Ballinderry to go all the way

Ballinderry to go all the way


Punting
Michael Duffy

A DRAMATIC weekend in the All-Ireland club championship. Credit where it’s due for Kilmacud’s comeback against Rhode to win the Leinster final, but nobody who saw that game will be keen to back the Crokes at 7-4 to win the competition outright. They next take on Corofin, previous winners of the competition who have improved immeasurably from their county final win, and sport a water-tight defence.
Down in Munster the fairytale came true with a tense 0-6 to 0-5 victory for first-time winners Dromcollogher-Broadford over Kilmurray Ibrickane. Granted they defeated Nemo Rangers in the semi-final but it’s difficult to see them troubling the Ulster champions — Crossmaglen or Ballinderry — in the All-Ireland semi-final next spring.
That Ulster replay was postponed on Sunday and although we had a fancy for Ballinderry in the original final and recognise that they were lucky to get a second bite, they have another real chance again this weekend. Injury worries around Derry centre half-back Niall McCusker will hopefully have dissipated by the weekend.
When we think of Crossmaglen we think of their army of Armagh stars, but bear in mind Ballinderry feature six players who started regularly for Derry in the championship this year — Kevin McGuckin, McCusker, Michael McIver, James Conway, Enda Muldoon and Conleth Gilligan — as well as useful substitutes Colin Devlin and Raymond Wilkinson. That’s eight members of a panel that beat Kerry in this year’s National League final.
The Derry champions are 4-1 to win the All-Ireland club championship and if you fancy them to beat Crossmaglen at the weekend, (who, incidentally, are 9-4 outright) that’s the bet you have to look for rather than match odds. Bear this is mind: the Ulster winners take on Drom-Broadford in the semi-final and will be long-odds on to win. It will be another huge test for Ballinderry but the lessons learned from the first match make that 4-1 too enticing.
Recommended: Ballinderry 4-1 (Outright betting, All-Ireland club football championship).

BACK BIARRITZ TO WIN GROUP
CARDIFF BLUES and Wasps completed the double for us in the Heineken Cup last Friday and this weekend’s reverse fixtures pose plenty of challenges for punters. Munster, as is their form, have made qualification from their pool a real challenge now after defeat to Clermont Auvergne on Sunday. Ronan O’Gara and Co are a difficult proposition at home, however, and should get their Heineken Cup ambitions back on track. Last weekend Cardiff did the business against Biarritz but the French side showed great resolve in Wales. They have Cardiff at home this weekend and Gloucester at home in the last round of games with a potential duck-shoot against Calvisano in between. They need to beat Cardiff at home and hope that Gloucester do the same but that series of fixtures gives them a real outside chance of winning the group. In anticipation of a Biarritz home win this weekend to get the ball rolling, take the whopping 14-1 that’s available.
Recommended: Biarritz 14-1 (to win Pool 6 of the Heineken Cup).

BINOCULAR IS ONE TO WATCH
THERE are those who argue that too much of the National Hunt season is focused on the Cheltenham Festival, that races before then are not seen for what they are, but merely as pointers towards the action in March.
Already this season we have seen a shift away from that, and trainers look to have seen the light. The Open Meeting in Cheltenham in November was a huge success and, like this weekend’s Boylesports meeting at the same venue, the realisation has dawned that big races are there to be won in the winter months too.
Nigel Twiston-Davies has always been aware of the opportunities at this time of the year, and he has an exciting young horse who will hope to complete a big double this weekend. Imperial Commander was an impressive winner of the Paddy Power Gold Cup and his defeat of Barbers Shop that day received the best possible boost during the week.
He could be anything, but at 9-4 with the sponsors, he is plenty short enough, 7-2 would be about right. Our 16-1 recommendation last week, Three Mirrors, was fifth to Imperial Commander in the Paddy Power, and a big swing in the weights gives him a chance. One big caveat: good ground is essential for Three Mirrors.
Punjabi and Sublimity didn’t do their Champion Hurdle ambitions any harm at the weekend and Nicky Henderson’s hand should be strengthened this weekend when Binocular is expected to line-up in the Boylesports International Hurdle. This horse could be anything, and looks the most exciting of the two-milers at this juncture. If he’s any sort of a price this weekend — take it.