Sky Sports News and Sky Bet's Ed Chamberlin tips up the weekend's sporting action - and casts an eager eye ahead to Cheltenham and the Ashes!
What an extraordinary day Wednesday was on Sky Sports News.
From the moment the Kevin Pietersen news broke at 8.30am it was a roller-coaster ride as the story developed through the day.
Interviews on the channel with cricket's top names - Nasser Hussain, Mike Atherton, David Lloyd, Bob Willis, David Gower, Dominic Cork, Chris Adams and Mark Butcher - hopefully made it a compelling watch and it was certainly exciting to be part of.
Many punters will now say Australia are a must-bet at 10-11 with Sky Bet to win the Ashes but I think Andrew Strauss will do a great job uniting the 'cliques' in the England dressing room and Australia have plenty of problems of their own. There's plenty of water to flow under the bridge between now and the first Test in Cardiff.
Sky Bet were lighting quick to react to the news on Wednesday as Australia shortened from even money to 10-11. I also like their market on the next England coach. I just wonder if the ECB might be able to tempt Tom Moody away from Western Australia and he interests me at 12-1.
Sky Sports 1, HD1 or Sky Bet Live will be the place to be on Sunday afternoon as Manchester United meet Chelsea at Old Trafford.
United are Sky Bet's strong favourites at 13-10 and prior to the Carling Cup defeat at Derby on Wednesday, they were clicking smoothly into gear. However, scoring goals has been the problem having produced only four in their last six Premier League games. However, they have been defending superbly and have not conceded a goal in the league since November 8 at Arsenal.
I think the match will be fascinating but a game of chess with two outstanding defences. It's not a game either side have to win and I envisage stalemate at Old Trafford. I will be backing a 0-0 scoreline at half-time at 5-4 and no goalscorer over the 90 minutes at 13-2.
Fulham are the 0-0 specialists away from home but they have been scoring goals and playing great football at Craven Cottage of late. Fulham are unbeaten at home since September and look a big price at evens to give Sam Allardyce a reality check and beat Blackburn on Saturday.
The other Premier League matches this weekend look tough to call.
With the cold snap set to destroy this weekend's turf racing it seems the perfect time to kick off the countdown to the Cheltenham Festival.
Every week on this blog until the first race on Tuesday 10th March I'll be looking for the best ante-post investments and I want to start by looking at the two novice chases.
A few weeks ago I told you that AP McCoy's horse to follow for the season was a strapping six-year-old called Calgary Bay. I hope you took the Champion Jockey's advice as Henrietta Knight's charge stormed up the Cheltenham hill at 11-4 on New Year's Day!
It was the most impressive display of jumping, bar a mistake five out, that I have seen from a novice this season as he attacks his fences with relish and has a massive amount of scope.
People say he won't be suited by the drop back to two miles but I think this is a horse with a high cruising speed and Arkles are won by horses with speed AND stamina i.e. the last two winners - Tidal Bay and My Way De Solzen. McCoy loves this horse and Calgary Bay looks a decent bet to win the Arkle at a double-figure price.
Further, this year's Arkle looks set to be a below par renewal. Sky Bet have Tatenen as their favourite at 9-2 but he blotted his copybook at Leopardstown - getting lumps of weight from his rivals - over Christmas and I'm happy to take him on.
In that race in Ireland, the Durkan New Homes Novices' Chase, one horse really caught my eye. Cooldine was running over an inadequate trip and was trying to give Tatenen 11lbs yet still ran with credit to finish third. He will be a different horse over a longer trip and is a horse with a serious engine as we saw when he reeled off five straight wins over hurdles last season before finishing a creditable fourth to Blazing Bailey at the Punchestown Festival as a novice.
Willie Mullins is assembling a very strong team for the Festival and I'm sure the plan will be to run Cooldine in the RSA Chase at Cheltenham, which the same connections won with the great Florida Pearl in 1998, and he looks a good ante-post bet at 12-1 with Sky Bet.
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