English Premier League - 03/04/2010 - 04/04/2010

Last week, Arsenal lost 2 precious points in there bid for the Premier League Title, when they drew one all at Birmingham City. Almunia's blunder in the last minute of the match did the trick for Man Utd which won easily away to Bolton Wanderers, by four goals to nil.

1. This Saturday it is one of the tittle-deciding match, Man Utd versus Chelsea, that will catch the attention of all football lovers. Man Utd who have been in great form compared to Chelsea, will be without top scorer Rooney, who will be out for about 1 month. But Man Utd still has resources to replace Rooney up in front with the likes of the talented Berbatov. Chelsea on the other hand will still miss Petr Czech due to injury and Essien. The away matches have been a problem for the Chelsea team. It seems they have lost there momentum and cannot reproduce the form when they started off the season. Man Utd have been in top form and will certainly make Chelsea feel they are at Old Trafford. For me it is clear that Chelsea will suffer a lot and will be more in a defending position rather than attacking. Even without Rooney, Man Utd has other options. Players like Fletcher and Evra will be up to the task, along with the old warriors like Giggs and Scholes who will be seen for sure in the second half. Thus, Man Utd going towards there 19th League Title by beating a serious contender as well, Chelsea. Man Utd Win.

2. Arsenal v/s Wolverampton Wanderers - Arsenal Win

3. Bolton Wanderers v/s Aston Villa - Aston Villa Win

4. Portsmouth v/s Blackburn Rovers - Blackburn Win

5. Stoke City v/s Hull City - Stoke City Win

6. Burnley v/s Manchester City - Draw match

7. Birmingham v/s Liverpool - Draw match

8. Fulham v/s Wigan Ath.  - Fulham Win

9. Everton v/s West Ham Utd - Everton Win.

Top Wins: Manchester United and Stoke City

Top Draw - Birmingham City v/s Liverpool FC

Horse Racing Review - First Meeting

 This Saturday, Hugues Maigrot Stable along with Jockey Robbie Burke started off the season with a bang! In fact the stable hit with a hatrick whereas Jockey Burke showed his class with two excellent Jockeyship to win with Best Offer and Appeal Board. His win on Best Offer was one of the best rides of the day if not the best. He took a decisive move approaching the 800m when he asked an effort from Best OFfer to close in and this proved to be the winning tactic as the horse cruised in the final straight to finish strongly in front of Match The Market. Robbie scored his opening with Appeal Board in the second race of the first meeting in the sprint. Otherwise, the third win for the stable was by Teamog which has Jockey Daby at his best again with a decisive move, when he launched Teamog from the 800m mark. This was the second win for the pair  Daby /Teamog.

 Eli's Connection broke the ice in the main race to score a nice win with a great finish. As underlined in my preview, Jockey Lacaille did exactly what he was asked to do(where others have failed), that is to hold on Eli's Connection and wait for the final straight to give everything. Eli's Connection kicked on nicely to beat Champ In Action and Young Pretender. Bright Stone and favorite Stateship did not finish in the quartet. Stateship ran an ordinary race after leading in the initial stages. Seems that this horse pulls a lot when in the lead. Should run behind leaders or kept in midfield. Apprentice Yeung Ki was suspended from riding in four meetings following his professional fault that he committed in the same race when he was aboard Champ In Action. He stopped riding for a few metres in the straight line. The explanation given by the Apprentice was that he could not see clearly where the finishing line was and he thought he already crossed the finishing line. All this due to mud that got stuck to his goggles.

 Capitain and Cathay Prince as well were outsiders that broke the ice in the fourth and 8th race respectively. Capitaine ran a cracker with a superb finish with Jockey Segeon. Whilst in the first race he came late to fill in the second spot with Go Spook, Bussunt was on target this time with Cathay Prince. The latter was expected to do well on longer distances rather than the 1365m. The going helping, he showed a nice finish to hold on his first win in front of New Trend.

 Merven Stable opened the new season by scoring with Lone Star Park which was the race's favorite, given that he was the lone front runner of this race. Hoolash's claim of 4Kg helped as well since Go Spook was closing in very strongly. In the seventh race, it was a Compendium which won with French Jockey Lermytte scoring his first win for him in Mauritius as well as for Trainer Kiki Henry this season. Champions Rousset and Dye came close in the 5th meeting to strike a win but could not hold on in the last metres of the race.

Horse Racing Tips - 1st Meeting - March 27

Race 6: The Badinage Merven 90th Anniversary Cup


The sixth race will see 6 horses competing for the Badinage Merven 90Th Anniversary Cup, which is a sprint on the 1365m for horses rated between 50-65. Let us have a look at the contenders.

1. Bright Stone: 5th Draw; 60Kg; Naiko; acts on soft and heavy tracks -  Was once known for his initial speed and a very competitive sprinter in his class. Has won on 1000m but this was 2 years back. Seems to have lost his initial speed as a sprinter and is best suited over longer. Outsider's chance for me.

2. Camden's Choice: 1st Draw; 60Kg; Jones; acts on soft and better on heavy tracks - A horse that has won his races on wet tracks in Mauritius. Seems to be a summer horse. Needs some more races. Outsider's Chance.

3. Stateship: 3rd Draw; 60Kg; Lermytte; better on normal/soft tracks - Very good sprinter with lots of initial speed. Can lead or sit behind leader before firing in the home turn. Impressive at training. Does very well after break normally. Stands a very good chance.

4. Eli's Connection: 2nd Draw; 59Kg; Lacaille; acts on normal/soft - A horse that has runs against top class oppositions like Molten, The Cardinal & Revolution. Is now down in class. Well placed in the barriers, will surely follow the leaders in a midfield position before attacking in the final straight. Has a devastating finish if handled well in the initial stages as shown when he was runner up to Northern Frontier last year. Is in superb form actually. Can break the ice tomorrow with Lacaille on board.

5. Young Pretender: 4th Draw; 57Kg; Boutanive; acts on normal - A strong finisher, runs well fresh. Should be in the quartet.

6. Champ In Action: 6th Draw; 55Kg; Yeung Ki; does well on normal - Was once a very good sprinter but lost form since with age factor affecting him probably. Has gone down in class. Runs well fresh normally. An outsider's chance.

Conclusion: Eli's Connection should win it by a close margin against Stateship, with Young Pretender and Bright Stone making it for the quartet.

Race 1:

Win: Droplet

Swinger: Droplet - Everlasting

Quartet: Droplet - Lone Star Park - Everlasting - Cross Patch.

Race 2: 

Win: Betrayed

Swinger: Betrayed - Place on The Bay

Quartet: Betrayed - Mister See - Place on The Bay - Appeal Board

Race 3:

Win: National Respect

Swinger: National Respect - Shutterfly

Quartet: National Respect - Shutterfly - Pipper's Promise - Western Ranger

Race 4: 

Win: Juanfra

Swinger: Juanfra - Gamekeeper

Quartet: Juanfra - Gamekeeper - Capitaine - Wolf Tone

Race 5:

Win: Strike Again

Swinger: Strike Again - Romp In The Forum

Trifecta: Strike Again - Romp In The Forum - Teamog

Race 7:

Win: My Best Friend

Swinger: Lucien - Golden Seal

Quartet: My Best Friend - Lucien - Golden Seal - Hero's Hope

Race 8:

Win: New Trend

Swinger: Jose Morihno - New Trend

Quartet: New Trend - Jose Morihno - Enchanter - Primo

Banker: Betrayed

Outsider: My Best Friend

Place Accumulator: Betrayed - Mister See / National Respect - Piper's Promise / Juanfra - Gamekeeper / Strike Again - Romp In The Forum / Stateship - Eli's Connection / Hero's Hope - My Best Friend / Jose Morihno - New Trend.

GOOD LUCK TO YOU ALL - BET WHAT YOU CAN AFFORD TO LOSE!

English Premier League - 27/03/2010 - 29/03/2010

Last week, Man Utd beat all time rivals Liverpool by two goals to one to take back there lead from Arsenal. Rooney and Ji Sung Park were on target for ManUtd whereas LFC opened the scoreline with a great header in the opening minutes.

This week, Chelsea is facing Aston Villa at home and this is a tough match for the title challenges. Chelsea's form have dipped a bit and this has been showing against Blackburn Rovers last week. Aston Villa is not an easy team to play against and the Villains will have to win in order to keep there chances alive to qualify for the European Champions League. They have drawn against Wolves and Sunderland in there last two matches at home. If we look at the statistics, Chelsea have lost only once at home to Man City and drawn one only. This makes them favorite to win compared to Aston Villa who have lost 3 and drawn 5. Chelsea are fave to win this match according to me but it will be a very tight match for the Blues. - Chelsea Win

Birmingham v/s Arsenal - Arsenal Win

Hull City v/s Fulham - Hull City Win

Tottenham Hotspur v/s Portsmouth - Tottenham Win

West Ham Utd v/s Stoke City - Draw

Wolverampton Wanderers v/s Everton - Wolves Win

Bolton Wanderers v/s Man Utd - Man Utd Win

Burnley v/s Blackburn Rovers - Draw

Liverpool FC v/s Sunderland - Liverpool Win

Man City v/s Wigan Athletic - Man City Win

Top Win: Tottenham Hotspurs - Man Utd

Top Draw: Burnley v/s Blackburn Rovers

English Premier League - 20/03/2010 - 21/03/2010

Tomorrow will be marked by the clash of two Premier League Giants, Man Utd and LFC at Old Trafford. The last time these two clubs met at Old Trafford saw LFC beating Man Utd by 4 goals to 1. The score line was surprising indeed. But this time is a different story where LFC are trailing in the near - middle of the table and having a "bad" away record for a Top FOur Team. Man Utd has Robust Rooney on top form and will be no doubt the man to mark for LFC. Though this match seems to be a one way for Man Utd I don't think Sir Alex will take this one lightly. Everyone knows LFC to be another team if they are on fire and they hit back when we expect the least specially in high profile matches like this one.

LFC on the other hand, will try to lift up there play to get the points from Man Utd since they cannot afford to lose another 3 points if they want to be in the Top Four for Champions League Football next season. Torres and Gerrard are both back in form with goals coming from them in mid weeks clash against Lille, at home. Can they produce the same form against there Fiercest rivals so that htey can stop Man Utd from breaking there record of championships? That's the question that has no answer for many. For me I find it difficult for LFC to match with Man Utd at Old Trafford unless they lift up there game to the occasion. I predict a Man Utd win with Rooney on target again.

Arsenal v/s West Ham Utd - Arsenal Win

Everton v/s Bolton - Everton Win

Sunderland v/s Birmingham City - Sunderland Win

Wigan Ath. v/s Burnley - Wigan Win

Portsmouth v/s Hull City - Draw match

Stoke City v/s Tottenham Hotspurs - Draw match

Aston Villa v/s Wolves - Aston Villa Win

Fulham v/s Man City - Draw match

Blackburn Rovers v/s Chelsea - Draw match

Top Win: Aston Villa - Everton

Top Draws: Stoke v/s Tottenham and Fulham v/s Man City

English Premier League - 13/03/2010 - 15/03/2010

Last week Man Utd took the lead of the EPL while Arsenal closed in to challenge after a win against Burnley. They are now level on points with Chelsea who are second on goal difference and Chelsea having played one match less than there opponents. Following the fixtures of this week, it seems that Man Utd and Arsenal will keep the winning trend and Chelsea who were beaten last time out in the EPL will be impatient to get back on track against an irregular West Ham who are fighting to keep there Premiership status. LFC has no other option than to win if they want to have a slender chance to qualify for Champions League.

1. Tottenham Hotspur v/s Blackburn Rovers - Tottenham Hotspur Win

2. Birmingham City v/s Everton - Draw

3. Bolton Wanderers v/s Wigan Athletic - Bolton Wanderers Win

4.Burnley v/s Wolverampton Wanderers - Burnley Win

5. Chelsea v/s West Ham Utd - Chelsea Win

6. Stoke City v/s Aston Villa - Draw

7. Hull City v/s Arsenal - Arsenal Win

8. Man Utd v/s Fulham - Man Utd Win

9. Sunderland v/s Man City - Draw

10. Liverpool FC v/s Portsmouth - Liverpool Win.


Best Bet for Win: Tottenham Hotspurs and Chelsea


Best bet Draw: Stoke City

English Premier League - 06/03/2010 - 08/03/2010

Last week, we have seen Arsenal getting back in contention again for the EPL title after the defeat of Chelsea at home to Man City. Tomorrow they will be playing against Burnley, who have vowed to do the maximum to defeat Arsenal, to keep there hope of staying in the top flight alive. But knowing there away record (only 1 draw and 13 defeats in 14 matches played) I find it difficult for the away team to claim at least 1 point from the Gunners. The latter are on a high and they have shown against Stoke City which is a difficult team to play against (LFC knows something) how they can come back in the game and win 3 points. Aaron Ramsey who is suffering from a broken leg will be out for the rest of the season. In this game, I find Arsenal pass by Burnley easily to take all 3 points. Arsenal Win.


West Ham Utd v/s Bolton Wanderers - West Ham Win.


Wolverampton Wanderers v/s Man Utd - Man Utd Win


Everton v/s Hull City - Draw


Wigan Athletic v/s Liverpool Football Club - LFC Win


Note that most of the matches have been postponed due to FA CUP replays.