Heroic Andy Roddick nets chickendinner a tidy profit

A-Rod went over four hours without being broken but still lost

Photo Credit: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire

Americans aren’t supposed to play the role of gracious runners-up at sporting events but for the third time in six years, Andy Roddick was left congratulating Roger Federer on Centre Court at Wimbledon.

chickendinner tipped A-Rod to reach the final, which if you bet with Paddy Power as we advised would have earned you a £50 return on a £5 E/W stake, although it could have been £145 if he hadn’t tired at the end.

It was impossible not to feel sorry for the lovable sixth seed after he went over four hours without having his serve broken (37 games) against the new

Posted: July 6th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment

Everything you need to know to bet on the Ascot Gold Cup

Click here for all the latest odds on the biggest race of Ladies Day

Photo Credit: Sean Dempsey/PA Wire

For many, the Gold Cup is the highlight of Royal Ascot and the big story this year is whether eight-year-old Yeats will be able to defy the age trends and become the first ever four-time winner of the race. Here are some stats to help you decide whether or not to back the favourite to make history:

Click here to claim a £25 free bet with Paddy Power

Pointers

» The last ten Gold Cup winners were all drawn in even-numbered stalls, with three of the last five winners drawing stall four. Veracity will be occupying that stall this year.

» 13 of the last 16 winners had won over two miles or more prior to the race. Of this year’s ten horses, only Geordieland, Veracity, Yeats and Patkai have been victorious over that distance.

» The last nine winners all triumphed in a Group 1 or 2 race prior to their Ascot success – Sagara never has.

» Geordieland and Hindu Kush are the only horses in the field to have won their last race – five of the last six champions won their final outing before the Gold Cup.

Age and weight trends

Posted: June 17th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment

Grand National 2009: This year’s frontrunners (Part 2)

15 of the last 18 winners have started at 20/1 or less. That means there are eleven major contenders: My Will, Butler’s Cabin, Rambling Minster, State of Play, Black Apalachi, Comply Or Die, Hear The Echo, Parsons Legacy, Irish Invader, Kilbeggan Blade and the chickendinner pick Darkness…

» Just one horse in the last twenty years has carried eleven stones or more to victory - Hedgehunter (2005) - which doesn’t bode well for My Will, State of Play, Black Apalachi, Comply or Die and Hear The Echo, who were all dealt with harshly by the handicapper.

» Rambling Minster and Parsons Legacy are hampered by the fact only two horses aged eleven or older have won in the last 13 years.

Posted: April 3rd, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment

Grand National 2009: This year’s frontrunners (Part 1)

15 of the last 18 winners have started at 20/1 or less. That means there are eleven major contenders: My Will, Butler’s Cabin, Rambling Minster, State of Play, Black Apalachi, Comply Or Die, Hear The Echo, Parsons Legacy, Irish Invader, Kilbeggan Blade and the chickendinner pick Darkness…

» Red Rum was the last horse to win the Grand National in successive years and that was 35 years ago. No jockey or trainer has retained since then either which is bad news for Comply Or Die, Timmy Murphy and David Pipe.

» The last seven winners have all been Irish. Black Apalachi, Comply Or Die, Hear The Echo, Parsons Legacy and Irish Invader are the leading challengers from across the Irish Sea this year.

Posted: April 3rd, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment

Boylesports are paying SIX Grand National places E/W

Open a Boylesports account, stake £10 then claim a free £20 bet

As well as offering a free £20 bet to anyone who opens an account and stakes a tenner on something, Boylesports are now paying out each-way on SIX places at the Grand National.

Click here to take advantage of this fantastic offer now!

Posted: April 2nd, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment

Queen’s horse Barbers Shop could be a Gold Cup King

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We’ve already revealed why we think Neptune Collonges offers good value tomorrow (check the Best Bets panel on your right) but here’s why Barbers Shop is the best of the non Paul Nicholls-trained horses:

BAD NEWS FOR KAUTO STAR!
Four of the last six Gold Cups were won by the favourite but ahead of the final day of the Cheltenham Festival nine successive races have passed without one winning, while two of the three feature race frontrunners have underperformed.

Good omens for Barbers Shop:
» He’s a seven-year-old, as were three of the last four winners.
» His jockey Barry Geraghty won the Champion Hurdle on 22/1 Punjabi.
» He’s won in various conditions so the weather shouldn’t affect him.
» He was placed at last year’s Festival, as were 9 of the last 11 winners.
» Nicky Henderson has had more Cheltenham winners than any other current trainer.

Paddy Power are paying FOUR PLACES each-way on Friday’s 1.30pm race and FIVE PLACES each-way on the 2.05pm!

Posted: March 13th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment