Radiohead to make music

Radiohead to make music


Punting
Michael Duffy

USAIN Bolt’s miraculous World Championship dash hogged the spotlight at the beginning of the week, but on Friday some of the fastest horses in this part of the world have their chance to shine at York.
The five-furlong Group 1 Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes is arguably the UK’s premier sprint race and usually delivers one of the finest spectacles of the flat season.
Kingsgate Native will start as warm favourite, having become the first two-year-old in over a decade to win this race in 2007. Then he enjoyed a heavy weight advantage over some of his senior competitors and trainer Sir Michael Stoute has admitted to worrying about the similar advantage some of the younger runners will carry here.
Chief among those is Radiohead. The BJ Meehan-trained two-year-old has opted for the Nunthorpe in preference to Wednesday’s Group 2 Irish Thoroughbred Marketing Gimcrack Stakes.
He ran well over five furlongs at Ascot in June, recovering superbly from an early knock at the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes. Having been hemmed in amid searching early pace, Jamie Spencer reorganised him quickly and he eventually stormed through on the inside for a two-length win over Reignier.
Radiohead had been unlucky to lose out by a length and a quarter to High Spice in his debut at Newmarket in May – showing his inexperience as he was slow to break and became detached by halfway before surging through the six-strong field to deliver a late challenge to the winner. He then had an easy four-length win at Bath over a nondescript field.
If the rain stays away and he can deliver a consistent run on Friday, he looks well-priced at fives or sixes.
Recommendation: Radiohead 6-1.

PREMIER LEAGUE ACCUMULATOR
IF there is any such thing as a sure thing in football, Portsmouth’s visit to the Emirates will surely see Arsenal take on where they left off against Everton at Goodison.
Arsene Wenger will probably rotate the line-up slightly after his side’s midweek exertions in Glasgow, so look for the likes of Eduardo and Walcott in the scoring stakes.
Manchester City should continue Mick McCarthy’s torrid reintroduction to Premier League life, with all the big-money signings no doubt keen to outdo each other in front of goal.
Manchester United should have too much for Wigan at the JJB, where Antonio Valencia will be keen to make a mark in front of the fans he left behind. And you could bulk up the accumulator odds slightly by taking Everton to bounce back from their opening-day disaster with a win at Burnley. It will doubtless have been a tough week in David Moyes’ company for the Toffees.
If you’re looking for draws, try Fulham to frustrate Chelsea at Craven Cottage on Sunday, ’Arry Redknapp to return home for a share of the spoils at Upton Park earlier in the day, and Sunderland and Blackburn to play out a 1-1 stalemate at the Stadium of Light on Saturday.
Recommendation: Arsenal, Man City, Man United, Everton.

REBELS READY TO TAKE TYRONE
CORK have shown plenty of signs this year that they could be champions in waiting, but Sunday’s All-Ireland football semi-final clash with holders Tyrone is a whole new level of test.
Cork’s power and pace was far too much for Donegal – as it was for Kerry for long stretches of their Munster clashes. However, when faced with sticky, tactical defending, they struggled against Limerick in the Munster final and Tyrone will offer little latitude to the likes of Donncha O’Connor and Daniel Goulding. At the other end, Seán Kavanagh and Stephen O’Neill have the class and experience to get Tyrone out of the tightest of corners.
It should be another entertaining clash in an up-and-down footballing year, but I expect Cork’s extra hunger to be the difference.
Recommendation: Cork.