It’s our meeting and we’ll do whatever the hell we want. That’s the only reasoning behind what I reckon is pound for pound the most generous Money-Back Special we’ve ever offered.

We’re offering to refund losing win singles on every horse in the race if a Paul Nicholls horse wins the Paddy Power Gold Cup on Saturday! Considering that he’s currently running Chapoturgeon (6/1), Poquelin (6/1) and Tatenen (10/1) - well, ‘you do the math’ as our American friends say!

Who do I fancy? Well, it’s been donkeys years since an Irish winner of this race but I think Tranquil Sea could be the one for the bang-in-form Edward O’Grady stable. His double at Limerick yesterday only makes me more confident. This horse has a great future over fences and like Exotic Dancer and Imperial Commander before him the Paddy Power could be a springboard to greatness!

If you fancy the sort of long shot that made me famous (for being a bad tipster) have a look at Tom George’s Tartak at 20/1.

Posted in Horse Racing Tips, Racing | 3 Comments »

The Shelbourne Park faithful were treated to one of the greatest runs ever last night as the ‘Peoples Champion’ College Causeway smashed the seven year track record held by the great Bypass Byway by 21 spots in the first round of the paddypower.com Irish Derby.

Causeway was uncharacteristically well away from his outside draw and went into the first turn clear of his field and the race was over at that stage. Any of the punters who backed the track record to be broken in the competition at 5/2 with Paddy Power were now getting a serious run for their money and he continued to stretch away from his rivals and stopping the clock at 29.21 - A scintilating run!
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The news that Freddie Flintoff is set to retire from Test Cricket has sent something of a shockwave through Paddy Towers. Our London office in particular has been hard hit by this devastating news, but in fine Paddy Power tradition we’ve decided to do something about it rather than just sit around moaning.

Today, on the eve of the third test, we launch our HELP SAVE FREDDIE campaign on Facebook. It’s really quite simple. We’re looking for great ideas, either financial or medical, that can help persuade Fred to turn his back on getting paid a couple of million quid for playing souped-up rounders and commit to the king of sports that is cricket.
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The good news is that we’re offering 7 places for each way bets on the British Open again….the bad news is…..actually there’s no bad news!

Forgive the rant, but it’s an effing disgrace that in this day and age the so called ‘bookmaking superpowers’ only offer 5 places on the Open, they should be called crookmakers. In golfing terms it’s like being offered a 3 foot gimme and deciding instead to putt it, with a piece of rope and your eyes closed.

Tiger is ominously back in form and considering he’s as short as 2/1, most will be looking for big prices each way to get involved.

Now it just remains to be see who of the crookies will follow suit…..

Be lucky!

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Ok, Yeats was a complete disaster for us, but sometimes you just have to hold your hands up and say well done, what an unbelievable horse! Although we may never see the likes of him again, the quality on offer today on Day 4 is not to be sniffed at.

The highlight of the card is the Coronation Stakes that sees the clash of the English, French and Irish 1,000 Guineas winners, not to mention the top rated two year filly from last year in Rainbow View, we have a serious race on our hands! Tactics could play a massive part in this race, which always leans me towards the UK challengers as I’ve seen top many French jockeys grab defeat from the jaws of victory here to last me a lifetime! The Irish Guineas winner Again has shown all her best form on softish ground, and she looks a stayer to me rather than a horse with a burst of acceleration, she may struggle.

Ghanaati won very well at Newmarket but I think she has had her day in the limelight, as many behind her that day had their valid excuses. The one I’m going for is Rainbow View each way. She looked a superstar last year but we always knew she had her quirks, show me a female who doesn’t? She was never traveling at Newmarket and she was badly baulked making her challenge at Epsom, I can see her settling off a frantic gallop to be produced late under Jimmy Fortune to nail them all.

The other highlight on the card is the King Edward VII Stakes, over the Derby Distance. The jolly is sure to be Black Bear Island who was fancied in some quarters for the Epsom Derby after winning the Dante Trial at York. I’m not going to buy into the excuse that he never handled the track there, as he was the first one beaten and they had only gone a couple of furlongs. The Derby was less than two weeks ago so I cannot have him at all! The one for me here is Native Ruler,trained by the master Sir Henry Cecil. With stamina not an issue for him, and the race lacking any real depth in quality, he is sure to go very close at a very backable price

Best of Luck on Day 4

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Some of them are even winners! Not such a great record on Day 2 but we had a winner in the Prince Of Wales Stakes which should have had you covered for the day. Onwards and upwards - Thursday features another great card and a couple of tasty outsiders. If they come in I could end up rolling around on the bed in a pile of money - like Demi Moore except significantly bigger.

As it’s Ladies Day let’s start with the fillies in the Ribblesdale Stakes. Now a greater collection of Oaks-dodgers I have never seen and on the basis that nothing really stands out to me I fancy July Jasmine at a very tempting 7/1. Sir Michael Stoute has two runners here and I don’t believe he’d do that unless he thought both had at least a chance, and more to the point July Jasmine finished 2nd to Midday in the Lingfield Oaks Trial.

Given that Midday then went on to be beaten by a mere neck in the Oaks itself, and that Jule Jasmine didn’t really handle the course that day, I can’t help feeling she is under-rated here and well capable of pulling off a win.

The main event for an awful lot of people is the Gold Cup and Yeats is the horse we’re all desperately hoping to see win it. It may put something of a hole in the PP balance sheet but there will not be a dry eye in the house if Aidan O’Brien’s star makes it an incredible four in a row.

But Yeats IS getting long in the tooth and at 9/4 he really has to be taken on. The column inches have been full of Godolphin’s woes recently but I believe they may just pull off this one with Frankie on board Veracity. He’s crying out for the trip and there are just too many question marks over some of the other horses at the top of the betting.

Last but probably least, how about Freemantle in the Hampton Court Stakes. At 11/8 he’s a clear favourite but frankly he deserves to be. After a strong run in the Dante he ducked the Derby to focus on this race and let’s be honest, this is a step down in class. Looks to be a winner all over with Glass Harmonica the only competition I would be concerned about - and he hasn’t shown much this year despite his reputation.

Best of luck with your selections on Thursday!

Posted in Horse Racing Tips, Racing, Sportsbook | 7 Comments »

“Don’t be sad, cause THREE OUT OF THREE ain’t bad” as Meatloaf never quite sung. World’s worst tipster? I think not! Now’s the time to turn our winnings into some serious cash / give it all back (delete as applicable) on a truly mouth-watering Day 2!

First up let’s get the simple stuff out of the way. Lush Lashes in the Windsor Forest Stakes is the proverbial penalty kick without a goalkeeper. 13/8 is about as generous as you’ll get (in fact it’s probably not available by the time you read this) and any sane punter is going to take that. I don’t even feel the need to explain this one, it’s a certainty! (more…)

Posted in Horse Racing Tips, Racing, Sportsbook | 11 Comments »

It’s here. The undeniable highlight of the flat racing season isn’t just about swanning around in a top hat and tails and betting on the colour of the Queen’s hat. There’s some serious horse racing involved too. (more…)

Posted in Horse Racing Tips, Racing, Sportsbook | 13 Comments »

It’s tough being a bookie. All week long punters have been asking me for my Derby tips. They obviously didn’t follow my Cheltenham or Grand National tips - if they had, they might have learned their lesson by now. My only defence is that I’m not doing this deliberately. (more…)

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Well, the season is nearly over. But as Man United secure their grip on yet another Premiership title, the title of “Paddy Power Premiership Handicap Champions” is still up for grabs! Yes, it’s just a bit of fun, but it’s also a handy way to see who’s beaten the odds and who’s failed to live up to expectations. (more…)

Posted in Football, Premiership Handicap, Sportsbook | 16 Comments »