Football

Welcome back after the long weekend. Had a great day at Ascot on Friday courtesy of those splendid chaps at Spreadex (http://www.spreadex.com/). The head horse racing trader is a good guy, and I think he was rather impressed when we extracted the 33/1 winner of the big handicap, with Tom Scudamore giving Mamlook a terrific ride to present him at exactly the right moment. Added to my friend picking the unraced winner of the novice hurdle and I may now have a mark or two against my account!

Quiet day today - can't see too much to take my fancy, so will be doing some work ahead of one of my favourite betting events of the year, the World Championship Snooker, which starts on Saturday.

7.45 Torquay to beat Northwich 8/11 (WON +0.07 - a 25-yard curler from Chris Zebroski was enough to settle this one in our favour)
With four games to go, its very tight at the bottom of the Conference with Northwich, Weymouth and Halifax on 38 points, Farsley on 39 and Altrincham 40, although the latter have played two games more. Two of those four will go down, and two months ago the other four would have written off Northwich. But then they showed table-topping form, taking 16 points from 8 games, before their unbeaten run ended at Exeter on Saturday. However, you need to look at that run more closely. They played noone in the top 6, drew with the 7th and 8th placed sides, and none of the other 6 were in the top half. And after Saturday's 10 hour round trip, the same journey again today won't be one the Vics will relish. Torquay are 2nd - too far behind champions elect Aldershot, but a win tonight will as good as secure second spot, taking them 8 points clear of Cambridge in 3rd, and home advantage for the second leg of the playoffs. The bookmakers are spread across prices, with Betfred at 8/15, but the value is actually on the High Street today with Corals and Hills at 8/11.