Betfair Hurdle 2020: Horse Racing Tips & Predictions

A maximum field of 24 are set to line up in Britain's richest handicap hurdle, the £155,000 Betfair Hurdle (3.35pm), at Newbury on Saturday, and the race will be shown live on ITV Racing.

This long established and valuable hurdle first took place at in 1963 and has been known over the years as the Schweppes Gold Trophy, the Tote Gold Trophy and now in its current guise as the Betfair Hurdle.

This Grade Three hurdle is run over a distance of 2m 1/2f and was once used as a Champion Hurdle trial.

Horses such as Persian War and Make A Stand have won this race before going onto Champion Hurdle glory at Prestbury Park a month later.

Here is your horse racing betting runner-by-runner guide to Saturday’s competitive renewal:

 

Gumball (Philip Hobbs)

The grey could finish only sixth in the International Hurdle at Cheltenham on his latest start, but Hobbs is hoping for an improved performance at Newbury, with a view to a run in the Champion Hurdle.

He carries top weight but is a class act and should not be dismissed.

Pic D’Ohry (Paul Nicholls)

Arrived from France with a big reputation but things have not quite clicked into place here yet.

The five-year-old drops back in trip after his Ascot outing and he could well be going for the County Hurdle after this.

Stolen Silver (Nigel Twiston-Davies)

The grey literally pick-pocketed Edwardstone on the line in a tremendous race at Haydock and a reproduction of that run would put him bang in contention for this.

Haydock form traditionally carries well and Stolen Silver has to be on any shortlist.

Harambe (Alan King)

A versatile runner who came off the pace well to land the spoils in the Greatwood Hurdle at Cheltenham. The seven-year-old looks the type for the big occasion.

Not So Sleepy (Hughie Morrison)

A pocket rocket who has absolutely blitzed his rivals so far over hurdles, having made the transition well after a successful Flat career.

This will be his toughest assignment to date but he will certainly be up there in the box seat.

Mill Green (Nicky Henderson)

Won last time out from Eldorado Allen, with the pair finishing well clear of the rest of the field.

He hails from a top stable so is worth a precautionary look in the betting.

Nelson River (Tony Carroll)

Regularly races at the All-Weather tracks and probably would be better off sticking to that. It would be a major shock if this one won.

Thebannerkingrebel (Jamie Snowden)

Jamie Snowden is hoping defeat for Thebannerkingrebel at Haydock last time was merely a blip and that he can avenge that defeat here.

Effectively he is 4lbs well in now so great things are expected - he could be a leading player in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle.

Never Adapt (Nicky Henderson)

The strong travelling Never Adapt is a horse on the up and she could still have plenty more to come after her victory at Kempton. She must learn to settle however.

Remiluc (Chris Gordon)

A veteran performer who sprang a big surprise last year by finishing runner-up at 50/1 in the County Hurdle. He looks very exposed in this race.

Oakley (Philip Hobbs)

Oakley was just touched off in the closing stages at Cheltenham’s International meeting and is in fantastic form this season.

Well backed down from 20/1 earlier in the week, the seven-year-old should make his presence felt.

Zanza (Philip Hobbs)

Fell early doors at Ascot last time out and looks to have a monumental task on his hooves.

Ecco (Paul Nicholls)

Kicked off this season with a couple of wins at short odds and ran a decent enough race behind Fred last time out at Kempton. A career best will be required.

Lightly Squeeze (Harry Fry)

Highly consistent this season and has just notched up a three-timer with a win at Plumpton. However, this is a different kettle of fish altogether but could yet run at the 2020 Cheltenham Festival.

Ciel de Neige (Willie Mullins)

It’s 15 years since the last Irish based horse won this race and this J.P McManus-owned horse will also have to shake off his maiden tag to score in this.

He’s well fancied to do so mind.

Whoshotthesheriff (Philip Kirby)

Finished a good fifth to Not So Sleepy at Ascot in December in what was a proper test for the northern raider and he should come on for the run. He looks a little overpriced to be honest.

Quoi De Neuf (Evan Williams)

He was brought down early last time out in the race won by Not So Sleepy but prior to that finished a fairly close fourth behind Harambe in the Greatwood Hurdle. He looks a very backable each-way runner.

Highly Prized (Emma Lavelle)

The globetrotting seven-year-old has been a revelation since he joined National Hunt trainer to follow Emma Lavelle from the US, registering a hat-trick this season, but unfortunately the going may well bring that run to an end on Saturday.

Sir Valentine (Nigel Twiston-Davies)

He would be a topical winner a week before Valentine’s Day if he could land this race and owner Dai Walters would certainly love that. Sir Valentine and Stolen Silver are both part-owned by Walters who was successful last year with Al Dancer.

What with Nigel Twiston-Davies having saddled three of the last six winners of this race too, the stars are well and truly aligned.

Flegmatik (Dan Skelton)

The expected strong pace will suit this five-year-old down to the ground and if he can build upon his last run at Wetherby he could be considered an interesting dark horse.

Magic Dancer (Kerry Lee)

Ran a decent second to the multiple winner Tea Clipper last time out but that form does not really look up to this standard on the face of it.

Neff (Gary Moore)

His form figures look extremely sexy at first glance, but they were achieved at nowhere near the level that will be required to take this and massive improvement will be required.

Mack The Man (Evan Williams)

The six-year-old has impressed with back-to-back wins this season and the upward curve could well continue this weekend.

He looks incredibly well handicapped and holds a solid favourites chance.

Tamaroc Du Mathan (Paul Nicholls) 

French recruit Tamaroc Du Mathan was well beaten by Not So Sleepy at Ascot and will need a massive turnaround in form to reverse that thrashing.

Betfair Hurdle: Prediction

Based upon the trainer trends in recent years for this race it is quite conceivable that Nigel Twiston-Davies can scoop this prize again with either one of his two runners.

The selection marginally goes the way of Sir Valentine (nap) with Stolen Silver a very honourable (nb).

888sport suggests: Sir Valentine and Stolen Silver (e/w).

 

*Credit for the main photo belongs to Javier Fergo / AP Photo*

February 7, 2020
Horse Racing

By Steve Mullington

Steve Mullington
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    Steven is a sports and horse racing enthusiast and is a member of the Horseracing Writers and Photographers Association (HWPA) in the United Kingdom.

    He is a regular visitor to Paris Longchamp for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and a lifelong fan of the Aintree Grand National, a subject he writes about 52 weeks of the year. Last year he reached the impressive milestone of attending the last 30 renewals of the Grand National.

    Steven graduated from the University Of Lancaster in 1996 with a B.A (Hons) in Urban Policy & Race Relations (major) with Contemporary Religions & Belief Systems (minor) and still wonders if any of these help him find the winners?

    He writes for a number of websites and online publications and you can sometimes hear him at the weekend discussing racing on a number of local radio stations. 

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    VAR In The Premier League - Why It CAN Still Be A Roaring Success

    To call VAR in the Premier League controversial would be a mammoth understatement. According to a recent YouGov survey, just one in 25 Premier League fans feel that VAR has worked ‘very well’.

    Over half of fans asked – 60%, to be precise – said that VAR worked ‘very badly’ or ‘fairly badly’.

    The Premier League delayed the introduction of VAR – that hasn’t helped. Frustrations with its application and consistency remain. Many are opposed to the use of technology from an ideological standpoint.

    Only 12% of fans said VAR has made the game more enjoyable – 67% said it is ‘a little less enjoyable’ or ‘a lot less enjoyable’.

    Despite the negative reviews of it, the survey also returned an overwhelming majority of fans who want to keep the system. Nearly three-quarters said to keep VAR with changes, and just 15% want it to be removed from the Premier League altogether.

    That’s interesting – fans aren’t impressed with it as is but appreciate it can improve the game.

    Around half of fans ‘strongly support’ VAR footage being shown to in-stadium fans in real-time and over 50% want to see referees use the pitchside monitors.

    Just over 40% ‘strongly support’ hearing the conversation about the video officials and the on-pitch referee and a similar number would like a time limit on VAR decisions.

    Fan opinion, at least, suggests VAR can be a success in the Premier League. It will have its detractors, as anything does, but there’s a willingness to embrace technology in England’s top flight despite its mixed first season in the league.

    Even the greatest advocates of VAR would admit it has been imperfect.

    Controversies will remain in the game. VAR isn’t meant to remove debate over refereeing decisions – its purpose is to give the officials the best possible information before making a decision that can define a match.

    The notion that discussion and officiating controversies will vanish is a myth. The Premier League have introduced VAR, but in their attempts to compromise with its critics, they have undermined the process.

    Discouraging officials from going to pitchside monitors was never a good idea. That was meant to preserve the flow of the game – instead, it has helped the introduction of beneficial technology descend into farce.

    It manufactured a conflict between the video officials and the on-pitch referee, and – at times, at least – seemed to deter the VAR from overturning their colleague.

    Football is a sport of emotions, and the argument that those emotions are restricted by VAR is fair. Fans have that seed of doubt in their mind that a goal will be overruled.

    There’s a case that has always been there, though. Every fan has been there, celebrating what they thought was a crucial goal, only to see the linesman’s flag has gone up.

    The delay before the disappointment is longer with VAR, but this isn’t an entirely new scenario.

    Arguably that wait adds to the tension. There’s theatre in the suspense, or at least that’s what the Premier League supporting world will need to get used to. The Premier League’s new chief executive announced just this week that VAR is here to stay.

    Comparisons with technology in other sports are clumsy. Football’s popularity is based partly on the pace of the game, the way it ebbs and flows.

    The closest comparison would be rugby, but scrums, lineouts and penalties provide a breather that football doesn’t.

    The NFL is thrown around – that is the most stop-start of any sport around and technology has been the centre of controversy upon controversy there.

    The use of hawk-eye in cricket and tennis is similar to offsides. Shaving the stump with umpire’s call still raises eyebrows, and maybe that’s how we will view offsides in years to come.

    Offsides can be viewed as an objective decision, like a line-call at Wimbledon or LBW at Lord’s.

    Maybe changes are made in the Premier League to introduce a benefit of doubt for ‘armpit offsides’. Introduction of technology is not perfect in sport, and adaptation is required.

    Teams now retain their review if the decision is umpire’s call in international cricket – a tweak to offsides could be similarly transformative.

    Football is different. The amount to be learned from other sports is limited. What it does show, however, is that it takes time. Everyone – fans, officials, players – need a period to get used to the system, and how it alters the game.

    The same way the definition of a catch is argued over in the NFL, and frame-by-frame analyses are carried out over decisions in cricket, football will not lose its controversies over subjective calls.

    Why VAR can be successful in English football
    Photo credit: AP Photo / Rui Vieira

    Time, then, might just be the key to VAR being considered a success. Football’s governing bodies will tinker with the use of the technology (referees are already starting to use pitchside monitors) and find ways to address the greatest concerns.

    Fans will begin to get used to seeing marginal offside calls. In an ideal world, VAR would be a means to generate more goals with offsides favouring the attacking side and more fouls spotted. Perhaps that’s the way this eventually turns.

    The world’s most popular sport is unique. Using technology presents challenges others do not suffer from, but that does not make such issues insurmountable.

    For all the snail-paced decisions and farcical moments, fans still want to see VAR succeed. Football is late to the game when it comes to video technology, and the Premier League was later than several other major leagues.

    The Premier League is only a short way along the path to a satisfactory – if not better – use of video technology.

    Regularly using pitchside monitors, rather than keeping them as a pointless TV screen by the touchline, is a huge step in the right direction. Alterations to offsides are coming, too.

    Such a seismic change was never going to be straightforward. The Premier League haven’t made it easy to love VAR.

    Patience is required, VAR can still improve the game. Fan support remains, and that is only likely to increase once some obvious adjustments are made.

    VAR isn’t going anywhere. There’s no reason it can’t be a success if given time. Enjoy some of your success with our football betting tips in the meantime and let's hope VAR turns it around sooner rather than later.

     

    *Credit for the main photo belongs to Kirsty Wigglesworth / AP Photo*

    February 6, 2020
    Premier League
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    Sam is a sports tipster, specialising in the Premier League and Champions League.

    He covers most sports, including cricket and Formula One. Sam particularly enjoys those on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean – notably MLB and NBA.

    Watching, writing and talking about sports betting takes up most of his time, whether that is for a day out at T20 Finals Day or a long night of basketball.

    Having been writing for several years, Sam has been working with 888Sport since 2016, contributing multiple articles per week to the blog.

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    Turners Novices Hurdle Trends - Cheltenham Festival 2026

    The Turners Novices’ Hurdle is the perfect race to kickstart Day Two at the Cheltenham Festival and it has been a good race for punters in years gone by.

    With the likes of The New One, Faugheen and Samcro winning in the last decade, it may be wise to consider fancied runners at the top of the Ballymore horse racing odds.

    The Turners is one of the Festival’s big betting races and that will be no different in 2026. Prior to placing your punts, check out the most important Ballymore trends below:

    • All 20 winners were 20/1 or shorter in Ballymore horse racing betting markets.
    • 20 out of 20 times the jockey had previously won on that horse.
    • 20/20 winners were either five OR six years old.
    • 19 of the last 20 winners were in the top five in the betting.
    • 19/20 winners won or were beaten no more than 3.5 lengths last time out.
    • 19 out of 20 winners had won in the 90 days prior to Cheltenham.
    • 19/20 finished in the first two last time out.
    • 19 of the 20 winners raced in a field of no more than 12 runners last time out.
    • 19/20 won at least one of their previous three starts.
    • 18 out of 20 winners had previously placed in a Graded race.
    • 18 /20 winners had previously raced over two miles four furlongs or further.

    Top Trainers:

    Not for the first time in our Cheltenham Festival trends series it is Willie Mullins who leads the way with seven Turners Novices Hurdle winners.

    His most recent success came in 2024 as Ballymore romped to victory. Dan Skelton trained The New Lion to victory in 2025 and it'll be interesting to see who comes out on top.

    Gallagher Novices Hurdle Prize Money

    With £125,000 up for grabs, it is worth placing primary emphasis on the race.

    Colin Tizzard’s novice hurdlers have been outstanding this season – could one of his runners claim victory for the stable on March 11th?

    *Credit for the photo in this article belongs to Alamy*

    March 18, 2024
    Cheltenham Festival

    By Steve Mullington

    Steve Mullington
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    Steven is a sports and horse racing enthusiast and is a member of the Horseracing Writers and Photographers Association (HWPA) in the United Kingdom.

    He is a regular visitor to Paris Longchamp for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and a lifelong fan of the Aintree Grand National, a subject he writes about 52 weeks of the year. Last year he reached the impressive milestone of attending the last 30 renewals of the Grand National.

    Steven graduated from the University Of Lancaster in 1996 with a B.A (Hons) in Urban Policy & Race Relations (major) with Contemporary Religions & Belief Systems (minor) and still wonders if any of these help him find the winners?

    He writes for a number of websites and online publications and you can sometimes hear him at the weekend discussing racing on a number of local radio stations. 

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    Turners Novices Chase Trends - Cheltenham Festival Statistics

    The Marsh Chase, formerly known as the JLT Novices’ Chase, is one of the newer races on the Cheltenham Festival calendar – the inaugural race was in 2011.

    With 17 fences to jump over the two-mile, four furlongs trip, it is the ultimate test of both speed and stamina and the 2020 renewal has all the makings of a classic.

    While the RSA Novices’ Chase is viewed primarily as the main novice trial for the following Cheltenham Gold Cup, winners of the Marsh Chase also deserve consideration for the blue riband race.

    Let’s not get ahead of ourselves yet though, it is time to look at the main Marsh Novices’ Chase trends from the last nine years.

    Looking back at previous renewals of the Marsh Chase, or JLT Chase for historical purposes, we find a number of key trends to bear in mind ahead of the 2020 Cheltenham Festival.

    • All 9 winners made their debut in France OR Ireland.
    • 9 out of 9 winners ran in a Graded race last time out.
    • Every winner had been placed in a race in the 80 days prior to Cheltenham.
    • All 9 winners were either six OR seven years old.
    • 9/9 had raced between three and five times that season.
    • 9 out of 9 had ran in a field with between three and eight runners last time out.
    • 8 of the 9 winners had six or more career wins.
    • 8/9 went off no bigger than 7/1 in horse racing betting odds for the race.
       

    Top Trainers For The Marsh Chase

    13-time Irish champion trainer Willie Mullins has trained four of the nine Marsh Novices’ Chase winners since 2011 and he will have a strong hand in the 2020 renewal.

    Faugheen is the current market leader but the likes of Bapaume, Allaho and Easy Game could also go to post.

    Heading into the 2020 Cheltenham Festival, Paul Nicholls has a miserable record in the race.

    Despite being one of the top National Hunt trainers to follow, Nicholls is 0-10 in the Marsh Novices’ Chase, with all 10 runners finishing outside the places.

     

    Turners Novices Chase Prize Money

    With a total prize fund of £150,000 up for grabs, the Marsh Chase is well worth targeting if your horse is good enough.

    Faugheen is an 11-time Grade One winner but can he win this coveted novice chase as a 12-year-old? Only time will tell.

    *Credit for the photo in this article belongs to Alamy*

    March 18, 2024
    Cheltenham Festival

    By Steve Mullington

    Steve Mullington
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    • Body

    Steven is a sports and horse racing enthusiast and is a member of the Horseracing Writers and Photographers Association (HWPA) in the United Kingdom.

    He is a regular visitor to Paris Longchamp for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and a lifelong fan of the Aintree Grand National, a subject he writes about 52 weeks of the year. Last year he reached the impressive milestone of attending the last 30 renewals of the Grand National.

    Steven graduated from the University Of Lancaster in 1996 with a B.A (Hons) in Urban Policy & Race Relations (major) with Contemporary Religions & Belief Systems (minor) and still wonders if any of these help him find the winners?

    He writes for a number of websites and online publications and you can sometimes hear him at the weekend discussing racing on a number of local radio stations. 

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    Brown Advisory Novices Chase Trends - Cheltenham Festival Statistics

    The RSA Chase is one of the biggest horse racing betting events at the Cheltenham Festival, with the best novice chasers competing over three miles.

    Often viewed as a stepping stone for next year’s Cheltenham Gold Cup, the RSA Chase is a race that every trainer, owner and jockey wants to win.

    The race was first held in 1946 and it has been an ever-present at the Cheltenham Festival in all but two of the last 73 years. Here, we take a look at some of the most important RSA Chase pointers from the last 20 renewals of the race.

     

    Statistics and trends are crucial when planning your bets ahead of the Cheltenham Festival – here are our favourite RSA Chase trends going into the 2020 meeting:

    • 20/20 were NOT older than the race average age for that year.
    • All 20 winners last won over three miles or shorter.
    • 20/20 had no more than one career fall.
    • 19 out of 20 had raced between eight and 16 times.
    • 19/20 had finished in the places between five and 10 times.
    • 19 out of 20 winners had raced between three and six times that season.
    • 19/20 winners had finished in the places between two and four times that season.
    • 18/20 had ran over between two miles five furlongs and three miles last time out.
    • 18 out of 20 winners had raced between three and five times over fences.
    • 18/20 were within the first eight in the horse racing betting odds.

    Top Trainers For The RSA Chase

    Willie Mullins and the legendary Fulke Walwyn lead the way with four RSA Chase winners apiece ahead of the 2020 Cheltenham Festival.

    Allaho and Easy Game could fly the flag for the Mullins yard this year but will they come out on top at Prestbury Park?

    In recent times, Nicky Henderson and Paul Nicholls have also had plenty of success in this race.

    The top two UK trainers have combined for six RSA Chase winners since 2004, with the likes of Denman, Bobs Worth and Might Bite claiming the three-mile novice chase.

    Brown Advisory Novices Chase Prize Money

    According to figures obtained by Racing TV, the total prize money allocated for the 2020 RSA Chase is £175,000. Champ is currently favourite to claim victory for trainer Nicky Henderson but will the JP McManus runner live up to the hype?

    *Credit for the photo in this article belongs to Alamy*

    March 18, 2024
    Cheltenham Festival

    By Steve Mullington

    Steve Mullington
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    • Body

    Steven is a sports and horse racing enthusiast and is a member of the Horseracing Writers and Photographers Association (HWPA) in the United Kingdom.

    He is a regular visitor to Paris Longchamp for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and a lifelong fan of the Aintree Grand National, a subject he writes about 52 weeks of the year. Last year he reached the impressive milestone of attending the last 30 renewals of the Grand National.

    Steven graduated from the University Of Lancaster in 1996 with a B.A (Hons) in Urban Policy & Race Relations (major) with Contemporary Religions & Belief Systems (minor) and still wonders if any of these help him find the winners?

    He writes for a number of websites and online publications and you can sometimes hear him at the weekend discussing racing on a number of local radio stations. 

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    Premier League Darts 2020: Dates, Schedule, Fixtures & Venues

    Thursday nights were made for Premier League Darts. The 2020 tournament gets underway on February 6th and will run until Finals night on May 21st.

    2019 winner Michael van Gerwen is a popular pick in darts betting odds at 10/11 but punters may wish to look elsewhere for value ahead of the competition.

    This is one of the most popular tournaments on the darts calendar and fans will be tuning in weekly to watch the best players in the world compete over the 16-week regular season.

    As always, we should see lots of drama and famous Premier League Darts moments over the course of the 2020 tournament.

    Without further ado, it is time to take a look at the 2020 Premier League competition. We’ll cover everything from players involved and Premier League Darts betting odds to the arenas and venues involved.

    So what are you waiting for, scroll down now and get involved ahead of Thursday’s opening night.

     

    Premier League Darts 2020: Betting Odds

    • Michael van Gerwen – 10/11
    • Peter Wright – 9/2
    • Gerwyn Price – 6/1
    • Gary Anderson – 8/1
    • Rob Cross – 12/1
    • Nathan Aspinall – 14/1
    • Michael Smith – 14/1
    • Glen Durrant – 28/1
    • Daryl Gurney – 28/1

     

    2020 Premier League Darts: Challengers

    Organisers have confirmed that the Premier League will follow a Challengers format in 2020 – with nine different players competing at various venues for the first nine weeks.

    You can find a list of the Premier League Darts challengers below:

    • John Henderson (Night One)
    • Fallon Sherrock (Night Two)
    • Jonny Clayton (Night Three)
    • William O’Connor (Night Four)
    • Luke Humphries (Night Five)
    • Stephen Bunting (Night Six)
    • Chris Dobey (Night Seven)
    • Jeffrey de Zwaan (Night Eight)
    • Jermaine Wattimena (Night Nine)

    Venues: Premier League Darts 2020

    • Night One – P&J Live, Aberdeen
    • Night Two – Motorpoint Arena, Nottingham
    • Night Three – Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff
    • Night Four – Motorpoint Arena, Dublin
    • Night Five – Westpoint Arena, Exeter
    • Night Six – M&S Bank Arena, Liverpool
    • Night Seven – Utilita Arena, Newcastle
    • Night Eight – Rotterdam Ahoy, Rotterdam
    • Night Nine – Rotterdam Ahoy, Rotterdam
    • Night 10 – SSE Arena, Belfast
    • Night 11 – FlyDSA Arena, Sheffield
    • Night 12 – Manchester Arena, Manchester
    • Night 13 – Mercedes-Benz Arena, Berlin
    • Night 14 – Arena Birmingham, Birmingham
    • Night 15 – SSE Hydro, Glasgow
    • Night 16 – First Direct Arena, Leeds
    • Finals Night – O2 Arena, London

     

    Premier League Darts: History

    Phil Taylor is the most successful player in Premier League Darts history with six titles, though Michael van Gerwen can equal that tally in 2020. Should the Dutchman emerge victorious, he will become the first player to win five Premier League titles in a row.

    Van Gerwen has the highest average in Premier League history, recording a sensational 123.40 against Michael Smith in 2016. To this day, it remains the highest average in ANY professional televised competition.

    Two-time Premier League Darts champion Gary Anderson holds the record for most 180s in a single game with 11 against Simon Whitlock in 2011. Fans may expect that record to fall in 2020 and darts betting odds will probably suggest a high-scoring year.

    We’ve had eight nine-dart finishes in the Premier League since its formation in 2005, with Taylor, Raymond van Barneveld and Adrian Lewis combining for seven of those. The only other player to hit a nine-dart finish in this tournament is Simon Whitlock.

    Premier League Darts Schedule
    Photo credit: Tom Hevezi / AP Photo

    Premier League Darts: Finals & Winners

    2005 - Phil Taylor 16-4 Colin Lloyd

    2006 - Phil Taylor 16-6 Roland Scholten

    2007 - Phil Taylor 16-8 Terry Jenkins

    2008 - Phil Taylor 16-8 James Wade

    2009 - James Wade 13-8 Mervyn King

    2010 - Phil Taylor 10-8 James Wade

    2011 - Gary Anderson 10-4 Adrian Lewis

    2012 - Phil Taylor 10-7 Simon Whitlock

    2013 - Michael van Gerwen 10-8 Phil Taylor

    2014 - Raymond van Barneveld 10-6 Michael van Gerwen

    2015 - Gary Anderson 11-7 Michael van Gerwen

    2016 - Michael van Gerwen 11-3 Phil Taylor

    2017 - Michael van Gerwen 11-10 Peter Wright

    2018 - Michael van Gerwen 11-4 Michael Smith

    2019 - Michael van Gerwen 11-5 Rob Cross

     

    Premier League Darts 2020: Players To Watch

    Michael Van Gerwen is one of the best darts players of all-time and he deserves his place at the head of the darts betting odds for 2020 – most fans will expect the Dutchman to challenge for Premier League Darts supremacy this year.

    At 10/11 in the betting, he is rather short though and punters looking for value may wish to look elsewhere.

    9/2 for Peter Wright looks reasonable considering his efforts at the PDC World Championship a couple of months ago.

    The newly crowned world champion continued his fine start to 2020 as he added the Masters title to his trophy cabinet last weekend – you’d be hard pressed to find a player in better form than Snakebite.

    At the prices, it is worth taking a chance on Michael Smith. Bully Boy had a solid chance in the Masters final but crumbled under pressure; he is on the verge of a major scalp soon though.

    If the stars align, the Premier League Darts could be Smith’s time to shine and that 14/1 could be one of the darts betting picks of the year.

    In terms of the Challengers, Fallon Sherrock will attract lots of attention ahead of her Night Two appearance in Nottingham.

    Sherrock was one of the stars of the World Championship this year and her impact on the big stage will hopefully inspire more women to get involved in darts in the coming years.

     

    *Credit for the main photo belongs to Lawrence Lustig / AP Photo*

    February 5, 2020
    Darts

    By Alex McMahon

    Alex McMahon Sport
    Body

    Alex is a sports betting tipster, specialising in Premier League football, the Champions League and horse racing.

    He loves placing a weekly accumulator on the football at the weekend and dreams of landing the big winner that will take him back to Las Vegas.

    As well as writing sports betting tips for 888sport since 2015, Alex has produced content for several international media companies, such as Goal.com and The SPORTBible. 
     

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    Premier League Darts: Five Famous Moments

    Premier League Darts is back. Thursday night will see the 2020 competition get underway and darts fans from all over the United Kingdom will be tuning in to watch their favourite stars in action.

    Can 2019 winner Michael van Gerwen claim his sixth Premier League title this year or will newly crowned PDC world champion Peter Wright shock the Dutchman once again? Only time will tell…

    For now, let’s take a trip down memory lane and look at some of the famous darts moments in Premier League history. Fingers crossed for more famous matches in 2020 – it could be a tournament to remember.

    Adrian Lewis vs James Wade (2012)

    Lewis and Wade have had their fair share of disagreements over the years but this was on another level. Having played in the PDC World Championship less than three months prior to the start of the Premier League, this was always going to be a feisty affair.

    With Lewis leading 7-5, Wade raised an unusual complaint with the match referee. The two-time World Grand Prix champion claimed that Lewis was deliberately stamping on a loose floorboard in an attempt to distract him while throwing at the oche.

    Wade and Lewis clashed on stage but the latter held on to close out a memorable Premier League Darts success.

    Peter Wright vs Michael van Gerwen (2014)

    Having reached the 2014 World Championship final, Wright was relatively new to the big stage and he was determined to make an impact on the Premier League. Adopting his usual showman tactics, his attempt to wind Van Gerwen up was clear from the start.

    There was a wry smile from Van Gerwen, one of the best ever darts players, and it would be the Dutchman who had the last laugh as he claimed a 7-5 victory in Dublin. However, the bad blood between these players is still clear for all to see.

    Wright stated afterwards that he didn’t care about Van Gerwen disapproving of his tactics and that he would avenge that defeat in their next encounter.

    Michael van Gerwen vs Michael Smith (2016)

    Van Gerwen averaged 123.40 against Smith in the 2016 Premier League campaign – to this day it remains the best average in the competition’s history. In fact, 123.40 is the highest ever darts average recorded at a televised event.

    Had the Dutchman hit double 18 in the seventh leg, he would have clinched a 7-0 victory while averaging more than 133. Instead, Smith claimed a consolation leg before Van Gerwen finally put an end to his misery in the eighth leg of the match.

    Van Gerwen’s exploits that night eclipsed every performance we’ve ever seen in the Premier League. The Dutchman will be a popular pick in darts betting markets for 2020.

    Peter Wright vs Michael van Gerwen (2017)

    Trailing 7-2 after nine legs, it looked like the writing was on the wall for Van Gerwen. Wright had the Dutchman exactly where he wanted him and it looked like the Scottish player was about to claim his first Premier League Darts title.

    However, Van Gerwen had other ideas. The Dutchman started to reduce the deficit and was within one leg of Wright – the Scot then missed six match darts and the momentum was well and truly with Van Gerwen.

    From there, Van Gerwen looked destined for victory. As Wright collapsed, the Dutchman got stronger and a 12-dart finish in the final leg was enough to record a famous comeback.

    Raymond van Barneveld vs Michael van Gerwen (2018)

    Van Barneveld defeated Simon Whitlock in his first Premier League outing at Rotterdam but it was his victory in the ‘Dutch Derby’ with Van Gerwen that really sticks in the memory. To this day, it remains an iconic Premier League Darts moment.

    Even against his compatriot, the five-time world champion had the backing of the crowd and Van Barneveld duly obliged with a near-perfect performance to down his rival. Barney himself admitted that this result was a career highlight.

    Now retired, we won’t be seeing Van Barneveld in action during the 2020 Premier League Darts campaign. However, we’re sure he will be taking a keen interest in darts tips during the tournament.

     

    *Credit for the main photo belongs to Tom Hevezi / AP Photo*

    February 5, 2020
    Darts

    By Alex McMahon

    Alex McMahon Sport
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    Alex is a sports betting tipster, specialising in Premier League football, the Champions League and horse racing.

    He loves placing a weekly accumulator on the football at the weekend and dreams of landing the big winner that will take him back to Las Vegas.

    As well as writing sports betting tips for 888sport since 2015, Alex has produced content for several international media companies, such as Goal.com and The SPORTBible. 
     

    Alex McMahon
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    Combined XI: London Clubs

    The Premier League always has plenty of London clubs. The tally has been more than the current total of five, but that’s still ample opportunity for London derbies throughout the 38-match season.

    Arsenal and Tottenham are having difficult seasons, Chelsea are in transition. Crystal Palace and West Ham are looking to avoid relegation. Picking a combined XI isn’t easy – there aren’t many locks as there would have been in previous years.

    Here is our combined London XI, set up in a 4-3-3…

    Hugo Lloris

    A tricky one, this. Bernd Leno and Lukasz Fabianski gave Hugo Lloris a push for this spot, but the World Cup winner and long-time Spurs number one just edges out the Arsenal man in this All-London team.

    https://www.888sport.com/blog/football-prediction

    Chelsea’s Kepa Arrizabalaga, despite being the most expensive goalkeeper in history, is nowhere near consideration. The Spaniard’s advanced numbers are among the worst in the league and he was dropped by Frank Lampard at the weekend.

    Reece James

    Serge Aurier has improved under Jose Mourinho, but the errors remain. Cesar Azpilicueta has the track record. Ryan Fredericks is promising. Reece James not only has the upside, he’s the best of the lot at the moment, too.

    James combines his supreme all-round athleticism with Alexander-Arnold-level creativity in the final third. Still raw defensively, his pace and strength allow him to compensate for the occasional lapses in concentration. James is going right to the very top.

    Issa Diop

    The centre-back positions were competitive, but not because of a high standard. Issa Diop takes the first place despite West Ham sitting in the relegation zone with one of the worst defensive records in the league.

    The 23-year-old has been linked to Chelsea and Manchester United in the past, and few of the experienced heads have impressed this season.

    Toby Alderweireld

    The Belgian’s form has been below par for a couple of seasons, but with a new contract signed, Alderweireld has improved notably under Mourinho.

    His place in this team is still reliant on the low standard of competition as much as his own displays. Antonio Rudiger was the closest competitor for a centre-back place, and an argument could have been made for Arsenal’s Sokratis.

    Kieran Tierney

    Possibly the weakest position in the XI, Kieran Tierney gets the nod at left-back despite playing just 299 Premier League minutes this season. Tierney excelled at Celtic and away from Aaron Cresswell, there’s very little competition.

    Azpilicueta belongs on the right, Patrick van Aanholt cannot be relied on defensively and Danny Rose has moved to Newcastle. It remains to be seen if Ryan Sessegnon becomes a Premier League left-back.

    Mateo Kovacic

    The difference between Mateo Kovacic last season and this is stark. Kovacic has been sensational under Frank Lampard, spreading the play from the six position or drifting past opposing midfielders as an eight.

    Kovacic’s form has been so great, in fact, he beats N’Golo Kante into this team. The Frenchman has started to come under pressure due to the Croatian’s performances – Kovacic was the first-choice central midfielder for our XI.

    Giovani Lo Celso

    It’s a small sample since becoming a regular starter, but Giovani Lo Celso has been excellent. Tanguy Ndombele was in contention for this spot too, and a case could have been made for Lucas Torreira alongside Kovacic.

    Lo Celso’s recent impact just gives him the edge. It’s not a perfect balance, forcing Kovacic to play as the deepest in this midfield trio, but both are deserving.

    Dele Alli

    One of the best midfielders in the Premier League when on form, Dele Alli has been rejuvenated under Mourinho. The England international has the experience over Mason Mount and delivers more consistently than Mesut Ozil.

    Alli is playing his way into Gareth Southgate’s XI for the Euros. He’ll be able to support the front three in this side, as he has been since Mourinho took over.

    Heung-min Son

    Once underrated, every watcher of the Premier League knows how good Heung-min Son is now. The former Leverkusen forward has contributed to 14 Premier League goals this season in just 19 starts.

    Son has been particularly key for Spurs in Harry Kane’s absence, sharing the line-leading load with Lucas Moura. He was the easiest pick of the front three.

    Tammy Abraham

    Tammy Abraham started this season on fire. The goal-scoring has slowed down a little, but the England international remains absolutely crucial to Chelsea and his link-up play has been superb.

    As it stands, he’s England’s number nine in the Euros. Abraham has proven he’s a more than capable centre forward for a Champions League team – he could be Chelsea’s main man for the next decade.

    Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

    It was tempting to slot Wilfried Zaha into the front three ahead of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Aubameyang’s goal-scoring record is too impressive to ignore, however, earning him the place on the opposite flank from Son.

    With Christian Pulisic, Nicolas Pepe, Felipe Anderson and a few others involved, the forward positions are the strongest in London at the moment.

    *Credit for the main photo belongs to Frank Augstein / AP Photo*

    June 24, 2023
    Premier League
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    Sam is a sports tipster, specialising in the Premier League and Champions League.

    He covers most sports, including cricket and Formula One. Sam particularly enjoys those on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean – notably MLB and NBA.

    Watching, writing and talking about sports betting takes up most of his time, whether that is for a day out at T20 Finals Day or a long night of basketball.

    Having been writing for several years, Sam has been working with 888Sport since 2016, contributing multiple articles per week to the blog.

    Sam Cox
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