It's a huge Saturday of action and our experts bring your their top tips for the Epsom derby, Champions League final and Cricket World Cup.
HORSE RACING
Ben Linfoot
THE TRADER looks a good bet in the opening Investec Private Banking Handicap on Derby day.
Mark Johnston’s Mastercraftsman colt looks to have massively improved from two to three and is perhaps a tad fortunate to still be rated 92 after his two runs this season.
He tried to give Andrew Balding’s Fox Premier 10lb at Chelmsford on May 9 and only went down by half-a-length, the form well advertised by the winner who won by over three lengths off a 6lb higher mark at Sandown on Thursday.
The Trader’s next run came in the London Gold Cup at Newbury, one of the hottest handicaps of the season and a race that has been the springboard for the winner of this race before, including Gawdawpalin in 2016.
Held up that day, The Trader did really well to take fifth place amongst a sea of potential and he could be a force to be reckoned with off the same mark if ridden more prominently.
He might well be in this race, a weaker contest, as there doesn’t look to be an awful lot of early pace on show and Silvestre De Sousa is mustard from the front around here, as he showed on a few occasions on this card 12 months ago.
Simon Holt
In the Investec Dash, MUTHMIR runs in his first handicap since September 2014 and can return to winning form.
The nine-year-old has raced in some of the best sprints available in the seasons since and showed he retains plenty of spark last year when beating Alpha Delphini at Haydock and then finishing placed four times at listed or Group level.
Muthmir was not so good on his final starts but the first was on soft ground which is not his surface and the second was over six furlongs on the Lingfield polytrack.
Jim Crowley's mount has often run well fresh, is well suited by a fast five furlongs which is certainly on offer here and runs off a handicap mark of 105 whereas he began last season rated 113.
Race specialist Duke Of Firenze, in fine form at the moment, and the improving Hathiq who has won his last two starts in Ireland are amongst the dangers but I'm hoping this will be a case of a Group horse racing against handicappers.
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL
With Naby Keita out, Fabinho is likely to get the nod in Liverpool's three-man midfield and he will be in the thick of it, with the likes of Christian Eriksen and Dele Alli operating in advance roles for Tottenham. The Brazilian has three bookings to his name in the competition in 2018/19 and nine in total, so he is no stranger to picking up cautions and could be key to stopping the Londoners on the counter.
Sadio Mane to score a header at 12/1
A nice goalscorer price on one of Liverpool's key front three. Mane has been vital for Klopp's side this season and, arguably, you could say at times more important than Mo Salah. With his positional role mostly occupying the left wing and coming inside, he has a great chance to head home at the far post or to pick up any scraps in and around the six-yard box and he is no stranger to a header.
Virgil van Dijk is the obvious aerial threat, but Mane (with 22) had more headed efforts in the Premier League this term than the Dutchman (20). The last time we backed Mane to score a header, he netted two of them against Huddersfield. Mane has had four attempts with his head in Europe and has four goals to his name in the competition and this is a good option at 12/1 that's worth a small play.
Paul Higham
Liverpool to win & Both Teams To Score at 5/2
Two wonderful teams with plenty of attacking talent on show in Madrid, but these huge European finals are always cagey affairs to start with and I can see this one going that way. Nobody will want to concede the first goal and nobody will want to make a mistake so it'll be a safety-first approach from both sides early on.
I wouldn't be surprised if it was a goalless first half but I just think Liverpool are a bit stronger and as the game goes on their experience of the big games last year can pull them through in what looks like being a nail-biter. Both teams usually score in the final - they have in the last eight editions - and with these two never-say-die teams it's hard to envisage one of them drawing a blank.
CRICKET WORLD CUP
Richard Mann
Pat Cummins Top Australia bowler against Afghanistan at 7/2
Afghanistan looked at all sea when England’s pace attacked ruffled up and bundled out their top order in one of the recent warm-up matches and the World Cup debutants look set for more of the same against Australia on Saturday.
Expect the reigning world champions to use the short ball regularly and with Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins both bowling quickly in the last few weeks, that pair could be set for another fruitful outing. Starc is the 5/2 market leader to finish the match as Australia’s top bowler but Cummins comes into this tournament on the back of a brilliant 12 months and his potent bouncer tips the balance in his favour, as does the 7/2 available for him to oblige.
Ross Taylor Top New Zealand batsman against Sri Lanka at 9/2
In Saturday’s first instalment of Cricket World Cup action, New Zealand really should make light work of a Sri Lankan side clearly on the decline. As ever, captain Kane Williamson dominates the top New Zealand batsman market but despite runs in the warm-up matches, he might still be short of his very best following a quiet IPL and I’d rather take the 9/2 on offer about Ross Taylor coming out on top in this market.
Like Williamson, Taylor has already made runs in England this month and his form on the whole in the last year or so has been nothing short of outstanding. Taylor boasts an terrific ODI record and he looks set for another bold showing in the next six weeks. I’m keen to back him to start in the best possible way.
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- Latest Champions League betting odds
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- Reaction to Liverpool's triumph
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