Massaat pictured winning the Hungerford Stakes
Massaat pictured winning the Hungerford Stakes

What Happens Next: Antepost betting round-up and selections


Find out which horse makes 'mass' appeal and where the Premier League relegation value lies in the latest edition of What Happens Next.

Racing

Owen Burrows has had to be very patient with Massaat. Second in last year’s 2000 Guineas behind Galileo Gold, he was well beaten in the Derby after that and then finished last of seven in the Sovereign Stakes at Salisbury last August.

That was the last time we saw the son of Teofilo after he had a chip removed from a fetlock and then another setback, but he returned from 373 days off the track with a really impressive victory in the Hungerford Stakes at Newbury on Saturday.

He did it very smoothly, relishing the soft ground, and the form looks strong with Librisa Breeze, Nathra and Breton Rock finishing second, third and fourth.

This was over seven furlongs but there’s no doubt about his ability over a mile and, though he has to prove this was no flash-in-the-pan-when-fresh, he does look a big price for the QEII at Ascot on Qipco British Champions Day.

Ribchester’s defeat in the Sussex Stakes shows there is at least a chink of light for his rivals in the division and when you look at the top of the QEII market there’s a good chance a few of them won’t turn up; both Winter and Churchill are unlikely to run while Barney Roy is set to be pointed at the Champion Stakes.

It’s going to be the target for Massaat, though, and, considering he’s only had seven runs in his career the potential for further improvement is there for all to see. Even with his injury record taken into account, the 16/1 looks big. (Ben Linfoot)

Click here to bet on the QEII with Sky Bet

Football

Newcastle have already had their relegation odds halved by some bookmakers, but they still look well worth backing at 5/2 with bet365 to face the drop.

The Magpies have been the least inspiring team in the Premier League so far this season, failing to score in defeats at home to Tottenham and then away at Huddersfield.

Most concerning for Rafael Benitez, the club are not really interested in addressing their problems, making half-hearted moves in the transfer market.

Joselu’s £5m transfer is the clearest example, signed to boost an attack which lacks a player to have hit more than 10 goals in a season in any of Europe’s big five leagues, despite never doing so himself and failing to make an impact on loan at Stoke last season.

Aleksandar Mitrovic is their only player to have achieved that feat in any prominent division - he did it twice with Anderlecht - but was not even brought off the bench in Sunday’s 1-0 loss at Huddersfield.

With even Benitez lacking faith in his resources and their main rivals all breaking their club records in a bid to stay up, the Magpies still look good value as fifth favourites for relegation. (Tim Clement)

Click here to bet on Premier League relegation with Sky Bet

Golf

What Happens Next? golf segments are sometimes difficult, due to the paucity of antepost golf markets. We can’t put up every winner and every eyecatcher for a major, especially so at this time of year when even the most ardent of fan hasn’t really begun counting down to Augusta, and Money List markets are hard to track down once the season kicks off.

As such, the significance of the Wydham Championship can’t be translated into a bet today. Henrik Stenson is no more and no less likely to win a second major in 2018 after this latest victory, which came at the expense of Ollie Schniederjans, my 80/1 selection who is still a few rungs down the ladder when it comes to having major aspirations.

However, there are two or three things we can take from it that might produce profit at some point along the line.

Firstly, Stenson’s love affair with course designer Donald Ross. If you see Stenson on a Ross course, you wouldn’t be wrong to back him blind. He’s now hit the frame at every one he’s played, including a couple of wins, and you’ll win money this way. Stenson loves being able to leave driver out of the bag at these technical, classical courses and if driver were a banned club, he wouldn’t be far off the best player in the world.

(Unfortunately for Stenson, the next major scheduled for a Ross design is the 2023 PGA Championship, come which he will be 47; one year later, the US Open heads to Pinehurst, another Ross design)

With that in mind, he’s a massive runner in the forthcoming FedEx Cup Playoffs. Few bookmakers even try pricing up this volatile four-tournament run but should they, Stenson must be considered. The final event is played on a Ross-designed course where Stenson’s form figures read 1-2, and the winner of that event has so far collected the overall jackpot every time. Stenson would be a fairly safe each-way bet, you’d think.

And finally, Schniederjans. Part of the Class of 2011 which includes Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth, he has the undoubted potential to join them as major champions in time. For now it’s about nailing down that first win and while he hits the ball an absolute mile, he’s so far proven most effective on the same style of course which Stenson prefers.

If he’s to win in 2017, that makes the OHL Classic and RSM Classic the two most suitable events from the October/November set which kick-off the ‘2018’ season. He played really nicely at the latter in 2017, when arriving in poor form, so already looks an obvious play there.

One way or another, he should be expected to continue to climb the rankings, ultimately by winning golf tournaments. He is absolutely the real deal. (Ben Coley)

Click here to bet on golf with Sky Bet

Rugby league

The celebrations ran long into the night on Thursday as Castleford wrapped up the League Leaders Trophy with four rounds remaining. It was a magnificent achievement for coach Daryl Powell and his players who have been head and shoulders the best team in the competition almost from round one.

The 45-20 defeat of Wakefield showed their strengths – the ability to score points in short, sharp bursts against teams who are seemingly giving as good as they get for much of the contest. When Danny Kirmond crossed for the first try of the second period Trinity would have fancied their chances of being party poopers. Ten minutes later they were dead and buried.

The key now for Castleford is to retain focus for the play-offs – which is a new experience again for a side who all of a sudden are the prize scalp in the competition. They are even-money to lift the trophy at Old Trafford which given their superiority over the regular season could seem generous.

However dangers are lurking. Leeds Rhinos blow hot and cold and are very capable on their day but it’s Hull and St Helens who set the alarm bells ringing. Saints are far from certain to make the four, a home game against Wigan will go a long way to deciding that.

But if they get there they are a threat to the Tigers, having comprehensively beaten them in round one of the Super Eights. They’re a changed side under Justin Holbrook while Hull, once the distractions of a Challenge Cup final are out of the way, are a wiser team than the one which dominated much of the 2016 campaign only to fall short when the pressure of knock-out football began.

That’s the challenge facing Castleford. The best team in Super League so far – yes. Now it’s down to focus and handling the new experience of knowing your next game could be your last.

Hull at 4/1 would make most appeal right now. They sent the Tigers crashing out of the Challenge Cup earlier in the campaign and look the biggest threat to their chances of completing their dream season. (Dave Ord)

Click here to bet on the Grand Final with Sky Bet

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