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| Paul Sackey ready to hit the big time Twickenham on Sunday will offer Paul Sackey the perfect stage on which to renew his quest for the England jersey that was his during the 2007 World Cup and which he has worn in the past two RBS Six Nations Championships. feeds.timesonline.co.uk |
Odds of 8-1 for Queen having winner at Royal Ascot generous to a fault Opposing Kieren Fallon's bid for title glory looks another profitable bet among bookmakers' new year specialsEven the most ardent republican can have cause to cheer for the Queen, if taking the 8-1 offered by William Hill about Her Majesty owning a winner at Royal Ascot in 2010.Bookmakers approach offering new year specials with a widely varying amount of industry and enthusiasm, probably a consequence of the enthusiasm of their odds compilers and traders effectively to manage liabilities on one-sided books.Whereas some firms muster only a handful of prices, the likes of William Hill and Blue Square seem to throw themselves into the project, issuing reams of odds about a whole variety of events occurring next year.As one trader said to me: "Putting new year specials together is the ultimate thankless task. If you get the price right, you won't take a bean on it, but if you get the price wrong, then you get knocked over by the sharks. They're just not profitable."Needless to say, markets seen as being "not profitable" by bookmakers should, by definition, be those that punters need to take a particularly close look at.While other owners have been streamlining their operations in recent years, the Queen seems to have taken an increasing interest in racing again of late. During the course of this year, she has had 101 runners carry her colours, the first time since 1996 that this figure has reached three figures, and a total of 20 winners afforded her a very respectable strike-rate.After Free Agent gave her a 20th Royal Ascot victory when taking the Chesham Stakes in 2008, she went closest this year when Golden Stream led until the final 100 yards in the Sandringham Stakes. The Queen rarely misses a single day of the meeting and enjoys nothing more than a winner at Royal Ascot.The trainers she uses such as Michael Bell, Sir Michael Stoute and Richard Hannon will all have the meeting in their minds from an early stage of the year with her horses. A couple of discreet inquiries suggest that she is likely to have at least the same number of horses in training in 2010, with a number of her leading performers from this year set to stay in training.This year, the Queen had five runners at Royal Ascot, three of which went off at single-figure prices. Odds of 8-1 about a similarly-sized team in 2010 producing a winner between them must surely be too generous.Kieren Fallon has been nominated by many to give Ryan Moore a run for his money in the jockeys' championship next year, although Fallon seems to have been picking up far fewer spare rides from the Stoute yard than might have been expected since his return in September.It's been interesting to see Fallon popping up at the all-weather tracks in recent weeks, while Moore has taken the whole month off, which does indicate that Fallon's much-avowed new work ethic remains intact.However, I can't resist Blue Square's offer of 7-2 that Fallon rides less than 100 winners in Britain in 2010.Without ever having been officially named as stable jockey, he seems to be playing an ever more central role in Luca Cumani's operation and it would be no surprise to see the rider becoming slightly more selective with the mounts he takes and riding abroad more often.Cumani is one of the leading advocates of international travel with his team, and with his team, Godolphin and Ballydoyle all likely to be represented, a European-trained winner of the 2010 Melbourne Cup looks a little on the large side at 5-1 with Ladbrokes.Horse racingRoyal AscotWill Haylerguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
More than 50 groups submit redevelopment plans Veterans Memorial Coliseum inspires more than its share of public passion. bizjournals.com |
Rogge: No tolerance for doping in Vancouver LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) -- IOC president Jacques Rogge is confident that out-of-competition testing and work with Canadian authorities will stamp out drug cheats at the Vancouver Games.... hosted.ap.org |
Tendulkar and Dravid star for India • India reach 459 for five in first innings of second Test• Tendulkar achieves 45th Test century and Dravid his 29thClassy centuries from Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar left India firmly in control on the second day of the second Test against Bangladesh in Dhaka today.Dravid retired hurt on 111 after being felled by a short ball from Shahadat Hossain and Tendulkar made 143, the duo having set India on course for a formidable first-innings lead with an undefeated 222-run stand.That partnership came on the heels of an opening stand worth 103 between Virender Sehwag (56) and Gautam Gambhir (68) as India ended the day on 459 for five, 226 ahead of Bangladesh's first-innings total of 233.Mahendra Singh Dhoni was batting on 22 when stumps were drawn after Harbhajan Singh was dismissed off the penultimate delivery of the day.The home side, needing early breakthroughs and regular success to stay in this contest, were instead put through the mill as India steadily accumulated.Sehwag and Gambhir's stand lacked the usual frenetic pace, yet they made comfortable progress and ensured a steady flow of runs in the first session, in the process laying a solid foundation for the visitors.Much against the run of play, Sehwag fell just after passing the half-century mark, a victim of a short ball from Shahadat.Gambhir added 43 for the second wicket with Dravid but he too departed courtesy of a short delivery, presenting a second catch to the wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim off Shafiul Islam.Those dismissals brought Tendulkar and Dravid together just before the lunch interval and the two remained inseparable through the afternoon and for much of the final session, although both had offered the opposition a fair chance at their wicket.Early in his innings, Dravid had received the benefit of the doubt when a drive from Gambhir crashed into the stumps at the non-striker's end, catching Dravid well outside his crease. Replays were inconclusive as to whether Shafiul got a touch.Dravid was then caught off a no-ball while on 28, needlessly fending a short delivery from Rubel Hossain to Junaid Siddique at slip, but thereafter settled for a more steady approach.Tendulkar too had initially shown similar lapses in concentration. He was twice grassed by Raqibul Hossain at gully and survived a few inside edges early in his innings, one of which missed off stumps by a hair's breath.He was far more composed later in the afternoon session and cashed in nicely on a considerable number of deliveries pitched short and on leg stump from the part-time spinners Mahmudullah and Mohammad Ashraful.Tendulkar reached his 45th Test century, his second on this tour, while Dravid, a little slower, reached his 29th Test century with a crisply driven boundary to long-on.The partnership had spanned a little over 51 overs when Shahadat, bowling with the second new ball, ended the stand, Dravid ducking right into the path of a short ball which did not bounce as much as the batsman expected.He was rapped on the ear guard of his helmet and walked off the field immediately, although initial signs suggested he was more shaken than injured.Tendulkar added 53 with Murali Vijay (30) before Shakib Al Hasan finally struck at the fag end of the final session to send back the master batsman.Tendulkar, who had already hit Shakib for six in the over, advanced to cart the bowler over the top, but only picked out Imrul Kayes at midwicket.Shakib then scalped Vijay in similar fashion and Harbhajan (13), sent in ahead of Yuvraj Singh, fell in the final over of the day, slashing at a delivery from Shafiul. But by then India were well in control.India Cricket TeamSachin TendulkarBangladesh Cricket TeamCricketguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |