The Racing and Football Betting Thread.

Well done RT. 
I've been having a few health issues. Finally seemed to have got myself sorted,only to put my back out yesterday.
Hoping to be OK for the big game on Sunday.

I might be tempted to dip my toe in the water again in May.

Provided, that is, I receive assurances that everything's above board on this thread and nobody's up to any skulduggery.

No names, no pack drill but you know who you are.....

boltonbonce wrote:Well done RT. 
I've been having a few health issues. Finally seemed to have got myself sorted,only to put my back out yesterday.
Hoping to be OK for the big game on Sunday.

Get well for Sunday. You know it makes sense!

Bread2.0 wrote:I might be tempted to dip my toe in the water again in May.

Provided, that is, I receive assurances that everything's above board on this thread and nobody's up to any skulduggery.

No names, no pack drill but you know who you are.....

Skulduggery?  . I'll have you know that we run a tight ship on the betting thread!

I know you do, RT.

It's "the other fella" that I'm worried about.

The one who keeps falling over and banging into things to try and distract attention away from what he's really up to.

You know who I mean......

Is that a Cheater?

I have been somewhat delayed in moving into a new home because my lounge furniture which I bought in Harveys in February this year just happened to be made in Rumania and isn't due to be delivered until June. I am currently living in temporary accommodation with no t'internet. As soon as I get my feet under the ( Rumanian ) table I will endeavour to dedicate my spare time to Nuts and rejuvenate the betting thread.

Who are you?

boltonbonce wrote:Who are you?

Ah,I remember now. Hope you get sorted asap RT.

Finally moved in so July should be free for a dabble.

I'm not a betting man but I do like my cycling and the Tour de France is only a few weeks away.

There's no nailed on certainties this year and with realistically only a few riders can win the Tour I noticed that the odds seem generous if you didn't back the first two favourities.

Chris Froome the bookies say, is the man to beat at odds of 13/8.

Froome has not been anything like dominant this season but is a quality rider in the best team - he should win but it's certainly not set in stone he will.

Riche Porte is second favourite at 2/1.

Porte is a fantastic rider and the man in form BUT something always goes wrong for him in a Tour - he's the one who rode into the back of a police motorbike last year for example - not his fault but typical of the mans luck.

Then the odds get a little bit more generous imo.

Next is Nairo Quintana at 15/2.

Quintana is a future Tour de France winner and could easily start the ball rolling for himself at this years edition.

He rode this years Italian Tour (finished 2nd) and the perceived wisdom is that it takes to much out of you to be competitive for the Tour de France.

I somehow think that IF Quintana had trained just for the Giro (Italian Tour) he would have won it, so maybe he had held something back to be competitive for France.

If he has his odds look generous - and he has a great team to back him.

Albert Contador is at 16/1 - quality rider (drug user) but getting on now and in a new team.

I assume this is his last shot at the Tour and will give it all he has got left.

On his day he was the best - unbeatable - so definitely worth a punt I would say.

AT 18/1 is a rider who has been around for a while Jakob Fuglsang.

He rather unexpectedly became his teams leader at a big lead up race for the Tour and won it.

I don't rate his team leader (Fabio Aru - next favourite at 22/1) and IF Fuglsang were to somehow lead his team then I think he would do a much better job - I guess the bookies must think the same otherwise their respective odds would be the other way around(?).

Fuglsang and Aru are in a strong team so whoever ends up leading it will have plenty of support.

Fuglsang is untested as a team leader over 3 weeks but does at 32 years old has bags of experience.  I guess if he gets the nod it will be his one and only chance to win the Tour.

Next at 22/1 is one of the great riders (also a druggy) not to have won the big one - Alejandro Valverde.

He's in the same team as Quintana but he certainly isn't there to be his number two.

Valverde was the man I thought would go on to take over Armstrong's crown but despite numerous wins elsewhere (including the classics) he never triumphed in Paris - a lot of that had to do with him being Spanish, riding for a Spanish team, who wanted to win the Spanish Tour (which is held after France) and which he once did.  That and Contador coming along and being Spanish also was by far the better rider.

Valverde will be in the mix at the end but I can't see him winning it.

Neither can I see Romain Bardet France's big hope at 25/1 winning either.

I guess if I was pushed, I would tip Froome to win again with Quintana pushing him close and Porte being the best rider of the Tour but a one off bad day somewhere scuppering his chance.

Hope this might interest people a little bit and the link below is where I got the odds from -

http://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/racing/tour-de-france/bookmakers-backing-2017-tour-de-france-265645

Right then.... July Handicap starts today. Anyone can join. You get a £5 stake every day and can pick as many horses as you like as long as your total spend is no more than £5. You can also have each way bets as well as win only.

I'll start the ball rolling.

£1 win on Zaman 2.30 Pontefract.

£2 win on City Ground 5.00 Pontefract

£2 win on My Brother 7.45 Hamilton.

Welcome back RT. Got the week off,so I'll get my paper and sort my winners out.

Good show!

£1.00 e/w  New Society  3.30 Ponty.

£1.50 e/w  Inspector Norse  5.00 Ponty

£5 win the Feathered Nest - 3:00 Ponty

£5 Win Dyna Might 3.30 pontefract

£1.00 e/w  New Society  3.30 Ponty.  2nd at 7-1 for 75p profit.

£1.50 e/w  Inspector Norse  5.00 Ponty.  ( Unplaced )