Sport is made for betting

If you're off to Epsom for Derby Day or just sitting in front of the telly, you'd best be armed with more form and tips than just the big race. Prolific contributor William Kedjanyi, @keejavOV , (his blog) has the Friday freedom to study the form all day, something I used to have years ago now, so he has taken on previewing the whole day. Let's start off with the opening race... -------------- Investec Private Banking Handicap Class 2 for 3YO only, 1m2f 1400 local Several likely types, as ever here, and Dutch Uncle makes the most appeal following his fine third in the London Gold Cup at Newbury. Second to a well known rapid improver by the name of Jack Hobbs last season, he took his own maiden with ease and in his two handicap starts he has been beaten a neck by subsequent winner Subscontinent when ahead of two subsequent winners off marks of 80, before a creditable front running third in the London Gold Cup behind the highly rated Time Test and the previous Newmar...

The biggest day in Queensland racing heads to a different venue, albeit across the road from the traditional host. Doomben racecourse hosts a crackerjack card including the Stradbroke, Derby, JJ Atkins, Qld Guineas and Brisbane Cup tomorrow. A truly great day of racing. Taking the reins for the Stradbroke preview is sharp local judge Joshua Langdon, @wenin_rome . ------------- Stradbroke Handicap G1 1350m AUD2,000,000 Doomben 1537 local, 0637 BST For those of you who like to use historic statistics as a guide to picking a winner, well you can throw those stats out the door this year as we are at a different track and distance for the 2015 edition of the time honoured Stradbroke Handicap. For the first time ever in the history of the glamour race of the Brisbane Winter Racing Carnival, the Stradbroke Handicap will be run at the Doomben racecourse over 1350m instead of the normal 1400m at Eagle Farm. Doomben is a much tighter track than Eagle Farm and is historically suited ...

Belated posting of this week's AFL action from the sharp guys at @AFLRatings ------------------- AFL Round 10 Preview by aflratings.com.au via @AFLRatings Last week 6 favourites were successful from 9 games in the AFL, here are our thoughts for Round 10. Fremantle 9-0 v Richmond 5-4 Three weeks ago the Tigers season was almost lost, they have transitioned quickly in to a Finals contending team with quite a large amount of self-belief. This will be the biggest test for Richmond in recent memory, Fremantle are the almighty this season with a 9-0 record and a 30.4 Average winning margin at Domain Stadium in Perth. Now Richmond are coming off back to back 6 day breaks which is not an ideal preparation to face the best team this year, but they are likely to be close enough for a long period of time to at least challenge the -29.5 Fremantle Betting Line. The Dockers are a great 1st Qtr team, interestingly Richmond coach Damien Hardwick stated in the media that they are going...

Of course there's more than just the big races at Epsom today and @keejayOV has stepped in with some more previews... ------------------- Princess Elizabeth Stakes, 1400 Not an attractive renewal and weaker than the race Odeliz finished second in last year to Thistle Bird. Karl Burke’s filly finds winning difficult so is not one to go hard on, but dined close to the top table last year and has plenty of efforts that entitle her to take the beating here, as her rating suggests, so she gets the vote. A return to Lighting Thunder’s best form would see her as a very strong favourite but since her two back to back Guineas seconds she hasn’t raised a gallop since and even odds of 6/1 aren’t tempting enough to get involved again. Bold Lass has kept plenty in hand when winning handicaps at Ascot and Bath the last twice but she should have plenty to offer still with just eight starts under her belt and she is respected here for all this is a different bag of fish. Only a short hea...

The ladies will be out in their finest and thousands of blokes will be looking ridiculous in top hat and tails at Epsom today for Oaks Day. Chance of storms throughout the day so dress appropriately for humidity and lightning strikes! Or just stay in the bar... Leading the charge today is William Kedjanyi, @keejayOV , with his preview of the feature race. Last year we saw a champion filly in Taghrooda emerge, what does today's race have in store? You can read more of William's previews on a variety of sports on his blog . ---------------- Investec Oaks £450,000 Group 1 for 3yo Fillies 1630 local, 0130 AEST 1m4f10y Already Advised on my blog : 1 pt each/way Diamondsandrubies, 27th May (8/1 Hills, Paddy Power, Boylesports)* & 1 pt each/way Jack Naylor, 27th May, (12/1 Ladbrokes, BetVictor, Sportingbet) 1 pt each/way Together Forever, 13th May (16/1 general) Diamondsandrubies now 12/1 with Paddy Power* Al Naamah: Sister to 2012 winner Was who made headl...

Next on the handicap programme during the Epsom Festival is the Investec 'Mile'. I think someone needs a tape measure... With the preview again, it's Chris Day, @chrisday100 . ------------------------- Investec Mile 1m114yds (Not really a mile then is it??) 1545 local 0045 AEST £40,000 Class 2 Handicap The race which precedes The Oaks is an interesting mile handicap, The Investec Mile, is usually a pointer to The Royal Hunt Cup and top weight and favourite is last year’s winner, Abseil , a horse who never really went on as expected after his victory here but returned with an excellent tird at York and could go very well from just a 7lbs higher mark. I doubt the weight will stop him but the draw might and I remember last year’s race only to well with fast finishers taking their time to get going from wide draws and you have to take him on at around 3-1 given that he was 14-1 last time out. Could win and could be a Group horse but we won’t get rich backing him. Go...

In a fantastic weekend of racing around the world, all eyes in Europe at least will be on Epsom for the blue riband 3yo classics. But you'll have to wait a bit for those previews, first up it's the first handicap of the meeting, the 1435, as previewed by regular contributor Chris Day, @chrisday100 . ----------------------- Investec Wealth and Investment Stakes 1435 local, 2335 AEST £50k, 1m2f, Class 2 The Investec Derby Meeting kicks off on Friday and, whilst the big races have been previewed everywhere, the value for regular punters probably lies elsewhere and the 2.35 race, The Investec Wealth & Investment Stakes, run over 10 furlongs, is just the type of race where it is possible to gain an edge by way of a bit of our own study. As is usual in these big handicaps for older horse, Mark Johnston appears to hold a strong hand. His highest rated runner is Fire Fighting , who won The Zetland Gold Cup at Redcar last time out. He’d earlier run very well in third over c...

The biggest domestic day of French racing with the running of the Prix du Jockey Club, referred to by the English-speaking world as the French Derby. Taking the reins is Australian racecalling prodigy and international racing enthusiast Luke Humphreys, @WorldRacingLuke . ----------------------- Prix du Jockey Club Chantilly 1545 local time, 1445 BST, 2345 AEST G1, 2100m, €1.5m Card link 1 New Bay (5/1) (France): Very nice horse who scored quite softly on his seasonal reappearance over a mile and then was a fantastic second, when having very little luck from an outside barrier, in the French 2000 Guineas. He stormed home in that race and out of all of the runners that ran in the that race, he looks the one to be suited the most stepping up to the 10 ½f of this race. Very good chance and looks hard to stop as he tries to give champions jumps jockey Vincent Cheminaud his first flat G1. 2 Karaktar (11/4) (France): Looked like a world beater when winning his prep race in th...

Another week, another preview of AFL fixtures from the smart blokes at @aflratings . Don't worry too much about missing the Sydney-Carlton match, Blind Freddie could have tipped that result! ------------------------ AFL Round 9 Preview by aflratings.com.au via @aflratings Last week six favourites were successful from nine games in the AFL, here are our thoughts for Round 9. Sydney 6-2 v Carlton 1-7 With Coach Mick Malthouse now gone the Blues are at complete rock bottom, a road trip to Sydney visiting the Swans will not be pretty. The betting Line is currently at -69.5 Sydney and could be higher, weather is unlikely to impact at game time & Carlton are seriously missing some of their better player in Gibbs, Judd & Murphy. The Blues have averaged only 60.0pts per game from their last four. games and are up against the No.2 Ranked defensive team Swans conceding only 67.6pts per game this season. Carlton has lacked effort all season, that may turn around for a litt...