My punting week - episode 2

Highlights

A confident bet against market expectations for Sheffield United to beat Brighton. The statisticians' favourites continue to be overbet, despite their inability to beat most of the (few) clubs below them in the Premiership. You would have made a decent profit opposing Graham Potter's men this season, although I still think he is the best English manager around. The 25/1 to be next Tottenham manager is not looking good, although Betfair Sportsbook would only allow £10 on.

Greaneteen looked a good price to win the grade 1 Celebration Chase at Sandown. I thought Altior had gone at the game and Sceau Royal had had a hard season so backed him to win at 8/1 with Bet365, and then breached my no each-way at under 10's rule because Betfair were paying 3 places in the 7 runner race, and I was convinced Greaneteen would be placed. Bryony Frost rode an excellent race, not letting Altior get away down the back, and then sneaking up Nico de Boinville's inside on the home bend for a deserved win. In fairness Altior ran well but age, and a weirdly interrupted campaign, may have caught up with him.

Midlights

For some time I have backed Tony Finau in the golf. He is ultra consistent, often finishing in the top ten, and ultra-consistently never winning. Is he a bottler who cannot take the pressure of the closing out the final holes? Maybe, hence my interest in backing him in last week's USPGA Zurich Classic of New Orleans, which was an unusual and rather strange pairs event. Finau was teamed up with Cameron Champ, who sounds like a top class Scottish staying greyhound, but is actually an excellent up and coming golfer. My theory was that Finau may cope with the pressure better with the help of a partner and I was keen on the price of 33/1. By the time I went to place my bet 16's was the best out there and I resisted.

Finau/Champ were in the lead at halfway but a final round of 76 saw them finish out of the places in 17th. It appears Tony was more of an influence on Cameron and my lack of a wager came as a relief.

Two bets on Monday. Four Kingdoms (40/1) at Ayr was speculative and finished like most speculative bets - last. Worth keeping an eye on though as his handicap mark suggests he could win soon.

I was more confident about Thorn (Lingfield 2pm) and the 11/1 was a decent price. He looked like he was coming to win his race but I felt sure he had not gone through fully with his effort and had been pipped on the line in a 3-way head bobber. When I checked the result later I was surprised and delighted to see him in 1st place only to realise on closer inspection it was a dead heat with 40/1 outsider Highway One. Quick check of the dead heat rules having forgotten because they are so rare these days with those one pixel winners, and it is definitely half the stake (as opposed to half the odds) which was not too bad.

Lowlights

Backing Son to be first goalscorer in the League (sorry Carabao) Cup Final at 7/1 because Harry Kane was out injured. Kane made a miraculous recovery and played the whole match. Spurs, and Son, never looked like scoring.

Fox Champion 2.50 Haydock at 11/2 (SP 4/1) on Saturday. Hector Crouch changed his mind 3 times and I think would have won if he stayed on the inside throughout and waited for the gaps. He came 3rd but under my each way rule that was a loser.

Selecting 3 horses - Irish Prophecy (refused), Supreme Escape (pulled up) and Larry next to last of the 9 finishers) - in the big handicap at Sandown and then not backing Potterman (available at evens and above on the exchange) to get the race in the stewards room, when it looked obvious to me that under the rules he had to be declared the winner.

The race did though confirm my observation that Harry Skelton is champion jockey but not the best jockey. His use of the whip caused the interference and a hands and heels ride would have have seen Enrilo win.

And finally ITV's coverage (going off air before the result) was poor, with the expert pundits (Richard Hoiles excepted) hopeless. Mick Fitzgerald declared the stewards "have to be certain that Kitty's Light would have won but for the interference". Err no they do not, hence the near certainty that the result would be changed (rightly) under "the rules."

All in all a reasonable profit over the week and 2 typically low grade cards at Lingfield and Brighton to watch later - does not get any better than that!