Spurs Thoroughbred

Miracles do Happen !!

The recovery that Fabrice Muamba has made is a miracle of biblical proportions, culminating with him to be able to chat with Adebayor yesterday. Anybody in the 36000 crowd at the Lane at 615pm last Saturday might now well believe there is a god.

So we move on, Bolton are not pulling out of the FA Cup and Spurs are playing Stoke Saracens this evening.

Tonight will be pivotal in our battle to finish in 3rd. With Chelsea and Ar5enal facing tough away games a win against Stoke Rugby Club is a must. And the game won’t be as straight forward as the bookies think; Spurs are a ridiculously short 2/5 to win.

I suspect Ledley wont play and will saved for the weekend , which means we will be relying on a combination of Gallas, Nelson and Kaboul tonight to keep out Crouchie , Huth and Shawcross . I don’t for one minute think he will do it, but bearing in mind Adebayor is also a doubt I would play all 3 to give us some much needed aerial cover.

We have no balance with VDV playing on the right as he loves to roam and this would be dangerous with Etherington marauding on the left. He has scored in his last 4 appearances against us .We have to keep Bale on the left as well, so the solution is to play Bale and Walker as Wingbacks

So as a one off the team to play Stoke tonight should be

Friedel

Walker, Kaboul, Gallas, Nelson, Bale
Vdv, Parker, Modders
Saha JD

It a game of opinions what do you think?

The Day Football Didn’t Matter

What started as normal day ended in us all saying prayers for young Fabrice Muamba.

The Bill Nich was buzzing , the Guinness was flowing and some of us even got our picture taken with a dodgy FA Cup

A quick dash to the ground and an excellent Chicken Balti Pie and we were all set for an easy win?

What happened just before halftime will remain with with me for a long time. In fact I am struggling to write or think what happened in the first 40 Minutes. I think we were not that good , apart from Gareth Bale, playing in his correct position and there was a well taken header from Kyle Walker

It was immediately obvious to all that when a Bolton Player collapsed to the turf that he was in a very bad way. We didnt know who it was, to be honest ,until the Bolton fans started to chant his name, but it wasnt long until the Spurs crowd also chanted his name

There was no movement for what seemed like an age ,just the frantic actions of all the medics and two haunting jolts of Fabrice as his body was charged by the defib machines

As he was carried off to the applause of 36000 people it was clear then the match was over ,( I am strugglling to see how the Stoke game can be on as well ).

We feared the absolute worse

The news now is that he is still fighting and the next 24 hours are crucial

We are all with you Fabrice

Cheltenham Reflections

The Champs

Who would have believed that only one champ would defend their crown this week. The imperious Big Bucks was the only one and it just shows how hard it is to defend the title.

The Pretenders
Sprinter Sacre (pictured above) looks a machine and looks destined to win next year’s Champion Chase

Rock on Ruby given a magnificent ride by one of my favourite jockeys, Noel Fehily, outstayed the field in the Champion Hurdle and is 10/1 for next years race which seems fair

Brindisi Breeze at last gave the Scots something to shout about in a sporting sense (in addition to the Dutch darts master, Barney). I am seriously impressed by him and he is even better in the soft. If and when THE BB (Big Bucks) hangs up his boots, the World Hurdle will be in Brindisi’s sights

Synchronised is never a horse I am likely to back, doesn’t excite me as I have him pigeon holed as a 4m Welsh National type. That said you can’t knock him and how he has performed in his last two races

Betting Highs

Didn’t win a million on a Hendersonaccumulator, like one of his stable lads, but his Fijians Rainbow, Sprinter Sacre and Riverside Theatre were notable successes.

Betting Low

Last race yesterday, Tanks for That, best bet of the day. Had the chance to trade back at 1.2 on Betfair and didn’t do it only for him to be over-hauled up the Cheltenham hill

Top Performance

I am going to give this award to Hunt Ball, who won off 69 last November, but “stormed clear” to win off 142 and 12stone on Tuesday. Well done Kieran Burke top training effort by him

Most Exciting Race

Has to the Ryanair, of course helped because I was on the winner!

Finally must mention the sad performance of Kauto Star, obviously not fit to run and perhaps his schooling fall caused more injury than was visible. He was clapped as he was pulled up, but I would not be surprised to see him back for one more King George swansong at Christmas

Until next year …. now how do you get to The Lane

It’s a Big Occasion : Gold Cup Day

What a handsome chap he is , No not my brother , Kauto Star.

If he can win today the roof will come off Cleeve Hill and no one will be happier than me . Kauto Star will then be the undisputed King of National Hunt Racing.

His run in the Betfair was remarkable and he followed it up in the King George, . The fact is though he is 12, Cheltenham has never been his favourite track and he has had an “interupted preparation”, so from a betting point of view you cant back him

My inside info tells me that Burton Port is fancied more by the Henderson camp than Long Run so he is the one for me at the prices

Talking of my Bro , the old Betfairians are at Cheltenham in force , hoping for a Big Occasion in the Albert Bartlett. Shame the ground is not softer and from my point of view I cant get his run at Huntingdon out of my head.

Finally there has been some whispers for Alsaid in he Triumph. Small ew bet at 50/1 in an open race for me

It’s All About The Big Bucks

World Hurdle day and the legend that is Big Bucks goes for his 16th straight win and his 4th World Hurdle. He is a true champ and for the good of the sport it will be fantastic if he wins.

The Ryanair chase is very interesting this year as on the official ratings there are alot of evenly matched horses competing. Looked at Captain Chris at a price based on his King George form but not sure I can forgive his last run so it has to be Riverside Theatre at 5/1. Jockey and trainer could not be in better form

Finally following form the win of Hunt Ball would love to see Keiran Burke double up with Holmewood Legend in the Byrne Group Plate . Course form, loves the spring and the jockey takes off a handy 7lbs.

Its a Day for fine Wine

It’s Champion Chase day today , defending champion Sizing Europe is the hot favourite but I am not investing, may be last year’s arkle 2nd Finians Rainbow each way is the way to go.

Best bet of the day has to be Grand Crus , Pipey wont hear of defeat, Proven at the course get on the 6/4 as I can see him going off a shade of odds on

Now for the value , I like the look of Tony Martin’s Benefficient in the Neptune seems huge at 25/1 if you take his last run literally when he beat Sous Les Cieux

Finally always like an interst on the Mullins raider in the bumper , so Pique Sous with Ruby up will do for me in the last

Severe Weather Warning : Hurricane Heading Your Way

So its the first day of Cheltenham , there is not many finer feelings , approaching first race time , after several pints of the balck stuff already downed waiting with intrepidation and expectation .

Of course on the first day it is all about the Champion Hurdle . Personally I have been disappointed in the pretenders this season. Maybe Rock On Ruby might prove me wrong one day, but if you saw the Fly in his last run then there is no way you can back anything else. What’s more everything I read from Mullins tells me he has been trained for the race and as good as ever.

Like I said I have been disappointed with the pretenders so If if you dont fancy lumping on the Fly, you cant go far wrong with a bet to nothing, backing Binocular ew at 5/1 . He is your classic spring horse and has bought all the tea-shirts as far as Cheltenahm and Champion Hurdles are concerned

Those poor old bookies could be in for a pasting today as a few like me will be trebling up the Fly with Sprinter Scare , who looks a machine and Cheltenham darling Quevega. Looking about 11/2 for the treble . Easy Money !!

One final mention for Hunt Ball in the last. I cant recall a horse in my lifetime inproving from a very very ordinary Handicapper to a top weight and a live fancy at Cheltenahm.

Would be a fairy tale for his owner “Knotty” , who can be relied on for some interesting antics in the unsaddling enclosure if the unthinkable happens.