Saturday's Bets of the Day: Horse racing, football and rugby union tips from Sporting Life

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Racing

Matt Brocklebank

• Never Alone in 2.50 Newmarket

The beautifully-bred NEVER ALONE looked really unlucky not to get off the mark at Sandown last time, when mowed down close home by Andrew Balding’s 14/1 newcomer Via De Vega, but can make amends in Newmarket’s Lettergold British EBF Novice Stakes.

He got embroiled in a bit of a pace battle last time and just paid the price late on, having traded for plenty at 1.01 on the Betfair Exchange, and he emerges from that race as the best horse in my view.

His debut third over seven furlongs behind classy stablemate Royal Crusade was a very encouraging run too and, put simply, it’s only a matter of time before he’s off the mark.

As a son of Dubawi he should love some cut in the ground and it’s easy to see him making most of the running with conditions to suit under PJ McDonald this weekend.

David Ord

• Di Fede in 4.15 Ascot

The Ralph Beckett-trained DI FEDE looks ready to repeat last year’s victory in the Child Bereavement UK British EBF Stakes at Ascot.

The four-year-old needs to bounce back from a are off-day in the Sceptre Stakes at Doncaster last time but the quick ground there as a feasible excuse and she’ll be very much at home in the Berkshire mud on Saturday.

Silvestre De Sousa takes over in the saddle and her previous fourth to Suedois in the Supreme Stakes at Goodwood reads well in context of this race.

She’s drawn close to Shepherd Market and Jadeerah who are the two obvious pace angles here and gets her optimum trip, track and ground conditions.Everything is in place for a big run with Fred Darling heroine Dandhu feared most.

Ben Linfoot

• Battered in 3.10 Ascot

Formerly with William Haggas, BATTERED returned from a long absence for his new trainer Ralph Beckett at Newcastle in January and ran well in a close-up fourth off a mark of 99, before he seemed to bounce at Chelmsford the following month.

Another break followed, this time 205 days, but his two efforts in September more than hinted at a potentially fruitful autumn campaign as he ran well at both Doncaster and then at Newmarket last week on faster than ideal ground.

His run on the Rowley Mile last time out was particularly encouraging, as he held every chance in the closing stages and he ran right to the line for a one-length fourth behind Dubai Legacy where he finished amongst a bunch of in-form horses. But the key to him could well be softer ground which he’ll get for the first time for his new yard on Saturday.

Simon Holt

• Ripp Orf in 3.10 Ascot

The big betting race at Ascot on Saturday is the bet365 Challenge Cup Handicap featuring many of the usual suspects such as Raising Sand, Kynren, Escobar and RIPP ORF who regularly run in similar races on the course.

The last-named has a formidable record here in seven visits and is now 13lb better off for the two lengths he was beaten by Raising Sand in this race (soft) last year.

Of the two, Raising Sand has had a more successful campaign this time, and took the International on King George day (Ripp Orf fourth) but his new mark of 109 looks punitive and the selection's latest run, beaten a neck by Salute The Soldier and dead-heating for second with subsequent listed winner Tabarrak (with Escobar, possibly better over a mile, fourth) suggests he is poised to strike winning form again.

For much of the season, Ripp Orf's trainer David Elsworth has been in unusually subdued form but Dogged was a good winner for the yard last week, and the booking of Gerald Mosse is most appealing.

Football

George Pitts

• Heung-min Son to score anytime in Brighton v Spurs

Christian Eriksen should be restored to the starting XI and his role in this Spurs team is vital. Harry Kane is the obvious threat but the eye-catching price is on his strike partner, HEUNG-MIN SON, to get on the score sheet.

He scored against Bayern in midweek, just his third in all competitions this season, but he has three assists to his name and has a high shots ratio this term. He had just one in last week's narrow victory over Southampton, but in his previous four appearances he had registered 16 efforts.

Son often rises to the occasion when called upon and he is good value to find the back of the net here for Spurs, who are winless in their last nine away games and desperate for victory.

Paul Higham

• Both teams to score in Derby v Luton & Huddersfield v Hull

Phillip Cocu has found Derby’s scoring touch but the problems are at the other end where they just can’t stop conceding goals.

Saturday’s visitors Luton also have chronic defensive problems and with both teams clocking in at around 80 percent for both teams scoring in their games this looks a strong contender for goals at both ends.

The Tigers have only lost once away from home this season, on the opening day, and at 19/10 they’re a decent price if you fancy finding a winner, but this is another game which seems perfectly set up for your both teams to score coupon.

Hull have found the net in every away game this season and although Huddersfield have only scored nine times this season, strangely they’ve only failed to score twice so while they’re not exactly prolific they usually find the net.

Sporting Life Accumulator

• Sheff Wed, Sunderland, Plymouth & Newport

In the Sky Bet Championship, Garry Monk's SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY will be hoping to bounce back from their midweek defeat at Hull with a win over 19th-placed Wigan, who have the league's worst away record so far this season.

In Sky Bet League One, Jack Ross' SUNDERLAND, who have lost just once all season, travel to strugglers Lincoln, who have won just one of their last 11 in all competitions.

Meanwhile in Sky Bet League Two, Ryan Lowe's PLYMOUTH host struggling Scunthorpe, who have won just once in the league all season while promotion-chasers NEWPORT welcome inconsistent Carlisle, who have won just five of 14 this season.

Rugby union

Tony Calvin

• England (-12.5) to beat Argentina

Argentina have made a very big call in leaving fly-half Nicholas Sanchez out of their match-day squad altogether and, while his replacement Benjamin Urdapilleta will kick his goals, that makes ENGLAND's defensive task easier, I feel.

Again, the humidity is not ideal for the big England ball carriers and offloading game, but Argentina will have to play a lot better than of late to keep within two scores of them.

The head-to-head records between the sides of late certainly do edge you towards the Pumas, though.

While England have dominated this fixture since 2009, they have not won by 14 points or more since 2013 – their winning margins in the last four games read 13-4-10-13 – so that would be a slight concern.

But I think you have to be with Eddie Jones’ men here, and the only decision for me is how. With England available at 5/6, -12.5, that has been made straightforward.

NFL

Paul Higham

• 1pt Chicago Bears -5.5 and Under 43.5 Total Match Points

The first NFL International Series game in London takes place at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday as the Raiders ‘host’ the Chicago Bears looking to earn back-to-back wins that would turn their season around.

After losing big last year, the Raiders arrived in the UK on Monday in a bid to acclimatise a bit better, while Chicago came in only on Friday when taking the opposite view that flying in as late as possible keeps disruption down to a minimum.

The Bears needed some extra time to get used to playing without injured starting quarterback Mitchell Trubisky, as veteran back-up Chase Daniel will make his third start in his two years with the Bears.

It’s the Chicago defence that is the star of this show though, especially with the story of the game Khalil Mack playing against his former side after transforming the Bears defence into something like their old Monsters of the Medway moniker.

Mack will now spend Sunday trying to get at his friend and former quarterback Derek Carr and his importance is shown up by one important stat – he’s had 17 sacks and ten forced fumbles since joining the Bears, while the entire Raiders team has mustered just 18 sacks and eight forced fumbles combined.

Games are usually tight and low-scoring in London as a result of the travel disruption, but especially with this Chicago defence in town it’ll be a tough battle for Oakland to overcome, and if touchdown-grabbing receiver Tyrell Williams can’t play that will make it an even bigger mountain to climb.