Tuesday 28th April

2009 Challenge Fund (£12470 - £80 in play unaccounted)
Current stake - £120

Newcastle didn't let us down last night!

I'll take a position in the Champions League – unusually for me.

Chelsea and Arsenal come into these ties as underdogs, but I think they should be much closer in the betting. Both, especially Chelsea, are finishing strongly, and don't have a league championship to worry about. Plus both play the second leg at home. You can get 5/1 on them both to qualify and that looks a pretty decent bet. I wouldn't be laying over 4/1 that's for sure.

And at the risk of putting eggs in one basket, this week they have the chance to set themselves up. The first legs of these ties are usually tight affairs, and so the draw is surely a bigger player than the betting suggests. We can thrown in the MK Dons game (one of those crazy end of season prices – I see Kevin Pullein has gone for MK Dons tonight on that very basis – I think the draw is probably the better bet, something validated by most the other similar bets I've been avoiding this tail-end)

£120 Chelsea and Arsenal to qualify double at 5/1 (9/2 ok)
£45 draw Barcelona/Chelsea to return £160
£45 draw Man Utd/Arsenal to return £160
£45 draw MK Dons/Northampton to return £150
£15 treble draws to return £600





Barking Bets (Banked £1375/Current fund £2420 – 1 bet in play unaccounted)

There are short priced horses today, notably Master Minded. Not keen to back a horse that's flopped last two Aprils though.

Flying Winner 9:25 Hove may be a better banker.