Evening update from the Paddy Power Blog on all the latest betting moves in sport
#eveningfeed
Football
Manchester United and England defender Chris Smalling will miss the first 10 weeks of the new season after fracturing his metatarsul bone. The former Cottagers’ defender had to cry off Euro 2012 with a thigh problem and now faces another extended spell on the sidelines. The news will come as a blow to United manager Alex Ferguson who has vowed not to repeat last season’s disappointing Champions League exit at the group stages. A 1-0 loss to Ajax
Arsene Wenger has pleaded with the Arsenal board Robin Van Persie to stay at the club. The Gunners boss has become a little more visible since it emerged that Machester City, United and Juventues have all tabled bids for the want-away striker.
Roberto Mancini has told Kolo Tore (31) that a proposed move to Turkish side Bursaspor is “his decision” although a starting place at Manchester City cannot be guaranteed.
F1
Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso took pole position ahead of Sunday’s German Grand Prix after rain curtailed today’s practice round. Alonso was half-a-second quicker than Red Bull’s local hero Sebastian Vettel with Mercedes’ Michael Schumacher bumped up to third after Mark Webber was given a five-place grid penalty.
ROUGH TERRAIN: What the players will face on the final day at The Open Championship in Royal Lytham
Golf
Adam Scott leapfrogged to the top of the leaderboard on 11-under-par to lead the Open Championship by three shots at 5pm on Saturday. Brandt Snedeker was beginning to feel the heat and had dropped three shots by the turn.
Ominously though Tiger Woods has birdied three out of four holes as he approached the turn and teed off on the 10th at seven-under-par. Ernie Els is five-under-par after 11 with Graeme McDowell hanging in there on four-under-par. Of the 60 players to complete their rounds so far today only 11 have broken par.
Racing
Paddy Power cut Danedream to 6/1 to record consecutive Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe wins after she ran out a neck winner over Nathaniel in the King George VI Stakes with Aidan O’Brien’s St Nicholas Abbey in third. John Gosden’s Great Heavens heads the betting for the Irsih Oaks at the Curragh on Sunday. Irish jockeys Paul Carberry and Andrew Lynch will miss the Galway festival that starts on Tuesday wekk through injury.
Tour De France
Bradley Wiggins (32) scorched to victory in the individual time-trial and now leads team-mate Chris Froome by 3:21 heading into Sunday’s 120km final stage that ends on the Champs-Elysees. Only a fall can prevent him winning the Tour after he finished 1:16 ahead of Froome in Saturday’s 53.5km time trial.
