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There should be a pretty competitive race ran in Victor Chandler Chase betting at Ascot on Saturday. The 25th Anniversary of The Victor Chandler Chase (Registered As Clarence House Chase) has a small but competitive field in there, and the big two of Finian’s Rainbow and Al Ferof are duking it out at the front of the betting field. Both have already had their process cut in the build up to Saturday’s race and the Nicky Henderson trained Finian’s Rainbow is edging things after being primed for this race. The implications do go beyond Saturday’s race at Ascot, because these two will come head to head again at the Cheltenham Festival in the Champion Chase. So a good chance to show some form and preparation for the Festival meeting and Finian’s Rainbow, ridden by Barry Geraghty had such an impressive season last year, and continued the form at the start of this year’s National Hunt with a three quarters of a length win over Wishfull Thinking in December at Kempton. Granted that was not the fastest paced race, but Finian’s Rainbow showed his quality where he fell four lengths back of the leaders after a mistake and still had the class to recover and take the tape. So Finian’s Rainbow goes as favourite at 15/8 with SportingBet in Victor Chandler Chase betting odds.

The closest challenger to Finian’s Rainbow in the Victor Chandler Chase horse racing betting is Al Ferof who is showing some pretty good form. Al Ferof, trading at 3/1 with SportingBet, has landed two wins from two over fences and is on a pretty hot streak of five wins stretching back to the start of last year. So these two should produce a fantastic battle, and the Paul Nicholls trained Al Ferof, who has a couple of years on Finian’s Rainbow, is such an exciting talent that he makes a good prospect in the race and why he is being so well backed. His last outing was a win at Sandown by a neck over For Non Stop at the start of December and was pressed hard when out in front, but showed a lot of spirit to hold out for the victory. But it is Finian’s Rainbow, with the experience and class that is looking the favourite and it is time to prove himself ahead of the Queen Mother Champion Chase. This is the time to set his stall out and the conditions at Ascot should suit him perfectly.

Forpadydeplasterer also makes for an interesting look. A year ago after Kempton he was pretty beaten up and looked as if his career had come to an end following the King George VI Chase. It has been a slow road back since them, but there are signs that he is going to hit Ascot in a decent bit of form. He has gone up against Big Zeb in his last two outings, and although he finished six lengths back of Big Zeb, he probably would have been a lot closer but for a mistake at the final just. Up until then it looked as if he had plenty of running still to go, but the landing error simply put him out of contention. Forpadydeplasterer, trading back at 14/1 with Coral, may make a decent each way shot at those odds. Other notable names in the field for the Victor Chandler Chase are Somersby and Wishfull Thinking. Neither have really been punching that hard, but Wishfull Thinking is likely to be the more dangerous after pushing Finian’s Rainbow hard at Kempton in December. Some potential there and will likely push hard for a place finish if he gets it right on the day. Somersby, no stranger to taking on the best, came in fourth behind Kauto Star in the King George VI Chase on Boxing Day last year, but did beat Saturday’s opponent Gauvain earlier in December at Huntingdon.

Victor Chandler Chase Betting Odds
Finian’s Rainbow: 15/8 at SportingBet
Al Ferof: 3/1 at SportingBet
Somersby: 6/1 at SkyBet
Wishfull Thinking: 13/2 at Paddy Power
Gauvain: 9/1 at SportingBet
Forpadydeplasterer: 14/1 at William Hill
I’m So Lucky: 33/1 at VC Bet
Oiseau De Nuit: 40/1 at VC Bet

The Victor Chandler Chase is being shown live on Channel Four on Saturday and that means that the race falls under the Bet365 4/1 Special Horse Racing Promotion. Back a winner in a live race on Channel Four or the BBC at odds of 4/1 or greater, and the bookie will give you a free bet to the value of your winning stake. This free bet can be used on the next qualifying race, and if you land another winner at odds of 4/1 or greater with that free bet, then you get another free bet again. You can keep going like this with the Bet365 4/1 Special promotion and is great coverage for your horse racing betting. Bet365 also offer best odds guaranteed on their races and deliver streaming content. The highly popular bookie offers a free £200 bet for new customers registering an account. The bookie will match the value of your first deposit with a 100% bonus, meaning that you can get up to £200 in free bets.

There is a small but mighty field on show at the 32Red Hurdle (registered as the Tolworth Hurdle) on Saturday at Sandown for your horse racing betting. This is only a field of five going off in the Class 1 battle over the distance of 2 miles and 110 yards. We are really looking at four very evenly matched charges on show here, with High Storm really looking as he is just there to make up the numbers. Going off as narrow favourite is Prospect Wells, who makes his debut at Sandown. The highly respected Prospect Wells, needs to get back to winning ways, after finishing fourth (albeit just by one and half lengths) at Ascot in December in the Ladbroke Handicap Hurdle. There was just a lack of finishing pace on that occasion, but still stayed on well to take 4^th in the field of sixteen. The Paul Nicholls charge is attracting the most interest in what should be a closely contested affair. Prospect Wells can be taken a market leading price of 7/4 at SkyBet at the moment and represents pretty decent value. Will be used to the weight and therefore a solid bet.

He is being pushed hard through by Colour Squadron, who is just back at 2/1 with online bookmaker Paddy Power in the 32Red Hurdle betting. Colour Squadron is a very useful looking prospect, and has landed two wins out of three starts. All three were last season with Richard Johnson in the saddle, however this will be a step up in weight for him at 11-7, but some good finishing strength shown already from the six year old, should put him good stead to contest firmly here. Tracking both of the those two is Captain Conan at 9/2 with Ladbrokes, who picked up a fantastic 15 length victory at Auteuil on his last start in France. There have been just five trips for the five year old, trained by Nicky Henderson. Captain Conan has shown signs that more maturity and stamina at the finish is going to need to be developed, but the Auteuil win shows that he can deliver. This too though, like Colour Squadron, will be a big step up in weight in the Tolworth Hurdle betting. It will be a really good test of the futures of Captain Conan and Colour Squadron here, as they look to track and match Prospect Wells at Sandown.

There will be interest on Magnifique Etoile as well, who has rattled off three back to back wins this term. There is potential here for even more to come from Magnifique Etoile and although trading back in the small field, is rated highly enough to really mount a challenge here, and therefore should really put his nose in to make it a tough four way call. Definitely riding on the outside but his odds have slowly been drifting in, and is best priced out at 8/1 with Boylesports, but is as short as 4/1 in some places. Making up the field is outsider High Storm at 33/1 with William Hill, the only entrant in the small field who has yet to win a race. Was beaten by a nose at Cheltenham back in December, but really is not expected to make too much of an impact in Red32 Hurdle betting.

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Well, our tipping on the WTA Auckland tennis betting has gone pretty well, as we see Flavia Pennetta v Jie Zheng in the final. Pennetta never got to face the big match up against number one seed Sabine Lisicki in New Zealand, after the German had to retire through injury in the quarter finals. That left pretty safe and easy passage through to the final for Italian Pennetta, who did beat Britain’s number one Elena Baltacha along the way. Pennetta has not dropped a set yet in WTA Auckland tennis betting and looks strong favourite to take the title. She is a really classy, experienced player and would just enjoy seeing her deservedly pick up more titles as she heads towards the twilight of her career. She goes off against China’s Jie Zheng, who really came from nowhere to set up this final clash. Zheng hasn’t won a WTA title since 2006, but she simply caught fire to come from a set down to beat the experienced Svetlana Kuznetsova in the semi final. So now we have Pennetta v Zheng tennis betting to look at, and would stick with the Italian, as Zheng has had her big moment you feel. Pennetta, ranked 20^th in the world, holds a 3-2 head to head lead over Zheng, with Pennetta winning the last two meetings between them very comfortably.

WTA Auckland Flavia Pennetta v Jie Zheng Tennis Betting Odds
Pennetta to win: 1/2 at Ladbrokes
Zheng to win: 37/19 at Bwin

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Since 1999, only two teams outside of the Old Firm have won the Scottish Cup. Dundee United, two years ago, and Hearts, in 2006, are the only clubs who have managed to break the Glasgow monopoly so it’s no surprise that bookmakers aren’t looking outside the big two as the SPL clubs join the competition.

Holders Celtic have won the Scottish Cup four times in the last eight years and are 9/4 with Stan James and William Hill to retain their trophy. The Hoops started the season slowly but a 10-match winning run, combined with Rangers‘ loss of form, has propelled them to the top of the SPL and manager Neil Lennon will now be eyeing a double that seemed most unlikely just a few weeks ago when the Gers had a big lead in the title race. Given their history in the competition and current form it’s difficult to put anyone off backing Celtic, who have reached the final 19 times alongside their record 35 wins, though their arch-rivals can also be backed at the same 9/4 with the same two firms. Big hitters might consider backing both, which would give you combined odds of 5/8, as the Old Firm are a class above the other teams in Scotland, though it’s 10 years since Rangers and Celtic met in the final itself in Hampden.

Hearts are next best in most lists and are available at 12/1 with bet365 and William Hill. Paulo Sergio‘s team look to have a straightforward task against part-timers Auchinleck Talbot in the fourth round but the Edinburgh club’s financial woes may lead to several of their first-team squad departing before the end of the transfer window with their places being taken by members of the youth team. With potential disaster looming, there is surely better value elsewhere if looking for a team to challenge the domination of the Old Firm or profit from them being drawn against each other before the final. Of course, you will need luck in-running but how about a speculative each-way bet on Dundee United?

Outside of the top two, the Terrors (a general 14/1) have the best recent record in the competition and traditionally do better in the second of the season than the first. Admittedly, they’ve hardly set the SPL alight this term but always look as though they have a goal or two in them which is more than be said about the likes of Aberdeen (20/1 with bet365, Stan James and William Hill) or Hibernian (a general 25/1). Kilmarnock (a general 33/1) look to be on a downward curve and Motherwell (14/1 in most places) have also hit the buffers but Dunfermline Athletic have a proud recent record in the Scottish Cup having reached the final twice since the turn of the century. Jim McIntyre‘s side currently prop up the SPL but the cup may bring some relief from their woes and the Pars can be backed at 66/1 with Betfred, Coral and William Hill, which means you are getting 33/1 about them reaching the final again in the place part of an each-way bet. Providing they get through a tricky opener at Inverness CT and the draw is kind thereafter, those odds will start to look attractive.

It’s no surprise that number one seeds the Czech Republic are hot favourites to win the season-opening Hopman Cup 2012 at the Burswood Dome in Perth. The Czechs have a very powerful line-up on paper for the mixed doubles tournament with Wimbledon women’s singles champion Petra Kvitova teamed up with big-serving Tomas Berdych. Berdych won the China Open in 2011 and is ranked seven in the world. The Czech Republic are no bigger than Evens with Skybet and Stan James to come out on top in Perth but neither Kvitova nor Berdych have a doubles pedigree, which may just be their Achilles Heel, and at the odds I’d rather have a punt on France.

The French are in the second group alongside hosts Australia (a general 10/1), Spain (a general 9/1) and China (35/1 with Stan James). The latter include French Open champion Li Na but she’s teamed up with Wu Di, who struggles to maintain a place among the top 500 in the men’s game and is unlikely to contribute many points to the Chinese cause. France, on the other hand, have women’s world number nine Marion Bartoli and the experienced Richard Gasquet. Both are very capable singles players but, just as importantly, have won several doubles titles between them so should thrive in the Hopman Cup format. Victor Chandler are out on a limb in offering 5/1 about the French winning the tournament overall and Skybet‘s 5/4 about them coming out on top in Group B can cover potential level stake losses should they come up short in the final stages.

Considering their short price overall, Betfred‘s 8/13 about the Czech Republic winning Group A will be popular though this is probably the most competitive section of the two. World number one Caroline Wozniacki should give Denmark an edge in the women’s singles and the Danes are a general 20/1 to succeed overall, while the USA team features the fast-improving Mardy Fish who reached the quarter-finals at Wimbledon and the last 16 at Flushing Meadow in 2011. Unfortunately, partner Bethanie Mattek-Sands may struggle to hold her end up and the Americans make little appeal at bet365 and totesport‘s 7/1.

A big weight isn’t necessarily a barrier to success in the Coral Welsh National. Many will remember the brilliant-but-flawed Carvill’s Hill blundering and bunny-hopping his way around Chepstow under a welter burden in 1991. Indeed Synchronised, under an inspired A P McCoy, defied 11st6lb 12 months ago and the six-year-old Halcon Genelardais carried 11st3lb to victory in 2006. But, generally speaking, it’s those with less than 11st to shoulder who have held the upper hand in this traditional stamina test in recent times and ante-post punters this year have latched on to Victor Dartnall‘s Giles Cross.

Available at a general 6/1, the nine-year-old undoubtedly has impeccable credentials. A dual course winner, he was just beaten by Synchronised in the race 12 months ago and comes here at the top of his game having ended a frustrating sequence of placed efforts with victory in the Southern National at Fontwell on his reappearance. Viking Blond is only 8/1 with most layers but doesn’t appear that well handicapped on his form over fences so far and more interesting is Le Beau Bai (10/1 with Betfred). Third in the Welsh National two years ago, he came back to form at the track earlier this month. Though he seems to have been around forever, Richard Lee‘s gelding is still only an eight-year-old though was pulled up behind Giles Cross at Fontwell.

Another interesting contender is Galaxy Rock, who represents last year’s successful trainer. Ahead of Ballyfitz (25/1 with Betfred and Coral), subsequent Newbury Hennessy victor Carruthers (10/1 with Boylesports, Victor Chandler and Coral) and recent Newcastle winner Hey Big Spender (18/1 with Victor Chandler) at Cheltenham on his latest start, Jonjo O’Neill‘s stayer still appears to be improving and should give supporters a run for their money at the general 10/1.

The penalised Cannington Brook (16/1 with Boylesports) isn’t certain to confirm Haydock running with runner-up Our Island, however, and Tim Vaughan‘s lightly-weighted novice could be a decent each-way bet here at Boylesports and Paddy Power‘s 25/1 but I’ll put up David Pipe‘s Master Overseer as the value bet. Very lightly-raced, he didn’t do himself justice behind Le Beau Bai at the track earlier this month but this slog through the mud will be right up his street and he normally jumps better than he did last time. At William Hill‘s 20/1, Master Overseer is probably a few points too big and makes more appeal than As De Fer (12/1 with bet365, Ladbrokes and Boylesports) in this grade.

• Master Overseer (Each-Way) in the Welsh National at 20/1 with William Hill
• Our Island (Each-Way) in the Welsh National at 25/1 with Boylesports and Paddy Power

There looks a to be a cracking four-match Test series in prospect when Australia take on India, the action getting under way at the MCG on Boxing Day.

It’s a fascinating clash with Australia a team in transition but showing commendable resilience to win in Sri Lanka and draw a two-match series in South Africa after losing the Ashes earlier this year. They were, however, unable to beat New Zealand at home recently, showing their inconsistency. The Aussies do have some new talent coming through like Ed Cowan, who gets his chance at the top of the batting order alongside David Warner with the Australian selectors finally losing patience with Phil Hughes. Daniel Christian and Mitchell Starc are also in the home squad but Shane Watson and Ryan Harris still aren’t fit and Mitchell Johnson‘s contribution with bat and ball will be badly missed. Question marks, too, about how much longer Ricky Ponting and Michael Hussey will be around. Both look increasingly vulnerable against pace and, while their influence in the dressing room remains invaluable, there will come a time when one or the other will be blocking the progress of a promising youngster.

Given the possible susceptibility of the Australian middle-order to fast bowlers, therefore, India will be expecting much of Ishant Sharma and Zaheer Khan – but therein lies the problem of predicting how this series will develop. Both have been troubled by ankle problems in recent times, indeed Sharma has already been struggling in the Indians’ warm-up games. Without their quickies, it’s very difficult to see how India will take 20 wickets in a match despite the Aussies predilection to self-destruct on occasion. Let’s face it, there is unlikely to be much help for the spinners (though Graeme Swann enjoyed himself Down Under last winter). Likewise, however, how is Australia’s inexperienced attack to bowl out India‘s formidable batting line-up twice? MS Dhoni and his team have bounced back well from their humiliation in England, beating Bangladesh and the West Indies in subsequent series. Their ageing squad isn’t quite ready for the scrapheap just yet on that evidence and I fancy they may just know too much for their hosts, though don’t expect too many close finishes.

India can be backed at 107/50 to win the Test series in Australia with betfair and the 33/1 available at Ladbrokes and sportingbet for a 0-1 correct score could be interesting. I wouldn’t look beyond the 9/2 available at bet365, Skybet and Stan James about David Warner being Australia’s top batsman.

• India to win Test series in Australia at 107/50 (betfair)
• India to win series 1-0 at 33/1 (Ladbrokes and sportingbet)
• David Warner to be top Australian batsman at 9/2 (bet365, Skybet, Stan James)

Lee Westwood is a best-priced 4/1 with Victor Chandler to win his first Major in 2012 after ending this year with a victory in the Thailand Championship. No one would be more deserving of a Major next year than the Worksop-born 38-year-old, who has been at the very top of his profession for more years that anyone cares to remember, but that first success in one of the four big tournaments of the year continues to elude hime. If he could just put together four rounds of the quality he showed in the opening 36 holes in Thailand, there are few in world golf who could live with Westwood. Rounds of 60 and 64 had the prize in safe-keeping at the halfway stage and his final 22 under-par total was seven shots too good for US Masters champion Charl Schwartzel.

Another English golfer still seeking a maiden Major  is world number one Luke Donald. I suspect if asked, the world number one would have traded his five victories in the US and Europe in 2011 for one of the Majors but, at 34, he still has a few years ahead of him in which to gate-crash one of the big ones and can be backed at the same 4/1 as Westwood with Victor Chandler to end his wait next year with the US Masters (16/1) currently rated his best chance with William Hill. You can get 9/4 with Victor Chandler that an Englishman wins a Major in 2012, which on the face of it appears fair value as the likes of Justin Rose, Paul Casey and Ian Poulter have all shown enough to suggest they’ll be thereabouts in at least of the couple of the Majors.

It’s been a traumatic year for Tiger Woods but the former world number one has shown he is no back number over the last couple of months and can be expected to storm back up the rankings again in 2012. He is only 7/4 with Boylesports to win a Major next year and 9/2 with sportingbet and Victor Chandler to top the US PGA Tour money list. Donald can be backed at 12/1 with Skybet to repeat this season’s notable achievement while Rory McIlroy is 9/1 with the same firm. American sensation Webb Simpson is 18/1 with bet365 and Paddy Power. McIlroy is 9/2 with Skybet to top the European rankings and win the Race To Dubai.

Paddy Power Gold Cup winner Great Endeavour certainly isn’t being allowed to rest on his laurels and the grey will line up for the Spinal Research The Atlantic 4 Gold Cup at Cheltenham this weekend just two weeks after another brave run in the Hennessy at Newbury.

The grey will no doubt appreciate the drop back in distance as 3m2f clearly taxed his stamina in the Hennessy but he’s gone up a further 6lb in the weights recently and may be worth opposing now at the general 8/1 as there is every chance that both Quantitiveeasing and Divers, second and third in the Paddy Power, can now turn the tables. The pair are old rivals having finished second and first respectively in a valuable novices’ handicap at The Festival in March. Just under three lengths separated them that day and Nicky Henderson’s charge is now 3lb better off. Available at 7/1 with Boylesports, Coral and William Hill, Quantitiveeasing may just be the more progressive and can finally get his head in front over C&D though Divers certainly shouldn’t be ignored at the general 8/1 as Ferdy Murphy‘s stable is beginning to show signs of a revival after a low-key start to the season.

Great Endeavour is undoubtedly David Pipe’s first choice but the Nicholshayne trainer has four entries in total including the consistent I’msingingtheblues (19/1 on betfair), Matuhi (33/1 0n betfair) and Salut Flo. The latter could be a real fly in the ointment as he looked a very smart prospect early last year before being sidelined by injury. Still only a six-year-old, he may well be capable of landing a nice prize off his current mark and Conor O’Farrell’s claim is worth a further 3lb this weekend. Salut Flo is 16/1 with most layers.

Woolcombe Folly (a general 25/1) looks to have too much weight and is better over 2m but stablemate Ghizao (a general 7/1) deserves another chance as he looked as though the outing would do him good when fourth to Medermit (12/1 with betfred, Boylesports and totesport) at Exeter. Paul Nicholls‘ seven-year-old is 4lb better off in this. Sunnyhillboy, one of three running in the colours of JP McManus, could also be a threat as he was third behind Poquelin and Great Endeavour in the race last year. AP McCoy‘s mount (15/2 with sportingbet) is now 12lb better off with the latter so has every chance of turning the tables as he had a pipe-opener over hurdles at Haydock last month. Sandown winner Roudoudou Ville is improving but this represents a big staep up in class for bet365 and Skybet‘s 14/1 chance, while Irish raiders Roberto Goldback and Finger Onthe Pulse (33/1 and 80/1 respectively on betfair) no longer look good enough at this level.

A sports editor at the BBC has described the 10 nominees for this year’s Sports Personality of the Year as ‘one of the strongest fields I have ever seen on my time on the show’.  That’s a bit of a tall boast, given the number of ‘minority’ sports represented and the fact that there are three golfers on the list. The lack of female presence has also been noted. I can accept that it’s been a quiet year for British football, with no European Championships or World Cup, which explains the rare phenomenon of no overpaid Premier League players on the list, but why no women? Rebecca Adlington and Keri-Anne Payne both won gold at the World Swimming Championships in Shanghai, England’s women footballers only lost out in the quarter-finals of this year’s World Cup on penalties and Beth Tweddle has become a true superstar in gymnastics. The nation’s leading sports writers decided none of the above were worthy of the chance to challenge the men, however, though I must add that no-one sought to ask my opinion. Maybe it’s something to do with the fact that women’s sport is 20 times less likely to appear on British TV than the men’s equivalent. Good to see equality is being followed fervently in that quarter then.

Rant over and back to the list, however, and the widely-held belief that sprint cyclist Mark Cavendish will finally get the recognition his efforts deserve. This year’s Tour de France green jersey winner was recently awarded the MBE and victory in the Sports Personality of the Year would cap a memorable 12 months for the 26-year-old Isle Of Man cyclist, who also won the Road World Championships in September. He is now a best Evens with Betfred, Ladbrokes and totesport to pick up the award.

At 5/2 with sportingbet, Open champion Darren Clarke is the shortest-priced of the three golfers ahead of US Open champion Rory McIlroy (9/1 with bet365 and Stan James) and world number one Luke Donald (40/1 with bet365), though the veteran Ulsterman is largely that short on sentiment. For consistency at a high level, Andy Murray surely deserves more recognition than the general 100/1 quote though one suspects he’ll never win any like this until he cracks one of the Grand Slams. Alistair Cook is 66/1 on betfair but probably deserves a nomination more than his England Test captain Andrew Strauss (100/1 with Betfred, Coral and William Hill) but doesn’t appear to have any chance of beating either Mo Farah or Dai Greene. Considering we are still nine months away from the London Olympics, it’s remarkable that two athletes have made the top 10. Farah, winner of the 5000m at the World Championships, could be a shoe-in in 12 months time but may still be worth opposing at the general 8/1 this year as many potential voters will still know little of him.