's been shaping well of late have come over a mile, but he did race freely and travel strongly for a long way before fading last time and hasn't been long with the yard of Peter Fahey, while his mark on turf looks very attractive.

There is an element of risk attached to backing Pineau de Re in the two-mile handicap at 15:35, as this is almost certainly being used to get him spot on for another campaign over jumps. However, similar comments apply to the likely favourite Hidden Universe and there isn't much between them judged on hurdles form, Pineau de Re managing a second in a Grade 1 and a Grade 2 in his novice campaign. Other than Hidden Universe this doesn't look a strong race, so a win and place bet of Philip Fenton's charge makes plenty of appeal.

Timeform SmartPlays

Back Balmont Mast for a place in the 14:35
Back Wellmarked in the 15:05
Back Pineau de Re win and place in the 15:35

Big fields are the order of the day over the jumps at Tipperary but there are still some good bets to be had.......

Some quality jumps action at Tipperary this Sunday, as well as some competitive races on the Flat, and Timeform have three selections for you....

Gowran has passed an inspection and provides the only Irish action today.......

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Betfair Ascot Chase Betting: Theatre ready to take his place on the biggest stage

Ante-post / Harry Bowles / 17 February 2011 / Leave a Comment

Riverside Theatre is fancied to prove too strong for Pride of Dulcote

Pride of Dulcote plainly remains with plenty of potential, but this will clearly demand more and, as more of a staying type, the drop back in trip is most unlikely to come as naturally to him as it will Riverside Theatre.

The National Hunt season has had more than a stop-start feel to it thus far, with all the abandonments of December rolling into January and then the unfortunate events at Newbury last weekend. Here's hoping that the rearranged meeting at the Berkshire track on Friday and Ascot's big card on Saturday signal the return of the show to the road.

The headline race is the twenty-one furlong Grade 1 Ascot Chase and the bulk of attention will be centred on Riverside Theatre and Pride of Dulcote representing the powerhouse stables of Nicky Henderson and Paul Nicholls respectively. Riverside Theatre has progressed plenty from his novice campaign in two starts at Kempton this season, winning a minor event in November before a fine second to stablemate Long Run in the rearranged King George last month. That looks the most convincing piece of recent form brought to the table here and he must have strong claims of gaining a first Grade 1 success with the shorter trip certainly no inconvenience.

Pride of Dulcote was a smart hurdler who suffered a splint problem after making a winning chasing debut in early-2009/10, but he came back to make it two from two over fences with a narrow defeat of Punchestowns at Newbury over Christmas. He plainly remains with plenty of potential, but this will clearly demand more and, as more of a staying type, the drop back in trip is most unlikely to come as naturally to him as it will Riverside Theatre.

After a brace of wins in the Peterborough Chase at Newbury and a Grade 3 at Cheltenham, Tartak has to come into the reckoning somewhere along the line, even if it's just for place purposes. He's responded well to the fitting of a tongue strap in getting back to winning ways and these are his conditions. Worthy of respect on that basis, though the suspicion is that he'll always prove vulnerable at the highest level.

Big Fella Thanks was a smart chaser for Paul Nicholls who was fourth in last season's Grand National (stamina seemingly just stretched) and will surely have that race as his target once again. Returned with good second in minor event at Carlisle before falling at the third in Hennessy. This race is sure to be used as a stepping stone to Aintree, so it remains to be seen if he's cherry ripe for the day.

With only Tataniano to look up to amongst last season's crop of novices, French Opera might be considered a leading player. There's just a suspicion that a tough campaign has left a mark of some kind after an uncharacteristically tame reappearance effort at Sandown last month. Clearly he can't be written off wholesale just yet, but it's certainly fair to say the yard appears to hold considerably stronger claims with Riverside Theatre.

Deep Purple won the Charlie Hall and Peterborough Chase last term and ran just as well when third in former race this season. Possibly amiss at Newbury next time and he's got a bit to prove now, something which is true to varying degrees of all of the remainder.

After serving notice that he can play a major role at the top table when runner-up in the King George, it's very difficult to overlook Riverside Theatre in this line-up, the substance to his form all the more appealing than the residual potential of Pride of Dulcote.

Recommendation

Back Riverside Theatre to win the Betfair Ascot Chase

The National Hunt season has had more than a stop-start feel to it thus far, with all the abandonments of December rolling into January and then the unfortunate events at Newbury last weekend. Here's hoping that the rearranged meeting at the Berkshire track on Friday and Ascot's big card on Saturday signal the return of the show to the road....

Haydock stages one of its flagship jumping days on Saturday, featuring three Grade 2 hurdles as well as the Grand National Trial, in which Silver By Nature bids to repeat last year's success......

The Cheltenham showpiece; jumps racing's Blue Riband; the Gold Cup: whatever you call it, the feature on the last day of the Cheltenham Festival remains the most prestigious race at the most prestigious jumps meeting in the world. With six weeks to go until the big day, Keith Melrose takes a look at the main contenders....

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