Macca

So sports fans, feel like nominating your sure thing for the weekend? Pick any sporting event in any sport ... whether it be Footy, Soccer, Rugby League, Union, NBA, NFL, Baseball, Ice Hockey, Cricket or whatever takes your fancy. Just your best sports outcome ... 1 pick only will do but if you've got 2, go for it. Depending on how many outcomes are put forward we can collate them all together and perhaps scoop the pool. With these types of things there's always one sure thing that can jump out at us. And by combining our thoughts, we might just do ok. *Always remember to gamble responsibly

We did a lot wrong and had any number of non-impact players and as well as that, we kicked poorly for goal yet ... we only lost by 9 points. Sydney played their usual stifling game-style and that's what really beat us ... we never got our game going at any stage and thus we ended up playing the game on their terms. Which is what the Swan's aim was. Previously we haven't even been competitive in these type of high-pressure games so we've at least got up to speed in some ways. The game played out as I thought it might so in this case, the players & FD need to go over the tape quite thoroughly so as to see where we can get better. A lot better in fact. I'd expect to see some goalkicking practice for starters. As is often the case we won't have learned much from last week's thrashing of a non-competitive Suns team but we should be able to learn a lot from this loss. Nothing short of a win next week will suffice but if we do win we'll be playing finals. As for the non-impact players ... most of them aren't really up to it but such is the spread of talent across 18 teams, we have to keep rotating these types until we replace them with better players in the off-season. The current list is quite good but it's not a great list - yet.

Best Bet Strike Rate 6: 2 - 2 - 1 Australian Group & Listed Races And here are some replays of yesterday's feature races ... the Rosebud from Rosehill and a couple of big Group 1's from Arlington USA. Click on this link to watch a replay of Voodoo Lad winning the Aurie's Star Hcp.

I like sports multi's and @Wadda We Sing idea is a beauty ... but we won't be able to tone it down especially if we stay alive in the bet. For instance, your 2 soccer bets saluted last night which has kept me alive in a saver multi. I reckon we're biting off more than we can chew ... have you ever watched the 'Bad Beats' section of Scott van Pelt's midnight (USA time) version of Sportscenter? It's a gambling aspect re line betting in USA sports but they disguise the gambling aspect with humurous distractions - very clever the way they do it too ? I reckon we start another thread along the same lines ... call it 'Monkey Business' as discussed but not go over the top with it all. Wadda's constant referencing to our racing multi is an excellent pointer ... $1 will get you 106-1 or such-like with the emphasis on $1 only bet. We never want to be talking about large outlays both here or elsewhere DZ and I post as such here in a very similar way - purposely.

Further to what I posted last night is that this thread shouldn't be a gambling-first thread. The gambling should be somewhat secondary with the 'Sport of Kings' taking centre stage. I try to edge the thread that way by posting up links to feature articles about the sport together with videos of the Group racing from here and elsewhere. I do that without any need to have a betting interest. The gambling aspect gets talked about here obviously (myself included) but if it becomes about the pure gambling then where does it start and finish? My agenda is that this is a thread about the thoroughbreds ... other sports or other forms of betting should be largely discussed elsewhere. And I'm happy to go elsewhere to discuss those other aspects. That's not to say that the thread needs to be 100% about horse racing but it needs to be predominantly so in my opinion. The thread is called 'A Day at the Races' for a reason.

My thoughts are that there are bigger fish to fry .... the footy show represented in some ways the absolute obsession that people have (or had) with the sport. But that obsession with the sport has dissipated somewhat so the popularity of a show like the footy show loses its appeal. And it's all to do with the aesthetics of the game ... many people I know now find the sport to be just about the pure winning or the losing. My view is largely similar. Taking that a step further is that if you're not going to watch the sport with any great passion with regards to the aesthetics why would you continue to watch a show like the footy show? It's all relative and the connections to me are quite obvious. I've always said that all the things that have a connection to the sport (tipping comps, fantasy sports, the traditions, colours, jumper, the tribalism & rivalries, gambling etc etc) aren't enough to keep people watching wall-to-wall unless the sport is largely aesthetically pleasing as well. However, I'm enjoying seeing the Demons resurgence and the fact that we're now starting to win but the actual sport leaves me cold. So I now have to watch a team that I love play a sport that I largely dislike. It's quite the dilemma. I live in Melbourne Col and with my work I end up talking to hundreds of different people every month about sports of all sorts. Footy has taken a huge back seat with regards to the conversations and I don't drive those chats. The footy fanatics here and elsewhere will probably see my words as blasphemous but those fanatics are not the problem for me at all. The AFL is lucky to have them on board ... it's those who are turning away who are the problem. Put another way - if the sport was to be still the spectacular game for all who grew up loving it then a show like the footy show has a great chance of thriving. The content of the show gets pushed aside if there's an across-the-board genuine love of the sport. But once that love is gone the content of a show like the footy show becomes front & centre (and exposed for what it is in the points that you outlined) I can remember a time when the only criticism of footy came from those who weren't brought up on the sport. And that wasn't that long ago.

We need another thread for the sports multi This thread should be reserved for the thoroughbreds only ... no greyhound racing, no harness racing, no footy talk, just thoroughbreds. The references to the Demons is fine as we're all Melbourne supporters but I come to this thread to escape the general footy talk. There's already thousands of footy threads but only 1 horse racing thread. It doesn't matter if the thread goes quiet for a while ... that's a good thing. As an example the NFL thread thrives from Sept through to February but is virtually dormant for the other 6 months. We've got separate threads on baseball, the NBA, cricket, Big Bash, Ice Hockey etc etc etc.

Yes it reads quite well doesn't it? I wasn't on Voodoo Lad for the win unfortunately although I did have it as a winner in a F4 but just missed ... luckily it didn't pay that well! I thought Chamois Road & Poetic Dream would run better races. A terrific choice though Wadda and at $5+, the horse represented very good value. Next week things start to hot up with 10 group races ... a lot of the good horses will be returning but because they're fresh, it will still be tricky trying to find winners. Once we get into September there will be more clarity. Anyway, it's back to pick4 baseball multi's for me until next Saturday! Australian Group & Listed Races

I was on it Wadda ... heart in mouth stuff at the finish. Nothing too substantial but a win is a win. It's the way Darren Weir talks ... he had it in front of a good type in Haripour and that was enough for me. I got on earlier though as Darren was talking up the horse's chances on RSN on Friday morning. The staying types from Europe are always worth looking at.

So did I but I wasn't confident ... first time down the straight and the horse never really let go. I'm happy I didn't back it straight out (which I never really do anyway with horses that are that short) The horse copped a bit of a check and David Hayes just mentioned that Gold Mag needs it further anyway - more hindsight info hey! ? However, it's another one to watch and the odds will probably be better next time.

Yep Wadda, same here (re Mongolian Wolf) At this time of year I'd rather post up a horse with some value attached rather than a short priced favourite that may not salute anyway. And there's been a stack of shorties go down in the last 2 or 3 months. In the Spring it's a different story ... when Spring arrives we can confidently nominate a group level horse and still get reasonable odds about that horse. I like to bet all year round but will up the ante during the carnivals. For now, it's just a few interest bets without risking too much.

Baseball is hit and miss but as a percentage play, it's not too bad DZ. On another day both teams could have both won well. For me Rugby league is way harder and soccer is also hit and miss and I'd rather leave the footy to others. Rugby union and the NBA are my preferred options so I'll stick to baseball until the Rugby Internationals return and when the NBA starts up. I've used a couple of our 'live' sports best bets with a few short priced favourites with the horses so all is not lost. As previously noted, losing out on a well priced multi isn't costly if the stake is quite low. And I only do a couple/few of them so it's low risk.

It's why I prefer trifecta's with regards to the Group racing or Listed Races ... thanks for reminding me Wadda as for the last month I've been doing win-only bets by following certain tipsters (Gator, JJ, Hutchy et al) I've done reasonably well with the win bets but the trifecta's can deliver the decent dividends. I know you like your quaddie's but they are not really my thing ... I prefer to have a chance at a collect in any given race. Was thinking similar with our best sports bets except there's not much of a return singularly. But a random treble within the 6 picks can provide odds of about 8-1 up to 12-1. Just gotta get the right 3 ?

I always find the 'Tips from the big Bookies' from Racenet.com a good read and pointer for Saturday. Their 'Best' is always worth noting especially if the odds aren't too prohibitive. They always feature on a particular race and tomorrow's focus is on the 'Aurie's Star Hcp' ... of course, we've got Voodoo Lad racing as one of our best bets but it's sure to be a keenly contested race down the straight at headquarters.

The Plunge! (Demonland Style)

Yeah it's there - click on sports then MLB (left hand side of the page) ... then scroll down from the featured baseball games to - MLB - Saturday Or take this short cut ... then log on.

I just got $106 boosted on Laddies. If BM comes in with the late mail I'll add them on to the 6 for the big payday for a small outlay. As it stands we can use the picks any way we want just like it is with the best bets on the horses. We can even incorporate a few sports best-bets with our racing best-bets Lots of options now fellas.

I'm a Boston Red Sox fan so I feel slightly unclean picking the Yankess ... but hey, when you're on the punt, anything goes. We might even have to barrack for the Pies in a bet - that's a tough one Wadda! I'd rather do Sunday baseball games (AEST) but there's a delay on when the games are available to bet on. Anyway, the bet will either be still alive at about 1pm tomorrow or it won't be. We can always multi up the residual picks if we're out early. I've done that before with a bit of success. By the way, it's a really good idea and I hope we have a few collects out of it all.

Like 'em both Wadda - here are my 2 ... Best Sports Bets: New York Yankees -1.5 ($1.95) vs Texas Rangers Houston Astros -1.5 ($1.95) vs Seattle Mariners Click on the links for the match previews ... the Yankees game starts at 9.00am Saturday AEST whilst the Astros game starts at 10.00am Saturday AEST. If you've got cable ESPN will have both games highlighted on 'Strike-Zone' (from 9am) So it's over to @Dee Zephyr and perhaps even @binman to complete the package! An 8 leg multi? I've landed 2 pick 7's and 1 pick 8 previously but it's been a while haha. Best of luck to all the punters on the weekend.

Best bet ... Flemington Race 3 No.2 Ruban Bleu $6.50

There's a couple of feature races at the weekend - One each at Rosehill & Flemington. Both over the 1200m, small fields but both are decent betting races. Rosehill Race 6 The Rosebud 1200m Listed Flemington Race 7 Aurie's Star Hcp 1200m Group 3

Gold Mag which ran so impressively in defeating El Magnificence is running around in the 5th at Flemington on Saturday ... $2 favourite though! Big field as well.

I've just nominated you to start the thread Wadda haha ... you've named it so it's your baby (so to speak!)

After the footy season there's the NFL, MLB till late Oct, the NHL & NBA as well as the various soccer competitions. Also Rugby internationals. As previously stated, I don't mind the NBA as a betting sport as the good teams generally win at home against lesser opposition but to get some decent odds you've got to go half time/ full time or go-to-whoa (lead at the end of every quarter) The NFL is also a reasonable option ... again, half time/full time or margins with a 10 point buffer. Or you can take the line which is the popular option. Soccer & Ice Hockey are tricky but I like the 12 point margins in rugby union. I reckon the new thread could be quite popular as this one is ... this thread gets a lot of views - over 32,000 now which is a good number. Good luck launching it Wadda ... I'll be there to support!