It’s that time of the week again. JOE unearthed a few bazookas last week – including a 30/1 correct score pick – so what are we fancying this time around?
By Shane Breslin & Conor Heneghan
The hurling championship is well and truly upon us this weekend when All-Ireland runners-up Tipperary clash with league finalists Cork in Páirc Uà Chaoimh. After two championship victories over the Rebels on the trot, the bookies are tipping the Premier to make it three in a row this Sunday.
Tipp’s win over Cork in 2008 was their first Munster Championship win by the Lee in 85 years and we fancy Denis Walsh’s men to stop them in their tracks before they even think about making it a habit. Sean Óg thinks it will be close, we think it will be close and we’re sticking our necks on the line for Cork to win by 1-3 points at a price of 4/1.
Read our preview of Cork v Tipp and the rest of the games in the hurling championship this weekend here. You can also read JOE’s preview of the weekend’s gaelic football action here.
Michael Cheika, Malcolm O’Kelly, Girvan Dempsey and CJ van der Linde will be amongst those waving goodbye to Leinster on Saturday evening and everyone involved with Blues will be going all out to make their departure a happy one with a Magners League title. Leinster haven’t lost at home in the competition all season we don’t think they’re going to start against the Ospreys at the RDS.
At 2/5, Leinster are heavy favourites to win but that price is way too prohibitive for us. Instead, we like the look of the winning margin market. Leinster to win by 6-10 points is 9/2. Read JOE’s in-depth preview of the game here.
Saturday’s big race is the Group 3 Timeform Jury Stakes at Haydock and Doncaster Rover is the one that catches the eye.
The market is likely to be dominated by Main Aim and Lord Shanakill, the highest rated in the field and hailing from the big-hitting yards of Sir Michael Stoute and Henry Cecil respectively. However, Main Aim’s best form has come with some give underfoot while Lord Shanakill was no match for the principals in the Lockinge two weeks ago (albeit at the top level).
Doncaster Rover is a previous course winner, has been noted staying on late over six furlongs the last twice, including a York Group 2 a fortnight back, and trainer David Brown has his string in fine form. The tissue prices suggest he’ll be around 8/1 and that looks good enough for us.
Break the bookie
This is the fun part of our weekend bets, where we try to combine three longshots that will have your bookie in a lather if they all click.
If Tuesday night’s friendly against Paraguay is anything to go by, Algeria’s players will turn up in the RDS on Friday night with one eye already looking down on Table Mountain from their comfy airplane window seat. Ireland will be no doubt be as disciplined as ever and with Paul McShane absent, the chances of Ireland keeping a clean sheet against Algeria get better by the minute.
We predict a comfortable enough win for Trap’s army and with that in mind, Ireland to be leading by 2-0 at half time and full time can be got for 25/1.
In Leinster-Ospreys, go with the man of the moment, the irrepressible Jamie Heaslip (pictured top, against Ospreys last month) to score the first try of the evening at a tempting 14/1.
With the weekend that’s in it, we couldn’t resist having a flutter on the Eurovision. After predicting Ireland to beat Algeria in the soccer friendly, we’re going to nail our colours to the mast and plump for Niamh Kavanagh to bring home the title for Ireland. Niamh was in flying form in the semi-final and she knows what it takes to triumph having won the competition as eh, recently, as seventeen years ago. Ireland to win in Oslo can be backed at 20/1.
Have a tenner on those three and it could put your bookie in the red to the tune of €81,900!
And while we’re on the Eurovision, with all due respect to Niamh she’s not what you’d call serious eye candy. For Eurovision girls more along those lines, click here.
