Welcome to the The Last at Cannington. As many punters will know, a miserable day on the punt will often end in a long night following the trots and dogs, which invariably ends with … The Last at Cannington. Hopefully we can avoid too many trips into the WA card of night racing by finding a few winners across a range of horse racing and sports bets!
Note: Bets are listed in three categories – 1) Suggested (likely bet but yet to be
finalised); 2) Confirmed (locked in at the price listed); and 3) Leans (tips,
but not recommended bets); all times quoted are Australian Eastern Daylight Time (AEDT).
A-League (round 5) for November 8
Melbourne Heart (0-2-2) v Western Sydney Wanderers (2-2-0),
AAMI Park, Melbourne, Friday, November 8, 7.40pm
I’ll never know why the Melbourne Heart felt obliged
to sign Harry Kewell (pictured) and make him captain. The 35-year-old will go down in history
among our greatest players, but his best and most consistent football came a
decade ago. Since 2003, he’s averaged about 19 games each year due to
persistent injury. He returned to the A-League 12 months after jumping ship
from Melbourne Victory, declaring his intention to win back a spot in the Socceroos
squad for the 2014 World Cup finals. He seems barely committed the Heart’s
cause, hasn’t hit the park since the season opener and even squeezed in some
time for golf this week despite recovering from neck and ankle injuries.
Surprise, surprise – Kewell is out again as the Heart attempt to claw their way
off the bottom of the A-League table. They have just two points from four
games, after being dealt a 3-0 loss by the Brisbane Roar on Sunday. The Heart
had a stack of first-half chances, but failed to bury them. They have just two
goals in four games – both from the boot of David Williams.
The Western Sydney Wanderers are hitting their
straps, with back-to-back victories taking them to second on the table behind
Brisbane Roar. A gritty last-start win over Adelaide United exemplified the
club's spirit, and they will be hungry to maintain their winning history over
Heart. Wide forward Youssouf Hersi will remain on the sidelines for Tony
Popovic's side as he continues to recover from a foot injury. Impressive as
they have been in general, the Wanderers have only pieced together one
brilliant 90-minute effort (against Sydney FC) and have appeared patchy in
their other three outings. It's only a minor blip on the radar, but Popovic
will be keen to see the red-and-black brigade go all out and bury a Heart side
that could be ripe for the picking. Popovic has plenty of options as well. He
has the option of playing star singing Matthew Spiranovic in a defensive
midfield role in front of in-form central defenders Michael Beauchamp and
Nikolai Topor-Stanley with Spiranovic joining the squad for the trip south. I
expect the Wanderers to inflict further misery on the Heart here – happy
golfing Harry!
Confirmed bets
Melbourne Heart v Western Sydney WIN (two units @
$1.80)WIN (0-1) Melbourne Heart v Western Sydney -2.5 (one unit @
$1.77) WIN (0-1)
Leans
Melbourne Heart v Western Sydney 0-1 $6.00WIN (0-1) Melbourne Heart v Western Sydney 0-2 $8.00 LOSE (0-1)
Racing for November 8
Horse racing: Sale (Vic), Kempsey (NSW), Rockhampton
(Qld), Cranbourne (Vic – night). Harness racing: Albion Park (Qld), Wagga (NSW),
Ballarat (Vic), Bathurst (NSW), Globe Derby (SA), Gloucester Park (WA), Kalgoorlie
(WA). Greyhound racing: Mount Gambier (SA), Casino (NSW), Traralgon (Vic), The
Gardens (NSW), Ipswich (Qld), Geelong (Vic), Wentworth Park (NSW), Mandurah
(WA).
Victoria’s troubled suburban track at Werribee is
again in the spotlight for the wrong reasons. Next week’s Werribee Cup meeting
has been transferred to Ballarat on Sunday, December 15 after the track was
reported to be unstable along parts of the running rail. In another untimely
headache for Victorian chief steward Terry Bailey, industry insiders are
questioning the safety of the track given it played host to the international
contenders for the 2013 Melbourne Cup over the past five weeks. Bailey claimed
that the track had endured wear and tear that did not leave it in ideal
condition to host next week’s cup meeting. Meanwhile yesterday’s Warrnambool
meeting was abandoned after the first race when a horse stumbled near the
1900m-mark. Racing Network reported that jockeys inspected the track, and
although the running rail was shifted past the troubled spot, and deemed the
track unsafe. RV Racing Operations Manager Paul Bloodworth said the tracks and
facility team would undertake an investigation and then prepare a report on the
track. It seems unlikely that the November 21 meeting at Warrnambool will
proceed.
Confirmed bets
Sale R1 #5 Native Land (E/W 1x3) 1st ($2.20/$1.30)
Rockhampton R5 #2 The Shooter (win) LOSE (2nd)
Cranbourne R2 #4 Collins Street (E/W 1x2) 1st ($2.70/$2.00)
Cranbourne R4 #3 Gold Edge (E/W) LOSE (U/P)
Cranbourne R6 #12 Nautical (E/W 1x4) 2nd ($1.40)
Leans
Sale R5 #2 Our Smokin’ Rock (E/W) 1st ($5.50/$2.20)
Kempsey R1 #1 Watling (win) LOSE (3rd)
Kempsey R7 #2 Muhaajir (E/W 1x4) 3rd ($1.40)
Rockhampton R2 #1 Boss Hussler (win) LOSE (3rd)
Rockhampton R6 #1 Rocket Billy Rebel (win) LOSE (U/P)
Harness racing tip: Gloucester Park R6 #11 Ima Rocket Star (E/W 1x2) Greyhound racing tip: Wentworth Park R2 #2 Ritza Liam (win) LOSE (4th)
NFL (week 10) for November 8
Washington Redskins (3-5, 1-3 away) @ Minnesota
Vikings (1-7, 1-3 home), Mall of America Field, Minneapolis, MN, Thursday,
November 8, 12.30pm
It’s a tricky start to week 10 of the NFL for punters
with a real head-scratcher as Minnesota host Washington. The Redskins may have
salvaged their season with a gripping overtime victory on Sunday, but they
cannot afford a misstep when they visit the Vikings here. The Redskins won
their final seven games to win the NFC East title in 2012 and hope Sunday's
dramatic win fuels another playoff run. Washington needed a last-second
goal-line stand to hold off San Diego before winning overtime. QB Robert Griffin
III didn’t throw for a touchdown but went 23 of 32 for 291 yards and was a big
reason the Redskins finished 12 of 17 on third down. But in Washington’s two
October losses, Griffin completed 49.3 per cent for 378 yards, committed five
turnovers and was sacked six times. Minnesota was unable to do the same in
Dallas and allowed the Cowboys to drive 90 yards for the winning touchdown in a
27-23 defeat. It marked the fourth consecutive loss for the Vikings, leading to
some disquiet from players regarding the coaching staff.
Although Griffin received much of the credit for the Redskins’
success in his rookie campaign, much of last season's success hinged on a
powerful ground game led by Alfred Morris (pictured), who rumbled for a season-high 121
yards and a touchdown on 25 carries against the Chargers. Griffin threw for 291
yards and completed a season-high 71.9 per cent (23-of-32) of his passes in the
most well-rounded offensive performance of the season. Minnesota has already
had three different quarterbacks start this season, but Christian Ponder will
be under center for a third consecutive game. Ponder was solid against the
Cowboys, although he will be without one of his favorite targets in tight end
Kyle Rudolph, who suffered a fractured foot against Dallas and is expected to
be sidelined for about a month. Running back Adrian Peterson, who had been
dealing with a hamstring issue for weeks, tied his season high with 140 yards
and a touchdown in Sunday's defeat. The ‘over’ is 5-2 in Redskins last seven
road games and 5-0 in the Vikings last five home games.
Confirmed bet
Washington Redskins @ Minnesota Vikings +49.5 (two
units @ $1.91) WIN (27-34)
Lean
Washington Redskins -1 $1.91 @ Minnesota Vikings LOSE (27-34)
College Football (week 11) for November 8
Big 12: Oklahoma Sooners (7-1, 4-1 Big 12) @ Baylor
Bears (7-0, 4-0 Big 12), Floyd Casey Stadium, Waco, TX, Friday, November 8, 11.30am
Forget the usual midweek fare served up in College
Football – today’s card of three games features two genuine heavyweight
battles. It’s 3 versus 5 as Oregon heads to Stanford while our game for
consideration features #10 Oklahoma in Waco to tackle on the offensive
juggernaut that is Baylor (6). Oklahoma are also out to derail the Bears’
national title hopes in front of a sold-out stadium. The Big 12 showdown
features the first real test for the fifth-ranked Bears, who lead the nation
with staggering averages of 63.9 points and 718.4 offensive yards per game. The
eighth-ranked Sooners are 21-1 all-time against Baylor and have won two
straight since losing 36-20 to Texas on October 12. The Bears are riding a
school-record 11-game winning streak, but are beginning a daunting stretch that
includes contests against Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, TCU, and Texas to end the
season. The Bears have been especially dominant at home, where they’ve
outscored five opponents by a combined score of 353-72. Not surprisingly, the
‘over’ is 5-1 in the last six meetings while the Sooners are 7-2 ATS in their
last nine meetings in Waco.
The Sooners rank 10th in the country in total defence
and ninth in pass defence, and forced three turnovers in a 38-30 victory over
previously unbeaten Texas Tech on October 26. Oklahoma will lean on its solid
offensive line and a deep roster of running backs to control the clock against
Baylor, but fullback Trey Millard will miss the game after suffering a
season-ending knee injury against the Red Raiders. Quarterback Blake Bell has
shown improvement over the past two games, and wide receiver Jalen Saunders is
tied for the team lead with five touchdown receptions. Baylor QB Bryce Petty
(pictured) has thrown 18 touchdowns and one interception while completing 69.3 per cent of
his passes to lead the Bears, who posted 743 yards in total offense in a 59-14
win over Kansas before last week's open date. Running back Lache Seastrunk
averages 9.1 yards per carry and the Bears are four rushing touchdowns away
from breaking their single-season school record of 37 set in 2011. Linebacker
Bryce Hager has a team-high 58 tackles to lead the defense, which ranks 11th in
the country with 316 yards allowed per game.
Edmonton Oilers (4-10-2, 10pts) @ Tampa Bay Lightning
(10-4-0, 20pts), Tampa Bay Times Forum, Tampa, FL, Friday, November 8, 11.40am
The Tampa Bay Lightning are one of the hottest sides in
the NHL and continued their success against the Western Conference by beating a
popular preseason Stanley Cup pick their last time out. Tampa Bay (10-4-0) has
been off since defeating St. Louis 4-2 last Sunday. The Lightning had
third-period goals from Brett Connolly and Valtteri Filppula, while Alex
Killorn had a goal and two assists and Steven Stamkos (pictured) also scored. After
a long break, they’ll face the weakest team in the West as they look to stay
unbeaten in inter-conference play against the Edmonton Oilers. Tampa Bay is 5-0
against West opponents, with two victories over defending Stanley Cup champion
Chicago. The Lightning outscored an opponent 2-0 in the third for the second
straight game and recorded 14 shots on goal over the final 20 minutes. Tampa
Bay’s Ben Bishop made 28 saves and has posted a 1.51 goals-against average in
his last four outings. Stamkos’ 11 goals and 20 points are among the most in
the league for the Lightning, whose 47 goals are among the highest in
the East.
While numerous West teams have made excellent starts,
Edmonton (4-10-2) isn’t one of them. The Oilers did manage to snap a five-game
losing streak with a 4-3 overtime victory at Florida on Tuesday. Mark Arcobello
scored his first two career goals, the second in the extra period, while
defenseman Taylor Fedun scored in his NHL debut and Philip Larsen got his first
goal of the season. The Oilers had been outscored 9-0 in their prior two games
and hadn’t recorded a goal for 163 minutes, 49 seconds before Larsen scored
late in the first period. Arcobello’s second goal came on the power play, but
Edmonton has converted at a woeful 13.5 per cent rate this season. The Oilers
have gone 2 for 32 in the last 11 games, and on Wednesday recalled forward Linus
Omark from the AHL, where he leads Oklahoma City with eight goals. Left wing Taylor
Hall making his return after missing seven games due to a knee injury. A road-heavy
schedule may be contributing to the Oilers’ early problems, though the club is
3-5-2 away from home as compared to 1-5-0 at Rexall Place.
Confirmed bets
Edmonton Oilers @ Tampa Bay Lightning WIN NT (two
units @ $1.82) WIN (2-4)
Florida Panthers @ Boston Bruins WIN NT (two units @
$1.62) WIN (1-4)
New York Islanders @ Carolina Hurricanes WIN (one
unit @ $1.91) WIN (0-1)
Dallas Stars @ Detroit Red Wings WIN (one unit @ $1.68) LOSE (4-3)
Leans
Montreal Canadiens WIN $1.91 @ Ottawa Senators LOSE (1-4)
New Jersey Devils WIN $2.13 @ Philadelphia Flyers WIN (3-0)
New York Islanders @ Carolina Hurricanes -5.5 $1.87 WIN (0-1)
New York Rangers @ Columbus Blue Jackets +5 $1.91 WIN (4-2)
Edmonton Oilers @ Tampa Bay Lightning TT +3.5 $2.22 WIN (2-4)
Calgary Flames @ St Louis Blues -1.5 $2.22 LOSE (2-3)
Buffalo Sabres @ Los Angeles Kings -1.5 $2.20 WIN +5
$1.83 LOSE (0-2)
Vancouver Canucks @ San Jose Sharks WIN $1.60 LOSE (4-2)
NBA for November 8
Los Angeles Lakers (2-3, 0-2 away) @ Houston Rockets
(4-1, 2-0 home), Toyota Center, Houston, TX, Friday, November 8, 1.40pm
How high is too high? There’ve been some crazy game
total lines set early in the NBA season but none bigger than the mark of 218
points in today’s visit of the Lakers to Houston. That said, it’s probably not
high enough. Dwight Howard faces his former team for the first time when the
Houston Rockets star center leads his team into a home match-up with the Los
Angeles Lakers. Howard had one rocky season with the Lakers before jumping ship
and signing a $USD 88 million deal with the Rockets this off-season. He’s off
to a solid start with Houston, including a 29-point, 13-rebound effort in a
116-101 win at Portland on Tuesday. Given that it came the night after a
blowout loss in LA, the Houston win in Portland was impressive. The Rockets
shot 54.7 per cent from the floor, outrebounded the Trail Blazers by a whopping
47-30 margin and seemed to get stronger as the second half of the back-to-back
dragged on, outscoring Portland by 10 points following intermission. With
Howard leading the way with an NBA-high 14.6 rebounds entering Wednesday's
action, Houston ranks second in rebounding differential (10.2).
Without injured superstar Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles
has limped out of the gate. Lakers starters produced 32 points on 12-of-34
shooting in a 123-104 loss at Dallas on Tuesday. Point guard Steve Nash
continued his slow start with five points and four assists in 20 minutes. According
to the Elias Sports Bureau, Tuesday was the first time since the NBA-ABA merger
that no Lakers starter scored more than 10 points. Considering their defensive
struggles, the Lakers will have their hands full with the surging Rockets, who
haven't won five of their first six since a 6-1 start in 2007-08. Los Angeles
ranks near the bottom of the league in opponent field-goal percentage (47.9),
scoring (109.0) and turnovers (13.6) per game. The Lakers have dropped their
two road games by a combined 50 points. Pau Gasol (pictured) is averaging a team-best 14.6
points and 10.4 rebounds, but was limited to a season-low 10 points on 4-of-9
shooting by the Mavericks. In the most recent meeting with the Rockets on April
17 in Los Angeles, Gasol posted his seventh career triple-double with 17 points,
20 boards and 11 assists in a 99-95 overtime win.
Confirmed bets
Los Angeles Lakers @ Houston Rockets +217 (one unit @
$1.91)LOSE (99-98) Los Angeles Clippers @ Miami Heat -208 (one unit @
$1.91) WIN (97-102)
Leans
Los Angeles Clippers +6 $1.91 WIN (97-102) 1Q +2 $1.87 WIN (31-28) @ Miami
Heat
Los Angeles Lakers +13 $1.91 @ Houston Rockets WIN (99-98)
Football (Europa League matchday 4) for November 8
Group K: Tottenham Hotspur v Sheriff Tiraspol, White
Hart Lane, London, England, Friday, November 8, 7.10am
Tottenham has yet to drop a point or concede a goal
in Europe. Spurs head into a tie with FC Sheriff of Moldova looking for a
fourth Europa League success and a place in the knockout stage. Spurs boast an
unblemished record in continental competition this season, with maximum points
taken from their three fixtures so far. A point is all they require here to
make it safely through to the last 32 with two games to spare. Andre
Villas-Boas’ troops will also be looking to preserve their perfect defensive
record, with a watertight back four yet to be breached in Europe. It is likely
that the pack will be shuffled again in midweek, with Spurs now boasting the
strength in depth required to compete on multiple fronts. Jermain Defoe (pictured) could
be among those selected by Villas-Boas, with the England international in need
of one more goal to become Spurs’ all-time leading scorer in Europe. Hugo
Lloris is in contention to start Tottenham after taking part in training on
Wednesday morning. Goalkeeper Lloris has been passed fit despite being knocked
unconscious in a collision with Everton’s Romelu Lukaku on Sunday.
Villas-Boas says either Lloris or Brad Friedel will
start the Group K clash, but he will not make that decision public until an
hour before the game. Sheriff will be looking to call upon the momentum they
have built at domestic level, with a seven-point lead opened up at the top of
the Moldovan National Division. Coach Veaceslav Rusnac believes his fully-fit squad
is capable of taking something from a trip to England, with only two points
separating his side from Anzhi Makhachkala in the battle for second spot. Sheriff
are yet to win in 12 away games in the UEFA Cup or Europa League, though
their most recent three away fixtures in this competition ended in draws. They
competed in the 2009-10 and 2010-11 UEFA Europa League group stages, failing to
advance on either occasion after collecting five points on each occasion. The
only success for a Moldovan side against English opponents in a UEFA
competition came when Toligma Chisinau beat Doncaster College DEAF FC 10-2 in
the 2006-07 UEFA Futsal Cup preliminary round. Let’s play Spurs hard here!
Confirmed bets
Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk -1 v Paços de Ferreira (three
units @ $1.60) WIN (2-0)
Tottenham Hotspur (to nil) v Sheriff Tiraspol (two
units @ $1.60) LOSE (2-1) Legia Warsaw v Trabzonspor – double chance (two units
@ $1.50) WIN (0-2) Rijeka v Lyon – double chance (two units @ $1.40) WIN (1-1)
AZ Alkmaar -2 v Shakhter Karagandy (one unit @ $2.40) LOSE (1-0)
FC Thun v Dynamo Kiev WIN (one unit @ $1.91) WIN (0-2)
NK Maribor v Zulte-Waregem +2.5 (one unit @ $1.70) LOSE (0-1) Kuban Krasnodar v Swansea City -2.5 (one unit @ $1.62) WIN (1-1)
Leans
Tottenham Hotspur v Sheriff Tiraspol (correct score
3-0) $6.50 LOSE (2-1) FK Rubin Kazan (to nil) $2.20 v Wigan Athletic WIN (1-0) Apoel Nicosia v Bordeaux WIN $2.70 LOSE (2-1)
Esbjerg WIN $1.91 v Elfsborg WIN (1-0)
Ludogorets Razgrad v Chornomorets Odessa (double
chance) $1.80 WIN (1-1)
Pandurii Targu-Jiu v Fiorentina WIN $1.62 WIN (1-2)
PSV Eindhoven v Dinamo Zagreb +2 $1.53 PUSH (2-0)
St Gallen v Valencia -2.5 $2.00 LOSE (2-3)
Standard Liege v SV Salzburg WIN $2.50 WIN (1-3)
Maccabi Tel-Aviv v Eintracht Frankfurt DNB $1.80 LOSE (4-2)
Lazio v Apollon Limassol +2.5 $1.70 WIN (2-1)
Rugby League (World Cup) for November 8
Group C/D: Scotland v USA, Salford City Stadium,
Salford, England, Friday, November 8, 7am
The ‘feel good’ story of the 2013 Rugby League World
Cup has been the run of the United States. Incredibly, the Tomahawks are in a
position to rest players ahead of the quarter-finals as they head into the
final game of the group stage against Scotland. Coach Terry Matterson, who was
handed the job only weeks before the tournament, has done a remarkable job
getting a bunch of fringe NRL players and fringe NFL players to play well above
the level anyone thought possible. Clint Newton, who plays more of a mentorship
role at NRL level these days, turned back the clock and bagged himself a double
against the Welsh. Parramatta may have signed Corey Norman to be their
five-eighth in 2014, but they could do worse than persist with utility Joseph
Paulo. Named captain in their first game where he scored a try before
relinquishing the job to Newton, Paulo broke out with a two try-assist, four
line break-assist against the Welsh.
Similarly, Scotland has exceeded pre-World Cup
expectations. They have a handful of quality NRL players such as Darren
Lockyer’s former halves partner Peter Wallace, the indestructible Luke Douglas
and Cowboy Kane Linnett to go with a handful of Super League stars that make
this team more second-tier than third. But their stirring victory over
Tonga and entertaining display against the Azzurri will not only see the
co-hosts rise up the RLIF rankings but also enjoy some well-earned respect.
Unlike the Americans though, the Bravehearts won’t have the advantage of being
able to rest players. Although they’re equal first in Group C with Italy, they
trail the Italians on points’ differential. The Scots have been banking some
incredible numbers, with a completion rate against Tonga of 83 per cent and 95
per cent against Italy. It’s hard not to jump on the US bandwagon, but there’s
a look-ahead factor here with the quarter-final against Australia coming up next
week.
Confirmed bet
Scotland WIN v USA (two units @ $1.48) WIN (22-8)
Lean
Scotland (by 1-12) v USA $3.10LOSE (22-8)
Another week on the punting Callander (#2)
Welcome to a new addition to the Last At Cannington
blog featuring some of the stories and results that have caught my punting eye
over the past seven days. By Sean Callander.
“Son, there are three types of houses at the track
– tote houses, shit houses and Waterhouses, in that order.” The old man was
never a great fan of Bill, or Robbie and Gai’s only recently slipped off
the hook thanks to Tom’s ubiquitous presence on the TV. There’s no doubt that
Fiorente’s win was a great result and worthy reward for the work Gai Waterhouse
has put into the colt over the past 12 months.
Even in her finest hour, controversy continued
to court our queen of the turf. Waterhouse
(pictured) seems certain to escape a serious penalty having admitted to treating her other
Cup charge Tres Blue, on the morning of the race. Under normal circumstances,
this is against the Rules of Racing and the minimum penalty is a six-month
disqualification.
Amazingly, it seems she’ll escape a severe penalty.
Racing Victoria chief steward Terry Bailey (who’s rapidly becoming a
controversial figure in his own right) said a special condition of the new rule
concerned “in the interests of justice” and Waterhouse definitely came into
that category, along with French trainer Mikel Delzangles, who treated Dunaden:
"In this case, the mistake both Gai Waterhouse and the trainer of Dunaden
made was not asking us for permission,'' Bailey said.
This ruling follows the farcical case of SA trainer
Paul Beshara who received a six-month ban from racing after he was found guilty
of illegally treating stable star Happy Trails. During the case, it was alleged
that Racing Victoria’s Compliance Assurance Team members Dion Villella and Kane
Ashby “concocted” evidence against Beshara. One wonders if Gai’s arch-nemesis
in NSW, chief steward Ray Murrihy, would have been as accommodating.
• One other story caught my eye coming out of the
Melbourne Cup, involving Michael Eskander’s demand for Racing Victoria to cap
the field for future Melbourne Cups so local stayers across the nation will
still have a chance at competing in the $6 million race. Eskander told The Age that much of the revenue Betstar
has collected over the past two decades has been derived from gambling against
international visiting racehorses, he is concerned Australian-bred, -owned,
-trained and -ridden stayers will fall further behind.
“It's about the big picture and allowing local horses
some access into the race – once-a-year punters, and even some of our sharpest
gamblers around, will not bet on the race. And why? Because it’s just too
confusing for them. Take last year – they told us Mount Athos just wins, just a
matter of going around. And down it went,” Eskander said.
I am neither a once-a-year punter nor one of our
sharpest gamblers, but Eskander’s claim is bizarre. As readers of this blog
know only too well, we reduced the Melbourne Cup field to four likely
contenders, with our recommended bets finishing first and a slashing sixth. And
after Tuesday’s Cup, the success rate of internationally-trained runners
first-up in the Melbourne Cup stands at a staggering one out of 76!
Leigh Jordon, the international recruiter for Racing
Victoria, said: “The race is now an international race and an event open to all
comers if they pass the qualifying conditions. People forget that the
connections can invest close to $200,000 to run in both the Caulfield and
Melbourne cups, so I think they deserve their spot in the field.” And while the
majority of international trainers fail to take a Cup campaign seriously with
appropriate lead-up runs in Australia, they’ll continue to come up short. Much
to Mr Eskander’s delight, and profit.
• I love this story from the USA, which again
underlines the dangers of combining alcohol and punting. As reported on
ESPN.com, the Green Bay Packers’ loss to the Chicago Bears was particularly
painful for one Packers fan, who was tasered by her husband (a Bears fan) to
settle a bet after Monday's game. John Grant, 42, of Tinley Park, Illinois, told
police that he and his wife made the wager as they watched the game at a bar in
Mayville, Wisconsin, but his wife told police that she didn’t think her husband
would follow through with it.
After the Bears beat the Packers 27-20, Grant and his
wife, who police say had both been drinking, went outside to an alley next to
the bar to smoke cigarettes. Grant tasered his wife twice in the buttocks while
she filmed it with her phone camera. Mayville police chief Christopher MacNeill
said the woman was laughing during the first two taserings caught on video, but
when Grant tasered her a third time in the thigh, this time not on video, she
apparently considered that over the line. An argument ensued that led to the
woman calling the police.
MacNeill said at first the woman said Grant tasered
her without her consent but after the officer viewed the phone video and saw
her laughing, he determined that he did not have enough evidence to arrest
Grant for battery. Grant was charged with felony possession of an electronic
weapon. Grant made his initial appearance in court on Tuesday where they
advised him of the charges, and he was given another court date that has not
been released. MacNeill, who has been tasered before as part of police
training, said: “I don’t think I would volunteer to be tasered if my team
lost.”
Final word: Let’s go to the videotape, runners in
last Friday’s final race at Bathurst (the Waterloo C,G&E BM 55 Handicap
over 1200m) had the chance to cool off before turning for home in a bizarre
finish to the meeting. All winning tickets were honoured, and losing tickets
were refunded. I’m sure there are plenty of track managers who’d love to try
this trick!
• Prices
with thanks to Centrebet (except where markets are not available), correct at
time of publication – for most people gambling is an exciting and fun
recreational pursuit. For others it can become a problem with devastating consequences
for them, their families and friends. We want you to enjoy your gambling
experience. We want you to stay in control of your gambling and not allow your
gambling to control you.
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