Goals did make-up at zero as predicted in last night's Arsenal game, but sadly not because Bolton battled out a goalless draw, but because the match was abandoned because of the snow. I'm not sure about anyone else, but I'm getting pretty bored of this weather. |
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The snow also claimed this afternoon’s meeting at Huntingdon and both Lingfield and Kempton were cancelled because an ambulance was unable to attend. Only Southwell was left to fly the flag for British racing, but eight pretty dreadful all-weather races were hardly enough to set the pulse racing. Instead, I placed two ante-post wagers on the Cheltenham Festival. Firstly, Go Native at 13/2 for the Champion Hurdle and secondly, Weapon’s Amnesty at 16/1 for the RSA Chase. I hope the snow has gone by the time the tapes go up for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle on 16th March. |
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The snow is very much still here and the racing is very much still off – even the all-weather at Wolverhampton was abandoned because of 'snow related issues'. I wonder whether they abandoned because 'snow' people turned up – the last time I went to Wolverhampton I was one of the only ones there! Anyway, they did race at Southwell and my old friend (now enemy) Mocha Java won the second race by 2 ½ lengths at 5/1. Words cannot describe how irritated I was to find out that he had won – regular readers of this diary will know that I have backed the wretched beast on quite a few of the ten previous outings since its previous win!
Welsh Champion Hurdle Day at Ffos Las! No chance… and just think, we should have been watching Punjabi burst back onto the Champion Hurdle scene. Instead it was a pretty dreary looking double header from Lingfield and Kempton where I had more seconds than Oliver Twist!
I bought £10 of Shaded Edge at 20 on the index for the 3.10pm and he was just shaded out of it by a nose on the line. If only Shaded Edge had a nose as big mine, I'd have made a £300 profit instead of a £50 one. Anyway, my old friend Tanley (see last week) and Bookiesindex Girl both also finished second over at Kempton, meaning I finished the afternoon down when I should have been well up.
I didn't test my 'Arsenal not playing well in the snow' theory by selling their supremacy against Everton which was annoying because they didn't play well and were lucky to salvage a draw. However, I did sell £100 of Manchester United/Birmingham at 0.9 and sold £5 of shirt supremacy at 18. I settled down to watch the game and it was only once I had placed the bet that I realised it was on ESPN! Therefore, I spent the next 2 hours pressing the 'F5' button on the sportinglife.com live match tracker as I only have 'poor-man's Sky'. Birmingham took a lead just before half-time through Cameron Jerome (number 10) and although United did equalise through an own goal (through some lad with number 15 on his back! I thought defenders were supposed to have 2, 3, 4 or 5 on their shirts?), I was in the money. I made £90 on my supremacy bet and £65 on my shirt supremacy transaction.
I watched Slumdog Millionaire with my wife afterwards and it was terrific and thoroughly recommended if you haven't seen it. However, I wonder whether I'd have enjoyed it that much if United had won 6-1 with substitute Mame Diouf (with 32 in between his shoulder blades) scoring an injury-time hat-trick?
If it's cold outside then it's time to bet on a sport played indoors and watched indoors… darts. I didn't really get involved in Phil Taylor's tournament – not sure if that's the PDC or the other one. Anyway, I did watch Taylor's final against Whitlock… was it just me or did anyone else think he looked like a fat Brett Lee with a comedy beard stuck on?
It was the final of the 'BBC one' and Adams and Chisnall were both joint favourites. I fancied an epic so bought £20 of cross-sets (Adams sets won multiplied by Chisnall's sets won, rather than sets played in anger!) at 29.
The match was an epic and eventually finished 7-5 to Adams meaning a £120 profit. Chisnall's post match interview was one of the comedy moments of the year as the commentator said he was 'lost for words' – I'm not sure he's got that many words to lose!
I got a tip for Spring Fashion in the last at Wolverhampton and it only beat one home – what was I saying last week about not betting on the all-weather! The problem is the snow hasn't melted yet and there is no sign of jump racing returning. However, I did manage to win a few quid on Keenes Royal in the first at Kempton, so not everything on an artificial surface is bad.
I wish they had an artificial surface in the car park at Fleet Station! I got my car stuck in the snow trying to park in a sneaky place. It was so sneaky it took me 45 minutes to dig my way out on my return to the car. I also wished I'd bought Tevez's goal minutes last night – they made up at 156 minutes and I had considered doing it. When I saw the result in the morning I had a 'Chisnall moment' of silence!
To cap off a brilliant day I backed Coventry to knock Portsmouth out of the Cup. When I started digging the car out they were 1-0 up with only injury time left to play, when I finally got going they were 2-1 down with seconds of extra-time left. I went to bed cold and grumpy.
A new day, a new dawn and… a hell of a lot more snow. It's beginning to get quite boring now and the novelty of snow ball fighting and sledging has definitely worn off. The kids are still off school (nearly 5 weeks of holiday) and Sol Campbell has re-signed for Arsenal! What! He turns like an aircraft carrier and if he couldn't make it at Notts County, what hope has he back at the Emirates!
Anyway, Liverpool are on TV tonight against Reading in the FA Cup and I've sold £150 of supremacy at 2. I'm of the opinion that Liverpool are simply not that good and Reading have nothing to lose! Watch this space…