Kempton Lanzarote Hurdle

AFTER the appetite-whetting Boxing Day fixture at Kempton Park, the action returns to the Surrey track on Saturday with their notable mid-January handicap – the William Hill Lanzarote Hurdle, writes Mikey Mumford. Punters could be forgiven for thinking the jumps season takes a bit of a lull in action at the start of 2012, and while this weekend’s feature race is unlikely to eclipse the dizzy heights of Kauto Star’s historic fifth King George, we can expect another fascinating renewal of this hotly-contested handicap. Named after the 1974 Champion Hurdle winner Lanzarote, the race was formerly run over a distance of 2m and there were eight flights of hurdles to be jumped. However since 2007, the trip has been extended by 5 furlongs (2m5f) and an extra two obstacles must be successfully negotiated. It is open to four-year-olds plus and David Pipe’s Decoy is the early market leader in this wide open betting heat. A field of 20 runners will head to post. Get all your free bets here for the 2013 Cheltenham Festival.

Featherbed Lane Officially rated 144 over hurdles; he was an impressive winner of a decent contest at Aintree in December and at Ascot the time before. However, handicapper done him no favours with a whopping hike for his last success and may find it difficult on those terms. Should run his usually sound race though, but might be best watched in his bid for a three-timer.

Domtaline Won a juvenile hurdle at the first time of asking on his first run on British soil and won an ordinary handicap at that same course two runs back. No chance up against 150-rated winner Grandouet (now rated 166) last time and the fact he is yet to race beyond 2m is a slight worry. Not totally convinced the extra 5f will be in his favour but could sneak into the minor money.

Act of Kalanisi Fairly consistent performer on the level (rated 85 two years ago) and has scored twice since switching to hurdling. Sneaked in at the bottom of the handicap at Ascot last time but failed to quicken when asked upon on his favoured soft ground. Will probably get this far, but hard to have too much confidence about at present, however, jockey booking of Barry Geraghty a positive.

Ohio Gold Justified long odds favouritism in each of his last two runs but this is a much stiffer assignment. Now rated 134 over hurdles, he struggled in Grade 1 company at the start of November and while this represents a more realistic task on paper and Brendan Powell’s 5Ib claim make life easier, he looks vulnerable to a better treated rival.

Well Regarded Has won and been placed in three of his four hurdle starts for Emma Lavelle, although was beaten one-and-a-half lengths last time at Doncaster despite being sent off market leader. However, he has been given a chance by the handicapper who has dropped him 8Ib, but still weighted slightly above his last winning mark. Any market support would be significant though, and he has place claims at the least

Decoy Comfortably beaten by Featherbed Lane last time despite being sent off the even money favourite. Meets that rival on much better terms this time though, and now well below his last winning mark so is likely to reverse at least that form. Has a had small break in which to recover, and just about deserves his place at the head of the market.

Lightning Strike Yard in great form at present and his Hereford win last time over a little further should have instilled confidence. He will appreciate the good ground although this is a big step up in class and has been known to throw in the odd stinker. Place claims nevertheless, if one of his good days.

Several to make a case for here including market leader Decoy who has been given a real chance at the weights for the David Pipe team. Similarly, Lightning Strike could run a big race with the yard in such good form but the selection is WELL REGARDED who can exploit a favourable mark. Swincombe Flame can follow him home for Nick Williams’ who won this race twelve months ago. [Mikey Mumford]

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Manchester City v Liverpool

Manchester City: Form: WDLWL

Defeat at home to Manchester United in the FA Cup on Sunday was Manchester City’s first loss on their own turf since 20^th December 2010. This formidable record shows that Roberto Mancini’s men have made the Etihad Stadium a fortress. The Citizens won 30 of the 32 home games between those defeats. Considering how well they fought back, 3-0 down with ten men and only losing 3-2, it is clear to see they were not even weak when at a disadvantage.

They could go into this game without arguably their two best players this season. Yaya Toure (and less notably brother Kolo Toure) is off to the African Cup of Nations, whilst Vincent Kompany is set to appeal a three-match suspension after a hotly debated red card in Sunday’s derby clash. With this being a Carling Cup game City may well have rested them anyway, and may rest other players, semi-final or not.

Liverpool: Form: DDWLW

With two more days to recover and a less than arduous task in the FA Cup, Liverpool have had a far better build up on the football pitch. The problem at the moment for Liverpool is that the club cannot seem to escape controversy. With the Luis Suarez racism row ending without an appeal from the club that made t-shirts to show their support for the Uruguayan striker, it would have been hoped that things would quieten down at Anfield. Then a young Oldham defender is left in tears after a confrontation with a fan, that appears to have been racially motivated, before winger Stewart Downing was arrested on suspicion of assault.

On the pitch they can be a little underwhelmed with current form. Draws against Blackburn and Wigan were followed by a terrific win at home to Newcastle but then an easy defeat against Wednesday’s opponents City 3-0 at the Etihad stadium. The 5-1 at home to Oldham can almost be ignored, it was a 5-1 win at home to Oldham after all.

Match Prediction: Manchester City Win – 2.0 at William Hill

We are definitely without Yaya Toure and Luis Suarez for this game, and most likely without Vincent Kompany and Stewart Downing. Both sides will be hurt by these absentees, but maybe Liverpool less so. Andy Carroll will be a real threat against a weaker than usual defence that could have Richards and Lescott at its heart, but could have Savic in there. Good, but not top class, and Carroll’s aerial threat could be a real fillip.

The rest for Liverpool could depend on the fitness of two fantastic players whose legs are seemingly not what they were. If Craig Bellamy and captain fantastic Steven Gerrard are fit and firing then City will need to be at their best.

Luckily for City, they have shown the ability to deal with the out of sorts Carroll recently, and they also shown how to dismantle Liverpool with ease. The 3-0 victory last week was accomplished with ease. If names like Silva and Aguero are on the teamsheet then trouble will be brewing for Liverpool again. Five consecutive clean sheets in the league show they are back to their mean defensive ways too. This could be the base for victory.

But with no European football Liverpool can go all out for this, have had more rest and have the talent to take advantage of high profile absentees. With a good XI named by both teams this could be a thriller.

Highlighted Bets:-

Over/Under: Over 2.5 Goals – 2.05 Bet 365

First Goalscorer: Sergio Aguero – 6.00 Ladbrokes

Correct Score: 2-1 Manchester City – 9.00 Bet Fred

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32 Red Hurdle betting

A small but select field of five runners will contest the 32Red Hurdle ,formerly known as The Tolworth Hurdle at Sandown Park on Saturday, writes Mikey Mumford.  Paul Nicholls teams up with Ruby Walsh on Prospect Wells and the seven-year-old gelding looks the one to beat on paper. However, it would be foolish to discount Dickie Johnson’s mount Colour Squadron who has won two of his first three starts. Winning connections will receive a share of the £30,000 prize money on offer in this Grade 1 Novices’ event.

Captain Conan French raider who collected a 4yo hurdle event at Auteil on his final run in France last year. Yet to race on British soil, he represents the powerful Nicky Henderson yard but hard to know what to expect. Has won over 2m2f on soft ground but probably best watched on this occasion.

Colour Squadron Won his Chepstow bumper with a fair bit in hand on debut before going close over hurdles next time. Beaten half-a-length by a 142 rated rival that day and confirmed that promise when making at Newbury latest.  He’s gone up 7Ib for that success but gets at least this trip and has to be taken very seriously.

High Storm Officially rated 130 over hurdles although yet to get his nose in front in seven races so far. Showed more promise last time when beaten on the nod by 137 rated hurdler but looks up against it in this company. Jason Maguire about the only positive here and not hard to look elsewhere.

Magnifique Etoile Unbeaten on his first two starts over hurdles beating his nearest rivals by a combined total of 25 lengths. Has gone up another 7Ib for his latest Bangor success in December and could give the two market leaders something to think about. Bidding for a four-timer but might find one or two too good here. Check out the latest offers for the 2013 Cheltenham Festival, with over £500 in free bets available.

Prospect Wells Easily the highest rated of these over hurdles and 99-rated flat performer during his time with Howard Johnson. Won twice and been placed in his four attempts over the sticks and took a keen hold early last time when sent off favourite for the Ladbroke Hurdle. Better is expected this time and he should take all the beating.

A trappy little affair but one which centres largely on the two market principles; Colour Squadron and PROSPECT WELLS. Phillip Hobbs’ runner has further improvement in him and won well last time at Newbury, albeit in a weaker event than this. However, preference is for the latter and he can make amends for his disappointing fourth last time out. [Mikey Mumford]

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Arsenal vs Leeds FA Cup betting

They say never go back in football but Thierry Henry didn’t listen and is likely to make his second debut on Monday in his first match since his return to the club. Will Leeds be able to stop Henry, or will the Frenchman be the star of the show in this third round clash at the Emirates Stadium?

Arsenal: Form – LWDWL

All eyes will be on Thierry Henry in this eagerly anticipated third round match on Monday. He has scored 226 goals for Wenger’s men and his experience should be valuable for the youngsters. The best odds on Henry to open the scoring, in what would be a fairy-tale story are 9/2 from Betfred.

Arsenal enter the game as overwhelming favourites. The best odds out there for a home victory are 3/10 from William Hill.

In last season’s competition, Arsenal struggled against lower league opposition. They failed to beat Monday’s opponents Leeds in the third round, and had to rely on a 3-1 away victory in a replay. They also struggled to a 2-1 win over Huddersfield in the 4th round, whilst being held by Leyton Orient in the 5th round. If you fancy a nervous Arsenal victory, you can get odds of 10/3 from Ladbrokes for Arsenal to win by a 1 goal margin.

Leeds: Form – DLLLW

An injury time victory over ten-man Burnley relieved some of the pressure off Simon Grayson’s back last weekend. Ross McCormack is the Yorkshire side’s top scorer this season with 12 in all competitions. If you fancy him to grab his 13th at any time in the match, you can get odds of 4/1 from Skybet.

Last weekend saw Arsenal concede two late goals to lose 2-1 to Fulham, and Leeds score two late goals to beat Burnley 2-1. If this repeats itself, then William Hill are offering odds of 11/1 for Leeds to score 2 goals in the second half.7

Match Prediction: Arsenal to win 2-1 – 9/1 BlueSquare

Arsenal’s youngsters should have enough quality to see off Leeds. Thierry Henry will be the main attraction, but this could overshadow the match which could give Leeds the chance to ruin the party atmosphere. With a great following from their away fans it would be silly to rule Leeds out of this one.

Article by Nick Whittaker

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Manchester City v Liverpool betting

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Fulham vs Arsenal betting

Fulham take on Arsenal on Monday in both clubs first games in 2012. Of course both managers will want a win to start off the year, but will Fulham’s good home record unstick a resurgent Arsenal? These two teams played out a 2-2 draw in the fixture last season, so are we in for plenty of goals again here?

Fulham vs Arsenal odds

Fulham

Fulham conceded a 90^th minute equaliser against Norwich last time out which more or less summed up their slow first half of the season. Martin Jol’s side currently sit in 14^th in the table, only 5 points above the relegation zone. Finding the back of the net appears to be the problem for the Cottagers, as they have only scored 20 goals in 19 games so far. However, a recent victory over Liverpool at home in the league, and draw away at Chelsea, means they are priced as good as 4.33 with Ladbrokes. That seems rather short, especially considering their recent 5-0 defeat to Man United.  With Bobby Zamora still out of the team, the job of finding the back of the net looks set to continue to fall at the feet of Clint Dempsey. The American does though, have 6 league goals this season, and so is a great bet at 3.6 with Bet365 to score at any time.

Arsenal

Arsenal’s 1-0 win over QPR on New Year’s Eve means they have now climbed to 4^th in the league table. A great achievement considering their start to the season and it means they have only lost once in their last 12 league games. Much of this has been down to the impressive form of Robin Van Persie, and the Dutchman currently has an unbelievable 17 league goals this season. This means betting on the striker to score the opening goal in the game is looking sensible, with odds of 4.5 available from Paddy Power. Although Arsenal should win, they haven’t won by more than 1 goal in their last 3 victories. So betting on a correct score of 2-1 Arsenal should give a good return with odds of 9.0 available from Ladbrokes.

Highlighted Bets

Robin Van Persie first goal scorer – 4.5 Paddy Power

Clint Dempsey anytime scorer – 3.6 Bet365

2-1 Arsenal – 9.0 Ladbrokes

Under 2.5 goals – 1.91 William Hill

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Arsenal vs QPR betting

Arsenal: League Position: 5th, League Form: WWLWD

Arsenal can never be considered a banker of the weekend however well they are playing. Having stormed back into top four contention, they then struggled at home against Wolves on Tuesday, eventually ending in a 1-1 draw.

Another worrying poser for Arsenal backers is whether Arsene Wenger will look to rest top goal scorer Robin Van Persie here, what with having played Tuesday and another game coming midweek. The Dutchman has been key for them this year, and is two goals short of the Premier League record for goals in a calendar year. It would be harsh on him to deny the chance of that record, but the bigger picture could overrule that.

That Wolves draw was only the third game at home Arsenal have not taken maximum points from, losing to Liverpool earlier on in the season and a surprise draw last month against Fulham.

QPR: League Position: 16th, League Form: DLLLD

QPR have not won a game since the 19^th November, are bottom of the form table and are now only three points clear of the relegation places. A promising start is looking lost, and a trip to Arsenal is not exactly what they need.

Ten points from a possible 39 is the kind of form we are looking at for Neil Warnock’s QPR, and they have not been looking like scoring the goals to win many games. They have only scored 18 goals in the 18 Premier League games this season, while they have conceded 17 goals away from home, and were probably not expecting Heidar Helguson to have provided seven of those having brought in DJ Campbell and Jay Bothroyd over the summer.

They can take heart from their away performances at Swansea, but for a while in that game were all at sea against their fast, short passing game. If any team can do that better it’s their next opposition.

Match Prediction: Arsenal Win – 1.3 Victor Chandler

Even with Arsenal squandering the chance of victory against Wolves on Tuesday at The Emirates it is hard to see any other outcome than a home win. QPR are on a dreadful run of form, whereas Arsene Wenger’s men are pushing their way back into the top four positions. They were unlucky not to win, with Wolves ‘keeper Hennessey in fine form and chances wasted. With QPR struggling to score and Arsenal still creating chances, the lax defence the promoted Rangers will put up against their attacking might may offer even more opportunities for goals.

The only positives for QPR come in the shape of Heidar Helguson. Arsenal are famous for struggling with physical front men who dominate in the air. That has been Helguson all over this season, and how Arsenal deal with him will be very important. With Alex Song on form and Adel Taarabt not, the Moroccan will be denied space to invent. Shaun Wright-Phillips’ inconsistent delivery will need to be at its best, as will that of Joey Barton. If the former is on top of his game then Arsenal’s full back injuries could be a concern, but a team struggling to score and defend will be undone by Arsenal away.

Highlighted Bets:-

Over/Under: Over 2.5 Goals – 1.62 BoyleSports

First Goalscorer: Gervinho – 6.5 Coral

Correct Score: 3-1 Arsenal – 11.00 Bet 365

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Sunderland v Man City betting

Since Martin O’Neil has took over the managerial role at Sunderland they have done pretty well, they have looked extremely organised and motivated to give it a go whoever the opposition.  However, compared to last season, the club has a lot to do. Last season was a strong one for Sunderland, they had a great squad and didn’t have many weaknesses and they had a strong and respectable home record. This season their defence has been a major problem for them, they have continued to concede on a regular basis and it is usually more than just a single goal.

On the other hand, Sunderland have a few good attacking players, they are not short of talent in midfield as well, but yet they still find themselves 15^th in the Premiership and only 4 points clear from the regulation section of the league.

With Martin O’Neil Sunderland have a good chance of exceeding expectations and making the second half of the season a better one, their performance against Everton was a promising one, and they do have a lot to offer if they can find some form.

Man City:

Recent weeks have not be kind to Man City, they were flying in every competition but are now out the Champions League and there massive lead in the premiership has vanished, they find themselves equal on points with their rivals Manchester United and only 5 goals ahead on goal difference heading into the new year.

Man City’s last result against West Brom was surprisingly poor, reminded everyone of their season last year, can’t take nothing away from West Brom though they played fantastically, but on balance Man City didn’t show much weakness, they were strong in defence, kept possession in midfield, just their attacking force lacked a bit of creativity, although West Brom were playing all their players behind the ball, but with the squad that Man City possesses, you would expect them to knock of West Brom.

With Man City being level on points with United, pressure could be highly influential in all matches to come now, especially as United have looked flawless and continue to knock down the goal difference margin. Man City’s boss would want some good performances in the weeks to come, for his players to keep a coal head, and with the amount of talent in the squad, be sure that City will continue to find their domineering instinct.

Prediction – Sunderland 0 – 2 Man City (7/1 with Ladbrokes)

Betting Preview:

Sunderland have looked dodgy in defence, conceding 9 goals in their last 6 games whereas Man City’s attacking play has been sensational this season and in contrast they have scored 11 in their last 6 games. However due to the previous slide suffered by Man City, Sunderland do have a chance, especially on the break as West Brom recently showed. But it should also be noted that Sunderland are a complete different team as they were a few weeks ago, Martin O’Neil has made a massive impact, he is a clever manager with various tactics up his sleeve, so this match has the potential for a surprising result, but on paper Man City should win comfortably.

Odds:

First Goal Scorer:

• S. Aguero 4/1 with Skybet
• M. Balotelli 4/1 with William Hill
• D. Silva 6/1 with 118Bet
• S. Nasri 7/1 with Betfred
• J. Dong Wong 10/1 with Coral
• N. Bendtner 10/1 with Bluesquare
• R. Noble 14/1 with PaddyPower.

Correct Score:

• Sunderland 0 – 1 Man City (6/1 with Betfred and PaddyPower)
• Sunderland 0 – 3 Man City (11/1 with Bet365, 12/1 with Ladbrokes)
• Sunderland 0 – 5 Man City (50/1 with Skybet, 66/1 with Ladbrokes)
• Sunderland 1 – 1 Man City (7/1 with 888sport)
• Sunderland 1 – 0 Man City (18/1 with Ladbrokes and Coral)

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Norwich v Tottenham betting

Norwich take on Tottenham on Tuesday evening and both teams will be looking to spread some festive cheer to their fans. This clash is between two clubs performing very well in the league, as Spurs sit in 3rd and Norwich in 9th, and this will be a tough away fixture for Harry Redknapp. Plenty of goals have been scored in matches involving these two teams this season, so can we expect more of the same here?

Norwich

Norwich have been performing very well in the Premier League this season, after gaining back to back promotions from League One. Many thought they would struggle, but Paul Lambert has brought in some hungry players from the lower leagues and he is getting the best out of them at the moment. Currently sitting in the top half of the table and with the 5th best home record in the division, they definitely have a chance of staying up. Despite their good season, the Canaries are clear underdogs against Spurs and priced as well as 5.0 from Betfred. This is perhaps as they have struggled against the better teams in the division, losing to Chelsea, Man City, Arsenal and Man United. However, they do have two strikers who know where the back of the net is in Grant Holt and Steve Morison, and they have 13 goals between them in the league so far. Holt in particular is a great bet to score at any time during the game with odds of 3.5 available from Skybet.

Tottenham

Tottenham are having a great season in the league so far, they currently sit 3rd with a game in hand that could take them within 6 points of the top. Last time out against Chelsea they played some good football in the first half but really seemed to struggle to get the ball in the second half when they lost Van Der Vaart to injury and went 4-4-2. However, Norwich do pay a 4-4-2 system, so Harry Redknapp may be inclined to go with the same system on Tuesday and should get more success from it. Like Norwich, Tottenham have been far from goal-shy this season, and Adebayor in particular has found the back of the net consistently. The former Arsenal player has bagged 9 in 14 games and is looking a great price at 5.5 with Bet365 to open the scoring. As mentioned earlier, Norwich have struggled against bigger teams so far, and it looks like another Tottenham win here, so betting on a correct score of 2-1 with 8.5 at William Hill, will definitely give a good return.

Highlighted Bets

Grant Holt anytime scorer – 3.5 Skybet
Emmanuel Adebayor first goal scorer – 5.5 Bet365
2-1 Tottenham WIN – 8.5 William Hill
Both teams to score 1st half – 4.0 Skybet

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Spurs vs Chelsea betting

Tottenham Hotspur: League Position: 3rd, League Form: WWWLW

With Tottenham flying and in contention for the title at Christmas, this festive period will surely be Tottenham’s finest for years. After all, this is Tottenham’s second-best start to a season in their 129-year history, surpassed only by their double-winning team of 1960-61. A win here will confirm their status in the title picture, and quite possibly knocking another out of the picture. Victory sends them five points clear of Chelsea and a game in hand.

Spurs vs Chelsea odds

Sadly for Harry Redknapp’s side they will be without their most potent weapon, the pace of the wings. With Aaron Lennon missing out and Gareth Bale an extreme doubt, two men most Spurs fans and neutrals would love to see attacking the fragile Chelsea backline will have to watch. Tottenham reacted brilliantly to this problem against Sunderland, bringing defensive midfielder Sandro and striker Pavlyuchenko into the side, changing their shape a touch and anchoring their midfield in a more defensive shape.

Loan man Adebayor is their top scorer in the league with eight, and will likely have Pavlyuchenko up there with him. If he can continue to use his power and agility to stretch the Chelsea defence, Van Der Vaart and the Russian should find gaps.

Chelsea: League Position: 4th,League Form: LWWWD

When you beat Manchester City, the unbeaten table toppers, you would expect to take maximum points from struggling Wigan in the next game. Alas, it was not to be as they stuttered and wobbled towards the finish line, 1-0 up from a lovely goal from the in-form Daniel Sturridge, until a calamitous Cech handed, quite literally, Wigan midfielder Jordi Gomez a late equaliser.

As they have many times this season, it was in defence that they were a letdown. Wigan had many chances to get back into the game before then in a game Chelsea usually win. However, the big games have seen them take a different approach recently. Valencia found a deeper defensive line, and Manchester City found a hard working, more reproachful Chelsea team, and many of the cracks were paved over in a performance of old.

The selection question to be answered is that of Chelsea fan favourite Frank Lampard. The vice captain, England international and Chelsea ‘legend’ has been on and off the subs bench this year, yet is second in their goalscoring charts with eight goals.

Match Prediction: DRAW – 3.5 Ladbrokes

Going into this game with Lennon and Bale, Tottenham would have had more pace than any other team in the League, and with the way Chelsea have defended you would be fancying Spurs to have a go and score a few, taking the points with them as they did. But Harry’s wingless wonders will have to be just that to take the points. They will always be on the attack, but without that fear of the counter attack Chelsea will be more comfortable in possession in the opposition half, and this gives more chances for both teams to score.

Chelsea’s main threat comes now from young England striker Daniel Sturridge. With neither Drogba, Torres or the unwanted Anelka regular performers for Andre Villas-Boas’ side Sturridge is the only consistent goalscorer they have got. His pace and movement make chances for himself and others, as could be seen in Raul Meireles goal against Manchester City, made by the speed and cross the ex-City man.

Tottenham have the midfield to match Chelsea, possibly outplay them with the man the Blues spent all summer chasing, Luka Modric, pulling the strings in the middle of the park. A classic playmaker, Modric seems happy at Spurs again, especially in tandem with the irrepressible Scott Parker. Add Sandro in for more security and you can’t see Chelsea gaining a foothold there. Roman Pavlyuchenko, who has featured little this season, came into the team against Sunderland and scored the only goal of the game. His price, 9.5 with Stan James, could represent great value for a striker playing for the favourites.

Highlighted Bets:-

Over/Under: Over 2.5 Goals – 1.8 Bet 365

First Goalscorer: Roman Pavlyuchenko – 9.5 Stan James

Correct Score: 2-2 Draw – 15.00 Ladbrokes

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