The Carabao Cup returns to our screens this week. The first legs seem a distant memory amidst the transfer window chaos, don’t they? Well, even so, this is a significant few days for all four of the clubs involved as they could book themselves the first competitive Wembley date of the season.

So, we are here to pick through the betting markets for the two fixtures and find some value.

Bristol City vs Manchester City

Manchester City were given one of their toughest evenings of the season against Bristol City at the Etihad Stadium. Such is the chasm in quality, though, the Championship side eventually fell to a 2-1 defeat thanks to a Sergio Aguero winner. That wiped out any intrigue from this second leg, unfortunately.

Lee Johnson’s team have been superb this season, and played with an exciting, ambitious press in Manchester. They have little choice but to take a similar approach into the second leg. Their fans will make it quite an experience for City’s stars under the lights, and no doubt fire up the home players in the process.  

Form is not on the side of the hosts for this one, mind. Their record in the Championship recently has been poor, seeing them take just one point from their last four in the league. A speck of positivity can be found, though, that the point was gained in their last outing.

The Robins will up their game for this one, however. That’s what happens in cup ties like these, and that’s why we will all sit their gorping at our screens hoping for an upset.

Manchester City, meanwhile, will need to either put in a disastrous performance or be ludicrously unlucky not to win this. I fear they could win pretty handsomely, too. Pep Guardiola’s side were not their brilliant best against Newcastle, but they will not need to be to beat Bristol City.

As the home side chase the game we may well see goals at both ends, so at least this could be entertaining.

TIP: Over 3.5 goals @ 13/10

Arsenal vs Chelsea

Arsenal and Chelsea ended poor runs of form at the weekend. The Gunners have slipped way off top four pace, and were knocked out of the FA Cup by Nottingham Forest, while Antonio Conte’s side had gone winless since the turn of the year, including being taken to a replay and extra time by Norwich.

Chelsea kicked off the Premier League weekend by thrashing Brighton, with Eden Hazard and Willian tearing the out-of-form Seagulls apart. An hour or so later, Arsenal raced to an early 4-0 lead as they cruised past Crystal Palace.

Both teams needed those results. It sets this semi-final second leg up beautifully after the 0-0 at Stamford Bridge.

It was a turgid affair in west London. We can expect something altogether more expansive at the Emirates, largely because neither team – particularly a depleted Chelsea – will be all that keen on an extra 30 minutes.

This is a tricky one to call, so I am going to edge away from any match result betting. Chelsea at 6/5 is the way to go if that’s what you fancy, though.

If Hazard and Willian or Pedro – who returns from suspension – can repeat their Amex Stadium display then Chelsea will book themselves an afternoon with Pep Guardiola at Wembley. I think the Blues will just make it through, but I prefer the over 2.5 bet in a tie as closely-fought as this one.

TIP: Over 2.5 goals @ 17/10

 

*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*

In the past, only the very biggest players were worthy of breaking the bank for - often by Real Madrid. The huge fees paid for the likes of Luis Figo, Zinedine Zidane, and Cristiano Ronaldo were accepted simply as Real Madrid flexing their financial muscles for their Galacticos policy.

But within the last two seasons, the world record transfer fee has been broken twice via the moves of Paul Pogba (£93.25 million) and Neymar (£198 million).; between those two record fees, Ousmane Dembele went for £97 million and Liverpool were offered £166 million for Philippe Coutinho.

In the following piece, we look back at the superstar world record transfers of the past, and question what they might be worth in today’s market. We’ll be looking at today’s football financial climate as though it applied to previous seasons but while also keeping in mind the financial powers of modern clubs and other star players.

This list will examine what legends like Ronaldo, Zinedine Zidane, Diego Maradona, and even Cristiano Ronaldo would have been worth if their transfers took place in the modern market. We’ll also take a special look at the man who many consider the best player of all time, Pele.

2009: Cristiano Ronaldo

Real Madrid had been after the Portuguese superstar for a couple of seasons, running up to his eventual move to the Bernabeu, with it taking a record-shattering £80 million to pry Sir Alex Ferguson's prized asset away from Manchester United. At the time, no one disputed the massive fee for a player who was undisputedly the best in the world, and still only 24-years-old.

He had his big breakout season in 2006/07, improving his abilities each year, and helping Manchester United get to the Champions League final in back-to-back seasons, winning one, and achieving the very rare feat of winning the Ballon d’Or while playing in the incredibly tough Premier League.

The fact that he was so young and the best in the world at the time, as well as carrying a certain superstar charisma that people loved, Cristiano Ronaldo would be worth so much more than £80 million.

Take the Neymar switch; there’s no doubt that he has the potential to be the best in the world, but he’s been overshadowed by Lionel Messi and still Cristiano Ronaldo in recent years – who are 1/14 and 18/1 to finish as the top goal scorer in La Liga this season – whereas Ronaldo was undisputed when his move came to fruition.

Ronaldo’s move in 2009 adjusted to inflation would cost £98.5 million, but in this current financial climate it could very possibly eclipse £250 million, and maybe even creep towards £300 million, especially when you consider the brazen financial power that Manchester United have been intent on showing since Ferguson retired.

2000-01: Luis Figo and Zinedine Zidane

Before Ronaldo and Kaka in 2009 – both of which were record-breaking transfers – came Real Madrid’s original Galacticos, who were also signed for record transfer fees. When Florentino Perez became club president of Los Blancos in 2000, he ushered in the Galacticos initiative, which entailed buying the very best players in the world. This started with another Portuguese superstar, Luis Figo.

Figo signed for Real Madrid in 2000 for £37 million from eternal Clasico rivals Barcelona by activating the buyout clause in his contract; he ended up winning the Ballon d’Or in that same year. But Real Madrid weren’t done there; they went on to break their own record the very next year by paying £47.2 million for former Ballon d’Or winner Zinedine Zidane from Juventus.

An incredibly gifted and versatile goalscorer from midfield, Figo scored 14 goals in the season before moving between the El Clasico combatants. A goal tally of 14 in the season before his world record transfer may not seem like a huge amount, but it was his incredibly skilful play everywhere and anywhere on the field as well as his leadership skills that made him such an impressive footballer.

Adjusted for inflation, Figo would cost £57.2 million these days. But, as so few players in the modern game possess the skill set that Figo did, he would easily be worth close to £110 million in the modern game when at the prime age of 28-years-old – as he was when Real Madrid signed him.

There’s no doubt that Zinedine Zidane was also a world-class player when the Frenchman signed for Real Madrid. Having been crucial to Juventus’ success, with the Italian giants hitting a peak in their history at the time, Real Madrid really had to fork out to get him.

World renowned as one of the greatest talents of the era, Zidane never took on a prima donna persona, which fans appreciated. Zidane's fee would exceed £71.6 million in present times, but he would have blitzed the £135 million mark in today’s market as, while he wasn’t a high-volume scorer, he was integral to any team he played for.

He continued to prove his value to Real Madrid by leading the team to a Champions League and La Liga win last season as their manager, feats that Los Blancos are 5/1 and 4/1, respectively, to repeat this season.

1996-97: Alan Shearer and Ronaldo

The summers of 1996 and 1997 saw two of the most rampant goal scorers of all time make world record transfers. In 1996, Newcastle signed the man who pulled Blackburn Rovers to a Premier League win with his 34 goals in the season prior, Alan Shearer. The English super striker amassed 112 goals in just 138 games for Blackburn, so breaking a world record to bring him in for £15 million was a no-brainer.

Then, in the summer of 1997, Inter Milan went up to £19.5 million to bring in the 20-year-old Ronaldo from Barcelona, after the Brazilian had been at the club for just one season, by activating his buyout clause. In the season before his big-money move, Ronaldo was simply unstoppable, scoring 40 goals in 46 games for the Catalan giants.

At just 26-years-old, while being a proven record-breaking striker in the Premier League, Alan Shearer’s modern-day value would be incredible. His inflation-adjusted transfer fee sits as a modest £25.8 million, but winning the Premier League these days gets clubs upwards of £150 million, so it would come as no surprise if a title contender in need of a striker forked out close to £140 million for the Englishman.

Ronaldo was hailed as the second coming of Pele after his incredible performances in his very early years, and yet his adjusted transfer fee with inflation only comes in at £32.6 million. His career may have ended up being plagued by injuries, but his play when he was fit was next to unstoppable.

At such a young age and having already harnessed such immense power on the ball, Ronaldo would easily be worth somewhere close to £180 million in the modern game.

1982-84: Diego Maradona

When people are asked about the best player of all time, Diego Maradona’s name is always thrown into the mix. Famous for his ‘Hand of God’ goal scored against England in the 1986 World Cup – while the Falklands War was waged – Maradona’s skill on the ball was unmatched, with his big moment goal-scoring cementing him as one of the greatest.

The Argentinean was first signed by Barcelona from Boca Juniors for a world record £5 million in 1982 but two injury-plagued seasons and a fight in the 1984 Copa del Ray final – in which Maradona headbutted one player, elbowed another, and then knocked a third one out with his knee for xenophobic insults thrown his way by one of the Athletic Bilbao players – saw his time in Barcelona come to an end.

Napoli – who currently lead Serie A and are 17/20 to win the league – then signed him for another world record fee of £6.9 million, where Maradona forged his most illustrious domestic seasons.

It’s hard to find a value for such a gifted player in the modern climate, especially as his inflation-adjusted transfer fees come in at £16.2 million and £20.4 million. Prior to the mishaps at Barcelona, but still known to be a hothead, Diego Maradona could well have exceeded £170 million in value, possibly a tad less in 1984 at the time of his switch to Napoli aged 24.

1962: Pele

In 1957, Pele made a name for himself by placing as the top scorer in the division with Santos, aged just 16-years-old. Still aged 16, Pele scored on his international debut in a 2-1 loss to Argentina. In the 1958 World Cup, aged 17, Pele was given the best young player of the tournament award, scoring six goals en route to winning it all.

When the 1962 World Cup rolled around, Pele was known to be the undisputed best player in the world. He couldn’t compete for the entirety of the tournament, which Brazil went on to win, but in the ensuing summer, the big clubs of Europe came knocking.

Clubs like Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus were all after the 21-year-old’s signature but, because he was named an official national treasure in 1961 by president Janio Quadros, he was blocked from plying his trade outside of his home nation.

Having proven himself to be the best in the world on the international stage as well as scoring an inordinate number of goals for Santos by 1962, Pele could very well have a world-record valuation on his head in the modern game. While Brazilian clubs often accept relatively low fees for their star youngsters, by the age of 21, Pele had already proven himself to be the best, so they would likely be able to fetch a fee that’s fair to the football financial climate.

Pele would easily be worth over £300 million in the modern game, but with Santos not being a financial powerhouse like the big European clubs, he could probably be signed for £200 million – still a world-record fee, befitting of the star.

 

*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*

In the advertising industry, and subsequently with all American football fans, the Super Bowl is known as ‘the greatest show on earth’. After 16 games of the regular season and two-to-three games in the playoffs, the NFL season culminates with the best team in the American Football Conference taking on the best in the National Football Conference in the Super Bowl.

This year, before the conference championships, the Jacksonville Jaguars and New England Patriots of the AFC were at 8/1 and 21/20 respectively in 888sport's Super Bowl odds. In the NFC, the Philadelphia Eagles come in at 7/1, with the Minnesota Vikings at 39/20 to win the final. Now, Philadelphia will take on defending champions New England in the showpiece event on February 4th.

Here, we’ll be exploring everything else to do with the annual event of the Super Bowl and the various aspects of it, such as: why Super Bowl ads are so expensive; if Super Bowl commercials are even effective; if half-time performers are paid; if half-time performers lip-sync; how the Super Bowl city is chosen; and how the biggest event on the American football calendar compares to the biggest events on the football calendar.

Why Are Super Bowl Adverts So Expensive?

Every year, the Super Bowl is the pinnacle event for advertising companies in the USA, with the event reaching over 100 million people. Last year’s Super Bowl (Super Bowl LI) had an average viewership of 111.3 million for a total of 172 million tuning into the event in the USA. It was even reported that 70 percent of households in the country had tuned into the telecast.

With the audience for this one event close to being half of the country’s population, you can see why companies desire to get a Super Bowl advertising spot, and the NFL and broadcast companies are more than willing to make them pay for the privilege.

Are Super Bowl Commercials Effective?

While the adverts themselves are raved about and can often be both entertaining and engaging, they don’t appear to have a huge impact on the audience other than them being more exciting than the usual advert. A study found that 75 percent of people didn’t remember the Super Bowl ads from the previous year, and that 90 percent weren’t likely to purchase something that they saw in a Super Bowl commercial.

In an attempt to balance the books and make an event of it, there has been a lot of hype swirled up around the Super Bowl ads, with the commercial breaks almost garnering as much attention as the game in some cases. In 2015, it was found that with only 12:06 of actual gameplay taking place in the game, 12:41 was used for the half-time show, and a whopping 1:00:29 was ad time.

In an average NFL game, there’s around 20 commercial breaks and over 100 ads. At the Super Bowl, each 30-second spot costs around $5 million, with roughly 25 percent of that price further spent on promotion of the advert.

A grand example of if these adverts are effective is the case of the Volkswagen Passat in 2014. They had a good year in 2013, and then they made an incredible advert for the Super Bowl – one of the most shared Super Bowl ads of all-time. The ad had a modest impact on sales but didn’t manage to bring them in line with sales from the previous year.

Are Super Bowl Half-Time Performers Paid?

At Super Bowl LII, Justin Timberlake will take to the half-time stage, following in the footsteps of Lady Gaga, Coldplay, Beyonce, Mark Ronson, Katy Perry, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, and Bruno Mars – and that’s just within the last five years. One would assume that the NFL would need to fork out a fair bit of cash to book these. One would be mistaken.

The NFL’s firm stance is that they don’t pay performers. They’ll cover expenditure and production costs, but that’s it. At Lady Gaga’s half-time performance at Super Bowl LI, the artist who earns around $1.3 million per city on tour earned less than the people hired to jump in the crowd on the floor.

It’s the exposure which these superstar musicians go for. With nearly half of the USA watching, many of which are the traditional American football fans, these pop musicians get to reach out to people who wouldn’t be a part of their traditional audience, thus boosting sales.

Are Super Bowl Performances Lip Synced?

It’s been a controversial topic for some time now, but it can be confirmed that artists do lip sync at least parts of their performances. In fact, Whitney Houston’s Super Bowl XXV rendition of the United States of America’s national anthem – considered to be one of the best versions of all-time – was lip synced. The NFL encourages artists to do so as there’s no way to rehearse the noise of the crowd and the timing issues that it causes.

When it comes to the half-time performance, some singers have been caught out in the past, so more recent performers have tried to beat the critics to the punch. Katy Perry said "I think a lot of it will be live," before stepping out at Super Bowl XLIX.

How Is The Super Bowl City Chosen?

When asked this question, you could go into all of the intricacies of how a Super Bowl location is determined, but for the main part, the stadiums and cities that wish to host the event send off a request to the relevant NFL committee. Getting the Super Bowl is a huge event for whatever city gets it, which is why the NFL put in many criteria.

Not all of the criteria need to be met, but you could assume that the places willing to meet with more of them would have a better chance of success.

In 2014, the 153-page document detailing the criteria was leaked, with a few demands standing out: NFL controls 100 percent of ticket sale revenues; NFL has the option to install ATMs that accept NFL preferred credit and debit cards and to cover up other ATMs; NFL is fully tax-exempt in the city, state, and from local taxes for tickets sold to the Super Bowl; NFL requires the usage of three golf courses and two bowling lanes.

Naturally, adhering to the many conditions of the NFL is a long and drawn out process, so the NFL picks Super Bowl destinations a few years in advance. This Super Bowl is in Minneapolis, with the next four already decided – Atlanta, Miami (Florida), Tampa (Florida), Inglewood (California).

Super Bowl vs Champions League Final Ratings

The Super Bowl is the culmination of a yearly event which, for the hugest part, only concerns one country. The Champions League final, also a yearly event, sees the best teams from all over Europe compete to make it to the final. With an overall audience of around 172 million, the Super Bowl is dwarfed by Europe’s biggest domestic football final, with around 350 million tuning in to watch.

Two more great teams are set to compete in the Champions League final this year, with Manchester City at 13/4, Bayern Munich at 19/4, Paris Saint-Germain at 11/2, and Barcelona at 6/1 favoured to win the tournament in the latest Champions League markets, with the locations of those teams showing the cross-country draw of the competition.

Super Bowl vs World Cup Final Ratings

After reading the section above, these results will come as no surprise to you. Over the entire 2014 World Cup in Brazil, around 3.2 billion people tuned in to watch the best footballing countries and best footballers battle it out for their respective nations. The final itself drew over 1 billion viewers for that one event.

Those numbers only consider the in-home audience, with an estimated 280 million watching games online or via a mobile device. This year, with the massive competition taking place in Russia, Brazil are at 19/4 to win, as are Germany, with France at 11/2, and Spain at 7/1 in the World Cup odds.

The significance of the World Cup is unmatched in the sporting world, which is one of the reasons why German World Cup winner Bastian Schweinsteiger chuckled when an MLS reporter referred to winning the MLS as winning the World Cup. The Super Bowl is undoubtedly a huge event in the USA, and the NFL is trying to grow its global appeal – particularly in the UK – but it’s safe to say that it’ll never match the World Cup.

 

*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*

Midnight Oil

Since Aintree adjusted some of their fences on the Grand National course in 2012 there has been a strong form line coming through from horses that have performed well in the Scottish version at Ayr.

The Sue Smith trained Aurora’s Encore was a gallant runner-up in Scotland in 2012, then went on to take the Aintree spectacular the following season.

Sandy Thomson trains a horse of that calibre in Seeyouatmidnight. The ten-year-old was a close third to Vicente in the 2016 Scottish National before things began to go slightly awry with the gelding.

The Grade Two winner has been off the track through injury since last March, when he finished second over hurdles at Kelso.

He is now nearing a return to action and he will be aimed at this year’s Aintree Grand National according to Thomson.

Seeyouatmidnight had been struggling with a suspensory ligament problem but is now fully recovered. He has also undergone a wind operation and is expected to return in February with an entry at Thomson’s favoured track of Kelso.

Thomson said this week: "He's in good order, but whether we get a run into him in mid-, or at the end of, February will depend on the weather.

"The plan could be to run him in the Ivan Straker Chase (Kelso, February 15) and then go for the National. It's great to have him back."

Considered not so long ago as the brightest hope on jump racing's Northern and Scottish circuit, Seeyouatmidnight is not the craziest 50/1 ante-post bet you will see this side of April.

Spinning Top

Herefordshire trainer Kerry Lee has pencilled in the Grand National Trial at Haydock for her veteran chaser Alfie Spinner, with a decision pending on his participation in the National itself.

The 13-year-old proved he was no back number when finishing second in the Welsh Grand National behind another 13-year-old in Raz De Maree.

Lee said: "I was absolutely thrilled with Alfie Spinner. He came out of the race bouncing, as good as ever. He is definitely 13 years young and not old.

"He is in super order and I imagine we will look at the Grand National Trial at Haydock as the next target.

"It is over three and a half miles and the ground up there has been heavy all season. I can't think that will be changing much over the next few weeks

"I was hugely proud of him and Richard Patrick (conditional jockey) at Chepstow, as they both really showed themselves up well that day.

"Alfie Spinner is a massive ambassador for National Hunt racing. He is a 13-year-old racing with so much zest and enthusiasm, long may it continue."

Alfie Spinner is currently priced up at 100/1 for the Aintree Grand National on April 14^th.

Aye Aye, Captain

Captain Redbeard could be looking at a trip to Aintree Racecourse for the Grand National after a decent enough showing in the Peter Marsh Chase at Haydock Park at the weekend.

Stuart Coltherd's nine-year-old won the Tommy Whittle Chase at Haydock last month then returned to play second fiddle to The Dutchman in heavy conditions in the Peter Marsh Chase.

Prior to Saturday’s race Coltherd said: “The plan is to run, he enjoyed the conditions last time and it’s only two furlongs further.

“I’m not actually sure why I ran him last time (in the Tommy Whittle) as I wasn’t sure he’d enjoy three miles and heavy ground, but he got it (the trip) well.

“He’s up to 144 now which would almost guarantee him a run in the National.

“He was in the process of running a good race in the Grand Sefton but he got hampered by a faller and then when he needed to meet the next one right, he met it wrong and it was race over.

“Depending on how he gets on this weekend, he’ll more than likely get a National entry.”

Captain Redbeard still remains a 100/1 chance for the National after his Saturday exertions.

Cautious Approach

Missed Approach who recently finished third in the Classic Chase at Warwick behind Milansbar will be heading to Musselburgh next for the Edinburgh National Handicap Chase on February 3^rd.

His trainer Warren Greatrex said: "I think he ran well the other day. He did everything right, he just hit a flat spot with a mile to go but he did stay on well considering he was fifth turning in.

"Nothing was going to beat the winner (Milansbar) as it just seemed like the blinkers brought out a lot of improvement.

"I think he is a Grand National-type of horse, but he needs to go up in the weights. I am now going to look at the Edinburgh National.

"If he wins that it should see him into the National weights. If he doesn't do it, then he doesn't deserve to have a crack at Aintree this year.

"There are plenty of other races around that could be of interest and there is always next year's National.

"If he improves for Warwick, then he should run very well at Musselburgh."

The eight-year-old is currently a 66/1 interest for the Merseyside marathon.

 

You can find all our latest Grand National odds here at 888sport via this link...

*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*

The Australian Open is perhaps the most unpredictable of the tennis betting Grand Slams, with its position at the start of the calendar year denying players the chance to find form and momentum before the tournament begins.

The 2018 Australian Open will have commentators and analysts scratching their heads when making predictions about what will happen, with many of the leading players on the ATP tour plagued by injuries in the back end of 2017 and the WTA tour blown wide open by the absence of a dominant Serena Williams.

So it can't be nice being one of those poor souls tasked with writing predictions about what will transpire in a sunny Australian January. Fortunately, this article will focus on the less contentious topic of reminiscing about some of the most memorable moments from the tournament's history.

This will not be a definitive list but rather a celebration of just some of the weird and wonderful tennis moments from the Slam down under. At no point will I try and predict what will happen in 2018's tournament.

A Rivalry Reignited

After all, who could have predicted that 2017's ATP final would be contested by the tennis heavyweights Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal? This unlikeliest of likely matchups produced a compelling final, a battle across a quintet of sets that saw Federer prevail to claim a fairly impressive 18th Grand Slam title.

Of course, much of the recent era of tennis has been defined by the dominance and rivalry between Federer and Nadal, but most tennis observers had resigned themselves to the fact that great finals between the two were a thing of the past.

How foolish they look now, especially considering that Federer and Nadal ended up sharing the Slams between them in a staggering defiance of suggestions of tennis being a young person's game...

This final was made particularly possible by the failures of the two best players in the world (in theory), Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic. Murray's defeat in four sets in the fourth round to the serve and volley maestro Mischa Zverev raised a few eyebrows, although Zverev has established himself as a tricky customer on tour with his increasingly rare style enough to propel him to the world's top thirty.

Djokovic has fewer caveats to his defeat, blowing a 2-1 set lead in the second round to succumb to the charms of the 117th best player in the world (in theory), Denis Istomin. 

Djokovic and Murray would go on to endure difficult years, but Federer and Nadal used their riveting battle in the final as the springboard for successful campaigns.

Those sterling seasons are why Federer and Nadal head to Australia as strong favourites, with odds of 5/2 and 3/1 respectively, as of December 18th. Some might say it's a cop-out to use literally the most recent match played at the Australian Open as one of its most memorable moments, but anyone who says that didn't watch the final.

 

Grand Slam-Pras

The 1995 quarter-final clash between Pete Sampras and Jim Courier is a remarkable and heartbreaking example of the confluence between sport and things that truly matter. Sampras had recently discovered that his friend and coach, Tim Gullikson, had been diagnosed with terminal brain cancer.

The two had enjoyed a fruitful sporting partnership, with Gullikson's tutelage guiding Sampras' ability to the top of the rankings. The news about cancer left Sampras devastated, but he resolved to play his match against Courier. 

Courier took the first two sets in a brace of tie-breaks, and it would have taken considerable resolve to respond against a player of Courier's calibre in any circumstance. Popular stories regarding the match suggest that a fan shouted encouragement to Sampras to do it for his coach, and the tide began to turn.

Sampras has since refuted actually hearing such encouragement, but that tide turned nonetheless. He began to display his distraught visibly, with Courier concerned and willing to complete the match the following day.

But Sampras rallied in stunning fashion, focusing on his game that he had honed so successfully alongside Gullikson. Sampras went on to take the next three sets 6-3 6-4 6-3, and would become the runner-up in the tournament behind Andre Agassi. However, it was that quarter-final match which serves as a poignant reminder of perspective within sport.

The Kids Are Alright

In 2003, Andy Roddick and Younes El Aynaoui engaged in a titanic quarter-final clash that pushed both players to their physical limit. Roddick would take the final set 21-19, a scoreline which seemed unbeatably epic in 2003 but that would be sneered at by John Isner and Nicolas Mahut.

Roddick and El Aynaoui grew so weary that they took a breather while allowing ball boys to rally. The quality dipped somewhat with the change of players, although their exuberant celebrations are right up there with the giants of the game.

Hats Off To Capriati

Jennifer Capriati won three Slams in her career, and two of those came in consecutive years in Australia. Her first title in 2001 was impressive, defeating the top two seeds in straight sets and becoming the lowest seed to win the title. This Slam marked a return to top form for Capriati, but few expected her to consolidate in the manner that she did.

The current probable top seed for the Australian Open is Simona Halep, who can be backed as a fourth favourite with odds of 8/1 as of December 18th Punters clearly do not favour the Romanian to establish herself as the leading WTA player, an indication of how there are several talented players vying for supremacy.

Capriati returned to Australia in 2002 as top seed courtesy of Lindsay Davenport's withdrawal. Capriati did prove to be the top player, but she didn't go about it the easy way.

Martina Hingis probably wasn't too thrilled to play consecutive finals against Capriati, but with a 6-4 4-0 scoreline in her favour, she was presumably warming to the idea. Vengeance is mine, she may have mused before each of her three match points.

But Capriati's clutch playing forced a third set via a tie-break, and breezed to victory by taking the deciding set 6-2. Capriati was volatile at times during the match, and criticised some decisions with unsavoury language. But all was forgotten as she savoured a consecutive Australian Open title, having clawed back from the brink of defeat.

Novak Outlasts Rafa

Nadal is renowned for his unwavering spirit and seemingly relentless stamina, so it took a magnificent performance from Novak Djokovic to defeat the Spaniard in what became the longest Grand Slam final in history. The match ebbed and flowed for five hours and fifty-three minutes, which is enough time in which to watch this video of Sam Querrey dancing 3530 times. I wouldn't recommend it, however.

As mesmerising as the moves of a famous Djokovic vanquisher are, they are incomparable to the five-set epic that saw 2012's finest male tennis players leave everything on the court in a match of supreme quality. Djokovic can be backed at odds of 7/2 as of December 18th to take the title in Australia once again, but he'll need to have a resurgence of sizeable proportion to rediscover the form he showed in 2012.

Rather than failing to do the match justice with words, here's a handy highlights package from the Australian Open YouTube channel with the completely unbiased title 'The Greatest Final Ever!' Here's hoping the 2018 Australian Open can deliver such a spectacle, although the bar has been set rather high here.

 

The 2018 Australian Open is now well and truly underway - check out our top tips and best bets throughout the competition here...

For the most extensive roster of Tennis betting you could want visit 888sport.com

 

*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*

The Clarence House Chase is a Grade One National Hunt horse race for five-year-olds and above. It is run over a distance of 2 miles at Ascot Racecourse in January.

It is one of the leading handicap chases of the season, and often includes contenders for the Queen Mother Champion Chase. There are twelve fences to be jumped in the race.

It was run as a Grade Two Handicap race but in June 2007, the BHA announced that the race would have Grade One status from 2008 onwards.

Weather conditions have always played a part in the history of the race since its introduction in 1987. The first two races had to be abandoned and the first actual running was not until 1989 when a certain Desert Orchid took the honours.

The weather played havoc again last year with Ascot being forced to abandon the whole fixture due to frozen ground. The race was transferred to Cheltenham where it had previously been run in 2005 and 2013.

Here are some trends and statistics based on the last ten renewals of the race when all horses competing were allocated 11st 7lbs.

Age (wins-placed-runners)

6-y-o: 1-2-5

7-y-o: 2-3-13

8-y-o: 6-0-12

9-y-o: 1-5-13

10-y-o+: 0-1-15

As you can see eight-year-olds have been very dominant over the last decade. This year there is not a single eight-year-old in the field so a new trend may start to emerge on Saturday afternoon.

Breeding

It certainly pays to follow a French bred in this race as eight of them have won in the last ten years. That will be music to the ears of the supporters of Un De Sceaux, Speredek and San Benedeto.

Trainer Form

Willie Mullins sends out Un De Sceaux again who has won this race for the last two seasons. Paul Nicholls has won four of the last ten renewals of this race. Nicky Henderson has won this race only once in the same period.

Starting Price

Nine of the last ten winners have been priced at 5/1 or under and the favourite has been victorious seven times. You rarely get an upset in this race.

Runner-By-Runner Guide

Brain Power

Novice chaser Brain Power has been the subject of a week-long gamble in the Clarence House Chase. The seven-year-old has been brought into 11/4 from 8/1 last Monday morning as punters latch onto Nicky Henderson maintaining his recent run of good form.

Brain Power won as he liked on his chasing debut at Kempton in November, but looked booked for a minor placing when unseating David Mullins at the final fence in the Henry VIII Novices' Chase at Sandown.

The seven-year-old, who will be having just his third run over fences on Saturday, will have to be at the absolute peak of his game if he is going to lower the colours of the favourite Un De Sceaux.

Kylemore Lough

Harry Fry and his team are still learning about Kylemore Lough after his disappointing start for the yard at Cheltenham in November. He made a bad error at the water jump and was pulled up before the penultimate fence by jockey Noel Fehily.

Previously trained by Kerry Lee, the nine-year-old was a progressive novice a couple of seasons ago, notching up a sequence of five wins on the spin which included defeating Outlander in a Grade One at Fairyhouse.

It would come as no surprise to see an improved performance on Saturday but he looks to have plenty to find with the favourite.

San Benedeto

San Benedeto is the sole representative from the Paul Nicholls stable this year, but his gelding has come up short in recent outings including a handicap race here in November when he finished behind Sir Valentino.

The Mr Vogt owned seven-year-old was runner-up in the Haldon Gold Cup previously, but he beat only one home in the Tingle Creek Chase last time out and this will be a much more demanding race for him.

Others will seriously have to underperform for this Paul Nicholls entry to score here.

Speredek

The seven-year-old won for the fifth time in his last six outings at Sandown last time out and connections are keen to take their chance in this small, but select, field.

He went off as the hot favourite and after going nearly flat out with Gino Trail for most of the race, he asserted after the second to last lap and strode clear to win the race by eight lengths in the end.

The Nigel Hawke trained gelding will have no issues with the going on Saturday and is likely to put it up to his rivals early, but whether he can sustain his meteoric rise through the ratings remains to be seen.

Un De Sceaux

Un De Sceaux bids for a third successive victory in the Clarence House Chase this weekend and it will take a brave punter to oppose him.

Willie Mullins' 10-year-old was the winner of the Ryanair Chase at the Cheltenham Festival last March but he drops back to just over two miles for the Grade One he has made his own in the last two years.

He made an impressive return to action with a bloodless victory in the Hilly Way Chase at Cork last month, a race that will have set him up nicely for some history making at Ascot on Saturday.

At ten-years-old he could prove vulnerable to a younger improving sort over this two mile trip but conditions will be in his favour and some of his junior rivals here have a few form questions of their own to answer.

Conclusion

Un De Sceaux once again ticks all the right boxes to take his third Clarence House and his odds-on price certainly reflects this.

Often small races of this nature lend themselves to seeking some value in the forecast/exacta and Kylemore Lough looks the type who could quite easily recapture his previous form under the tutelage of Harry Fry and give the favourite something to think about.

888sport recommends: Un De Sceaux/Kylemore Lough reversed f/c.

 

*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*

Neil King plans to head onto the Grand National now after Milansbar produced a superb front-running display under Bryony Frost in the Classic Chase at Warwick last Saturday.

One week ago, King’s veteran chaser could only manage 2½ miles in the re-scheduled Welsh Grand National before unseating his rider.

Wearing blinkers for the first time, the eleven-year-old raced from the front throughout and Frost had her rivals struggling behind her a long way from home, scoring eventually by a comfortable 11 lengths.

Neil King told PA Sport: "That was the real Milansbar today and it was so great to see.

"Two years ago we were thinking he could develop into a Grand National horse. He ran a great race to finish second under top-weight in the Midlands National, but then last season he just wasn't right at all.

"This year we felt we'd got him back and we went to the Welsh National last week with great expectations. Unfortunately, as they tend to do in that race, they went very quickly to the first bend and he got swamped and rather threw his toys out of the pram.

"I wondered whether the race today might be a bit hot for him, but we tried him in the blinkers during the week and he was pretty electric. They certainly seem to have done the trick.

"It was Bryony's first ride for me. The owner was quite keen to claim off him and she's given him a great ride."

It would not be the first time that a horse had tasted success in the Classic Chase then went on to Aintree glory in the same season. One For Arthur won this race before securing the Grand National and Milansbar is priced up at 40/1 to do just that with us here at 888sport.

King added: "I think we'll enjoy today, get him home and see how he is and see what the handicapper does.

"If he goes up enough to get into the National, which hopefully he will do, I think we'll probably go straight there, but we'll see.

"One For Arthur won this race off quite a low mark last year, so if we can follow the same route we'll be very happy indeed."

Conditional jockey Bryony Frost, one of the success stories of the season, would dearly love to emulate her father Jimmy Frost, who won the Grand National back in 1989 on Little Polveir.

She said on Milansbar: "He was awesome. God, he jumped.

"I was really looking forward to riding him. He's an 11-year-old, but he doesn't know that.

"He was a bit brave at one down the back, but I thought 'OK, if you want to go brave, let's go brave'.

"I got a lovely breather in on the home bend and asked him to go in the straight and he just never stopped. I didn't even have to pick my stick up."

Speaking to ITV Racing she said: "I'm really lucky. Dave Roberts (agent) and everyone behind me are working really hard to get me on horses like this.

"I love my job. It's the best world to be in."

 

Veterans Making Their Mark

Ground conditions will be key in deciding whether recent Welsh Grand National winner Raz De Maree will line up in the English equivalent in April.

Gavin Cromwell's 13-year-old went one better than last year under a polished performance from his 16-year-old rider James Bowen.

Raz De Maree is the oldest horse since before the war to win the Welsh National, with Bowen the youngest rider, and Cromwell reported his horse to be in rude health after arriving back home in Ireland.

"It was a great result and a fantastic day. He'd had a good preparation and I was hopeful going into the race that he hadn't lost any of his enthusiasm.

"If it wasn't for the statistics and people saying a 13-year-old couldn't win it, I would have been even more hopeful and it was great it all came together on the day."

Raz De Maree is a 33-1 shot to take the spoils on Merseyside.

He was eighth in 2014 when trained by the late Dessie Hughes and unseated his rider at Becher's Brook last season.

He will be bidding to make it third time lucky but only if testing conditions prevail come along that April weekend.

Cromwell added: "There's the Irish National, the Midlands National and the English National. He'll run in one of those all being well and won't run again beforehand.

"The problem we've got is the English National is the last of the three and there could be a danger that we wait for that and then the ground comes up good and we'd regret it.

"It won't be an easy decision and we'll just have to see how things stand nearer the time.

"He was unlucky in Aintree last year as he sidestepped a faller and unseated his rider and he has jumped round there before."

 

Wise Decision

Buywise emerged as a live Grand National contender last week after he was victorious in the Veterans' Final at Sandown.

The 11-year-old who was ridden by Leighton Aspell stormed past the game Pete The Feat to take the £100,000 first prize. His trainer Evan Williams has now set his sights on Aintree with Buywise, who finished 12th two years ago and is available to back at 50/1.

"I never thought we’d try again but he’s a bit older and stays better," said Williams. "I was going to swerve everything with him but we’ve got to have a crack at Aintree now.

"After the way he jumped and stayed at Sandown I thought, 'For god's sake stop messing around and just go for the Grand National.' It's a shot to nothing really."

Buywise who was without a win in three years convinced his owner Hywel Jones to give him another chance in the big one this April.

Jones said: "Leighton has won the Grand National twice. He knows what it takes and he thinks Buywise could be the right type."

Check out our latest Grand National betting markets here.

 

*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*

Over the last decade, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have dazzled football fans with their repertoire of amazing skills and phenomenal feats, competing for both club and individual honours with Barcelona and Real Madrid.

Such is their dominance of the modern game, followers of football argue continually over which of the two players is genuinely the best in the world.

It’s also a debate that could continue long after the pair have hung up their boots, and the next generation of superstars seek to surpass their magnificent achievements.

Inevitably, when we look at the abilities and achievements of players like Messi and Ronaldo, questions are always raised about whether they could have accomplished their feats in other circumstances.

Ronaldo has already proved his impact at two clubs, in England and in Spain, but Messi has never had the opportunity to dazzle “on a wet winter night in Stoke” as we often see mentioned on social networks, having spent his entire career at Barcelona.

Of course, the debate then starts to transcend time itself, as Messi and Ronaldo are compared to the greatest figures in football history, alongside legends of bygone eras such as Pele, Diego Maradona, or George Best.

Such comparisons are eternally difficult to make, especially given the hugely different circumstances surrounding players of different eras; not least when we consider how the game itself has evolved and changed.

The Pursuit Of Physical And Technical Perfection

The very best footballers in the modern game are not only those blessed with technical ability and natural talent, they are also finely-honed athletes at the very peak of their fitness and physical form.

Every aspect of their performances in matches and training is monitored meticulously, as coaching and technical staff seek to push players to their physical limits, and beyond.

From technical assistants to record and replay key moments during matches and training sessions, to dieticians and nutritional experts dictating the ideal body mass of each individual; modern players are practically machine-tooled for their respective roles and levels of performance.

Consistency is king in the modern game, and there’s much more to being a top footballer than just turning up for ninety minutes each weekend.

This begs the question that quite possibly, today’s game is more about pace and power, physical strength and endurance, compared to previous eras.

If you sent George Best through a time tunnel to play football in the 21st century, for all his wizardry with the ball in the 1960s, the Northern Irish legend might not even get a game in the 2017-18 Manchester United side.

Matt Busby used to lavish his wayward player with praise, but Jose Mourinho would likely have shown Best the door, with his side currently 80/1 title chasers with 888sport.

In contrast, if you shot Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo back in time with his current levels of fitness, his physical prowess alone would make him stand out from the crowd; but would he have developed both his physical and technical abilities so well back in the 1960s era?

The Portuguese star is arguably an optimal balance of the two, which makes him the outstanding player he is today, but with reduced opportunities to hone both aspects of his game, he might only have been an average player in the past.

Pitch Perfect Conditions For Football

These days football pitches are often as smooth as the baize on a snooker table, with top-flight clubs investing millions in the latest pitch technology. There’s even an industry that has quite literally sprouted around providing the finest quality turf.

By comparison, the quality of pitches could vary wildly depending on all manner of circumstances in the 60s and 70s, which rarely prevented football being played.

Back in the 1970 FA Cup final, Wembley had hosted the Horse of the Year show days before the clash between Leeds United and Chelsea, leaving the pitch in a terrible state.

Sand was used to level out the uneven playing surface, but the pitch became a quagmire and the conditions clearly affected the game. Needless to say, after a 2-2 draw between the two sides, the final was replayed at Old Trafford in Manchester.

These days, playing on such a surface simply wouldn’t be allowed at the highest levels of the game, and principally as a matter of safety. A muddy or waterlogged pitch would be considered unplayable in the modern game, but back in 1970 they were often the norm.

With Chelsea amongst the FA Cup favourites at 6/1 with 888sport this season, it’s hard to imagine Eden Hazard gliding across such awful pitches of the past with ease, compared to the perfectly prepared playing surfaces of today.

Technological Advances In Playing Kit

Over the last decade as we’ve marvelled at the mastery of Lionel Messi, who often seems to have the ball glued to his feet when he weaves through rival defences, he does so with a lightweight synthetic ball that is resistant to water, plus boots that are tailor-made to maximise the traction of his every touch.

Back when Pele was strutting his stuff and dazzling crowds around the world between the 1950s and 1970s, it’s easy to forget that he didn’t have such luxuries at his feet.

In years gone by, when Pele would deftly curl the ball past a keeper from outside the area, the weight of the ball itself meant that such a feat was considered an art form; particularly if that ball was also soaked with water.

When Messi does the same thing today, he makes it look effortlessly easy, but such swerving shots and curling finishes are undoubtedly aided by modern ball technology.

Compared to their predecessors of bygone years, technological advancements in the last decade alone, have brought dramatic changes to design and performance of modern footballs during matches.

Scientific studies in the last couple of years have proven that a dimpled surface can greatly affect the aerodynamics of a football, allowing players to get more power and swerve into their shots.

At rather appetising 7/1 odds with 888sport to win the Champions League this season, Barcelona will need Messi to be at his absolute best.

With a ball he can control so easily and boots fitting his feet like a glove, his marvellous technical abilities go hand in hand with the latest technology the sport has to offer.

Pele demonstrated his wonderful array of talents with a heavier ball and boots which invariably, were of a pretty standard and off-the-shelf design. One can only wonder at how magically the Brazilian icon’s skills would have combined with today’s technology.

Taking A Shot At Conclusions

Pondering how today’s stars would fare in bygone eras is a fun topic for debate, but also one which is firmly rooted in the realms of fantasy.

It’s always likely that such a phenomenal natural talent as Lionel Messi would have succeeded in any era, because the best footballing talent has always found a way of emerging, but his development and style of play might also have evolved differently.

It’s sometimes argued that Cristiano Ronaldo doesn’t possess that same innate natural ability, but his driven personality and determination have pushed him to excel, both technically and physically.

He too could have cultivated those same attributes to success in past footballing eras, with the same burning level of desire to be the best; which he proudly claimed he would be as a raw 18-year-old, not long after joining Manchester United.

Greats of the past like Pele, Diego Maradona, and perhaps even Best, might have matched or even bettered the current generation of stars, had they developed their talents amidst the changes in football we’re accustomed to these days; not least with the technological advancements we take for granted, which they never got to experience.

Saying that one generation was better than another, or guessing whether modern stars could have coped in bygone eras, is venturing into the realms of fantasy football.

It’s something we can only guess at. However, just like our parents and grandparents delight in telling us about the best players of their heyday, we will undoubtedly be doing the same in years to come, with our own children and grandchildren.

The TV cameras head to Wembley for this Saturday’s evening kick-off. Fifth host ninth, separated by a 14-point chasm. Everton are only seven points clear of the relegation zone ahead of this weekend’s fixtures. Tottenham are equidistant between Manchester City and the bottom three.

Ambitions for this season were similar at the beginning of this campaign. Tottenham were targeting another top four finish, and Everton were ready to prove they belonged in the top six. Spurs’ goalposts have not really moved, but the Toffees’ greatest concern is now a top half finish.

Spurs added a gloss to their FA Cup win over Wimbledon late on. It was no walkover against for Mauricio Pochettino’s side, but they avoided the sort of upset that their north London rivals suffered. To start the Cup weekend, Everton suffered a painful derby defeat to extend their winless run to five.

Sam Allardyce brought immediate improvement when he was appointed. The former England manager now faces a tough task to correct the path of the ship again. This is a no-lose match for Allardyce and his side, who will set up in a typically pragmatic way as we have seen on several occasions since his appointment. Everton are understandably at a very short 4/6 to fail to score on Saturday evening.

Spurs were frustrated by West Ham in their last Premier League outing. David Moyes’ side had a game plan similar to what we will see from Allardyce, and it worked. It was a pretty drab affair in truth, aside from two wonderstrikes in the second half. Breaking teams down has been an issue for the Lilywhites.

There’s little value to be found in Spurs’ goal scoring. The 6/5 on the home side to score over 2.5 is tempting, but this is against an Allardyce side after all. It’s not going to be goals galore, and I think it’s best to stay well away from Spurs’ goal scoring as a result. Unless, of course, it’s about Heung-min Son to score. He’s 19/5 to net first.

This could be a fairly turgid match. The midfield will be a crowded place, with Gylfi Sigurdsson drifting narrow from the left flank, and Christian Eriksen doing the same for the hosts. The full-backs carry a lot of responsibility for the attacking play for both sides as a result. Son against Jonjoe Kenny is the key battle for me, and Kenny – who has two yellows in 13 league starts this term – is good value at 13/4 to receive a card.

Given that I have tipped Everton to fail to score, it’s pretty tricky to suggest that the visitors will win this one. Spurs’ downturn in home form has been nowhere near as dramatic as was suggested in the opening weeks of the season, and Everton have won just one league match on the road all season, scoring a mere eight goals in the process.

I don’t recommend changing your Saturday evening plans to watch this one. Spurs fans, though, should be quietly confident about their chances of going level on points with Liverpool.

Tip: Spurs to win 2-0 at 5/1

 

*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*

It may have been the coldest Becher Chase Day on record since its inaugural running in 1992 but there were plenty of hot Grand National pointers to take out of an excellent days racing at the Merseyside track last month.

On an afternoon which saw the only fixture outside of the Grand National Festival to have horses running over the Grand National fences, there was plenty to gleam from the Becher Chase itself, the Grand Sefton Chase, and to some extent the Many Clouds Chase (not run over the National fences).

Let’s take each race one-by-one:

Becher Chase

Blaklion delivered a statement of intent for next year's Grand National with an impressive nine-length victory over The Last Samuri in very testing going.

Gavin Sheehan rode the well-backed 7-4 favourite to victory to give Nigel Twiston-Davies, a record sixth victory in the race.

Previous readers of this blog will recall that at the start of November I advised you to follow Blaklion as a 25/1 shot for next year’s Grand National in my first ante-post piece of the season, for which the eight-year-old is now the 12/1 market leader.

Many people have subsequently argued that Blaklion failed to see out the Grand National trip last year and that his 12/1 quote is pretty short given the fact that he is bound to get clobbered by the official handicapper once the weights are revealed in February.

Those that are firmly in the Blaklion camp point out that the gelding is another year older, stronger and wiser and it is widely acknowledged by the Twiston-Davies camp that the horse was sent for home far too early in the latter stages of the 2017 renewal. It was quite obvious in the Becher Chase that new tactics have been adopted for him.

Blaklion is unlikely to be seen again until after the Grand National weights have been published next month.

Twiston-Davies said this week: "He is in very good heart and let's hope he keeps on getting better.

"He probably won't run until after the Grand National weights are published I would have thought.

"He went up 8lb for the other day. Hopefully there will be others with higher weights in the race to help.

"Red Rum won the race with huge weights. If the horse is good enough it is possible."

The gallant runner-up The Last Samuri (25/1) will have just one more run this season before being putting away for yet another crack (his third) at the National in April according to his trainer Kim Bailey.

The nine-year-old had to hump top weight in the Becher Chase on a testing day and Bailey felt he deserved plenty of credit in finding only Blaklion too good, being beaten nine lengths when having to concede 6lb.

Plans for the third placed horse Highland Lodge (66/1) are a little more fluid at this stage. The eleven-year-old’s trainer Jimmy Moffatt said: "Whether we aim at the National again or the Topham, or Henry Brooke even mentioned the cross-country race at the Cheltenham Festival.

"We might even run him in late January or early February, but we'll have a chat about it and go from there."

The Donald McCain-trained Federici finished 16 lengths back in fourth, having challenged four fences out from home before fading.  He currently does not appear in the ante-post market for 2018 so it is presumed his participation is a doubtful one.

The twelve-year-old grey Portrait King ran a commendable fifth given his veteran status and the testing conditions underfoot but it is highly likely that his next Aintree engagement will be in the Topham Chase as opposed to the Grand National itself.

David Pipe’s Vieux Lion Rouge (40/1) clearly hated the conditions in the Becher and came home a tailed-off seventh but it would be folly to write him off just yet given his Aintree pedigree. The extra ten points that were added to his Grand National 2018 price post-race  may still entice one or two punters to have a dabble on him now for April’s race.

Grand Sefton

Ian Williams’ decision to go for the two-mile-five-furlong event over the National fences rather than the longer Becher Chase earlier in the day was duly rewarded as the eleven-year-old Gas Line Boy  (25/1) took the spoils in the Grand Sefton Chase.

Owned by The Three Graces, Gas Line Boy came fifth in this year's Grand National and will now be targeted at the 2018 running.

After the race, Williams tweeted: "Gas Line Boy confirmed his love of the National fences. He finished a gallant fifth in the Grand National last April and he'll be trained for the big one again.

Gas Line Boy has since gone on to finish third in the 32Red Veterans' Final at Sandown Park on January 6^th.

It is unclear at this stage whether the runner-up Ultragold, trained by Colin Tizzard, will be aimed again at the Topham Chase, which he won gamely last April, or will be stepped up in trip for the National. Bookmakers rank him a 100/1 shot for the latter.

The rather fragile Sametegal ran a decent third under top-weight and has been quoted at 50/1 should Paul Nicholls give him a National entry.

Many Clouds Chase

Despite his trainer indicating that he will “probably” be aimed at the Grade One Bowl at Aintree this April, there was plenty of interest by punters on Definitly Red for the Grand National after he won the Many Clouds Chase there at the Becher meeting.

So much so that the eight-year-old chestnut became a strong 25/1 chance in the immediate aftermath of his gutsy battle and victory over Cloudy Dream.

Straight after the race his trainer Brian Ellison said: "He was brilliant today, his jumping was immaculate, that's what won him it.

"We knew the others might have stamina worries so Danny could be aggressive on him.

"I don't know where we'll go next, we could even look for a three-mile hurdle for him somewhere.

"We'll give him plenty of time to get over this, but I'd say we won't be aiming at Cheltenham.

"The plan will be to be back at Aintree in April for the Grade One Bowl, I think.

"He doesn't mind good ground, he just doesn't like it tacky like it was at Wetherby in the Charlie Hall."

Informative Day?

Becher Chase day has not always been an accurate barometer of what might happen the following April should any of those horses return for a tilt at the National, but from time-to-time it does throw up some significant form lines.

Only last season One For Arthur came a close fifth in the Becher Chase only to return the following April and capture the 2017 Grand National.

This year we have a highly rated chaser winning the Becher in Blaklion and he is being touted as being another Red Rum. Can he reach those heady heights? We can only wait and see what unfolds.

You can find all the latest Grand National odds at 888sport here...

 

*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*