It’s Easter Weekend so we’re going to try to boost the bank balance with these four picks, giving an accumulator which could rake in €320 for a tenner.
The Hogan Cup to go north once again (St Michael’s Enniskillen @ 6/4)
For the last six years the only non-Ulster winner of the Hogan Cup was Jack O’Connor’s Colaiste na Sceilge side from Cahirciveen in 2009. The other five winners were Abbey CBS, Omagh CBS, St Michael’s Dungannon and, for the last two years, St Colman’s Newry.
And yet you can get well over odds-against on St Michael’s Enniskillen making it six wins in seven years for Ulster in Saturday’s final against St Mary’s Edenderry at Croke Park.
The Offaly school overcame Colaiste Eoin in the Leinster final before stunning St Jarlath’s of Tuam with a power-packed first half display in the semi-final. However, at odds of 6/4 with Boylesports, Enniskillen have to be backed.
Louth to beat Meath in Division 2’s relegation tussle (11/5)
Louth and Meath going head to head in a vital game? Where have we heard that before? A lot of water has passed under the bridge since that crazy Leinster final two years ago, and now they meet at Pairc Tailteann, Navan, on Sunday in what is effectively a relegation play-off. Four sides go into the game level on four points – Monaghan and Westmeath are the others who are bidding to avoid the drop.
Meath have by far the best scoring difference of the quartet but that won’t fool many in the Royal County into thinking they’re not in grave danger this weekend. Louth have been wildly inconsistent – any team conceding 2-24 to Monaghan needs a serious wake-up call – but they have put in some performances which suggest they could do a number on their neighbours this weekend. The Lord knows, they have all the incentives in the world.
Flemenstar to take another step to becoming Flemen-super-star (11/8 in the Powers Gold Cup)
Peter Casey’s seven-year-old has potential oozing out of his pores. While the rest of the racing world was focusing itself on the Cheltenham Festival last month, Casey decided to keep arguably the second best novice chaser in the whole of the UK and Ireland (Sprinter Sacre being way out on his own) at home in preparation for the Powers Gold Cup.
He’s aiming for a fifth win in a row here, and his four wins this winter have been by an average distance of about 12 lengths. And still he can be backed at a tidy price, against at least one rival (Call The Police) who has a hard race at Cheltenham to overcome. Wade in.
Take Aston Villa on the two-goal handicap (Aston Villa +2 v Liverpool, 8/11)
How are Aston Villa such a big price (8/1) to beat awful old Liverpool? Okay, Villa haven’t been in great form themselves, winning just one of their last nine games. But three of their defeats in that run have come against Chelsea, Arsenal and Man City. No shame in that, and Liverpool should be a good bit easier. The Reds have lost six of their last seven, and while I don’t exactly expect Villa to win, backing them at +2 on the handicap (when even a one-goal defeat would be a result for us) looks good value.
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