Stick with Soldier

Stick with Soldier to win Arc battle


Punting
Michael Duffy

THE unrelenting racing circus moves to Paris this weekend where reputations will be among the things won and lost. The Arc on Sunday is autumn’s showcase event in Europe and, in a race he won for the first time last year. Aidan O’Brien will again provide the biggest challenge to the home team.
The French have a warm favourite in Zarkava, the Aga Khan’s unbeaten three-year-old filly. But she has never raced against older horses or against colts — something she will have to do on the double this weekend. We’ve already recommended Solider of Fortune at 5-1 and that price looked quite handsome until Duke of Marmalade was introduced by all bookmakers last week. There’s still the suspicion that the ground will be too soft for the Duke (rain expected in the Paris region in midweek) so expect Johnny Murtagh to ride Soldier of Fortune and go very close.
There was plenty of market support behind Swop, our ante-post hope for the Cambrideshire last week, and nothing has happened in the interim to suggest our confidence should be dimmed.

Already recommended:
Solider of Fortune 5-1 (Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, Sunday), Swop 9-1 (Cambridgeshire, Saturday).
Back boxers for team gong
SECOND-GUESSING the GAA’s All Star selection committee is a dangerous thing. An All Star team, be it Gaelic football or hurling, is subjective and the genesis of many a pub row! For a number of reasons — most of all Kilkenny’s dominance in hurling — this year all the drama surrounds the selection of the football XV. It’s a shame then that it’s the turn of the hurling team to be named ‘live’ on the night (October 17) with the footballers picked two days earlier.
Some football positions are nailed down – Tyrone’s Seán Cavanagh, Brian Dooher and Enda McGinley are all certain to pick up a statuette – but there’s plenty of leeway in other positions. For example, with Cavanagh and Dooher picking up two of the half-forward positions, Kerry’s Declan O’Sullivan looks good value at 4-7 to collect the remaining gong.
As All-Ireland finalists traditionally do, Tyrone and Kerry will dominate, but plenty of speculation will centre around how many All Stars Wexford are likely to pick up. Ciaran Lyng, for example, looks a good bet at 13-8 to be selected ahead of his colleague Matty Forde but I’m not so sure Anthony Masterson will justify his odds-on favourite’s tag in the goalkeeper’s position. The best stopper in the game is Westmeath’s Gary Connaughton and he was unlucky not to win the award in 2004. At 3-1 Connaughton is value to pull off a minor surprise.
While we’re on the subject of end-of-season awards, it seems incredible to us that one major bookmaking firm make the Kilkenny hurling team the 6-5 favourites to win RTÉ’s Irish Sports Team of the Year. It’s not that Kilkenny’s achievements weren’t spectacular, but they will have been rewarded elsewhere. Instead, in our opinion, the Irish Olympic boxing team at 6-4 will pick up the prize. Three medals from five boxers at the world’s greatest sporting competition? Nailed on!

Recommendation:
To win football All Stars – Gary Connaughton (Westmeath) 3-1, Declan O’Sullivan (Kerry) 4-7, Ciaran Lyng (Wexford) 13-8.  Irish Olympic boxing team 6-4 (to win RTÉ’s Irish Sports Team of the Year).
McDowell worth a punt
IT’S been a long, hard season for those golfers lining up on Thursday for the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. It’s a tournament that’s a test of nerve, skill and patience, and at least a liking for links golf helps. Two men with plenty of experience in that regard are Pádraig Harrington and Graeme McDowell. Harrington took last weekend off, while McDowell was down the field at the Belfry. That performance might not inspire ahead of this week’s tournament but McDowell is a different animal on the links and Carnoustie — one of the three courses used this week, along with St Andrews and Kingsbarns — is a particular favourite of his. Harrington is worth a saver but make McDowell, at 25-1, a juicy each-way punt.

Recommendation:
Graeme McDowell 25-1 (Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, starts Thursday).