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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.

In the good old days, you always got a couple of those cheesy singles that could only have been written with one thing in mind – to secure that lucrative Christmas Number One spot. And there have been some right turkeys to which, it appears, not even the mosts revered are immune! Madonna and Bruce Springsteen, even Bob Dylan has traded his principles to launch a Festive flop that is right up there in the cringe-worthiness stakes. Some have been that bad that the music stations just can’t resist the temptation to play them every year and as I write, three weeks before Santa’s arrival, the utterly crass Boney M are being invited to reprise ‘Mary’s Boy Child’  yet again on the radio.

Nowadays, of course, Simon Cowell is under the impression that his X Factor winner is guaranteed to have the Christmas Number One. Now I’ve made no secret that I loathe this show and all it stands for so this year I’m hugely relieved to say there is a bona-fide challenger that, although equally manufactured, is at least more in keeping with the true spirit of Christmas. We had Bob Geldof and Midge Ure pricking a nation’s conscience in 1984 and, in 2011, it’s the Military Wives.

Conductor and all-round decent chap Gareth Malone has taken upon himself to prove that anyone, given coaching and encouragement, can make a decent fist of a rousing tune and his latest project has been to encourage, comfort and cajole the wives and girlfriends of British servicemen serving in Afghanistan to produce a song befitting their heroes’ sacrifices. It’s lyrics have been cobbled together from letters sent to and from the front, which is a tear-jerker in itself, but even more impressive is the fact that Malone managed to persuade these natural reticent ladies into appearing before The Queen at the Albert Hall and on national TV. ‘Wherever You Are’ won’t have you on the dance floor as quickly as Slade‘s ‘Merry Christmas Everybody’ but it’s as thought-provoking as Chris Rea‘s excellent ‘ Driving Home For Christmas’ and just as poignant as Geldof and Ure‘s ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas’.

So I urge all decent folk, go and out and buy this single and deprive Mr Cowell of a new Rolls-Royce. Send your pounds instead to the British Legion and other like-minded charities who do such a wonderful job of looking after families who really need support at this time of year and have considerably less money to play with than Messrs Cowell, Walsh and Barlow. And, at the same time, have a bet on the  Military Wives Choir being Christmas Number One at 5/4 with Ladbrokes and sportingbet and earn yourselves a bit extra for the Festive season.

The 3.05 at Sandown on Saturday is peaking some interest, with Kauto Star’s half brother Kauto Stone running in contention in the Tingle Creek Chase over two miles. The Paul Nicholl’s trained horse would bring the trainer a seventh consecutive Tingle Creek title if he comes in first, and Kauto Stone’s odds have been cut drastically with Ruby Walsh now taking the mount. Walsh was pencilled in to take the ride of Tataniano, Nicholl’s other entry into the race. However, Tataniano was ruled out through injury on Friday, an injury which will keep him out for the rest of the season. The race has already lost Nicky Henderson’s Finians Rainbow and now Tataniano’s absence from the race, has naturally prompted a shake up in the betting odds. It means that the favourite Sizing Europe has been cut down to shorter odds, but the biggest movement has been behind him in the market. Kauto Stone, now with Ruby Walsh in the saddle has drawn level with Wishfull Thinking as second favourite for the 3.05 at Sandown on Saturday.

So Sizing Europe goes off as favourite in the race, and the two mile champion chaser looks in good shape for the race. Sizing Europe landed the Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival earlier in the year, and has had a pretty consistent year, with a win at the PricewaterhouseCoopers Champion Chase in October. His most recent outing was in the JNwine Champion Chase where he trailed home just over a length behind Quito De La Roque in second place there after a couple of mistakes during the race. Kauto Stone heads into the race on the back of a win in the Ladbrokes.com Chase at the start of November, where he romped home to a pretty easy win by six and a half lengths. He was in fine fetter around the end of the year last year, and should be able to put in a very good contest here. Kauto Stone is jumping well and should have the pace and is pretty solid on soft ground. His win at Down Royal last month really has set up him as a very good prospect here, and he is a Grade I winner.

Wishfull Thinking is going to take an interesting look as well we imagine. The gelding has had breathing issues, highlighted with a poor effort at the Paddy Power Chase recently, but if you can push that to one side, then Wishfull Thinking, out of all the front runners for the Tingle Creek Chase is best suited for the race. He will like a fast pace over the two miles and his chances will have been enhanced with Tataniano’s withdrawal. A very strong, confident runner from the front and will drag the pace along quickly. So those are the main contenders for your Tingle Creek horse racing betting on Saturday. You can talk about of unpredictability from Kauto Stone, but if the unpredictability of Wishfull Thinking’s breathing ahs really been sorted out, then that is the dark horse which is really worth a punt on the nose. The fact that he is trading equal alongside Kauto Stone say s a lot. The bullish form of Sizing Europe looks to be the big genuine chance though and he will be the one to beat.

Tingle Creek Chase Horse Racing Betting
Sizing Europe: 7/4 at Boylesports
Kauto Stone: 3/1 at BetFred
Wishfull Thinking: 3/1 at Totesport
Gauvain: 10/1 at Bet365
Imsingingthelues: 16/1 at Paddy Power
Cornas: 25/1 at Boylesports
Fix the Rib: 100/1 at Stan James

Online bookmaker SportingBet have a great horse racing promotion running for the Tingle Creek Chase on Saturday. If outright favourite Sizing Europe comes home first, then the bookie will refund all losing win bets placed on the race. This is great coverage for the race, making the likes of Wishfull Thinking and Kauto Stone even more attractive propositions. Have a punt on either of those or anyone else in the Sandown field, and if Sizing Europe comes up trumps then you will get your lost stake refunded. SportingBet offer up to £100 in free bets for new customers as a welcome bonus, so a great incentive to head to the bookie this weekend for all of your horse racing coverage.

Experience of Aintree‘s Grand National fences should never be underestimated. Winning form at the track is an even bigger plus and that makes last year’s winner Hello Bud a very tempting proposition again in the Betfred Becher Chase, despite his advancing years.

Nigel Twiston-Davies‘ gelding will turn 14 on New Year’s Day and is at an age when most racehorses will be doing nothing more strenuous than nibbling a carrot or acting as the trainer’s hack. But Hello Bud is the exception to the rule and clearly enjoys the test these big fences pose. He’s only 3lb higher than 12 months ago when he had Ballyvesey (a general 20/1) back in fourth and his comeback fifth at Wincanton proves he is no back number. That outing should have blown away any cobwebs and the bold-jumping Hello Bud can light up Aintree again at the general 8/1.

Always Waining is another who rarely disappoints around Aintree and he’s won the Topham Chase for the past two years. Two recent runs over hurdles should have put him spot-on for this and Betfred are probably being a little generous in offering him at 12/1, though there is just a question mark about his stamina over this longer trip. Dessie Hughes has trained the winner of the Becher Chase twice in the last three years and relies on Rare Bob this time. Available at 12/1 with Boylesports, the nine-year-old has won four times over fences and has more chance in this than when reappearing in the Champion Chase at Down Royal last month, though still has his fair share of weight. Ireland may have more chance with Another Palm, who ran a cracker in the Cork Grand National last month having shown himself to be a progressive stayer in the spring. Still only a six-year-old, Noel Meade‘s chrage (a general 8/1) still has some scope though these fences will expose any lack of experience.

Huntingdon winner Max Bygraves (a general 16/1) is a doubtful stayer but Grand National fifth Niche Market (9/1 with most layers) will be staying on when others have cried enough and West End Rocker also has stamina in abundance, though it’s a little worrying that the 16/1 chance with Paddy Power, Stan James and Victor Chandler has failed to complete his last three starts.  Shalimar Fromentro (12/1 with Victor Chandler) and Swing Bill (a general 14/1) are also worth opposing but further rain would bring Bangor second Nicto De Beauchene into the equation at Skybet and sportingbet’s 11/1, though he’s high enough in the weights now.

Take out the brilliant Denman and five out of the last six winners of the Hennessy Gold Cup Chase have been second-season chasers. That should narrow down the options for punters in this year’s 18-strong field and makes Wymott a very interesting proposition at the general 7/1 off only 10st 2lb.

Donald McCain‘s seven-year-old clearly goes well fresh as he won at Bangor on his reappearance last year and went on to win twice more in his first season over fences. Something was clearly amiss when he was pulled up in the RSA Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in March but he wasn’t the only one to disappoint that day as Aiteen Thirtythree (a general 11/2) and The Giant Bolster (a general 20/1) also failed to finish. Wayward Prince stayed on strongly to finish third, however, and can be backed at a general 8/1 for the Hennessy. The distance of 3m2f will suit Ian Williams‘ charge but Wymott did beat him off level weights over hurdles at Haydock 18 months ago and receives 6lb at Newbury.

Great Endeavour carries a 4lb penalty for his win in the Paddy Power Gold Cup but had plenty in hand at Cheltenham and appears to have improved since last season. The grey was third over the longer distance of the Hennessy over hurdles earlier in his career so should last home but two efforts over the trip over fences have proved inconclusive and his 7/1 quote from William Hill looks short enough as there are never any prisoners taken in this race. With front-runners Carruthers (a general 20/1), Fair Along (a general 40/1) and Balthazar King (66/1 with sportingbet) involved, this year won’t be any different and they may expose stamina limitations in Planet Of Sound (a general 12/1) and Muirhead (a general 25/1). Sarando (a general 14/1) has paid the price with the handicapper for a recent win at Carlisle, incurring a 4lb penalty, but Paul Nicholls has been quite bullish about the chances of Michel Le Bon. He’s been off the track for a long time but won his only start over fences at Newbury by a distance two years ago and has been backed into a general 8/1.

Last season’s Scottish National winner Beshabar is lightly-raced and available at a general 12/1. He makes more appeal than the more exposed Blazing Bailey (a general 40/1) but Wymott should go very close if back to his best.

There are more than 18,000 golf courses in North America and over 6,000 in Europe – but how long will it be before China overtakes both? The strength of the yuan at the moment in comparison to other major currencies, and a seemingly endless supply of able workers, means that China can afford to build like no other nation on the planet and the Omega Mission Hills World Cup has another new venue this year. The Blackstone course at Mission Hills Haikou has been described as immaculate by those who have already tested its recently-planted turf, though this will be no stroll in the sunshine. Carved, in part, out of volcanic rock, there are a number of irregularly-shaped bunkers designed to trap the unwary and the back nine will test the world’s best.

Brothers Edoardo and Francesco Molinari are bidding to become the first to retain their crown for more than a decade when they line up for Italy on Hainan Island and can be backed at a general 11/1. But this year’s competition, which features two rounds of fourball and two rounds of foursomes, looks a lot tougher than 12 months ago and Francesco is struggling with a wrist injury so we’re not looking any further than Ireland. Rory McIlroy and close friend Graeme McDowell are both Major winners and tied for second place when the event was last staged two years ago. They are bidding to become the first Irish pair since 1997 to lift the World Cup but are undoubtedly, on paper, the best team in the competition and Victor Chandler have rather gone out on a limb in putting them up at 9/2.

England are represented by Ian Poulter and Justin Rose and should also be thereabouts at the 7/1 offered by Ladbrokes, bodog and sportingbet, though the former has been a bit out of sorts lately. The USA once dominated the event but haven’t triumphed since Tiger Woods and David Duval stormed to victory in Buenos Aires in 2000. This year’s pair, Matt Kuchar and Gary Woodland, are nowhere near that class and worth opposing at the general 9/1, unlike South Africa. Like Ireland‘s pair, both Charl Schwartzel and Louis Oosthuizen are recent Major winners and the pair are also in form. The former is fourth in the European money list and impressed in last week’s President’s Cup, while the latter has finished in the top 10 in every tournament he’s contested since the start of last month. South Africa, who have won the World Cup five times, look a big threat at the general 11/2 while Scotland‘s pair of Stephen Gallacher and Martin Laird are likely to be competitive and could be worth a small each-way interest at William Hill‘s 33/1 but we’ll stick with the classy Irish to bring home the yuan.

Ladbrokes are refunding all losing outright bets on the ATP World Tour Finals if Andy Murray wins and that could cost the Harrow-based bookmakers a pretty penny.

Murray is only a best 3/1 with sportingbet to end his season on a high despite being drawn in the same first-round group as world number one Novak Djokovic (a general 9/2). The Serb was forced to pull out of the recent Paris Masters with a shoulder injury and has been struggling to regain full fitness ahead of the season finale at London’s O2 Arena. Murray also beat him at Cincinnati before the US Open, though again Djokovic was hampered by his shoulder. Also in their group are David Ferrer (66/1 with sportingbet and bwin), whom Murray beat in the final of the Shanghai Masters, and Tomas Berdych. Given Djokovic‘s current problems, it may well be the Czech (22/1 0n betfair and with bet365) who provides the Scot’s biggest challenge in the group matches as he holds a 3-1 career advantage over Murray and knocked him out of the Paris Masters at the quarter-final stage.

The second group sees yet another clash between Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer but it’s the Swiss who comes into the ATP World Tour Finals in the better form. He’s won back-to-back tournaments in Basel and Paris and has already won this event six times. Nadal may have won 17 times in head-to-head encounters compared to Federer‘s eight but hasn’t won a tournament since beating his old rival in the final of the French Open in May and was a long way below his best when losing to Florian Mayer in Shanghai when last on court. There’s a chance a rest will have done him some good but sportingbet think otherwise and are prepared to offer 6/1 against the Spaniard. Federer, on the other hand, is a best 21/10 with Boylesports to go on and win the event after emerging relatively unscathed from a group that also includes world number six Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and American Mardy Fish. Fish (90/1 with Paddy Power) has only won one of seven previous meetings with Federer and, as the rankings and betting suggest, looks the weak link in the ATP World Tour Finals but Tsonga has had a good year, winning in Vienna and Metz, and will give both the Swiss and Nadal a game.

Stan James have also opened a book on naming the two finalists and lead with a Federer/Murray showdown at 11/4. They would have to be the two on current form, while Ladbrokes are out on a limb in offering 6/5 against Murray reaching the final.

Martin Johnson has paid the ultimate price for England‘s controversial failure at this year’s Rugby World Cup in New Zealand. The coach and former skipper of the national side falling on his sword when it became obvious that he’d be forced to become part of a new coaching set-up as a condition of carrying on. Bookmakers have a had a market prepared on who will be his successor but are still largely divided on the respective odds of likely contenders.

Northampton coach Jim Mallinder is among the leading fancies for the vacant role and Paddy Power have him as short as 7/4. However, most other layers have him at 3/1 and 888sport have taken a firm view about Nick Mallet. They have the former Springbok and Italy coach at 9/4 following a glowing recommendation by South Africa‘s World Cup-winning captain John Smit.  Under the current set-up, however, he’d still have to report to performance director Rob Andrew and that wouldn’t go down too well with the forthright Mallet, which probably explains why he’s a 6/1 chance to with sportingbet and Paddy Power to get the job.

Johnson’s decision to quit was clearly unexpected by William Hill, who were offering 11/4  that Johnson would quit before the Six Nations just hours before his resignation but failed to take a single bet of note. They are currently among a number of layers hanging fire on betting on a new coach while the RFU is in a state of flux, but Skybet have nailed their colours to the mast of Graham Henry. He’s just guided New Zealand to World Cup glory and looking for new challenge having allowed his contract with the All Blacks to run down. The English RFU wouldn’t have to pay anyone compensation, therefore, and he’s already expressed a desire to return to the Northern Hemisphere. Henry is 7/4 with Skybet but can still be backed at 13/2 with 888sport and Blue Square.

Shaun Edwards is available at 50/1 with Skybet and Ladbrokes, even though he’s just signed a new contract with Wales and is looking for a way back into club rugby, while others quoted include John Kirwan (16/1 with Blue Square, 888sport and Coral), who has done a good job with Japan, and Ian McGeechan (a general 33/1) but too much water has passed under bridge to take Dean Richards‘ 25/1 quote from Ladbrokes seriously.

It’s not difficult to work out why Mon Parrain has been heavily punted ahead of Saturday’s Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham. With stablemate Poquelin (28/1 with Stan James) standing his ground in the Grade 3 handicap chase that’s worth over £85,000 to the winner, Ruby Walsh‘s mount only carries 10st8lb and will take some stopping if in the same form as when winning by 22 lengths at Sandown on his UK debut in March. He looked likely to follow up in the Topham Chase at Aintree the following month but just found course specialist Always Waining too strong in the closing stages. There’s more to come from Paul Nicholls‘ five-year-old but his age group haven’t a great record in this contest and his price (a best 7/2 with totesport, Betfred and William Hill) has contracted that much that we are forced to seek value elsewhere.

The obvious alternative is Wishfull Thinking, who never stopped improving last season. He was second in a Grade 2 over 2m4f at The Festival at Cheltenham in March before winning at Aintree and Punchestown and is 15/2 with sponsors Paddy Power. However, Loosen My Load‘s connections will fancy their charge to reverse track form with Philip Hobbs‘ charge on 11lb better terms and he’s twice the odds (a general 16/1), while the once well-regarded Calgary Bay is weighted to beat Wishfull Thinking on their run together over C&D earlier and he’s available at 40/1 with Stan James and Coral.

Great Endeavour (14/1 with Stan James) was a leading fancy for this race 12 months ago but could only finish sixth and races off a 5lb higher mark this year, while Irish raider Finger Onthe Pulse (a general 33/1) may have had his day. Lightly-weighted pair Aerial (25/1 with Stan James) and Quantitiveeasing still have scope for further improvement, however, and the latter is entitled to reverse C&D running in March with Divers (a general 14/1) on 7lb better terms. He could be a decent each-way bet with Betfred, sportingbet and totesport at 20/1 but I’m hoping for a big run from The Giant Bolster.

The six-year-old may hail from an unfashionable yard but he has first-class credentials for this having won over the C&D in January and contested many of last season’s top novice events. He may well have given the classy Time For Rupert something to think about had he not crashed out here a year ago and his reappearance over hurdles last month hinted at another profitable season. Boylesports offer 14/1 against David Bridgwater‘s gelding, which is simply too big if he gets into a rhythm, and he is the value against the market leaders.