The Wager Zone

Triomphe in Paris
By Noel Hayes

October sees the wind-down of the flat racing season - classic winners have been crowned, battles fought, and new heroes of the turf heralded. Despite this feeling of completion, the first weekend of October offers the last bastion of resistance to the end of yet another magnificent season of racing. Flood your senses with gallic charm, fine red wine, and exquisite bistro food from the heart of Paris, then make your way to Longchamp racecourse on the banks of the river Seine.

If questions remain unanswered as to the titleholder of champion European horse at any division, whether a 2-year-old, older horse, or champion miler, Lonchamp racecourse and the Prix de l'Arc racing festival is the stage where these remaining questions will be answered.

The highlight of the weekend is the mile-and-a-half Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe Lucien Barriere, but before the ink has dried on the results sheet of this particular race, we will have been treated to a magnificent selection of races. The finest horseflesh in the Western world will be on display this particular weekend, with no fewer than seven Group 1 races and four Group 2 races making up the weekend's racing programme.

Longchamps racing begins on Saturday, Oct. 4, with the Prix de la Foret, a Group 1 race over seven furlongs for horses aged 3 years and older. So far this season, the John Gosden-trained Ravens Pass has been threatening to land a race at the highest level, but he has unfortunately found the champion 3-year-old Henrythenavigator too good on a number of occasions.

It appears that the one-mile trip has added to the factors undoing Ravens Pass on more than one occasion, and with this step down to seven furlongs seemingly ideal, he looks certain to land his first Group 1 success in this race.

The speedsters take to the track in the Prix de l'Abbaye, another Group 1 race, over the minimum five-furlong trip. Foreign raiders to French soil look likely to be the main protagonists in this race, and they will be headed by the John Best-trained Kingsgate Native, who finished second in this race last year as a 2-year-old and will be looking to build on his Royal Ascot success in the Golden Jubilee this time around.

Spanish raider Equiano was a surprise winner of the Kings Stand at Royal Ascot, and he will be out to prove to doubters that his success there was no flash in the pan. The home team will depend on the Freddie Head-trained Marchand D'Or, who will require soft ground to be seen at his best over this minimum trip.

Next up on the card, the 2-year-olds will take centre stage. First is the Prix Marcel Boussac, a Group 1 race over one mile for fillies. Last year, the magnificent Zarkava was successful, whilst previously, the very special Finsceal Beo triumphed.
This year, Jim Bolger will attempt yet another victory in the race, sending Cuis Ghaire. Already twice a Group winner, she will bid for more success in this prestigious race.

The Grand Criterium, over seven furlongs, is open to both colts and fillies, but this Group 1 contest has long been the reserve of the colts. Aidan O'Brien has provided seven of the last 11 winners and looks certain to send the highly promising Rip Van Winkle to Paris this autumn in a bid for yet another training success in this race. Rip Van Winkle was the beneficiary of the steward's intervention on his debut, but required no such help the next time out in the Leopardstown Tyros Stakes, where he defeated the previously mentioned Cuis Ghaire in a very impressive manner.

One thing punters can be sure of from this weekend's racing is that they will be left with some great memories, and the one-mile two-furlong Prix de L'Opera is one such race that will provide the memories. A Group 1 race restricted to fillies aged 2 years and older, it has provided fine performances from such previous winning fillies as Timarida, Petrushka, and Alexander Goldrun.

This year's renewal will likely revolve around two Irish-trained fillies hailing from the frequently mentioned Bolger and O'Brien yards, respectively. Lush Lashes is likely to start as the favourite, with Irish Guineas and Nassau Stakes winner Halfway To Heaven challenging for that mantle. With Peeping Fawn having been recently retired, it is likely left to these 3-year-olds to fight it out. Lush Lashes will bid for revenge after a torrid time in running behind Halfway To Heaven in Goodwood's Nassau Stakes.

La Grande Course

Next up is the main event, the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe Lucien Barriere, a Group 1 event over one mile four furlongs. With a prize pool of €4 million, this is frequently one of the races of the year, and previous races have thrown some magnificent victories.

The list of quality champions is extensive, and in recent years includes such equine superstars as Dylan Thomas, Hurricane Run, Sinndar, Montjeu, and Peintre Celebre, whilst if one looks far enough into the archive, names such as Dancing Brave, Rainbow Quest, Alleged, and Mill Reef appear as former winners.

Looking forward to this year's race, unsurprisingly, the all-conquering O'Brien stable appears to have a stranglehold on the event with a choice of Soldier Of Fortune or Duke Of Marmalade to pick from.

Epsom Derby winner New Approach also will make a bid for glory. He has had an interrupted season since securing his classic victory, but if he were to turn up in premium condition, his bid for victory will be a legitimate one.

Genuine home-trained contenders are scarce, and the hopes of keeping the title on home soil rest with both Montmartre and Getaway. The former has been very progressive this season and has shown a distinct liking for the course. Getaway takes his second crack at this race, having finished fourth to Dylan Thomas in last year's renewal. His season started full of promise when he was successful in Newmarket's Jockey Club Stakes, but since that victory, his form has tailed off somewhat. Being trained by the master French trainer Andre Fabre, his recent performance should not detract from his prospects. Having once held the mantle of the favourite, he is now freely available at 16/1, and worse investments have been made by those in search of a value alternative.

Whichever way the weather comes and whatever results we see, one thing is assured: A weekend of epic racing lies in store for all to watch.

UFC - Out for the Count
By Rick Deere

The fact that the Ultimate Fighting Championship is still waiting to really hit the mainstream in Europe is evident in the back pages of the British papers. As popular as it has become over the last few years, Michael Bisping's picture is unlikely to make the back pages of the dailies in his native country at a time when it's almost a cliché how the British press loves to hype up any young sports star with a bit of potential.

Progress has been made, though, and there are sure to be various print spreads about the English MMA (Mixed Martial Art) fighter's matchup with Chris "The Crippler" Leben in most, if not all, of the main papers. This is undoubtedly a good thing for Bisping because, despite his 15-1 record, there are still questions being asked about how good he really is.

Before hitting the television screens as a contender on, and eventual winner of, Ultimate Fighter 3, the Manchester-born fighter proved far too good for the level of opposition he came across in his homeland. In going to the U.S. and taking part in the UFC reality show, Bisping surprised many from both sides of the water by not just winning, but by also the manner in which he did it, stopping everyone he faced on the show with some accomplished striking. One serious threat Bisping avoided on his way to a UFC contract was Matt Hamill, the deaf fighter who was ruled out of the show with an injury, but the two did meet last year in Mancunian Bisping's "hometown" of London, and the Englishman was certainly on the end of a hometown decision.

Ironically, after three rounds of Bisping struggling to make an impact against the more powerful wrestler, it was the one English judge who quite correctly, if somewhat overenthusiastically, gave the fight to Hamill 30-27, while the two Americans saw the more lucrative to the UFC's European expansion plans Bisping as the victor with two undeserved 29-28 scores.

In his very next appearance, he was involved in another questionable points decision, but this time on U.S. soil when the English fighter lost narrowly to another reality-show graduate, Rashad Evans. It was close, but only the battered ego of the defeated camp even suggested that the result wasn't fair.

Weight and See

As can often be the case in the world of fighting, losing can prove to be the best result all-round. Having struggled with the size of both Hamill and Evans, Bisping made the decision to drop down from the 205-pound limit of light-heavyweight to the 185-pound limit of middleweight, and it's proving to be a good one. Looking quicker and stronger at the lighter weight, Bisping battered the average Charles McCarthy to a first-round stoppage in Canada, before returning to London, where he put on his most impressive display yet in completely dominating another average fighter, Jason Day, before knocking him out inside the first round.

Bisping certainly looks better as a middleweight, but he has yet to face a serious test in a division that contains the man widely considered to be the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, Anderson Silva. Before he can even begin to consider stepping inside the octagon with Silva, Bisping will have to get past the likes of Chris Leben, yet another former cast member of the UFC's version of the X-Factor. It should be noted that Silva stopped Leben in 49 seconds, the only man to finish the iron-chinned "Crippler" in 22 MMA fights. If Bisping can do something similar in Birmingham on Oct. 18, then talk about a possible matchup with Silva will begin, but it's not the most likely outcome.

Ground it Out

Leben's loss to Silva can almost be discounted because of how the now champion went on to win the belt, beating everyone worth beating in the division and even temporarily stepping up to do another devastating one-minute number on the light-heavyweight knockout specialist James Irvin. Silva's first and most recent victims are similarly styled brawlers. Irvin may have a little more finesse than Leben, but both are relatively one-dimensional. It's been Leben's opponent who has given one of the more accurate critiques of his abilities in the buildup to Birmingham.

"He's got a decent ground game, decent wrestling. He's got decent striking. He looks very unorthodox, the way he fights," was Bisping's view, though the confident-sounding Brit did speak of his respect for Leben, pointing to his good 18-4 record.

Leben is not a fighter to be taken lightly, and only someone as good as Silva could stop him as quickly as he did, though he is the type of tough fighter that potential suitors to the crown need to dispatch of with a touch of style. There's no denying the solidity of Chris Leben's chin or that he has heavy hands, which when thrown with effect can hurt any opponent, but he is predictable in how he comes forward, and the quicker, taller Bisping should be able to pick him off and move out of danger.

Although the English fighter feels physically stronger at middleweight, he shouldn't let that lead him to believe his chin has been similarly bolstered. That's one area where Leban almost definitely has the edge, the ability to absorb a punch is a requisite skill for a fighter who has to bull his way through his opponent's fists to create the opportunity to land a few shots of his own, and that's the type of fighter Leban is. The temptation may be for Bisping to stand and trade in some foolish display of masculinity. It's something the crowd will bay for, while his corner cries for him to hit and move or go for the take-down, but if he uses his quicker feet and longer reach to keep out of the way of Leben's lunging punches, he'll be able to dominate the standing contest.

However, as long as they are trading punches, Leben always has that puncher's chance, so it won't be surprising to see the Englishman try to get Leben on his back after some initial feeling out and softening up. That initial feeling out may well include Bisping's crowd-pleasing favourite the flying-knee. Leben should be prepared for it, though, and will deservedly lose if he catches one flush on the chin early in the fight. If Bisping can get Leben on his back, he could well dominate; his ground game and submissions should not be underestimated, and this fight could well end in a tap-out rather than the expected knockout. Bisping should prove stronger on the ground, and combining that with his superior jujitsu, he can ground and pound his way to victory or look for the submission.

Assuming that both fighters' training has gone smoothly and both are in positive frames of mind, something not guaranteed with the emotional and unpredictable Leben, Bisping should be expected to win this fight. If you're looking for a more detailed prediction, try Bisping to stop Leben in the second round in a performance that brings a fight with Silva a whole lot closer.

Ryder's on the Storm
By Aodhán Elder

Having announced Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky, as the venue for the 37th Ryder Cup back in 2000 - during the cup's last extended sojourn in the United States - organisers would have little idea as to the symbolic significance attached to this particular renewal of trans-Atlantic hostilities. In the intervening years, the Americans have been slain repeatedly to a point considered the stuff of fantasy not so long ago. True, they've had to do without getting their hands on the cup for similar periods of time in the past, but never before has the European team won the event three times in a row, with the two most recent victories coming with record-breaking margins.

Golf's world rankings could be the first step on the path to illumination as to why. A quick glance at the top 10 following the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale would suggest almost total dominance from the Americans. Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson are miles out in front at the top of the rankings, with an additional three Americans making the cut. In stark contrast, the Europeans are represented by a paltry two players, with players from the rest of the world taking three spots. On the face of it, the Americans look far superior to their European counterparts, but scratch the surface and the figures suggest that the USA's players in the top 10 aren't backed up with strength in depth.

Of the world's top 20 players, seven represent the U.S. and six Europe. Taking this approach to the world's top 50 players, we can see that both teams achieve a relative parity, with the two teams represented by 16 players each. Of course, the position in the rankings is significant, but aside from Woods and Mickelson with their comfortable points cushion above Padraig Harrington in third, the gaps between the remaining positions are relatively slight. Plus, with Woods absent through injury, the U.S. will need to draft a player substantially below the standard of the world's number one, placing additional strains on their quest to regain the trophy.

Form and Function

The format of the Ryder Cup means that although some members of a team may occupy lofty positions in the world rankings, the maximum points they can accrue over the three days of competition is five - five out of the 14-and-a-half points required to secure the trophy. With players very rarely winning the full five points, the emphasis is on a number of small contributions from many team members.

The task of finding strength in depth is inextricably linked to the aforementioned concept of the talent competing in the respective tours. Although the prize money isn't as plentiful or the venues as glamourous, the European Tour has plenty going for it. The absence of a dominant force along the lines of Woods allows younger players to come to the fore at an earlier age than they possibly would in the U.S. For example, this year Martin Kaymer looks to be an important part of the European team by virtue of a couple of wins and some strong performances during the season. Likewise, 19-year-old Rory McIlroy may play a part for Europe, a little over a year since winning the Silver Medal for top amateur at the Open.

Few would doubt that he has the credentials to play a significant role for the team if required. Had these players been playing primarily in the U.S., their breakthroughs may have taken longer to come, as would their attempts to gain the experience and confidence that comes with winning as the big names share the spoils. The important thing to remember is that although the names that crop up at the top of the European Tour leader boards aren't necessarily household names, they very well may be in the future.

Captains to the Fore

Nick Faldo and Paul Azinger will assume the captaincy roles for Valhalla, and assessing their impact on the overall outcome is tricky. Faldo is often seen as an abrasive character, and in the recent past has criticised many of the players he will captain for their lack on hunger in the majors and the fact that their friendships with fellow pros compromised their desire to win. Although the European captains seem to have stumbled upon the formula for success, there is the danger that Faldo will try to alter it in order to elevate himself above the others by deviating from the established protocol. The Englishman was a fine golfer occasionally susceptible to bouts of ego, and there is concern that this ego will interfere with the overall smooth running of the team.

One of the key questions surrounds the inclusion of Colin Montgomerie. Monty is already acknowledged as the keystone of the European team, both in terms of points haul and his experience at the event, which helps new players unfamiliar with the cauldron atmosphere on the course. In his eight previous Ryder Cup appearances, the Scot has never lost a singles match and has amassed 23.5 points, which is just one-and-a-half points behind Faldo's all-time record of 25 points. If selected, Monty will likely surpass Faldo's total. Knowing that Montgomerie will need a wild card to make it into the team, it's hard to know if Faldo will include him. Most of Europe would agree that it's almost essential that Monty is there, but crucially, the decision of one Englishman could differ, possibly on the most selfish of grounds.

Ironically, given his aloof reputation, Faldo's counterpart in the American camp is a good friend of his. Paul Azinger competed in four Ryder Cups as a player and has struck up a friendship with Faldo over the years. He is seen as being a motivational figure who will try to give his players the passion they have lacked in the most recent tournaments. He has been given four wild-card picks for his U.S. team after it was decided that the previous qualification system wasn't giving the Americans their strongest possible team. That certainly could help the American cause, but even if Jack Nicklaus, Ben Hogan, and Walter Hagen in their primes were available to Azinger, they would be hard-pressed to turn the nine-point deficit of the previous two Ryder Cups into a win. There just seems to be a lack of talent suited to the match-play format amongst the Americans.

Under or Over Par?

The current incarnation of the Ryder Cup means we can largely discount the first 50 years of the competition. From its inception in 1927 until 1977, the event was contested between a United States team and a Great Britain side that was latterly augmented with the best golfers from Ireland. Despite the game's origins in Great Britain, the pool of talent was too heavily weighted in the favour of the Americans, making it a primarily one-sided affair. Only in 1979 did the Ryder Cup become the collision of two vast entities that we are familiar with today, and as such, a genuine competition.

Taking into account purely the results from this modern era of seven European wins, six American triumphs, and one tie, the prices become a more reasonable-looking 10/11 for a European win, 6/5 for the U.S., and 6/1 for the tie. That is far closer to the odds currently available and indicates that getting rich by betting on the outright result is a risky venture. The evidence suggests that if anything, the Europeans are the ones to side with. The core of the winning team of the previous years remains, and even when home advantage is taken into account, the Europeans won with so much to spare in the last two Ryder Cups, it's hard to see a sudden turnaround in fortune that would secure a U.S. triumph.

The two-sided contest means it's unlikely that the working man will be able to get rich on the overall outcome. Likewise, the correct score market is complicated by the format of the competition. There is every chance that one team will reach the required points total before the last match, meaning that all other matches still out on the course are essentially dead rubbers, played out as simply a footnote to victory. This obviously isn't a crime, but when it comes to betting, it highlights the difficulties in getting it right. There may be more profit to be made in the top point-scorer markets.

The first thing to assess when considering these markets is the players who are likely to feature most during the foursomes, four-balls, and singles. Players with a proven track record in the majors will be trusted the most, with rookies to the teams given a less prominent role. One player who stands out as value is Kenny Perry. He may lack the major win, but his experience means that he will be given the opportunity to play in a number of matches. Plus, he has a good track record at the Valhalla course, as in 1996, he narrowly lost out in a playoff for the U.S. PGA Championship title. His decision to skip the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale was widely derided on both sides of the Atlantic, but put personal prejudices to one side, as he looks like great value to be the top point-scorer for the U.S. and possibly a good each-way shout in the overall top point-scorer market.

Best Bets From Blue Square

Manchester United scooped their third European Cup with a penalty shootout victory in Moscow last season, and the Red Devils are 11/2 favourites to make it four in 2009. Sir Alex Ferguson's side may have to cope with early season injuries as they negotiate the group stage, but once the competition gets into full swing after Christmas, they should be firing on all cylinders. The 2008 runners-up Chelsea look best placed to push them all the way again, and rate as 7/1 joint-second favourites along with Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona. With Liverpool and Arsenal at 11/1 and 12/1, respectively, it's no surprise that on the "Country of Winning Team market," England is the favourite at 6/4. The dominance of the Barclays Premier League "big 4" has been there for all to see in recent years, with Liverpool and Manchester United both winning titles, and the teams from London both appearing as losing finalists.

With the final being held in Rome's Stadio Olimpico, an Italian winner is priced at 7/2. With six titles in the last 20 years, the Italians have a strong pedigree in the elite tournament but have seen their chances dry up with the recent Spanish and English domination of the latter stages. AC Milan, who have flown the flag for Italy in recent seasons, will be plying their trade in the UEFA Cup this year, so the nation's best chance lies with its rivals Inter at 8/1. Roma are 20/1 to pull off an unlikely victory, even though they would have home advantage if they got to the final. A Juventus team that has seen better days is 25/1.

German giants Bayern Munich make a welcome return to the competition after a year in the UEFA Cup. They are 16/1 to lift the trophy, and represent the best chance of the trophy not falling into English, Italian, or Spanish hands. French teams have struggled to make an impact in recent years, and once again, Lyon is their standard bearer, with odds of 25/1.

With shocks few and far between in this tournament, it's hard to find any team out of the top 10 prices to give the big boys a jolt, but maybe UEFA Cup holders Zenit St. Petersburg can continue their good run, as few teams will relish playing them away in the Russian winter. After Rangers' demise in the early rounds, Celtic are alone in flying the Scottish flag and can be backed at 100/1.

Antepost
Rounding Up the Best Betting Markets With Roy Brindley

Pay the Bills but Don't Share the Secrets

You may know that I don't have a love affair with the BBC, and it goes without saying that only its Top Gear programme excites me in any way. Still, after much hype and admittedly with anticipation, I found myself tuning in to its Panorama show, which was billed "Racing's Dirty Secrets" - supposedly some kind of exposé on the state of British horse racing.

But, as Gran's character in the Beeb's hit-and-miss comedy programme The Catherine Tate Show would say: "What a load of f---ing old shit!"

The so-called special investigation told informed racing fans nothing they did not already know, as it simply featured evidence delivered by the Crown Prosecution Service during a trial of a handful of jockeys and a former owner. It was a case thrown out of court by the judge, declaring a lack of evidence.

There were clear attempts to unearth some fresh evidence, such as presenter Paul Kenyon, along with his cameraman, flying to America to challenge a former British-based jockey during a race meeting as he took a 10-second walk from the paddock to the weighing room.

"Can I ask you what was in the envelope you were handed at a meeting between you and racehorse owner Miles Rodgers?" the jockey was asked. It would have been a great question had there been any evidence that the envelope referred to existed! The question was hypothetical, based on a wild guess, to which the jockey made no worthwhile response.

The expenses related to this worthless confrontation doubtlessly cost television licence payers a five-figure sum and the show itself considerably more, yet the 2.9 million viewers learned absolutely nothing that had not already been extensively reported in the press.

Something that was constantly referred to during the course of the show by horse racing hierarchy was "inside information," described as "information not in the pubic domain" by the presenter. In short, trainers, owners, and stable staff are not allowed to oppose their horse in races despite being fully aware that it is not at its best and likely to struggle in the race in question.

In fact, it would appear that trainers are not permitted to give their paying owners any insight into their horse's prospects in any race. It begs the question, why on earth would you want to buy a horse and employ someone to train it - at considerable expense - when you are entitled to no more insight to its well-being and prospects than the casual punter who reads the Racing Post?

In-Running, Running Well

"In-running" betting has become fashionable since the inception of betting exchanges, and most traditional bookmakers now offer prices as events unfold. Yet, while the expression "the eyes believe themselves, the ears believe other people" should now be of the utmost relevance in truth, it isn't.

Repeatedly, you see instances of market forces making competitors or teams an artificially short price as a result of a commentator's assessment of how the action will unfold. Declarations that "this pacesetter will probably fold in the final circuit" in the case of athletics, or "the world champion is simply lining up this leader and will surely reel him in during the closing laps" in motor sport, have often led to ill-informed punters latching on to the expert commentators' predictions rather than the plain fact that the leader has a near unassailable lead.

Commentators have a desperately difficult job and, in the heat of the moment, often find themselves making predictions based on what their overall knowledge tells them rather than objective comments on the race/events unfolding in front of them. But there is no excuse for eager and action-hungry punters to join them in jumping off a cliff.

It gets worse; commentators and jockeys are not infallible, and often make mistakes on the largest possible scale. That is completely mistaking the identity of a contestant and miscalling or misjudging the winning-post. This is where punters should score big time as opposed to do their dough. Of course, in the case of betting exchanges, for every massively priced gift is a punter who has offered the aforementioned monster price, and vice versa.

Here's a selection of some of the better horse racing faux pas of recent years:

In December 2006, commentator Derek Thompson called "Firework" the cosy winner of a six-furlong Lingfield contest; however, he had mistaken the colours of this horse, who was never in contention, with those of Shava, who was at the head of the betting and crossed the line in front. Odds of 1-50 were taken on Firework with £20,000 staked at odds of 1-3 or less while he toiled behind in the closing stages.

Dense fog at a Southwell meeting just prior to Christmas 2006 made in-running punting a lottery, yet when the horses came into camera view for less than a split second at the home turn in a six-furlong handicap, commentator Phil Curry announced, "Favourite California Laws has plenty to do." Resultantly, the horse drifted out in price like the proverbial barge, yet the next time the cameras picked up the action (at the winning line), he was well clear of his rivals.

In June 2006 at Musselburgh, commentator Graham Goode mistook the eventual last, Argent Danseur, for winner The Mighty Ogmore. Over £9,000 was traded at odds of 1-100 on Argent Danseur by punters who thought they were buying money on a horse that had already crossed the line. If that wasn't costly enough, spare a thought for the punter who laid a bet of £73.50 on Mighty Ogmore at odds of 999/1; that's a matched bet of £147, costing him £73,500. While it must be said that both horses did sport jockeys with similar colours, both punters and the commentator should have made an advanced note that one of this pair wore a sheepskin noseband and the other donned a visor.

Earlier this year, jockeys Davy Condon and Davy Russell went hell for leather to the winning line in a Tramore hurdle race with the "winner" being backed at 1-100 a yard before the post. However, it transpired that there was still a circuit of the race to run, and despite most jockeys being duped into believing the race was over - as was the commentator, Dessie Scahill - another circuit had to be completed before there was a true winner. That winner was Mr. Aussie, who was laid at 130-1 when crossing the line detached from the field a circuit earlier.

The Irish commentator Scahill has a track record of mistake-making, and a month later, a cock-up at Fairyhouse cost punters nearly £40,000 when a colour mix-up led to winner Robertson Rover being backed at 999-1.

In-running backers were fooled but not misled when the commentator stated that Enhancer was starting a charge from the rear in a Goodwood Listed race at the back end of 2005's flat season. Remarkably, this horse was backed at all rates down to 1-7 by punters either keen to enjoy the buzz of shouting home a fast finisher or in the belief that he was about 10 lengths closer to the leaders than he really was!

Ditto the scenario during the 2005 National Hunt season at Cheltenham, where Lords Best was trading at 1-6 when holding a long, long lead approaching the second-last. At this point, commentator Richard Hoiles mentioned that the 9-year-old had a history of breathing problems, and as a result, there were those prepared to lay bets at odds against.

2005 was a bad year, all right; more commentator confusion saw Stonor Lady backed at 1-50 following commentator Dave Smith mistaking the eventual winner, Zaffeu, for the pre-race 28-1 shot (Stonor Lady) at Lingfield.

Similarly, at Southwell, two runners by the name of Red Rocky and Rocky Reppin were confused, and those punters believing their ears and not their eyes backed a 1-10 loser.

Possibly the ultimate "buying money, doing your brains" scenario happened this summer at Hamilton when Graham Goode declared Verinco the winner of a 2-year-old race. This time, the colours were not mistaken, but the horse did unship his jockey just yards before the line, having been subject to £22,500 of bets at 1-100.

Irish Poker Million Winner?

Hearty congratulations to the Irish players who have performed so well in this year's Poker Million. I'll not spill the beans on just who has got through to the live semifinals - broadcast on SKY Sports Dec. 10 and 11 - but let's just say the Irish team, including last year's finalist Liam Flood, performed well.

You have to love Flood, who describes himself as both a gentleman and a former bookmaker, and what a memory the great man has; he can, after all, recall the old days when Terry Rogers brought no-limit hold'em to Europe like no other old-school player in Ireland.