online sports betting news

It was once drummed into me that value is all a matter of perception. Take, for example, this week’s Victor Chandler Chase at Ascot. Twist Magic is a general 11-8 favourite to land this prestigious Grade One contest and, on form, you’d probably say deservedly so. He won at this level at Punchestown last season and was most impressive in accounting for Forpadydeplasterer and Well Chief in the Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown last month. The third re-opposes here but has 24 lengths to find on Tingle Creek form and at the age of 11 can hardly be expected to find the improvement to reverse the placings. Not only that, David Pipe’s charge traditionally doesn’t stand a lot of racing so the fact that this is already his fourth run of the campaign may count against him. Twist Magic is much more resilient and also seems happier on a right-handed track like Sandown and Ascot. Evidence this week suggests the cold snap hasn’t set Paul Nicholls‘ string back as far as some yards so there shouldn’t be any doubts surrounding a fitness but let me introduce, nevertheless, a note of caution about the favourite. He was beaten in this at odds-on two years ago off the back of a win in the Tingle Creek and is a horse that can be pressured into mistakes. So will be the one that takes him on be Petit Robin? Nicky Henderson has always held this French import in high regard and he began to fulfil his potential last season, progressing from handicaps to finish third in the Grade One Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in March. Always prominent when beating Well Chief by just under four lengths on his reappearance at Kempton over Christmas, Tony McCoy will be under orders to ensure there’s a fast pace here to bring the seven-year-old’s stamina into play and Coral’s 11-4 is likely to come under pressure given connections. Back, though, to the question of value. Imagine you have £40 to wager, do you lump it all on Twist Magic at 11-8  for winnings of £55 – or would it be better invested as £20 each way on a 25-1 chance with Ladbrokes who looks to have been underestimated. The latter would win you £80 for making the frame and, while I’ll admit at first glance Oh Crick has no chance of reversing Exeter running in November with either Cornas (a best 9-1 here) or Twist Magic, first appearances can often be deceptive. Alan King’s yard was woefully out of form when Oh Crick finished fifth in the William Hill Gold Cup and his trainer freely admitted afterwards that his charge was in need of the run more than most. One only has to cast one’s mind back to Cheltenham and Aintree last spring to recall how much untapped potential lies within Oh Crick. Few handicappers are progressive enough to defy a penalty at the Grand National meeting after winning one of the big handicaps at the Cheltenham Festival but the seven-year-old achieved the task and also had the form of the second success franked by the runner-up shortly after. King reports that Oh Crick is as fit as he can get him and is promising a much-improved performance from Exeter. Given that the master of Barbury Castle isn’t normally given to rash statements, that 25-1 quote will be enough to tempt me this weekend.