Two of pur regular pundits are here to look ahead to the Sheff Utd match, and cast an eye over the rest of the markets for the weekend ahead.

With The Don absent from our Southampton preview column it was left to Brian Power to come in with a winner – a 25/1 shot as well, £125 not a bad haul but it could have been so much better with QPR 3-1 on his list at 28/1 as well, never did like that Stern John. We’ve all been there, Northern the Elder rang me at the Chelsea game to tell me Danny Shittu had scored first for Watford – only match I haven’t had the first goal scorer bet on, isn’t that always the way? We’ll deal with Anthony’s Super League accumulator when he returns, just about the only one he did get right was Hull FC’s collapse at Warrington – speaking of which must flyu, the next massacre of the Black and Whites starts in little over an hour…

The Don
Well, I have to say, it’s good to be back. It’s at this time of each year that I start to get excited, really excited. It is, of course, almost March – and March brings us the ‘World Cup’ of racing – the Cheltenham festival.

I was actually at the Festival Trials meeting in January, lovely bright day, perfect view from the Panoramic Restaurant, all my mates gathered together for my 40th birthday – what more could a man want? Apart from winners of course; that would have been nice.

I’m pretty pleased with the ammunition I’ve lined up. The bargains we found by backing Denman and Sizing Europe in the ante post markets have already been well documented – but I now see that Apt Approach, backed a whopping 20/1, is now trading at 5/1 in places.

But onto this weekend – and we’ll start with the Racing Post Chase on Saturday at Kempton. The market leader is Gungadu, and with good reason, but in such a big field, does a price around the 4/1 mark represent value? Certainly not in my opinion when lined up against Wee Robbie and his (in my opinion solid) prospects of placing in the top four.

This horse is due to run a big race soon after good efforts in some competitive contests. Perhaps that’ll be tomorrow and at odds of 12/1 (Tote) why wouldn’t we risk £10 each way? In the same race Le Volfoni at 25/1 (Tote) is one I just can’t resist – just a modest £5 each way.

Next is my contractual obligation to consider the Rangers game. Good old predicable Rangers. I have absolutely no idea after the dramatic turnaround last time out. If fact, perhaps that can become my strategy -let’s back both teams to win after trailing at the interval. Simple isn’t it?

QPR losing at half time, winning at full time £5 @ 34/1 with Betsson, Sheffield United losing at half time, winning at full time £5 @ 44/1 with Betsson

Finally, to the Oscars – and I suggest we invest £10 in the hidden beauty that is Tilda Swinton to be Best Supporting Actress @ 14/1 with Betsson. For the weekend:
QPR to be trailing half time winning full time, £5 at 34/1 Betsson
Sheff Utd to be trailing half time and winning full time, £5 at 44/1 with Betsson
Wee Robbie, Racing Post Chase, £10 e/w 12/1 (Tote)
Le Volfoni, Racing Post Chase, £5 e/w at 25/1 (Tote)
Tilda Swinton, best supporting actress at the Oscars

Previously Advised:
Star de Mohaison to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup £10 e/w @ 25/1
Second half of Denman win double – Cheltenham Gold Cup, £300 potential return
Lucky 15 bet – remaining Bewley’s Berry in the Grand National Neil Robertson in the World Snooker Championship, and Adam Scott in the US Masters. (Note: John Part winning the PDC World Darts Championship already guarantees a profit – all four will return upwards of a third of a million pounds).
Sizing Europe to win the Champion Hurdle £4.50 each way @ 10/1
Nevada Royal to win the Royal Sun Alliance Chase £5 each way @ 14/1 (probable non runner)
Apt Approach to win the Champion Bumper £5 each way @ 20/1

Brian Power
Right lets get the important things out of the way I got a 25/1 place in the last column. Not a life changing selection I think you will agree but at least it was something back and if it wasn’t for Southampton’s last minute goal we would have been celebrating a 28/1 result. As my mate Kev said who had backed us to win 3-1 “letting in that goal cost me £200 and it felt like we lost the game”.

It got me thinking about late twists in Rangers matches that have cost or gained us cash. Come on we all know that if you have a coupon in your pocket with us to win 3-1 and we are 3-0 up with 10 minutes to go you are willing the other team to score. One of my stories goes back a few years when we played Pompey in the last game of the season at Fratton Park and a few of the lads had all chucked in a tenner the day before on a Lucky 63 on the horses. We got a winner but the returns came to about £30 quid so we decided instead of splitting it we would lump on Rangers to win 3-1 the following day at odds of 33/1. We left it in the capable hands of Trigger( not his real name but you will find out why he picked up this nickname) who said he would go and collect the winnings and put it on. A late night followed by an early start down to the South Coast and we all had a few beers to settle the sore heads. With a minute to go we are winning 2-1 when Gallen pops up to score and we go loopy. We turn to Trigger who is as white as a sheet. Five of us are working out our winnings but Trigger goes to his pocket and pulls out a lucky 63 slip from the previous day and tells us he forgot to put the bet on. So in the space of 30 seconds we thought we had won a grand but in fact we had 30 quid. Trigger offered to pay up out of his own pocket but you could not do that to a mate so instead we made him buy a few beers and from time to time remind him about that day at Fratton Park especially when you want a favour.

For the weekend:
Hogan Ephraim to score 1st £10 12/1 Ladbrokes
QPR 3 Sheff Utd 2 £5 28/1 BET365
£10 Accum - Arsenal 1/2 Man Utd 1/2, Pompey 8/13 West Brom 8/13 Airdre 1/4 Hamilton 4/7
£10.00 win 4.25 Chepstow Mick MacMagoogle
£10.00 win 3.50 Kempton Binocular( I can't see this one coming in - Boom Boom tsk)
£5 double

Photo: Action Images

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