By ComeOnBoro.com
April 14 2006

Middlesbrough are now 5/1 third favourites (from 10/1) for the FA Cup after they booked their semi-final berth. Most major bookies make manager Steve McClaren 6/5 favourite to become the next England boss

GEORGE WASHINGTON IS 2000 GUINEAS FAVOURITE

By Bettingzone.co.uk





1700: Although George Washington is all the rage for this season's 2000 Guineas, bet365 make Aidan O'Brien's charge a 3/1 shot not to win another race.

The son of Danehill won four races last season, including the National Stakes at the Curragh, but racing pundits are split over whether the horse has too much speed to last over a mile.

"Both Aidan O'Brien and Kieren Fallon have expressed doubts this week whether George Washington will stay the Guineas trip so this seems an interesting market to offer punters," said bet365 spokesman George Primarolo.

"Though the noises coming from the Coolmore camp are encouraging, we saw with One Cool Cat that they are not always right and last weekend's racecourse gallop saw the horse show a couple of quirks so the 3/1 may prove to be popular."

The Stoke-based outfit go 2/1 that George Washington's next winning race will be at a trip under a mile, whilst he is a 9/2 shot for his next winning race to be over a mile - which may be a runner given his Derby entry this week.

1600: Sir Percy has been the subject of sustained ante post support for next month's 2000 Guineas forcing Coral to cut him initially to 11/2 from 6/1 before cutting him again to 5/1 this afternoon.

"The money for Sir Percy today has come in from all directions including some shrewd professionals as well as plenty of ordinary shop punters", said Simon Clare, Coral Spokesman.

In the 1000 Guineas Coral eased Nannina to 7/1 from 11/2 and cut Waseema to 16/1 from 20/1 and Race For The Stars to 9/1 from 11/1.





1400: Bet365 make the much maligned Sunderland striker Jon Stead 20/1 to finish top goalscorer in the Championship next season.

Spokesman Steve Freeth said: "Stead finally got off the mark for Sunderland at the 32nd time of asking against Everton last week and that's sure to give him a boost after his embarrassing barren spell.

"If he could find his scoring boots like he did for Huddersfield, and in the early stages of his Blackburn career, he could be a handful in the Championship."

1300: Simon Dyson is the narrow 10/1 favourite with Coral after the opening round of the Volvo China Open.

The Yorkshire man shot a five-under 67 to be among a group of players one off the lead set by Christian Cevaer.

The Frenchman is a 14/1 chance at this stage behind 12/1 shots Paul Casey (71), David Lynn (68) and Ross Fisher (67).

Leading fancies Henrik Stenson and Nick Dougherty both struggled on day one and finished up signing for a 73 and 72 respectively.

The Swede can be supported at 14/1 while Dougherty is on offer currently 16/1.

1200: For the first time, there is an odds-on favourite to become the next England manager - and it is Steve McClaren.

He was originally installed as favourite to succeed Sven-Goran Eriksson when the Swede was appointed to the job but fell out of favour when Middlesbro's Premiership form faltered and they lost 7-0 to Arsenal.

But he has become flavour of the month again since his team's dramatic UEFA comeback from three goals down to beat Basel last week.

Most bookies have slashed McClaren's odds since Boro beat Charlton in the FA Cup on Wednesday and Alan Curbishley admitted that he seems to have dropped out of the running.

"We had seen a run of bets for McClaren on the build-up to the Charlton game but the news that Curbs may no longer be a contender came as a real shock to most observers of the situation," said bookies spokesman Graham Sharpe.

Bet365 now make Martin O'Neill 15/8 second favourite with Curbishley out from 9/4 to 5/1.

Sam Allardyce is offered at 10/1 while Luis Felipe Scolari is now a 16/1 chance.

1100: There has been a considerable move for Dudley Docker at Wolverhampton in the 1510BST.

Danny Tudhope's mount opened the day on 10/1 but that has tumbled to 13/2 at Ladbrokes and Sporting Odds.

1000: Middlesbrough are now 5/1 third favourites (from 10/1) for the FA Cup after they booked their semi-final berth.

The bookies make manager Steve McClaren 6/5 favourite to become the next England boss.

Arsenal are now quoted at 10/11 to finish fourth this season following their 1-1 draw at Portsmouth. Tottenham are 11/10 with Pompey 10/11 to be relegated and 4/5 to stay up.

0900: There are reports of a number of movers in the Powers Whiskey Irish Grand National.

The first is an interesting one, Fran Crowley's Monterey Bay, who is not certain to get into race, and has been backed down from 50/1 to 20/1 for the richest handicap chase in Ireland.

Also backed for the race were Michael O'Brien's Banasan (20/1 to 14/1) and Noel Meade's No Half Session, backed from 20/1 to 16/1.