Not always as it seems, eh?

Leicester has survived an inspection but Carlisle didn’t and so I’ve ‘penned’  the following which might interest ‘online’ readers.

Manchester City and Chelsea are short-priced, odds-on favourites to beat West Ham and Manchester United respectively this afternoon; thousands of ‘big-hitters’ will be including them in heavy doubles and bookmakers happy to accept them; I’ll be laying both on Betfair knowing my best-ever system for decades has been opposing certain ‘shorties!’

Both look imperious, totally ‘different gravy’ to those who want to believe strength in numbers (of sheep!) will provide a pay out but no one ever profited in the long term by ‘buying money’ and never will. If it was for sale banks would open and sell it!

Forty-four Premier League players, all on mega, unbelievable salaries, will grace two magnificent stadiums with an objective, to avoid defeat and hopefully win; application and styles of play differ and attitudes can soon ‘move the goalposts’ so to speak, both West Ham and ‘Man U’ are far from push-overs and are determined to establish their own identities on the big stage. Form goes out of the window, I’ll give you an example.

In the long distant past an ‘aged’ racegoer, an ex-boxer, insisted he’d know within a minute the likely winner because of styles and it was uncanny how often he’d be right during wonderful nights of watching amateur boxers. Sam Newbold, who worked on the floor for an on-course bookmaker, would have made fortunes had Betfair been around!

A classic example came about when Muhammed Ali fought Ken Norton (a completely written off 20/1 chance!) and found his awkward style didn’t succumb to the dancing/antics of the World Champion who was getting infuriatingly vexed by the third round. It all went pear-shaped, Ali finished defeated with a broken jaw.

Months later Ali had a rematch and somehow achieved a disputed points decision but could never father the dourable Norton.

The ‘Hammers’ and much-chronicled United have a lot to prove, they have squads capable of matching up and it should be fascinating watching these games progress, especially if either scores first!

Anyway back to racing and chance of Book Of Secrets is clear-cut in the opening Juvenile Hurdle over two miles of ‘good to soft’ ground at Leicester; the Free Eagle gelding,  making his jumping debut following several half-decent efforts on the flat, was a real ‘eye-catching fourth to Saint Segal around Huntingdon earlier this month.

Book Of Secrets represents the all-conquering team of Dan and Harry Skelton  whose prime objective is to win the Championship again; main rival Brian Hughes passed his century last week and is determined to wrest back the title. Punters could do worse than follow them seriously, 100% ‘triers!’

‘Book’ is the only selection, don’t want to guess for the sake of it, and you!

Selections, Leicester, 12.55 Book Of Secrets;

 Jeffrey Ross, horse-racing correspondent for WMN since 1983 when winning the most prestigious racing journalist award, Sporting Life Naps Table, before winning it a record number of six times collectively in the Racing Post, the current ‘trade’ paper, including 2019