In Europe Kaymer inexplicably melted into the background during the final round. At one point it looked like rather a beautiful trans-Atlantic each-way double, credit card were to be paid off, holidays booked and new kettles bought. But, as in life, betting comes back and smacks you around the face just to say hello. Anyway, picked up a nice bundle on Rose.
On the horsey front Twice Over romped home by a tiny margin to land the ante-post gamble in the Eclipse, I knew Henry wouldn’t let me down. I’d had quite a punt on it early doors, so it ended up being rather a nice Saturday. The Spain/Villa double is looking a pretty good bet, plus we’ve still got Holland and Spain left in the outright markets.
The Barclays Scottish Open kicks off this week and I’ve got some serious priced players to back. The John Deere is on over in the states – a tournament I have always done quite well in. So chase me. I have all the answers, unlike Emile Heskey.
My cough seems to be getting better, apart from the mornings when I sound like a meltdown alarm at a nuclear power station. It’s a good way of cleaning your lungs out in time for the first fag of the day. I’ve started taking anti-histamine tablets which seem to make me sleep well and very little else.
But on the plus front, I’ve started drinking properly again. It’s amazing how much your tolerance levels can drop when you are not keeping up the training. Now I understand what all those gym bunnies must go through after Christmas. After a few days of hitting it hard though I was soon back into the swing of things; it’s almost as if I was never away – no pain, no gain. Time to put in a wine order.
Monday
An easy Brazil/Holland double to get over the misery of the weekend. I still look back at that England performance with a certain amount of resentment. I do hope Capello leaves and makes way for a better structured, more intuitive management team. But I bet he doesn’t. I head off to Windsor in the evening and pick up a couple of winners. Drink lager as if it is a long lost friend – which in many ways it is. I raise a glass to lager and drift home in a happy, slightly coughing haze.
Tuesday
Start to get my bets ready for the upcoming golf. Slight bit of peppering on the exchanges, I go quite heavy on Rose and Kaymer. Invest yesterday’s World Cup profit in a Japan/Spain double. An afternoon spent in the pub/bookies/pub/bookies repeat to fade.
Wednesday
Have my dream each-way double on Larrazabal/Kaymer and Rose/Moore. This will sort out the niggling problems that cause issue with life. Bring it on. Meetings all afternoon – so spend the evening in a couple of pubs – which in turn leads to a casino. Casino reason not to. Taxis, scrumpled notes and dribbling follow.
Great start from Kaymer in France. I have to go to work again today. FFS.
Friday
A whole day in the pub for the quarter-final matches. Get there for 12 to bag a good seat, seems like I needn’t have bothered, everyone seems to be spending the day at work. A few lunch-time drinkers drift in – but then it’s just me and an old man and a dog. I’ve backed the draw and Holland in the first game – typically Brazil score first and everything looks like it’s going to go tits. Phew. I say after 90 minutes and rather too many pints of lager later. Mate joins me at 6 for the evening game, but half way through I’m drifting off into a rather blissful sleep. I blame the ante-histamine tablets.
Saturday
Rose and Kaymer are both flying – this is in the bag. After a few strong coffees, I head off to the pub to meet and a few mates and pretty much enact a carbon copy of yesterday’s entertainment. I love life.
Sunday
A day at the Henley Regatta with some gangsters from the 1960s. I shall go into this some other time. Come on Rose!
This week:
Robert Allenby, Robert Rock and Steve Webster in the Barclay’s Scottish Open and Zach Johnson, Charlie Wi and Rickie Fowler over in the John Deere. I’ve added Rose, Westwood and Clark for The Open at St Andrews in a couple of weeks. Keep on rocking.
Running total after Week 23 (+£2,000): £6,715
Football
Torres – Top World Cup Scorer 12/1
Spain – World Cup 9/2
Holland – World Cup 10/1
Holland and Van Persie World Cup double – 66/1
Spain and Villa World Cup double – 18/1
Horse Racing
Kieron Fallon – Jockey Championship 7/2
Golf
Justin Rose – The Open 25/1
Lee Westwood – The Open 18/1
Tim Clark – The Open 80/1
