Tennis, Cricket and Racing

Well I'm back from Canada now and some good punting on the ice hockey while I was there. More of that tomorrow when it goes to game 6. For today its the red clay of Paris, the white wickets of Trinidad and the green grass of Folkestone and Sedgefield in a bumper batch of tips!

1.00 Ivanovic 2-0 and Nadal 3-0 7/6 (WON +1.00 - easier than I anticipated even! Ivanovic won 6-3, 6-2, and Rafa 6-1, 6-1, 6-1)
Both of these two are on fire. Ivanovic has lsot just 15 games in her 4 matches so far, which was 15 in 3 before she won 6-0, 6-0 on Sunday to reinforce her form. Patty Schnyder is a reasonable player, but doesn't trouble the top players these days, as witnessed by the fact she beat Ivanovic on their first four meetings, but Ana has won the last three - two in straight sets, and 6-0, 6-2 last time out.
Rafael Nadal has been almost more impressive than Ivanovic on his favourite surface. He has lost 22 games in 4 matches (remember the men are best of 5 sets), and he has beaten his fellow countryman Nicolas Almagro in straight sets on both their previous meetings - both of which were on clay. Almagro has squeezed through some tight sets - 7 of his 11 sets have require more than the standard 6 games to win the set - but those are the type of sets Nadal thrives on, especially at Roland Garros.

2.30 Australia to beat West Indies 13/10 (LOST +0.00 - 3 wickets in the first session was a great start but as mentioned possible, Chanderpaul dug in with excellent help from Sarwan and saw it through)
An unbelievable 3 over burst of 5 wickets for 5 runs from Brett Lee breathed life back into this test. With a 371 lead now, Australia are expected to declare overnight, leaving a day for them to roll the Windies again. With the way they crumbled yesterday and in the second innings of the last test, and the Aussies lost 6 wickets in 60 overs too, there has to be a good chance of a result, especially if Lee et al can get Chanderpaul cheaply. At better than evens, its worth a shout.

7.05 Sedgefield Dyneburg e/w 11/2 (LOST -1.00 - was in the hunt til weakened from 3 out, may not have liked the ground with the extra rain)
A consistent performer over hurdles and the best horse in the race on BHB ratings, I expect this horse to be on the premises at the business end of the race and with no obvious underexposed type, could go very close.

8.20 Folkestone Dawn Mystery e/w 11/2 (LOST -2.00 - looked to be making a challenge 2f out, but weakened with a furlong to go)
Looked to be going nowhere fast until put in a much improved run in first-time blinkers at Yarmouth last week with today's jockey on board. A repeat of that will go close again as he stayed on well over the 1f shorter trip and his breeding backs that up.

9.05 Sedgefield Wheyaye 3/1 (WON +1.00 - the market got this all wrong as our horse drifted to 6/1 at one point before going off at 11/2. Looked like he might be beat when headed in the final furlong but battled on gamely to take the lead back)
I'm not a big bumper backer usually, but this thing looked impressive when only missing out by 1/2 length at 66/1 on his debut to a horse who had good point-to-point form. Anything like a repeat of that form and 3/1 will be very tasty, and add another victory to the Hamilton/Aspell partnership whish is 21% in last 5 seasons and returned £57.80 to a £1 stake!