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Odds and preview ahead of cup clashes The third round really kicks in to gear this afternoon as the bulk of the fixtures take place. There is always an air of optimism for all the teams involved on third round weekend – the magic of the cup tends to produce some real upsets. Dreams of a fantasy cup run are either bolstered, or dashed…

Weekend racing odds and preview All eyes will be on Laurina ahead of her return to action at Sandown today. The Champion Hurdle second-favourite is odds-on for victory in the Mares’ Hurdle, although our interest is elsewhere. There are six further contests from the Esher course and Wincanton to enjoy after the star makes her bow in the opening race of the day. And…

Whatever wins, or goes close to winning, the Tolworth Hurdle (2.25) at Sandown on Saturday will immediately go on every shortlist for top novice honours in the spring. The Grade One has proved a most informative trial in recent times: Yorkhill won it in 2016 en route to his victory in the Neptune Hurdle at Cheltenham. Finian’s Oscar, the 2017 winner, missed the Festival…

There are different types of legacy in rugby, says Charles Piutau, the man who carries the tag of the highest-paid player in the English Premiership. Not everyone can be a Jonah Lomu or a Richie McCaw, framed forever in the public consciousness as colossi clad in the all black of New Zealand and, in McCaw’s case, twice lifting the World Cup. If it all…

Paul Pogba has been the standout player since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer took the reigns at Old Trafford, scoring back-to-back braces against Bournemouth and Huddersfield. Alongside his impressive goal tally, the Frenchman has racked up four assists, reminding the Manchester United faithful of his world class talent. But ahead of this weekend's FA Cup fixture the towering midfielder has picked up a thigh injury which…

Stephen Addison will not have far to travel when he collects the British Empire Medal that he was awarded in the new year honours list in a ceremony at the Tower of London. From the house that he shares in east London with his parents and siblings, it’s a short walk to the Tube station, then a 30-minute ride on a District Line train…

What are the purpose of youth academies in the modern game? When Manchester City opened their £200 million Etihad Campus, which included state-of-the-art facilities for the club’s young players, they made clear just how significant they believed the development to be. On the wall of the City Football Academy reads a quote from Man City owner Sheikh Mansour: “We are building a structure for…

The Great British public love an underdog and if there’s one football competition where many an applecart has been upset over the years, it’s the Emirates FA Cup. Although Nottingham Forest have a wealth of history and tradition to match the oldest football tournament in the world, they travel to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea on Saturday afternoon, where they will no doubt use…

Arsenal, 1-0 up at half-time, thought they had won it. They were comfortable: the champions of England leading against Wrexham, a club struggling in the fourth division with issues on and off the pitch. But they did not account for Mickey Thomas. On the cusp of half-time, Alan Smith had put Arsenal in front and on course for a place in the fourth round…

Sandown 1.20 – Lithic Lithic has crashed and burned a couple of times at Sandown, but has also run a couple of stormers here. This looks an easier race than the one in which he would have been placed in last time & the rider takes seven off an already fairly handicapped horse. Big chance. Sandown 1.50 – Laurina Seeing as though I like…

New Year’s Day review and weekend insight from the Tizzard stables Lostintranslation I couldn’t have been more pleased with his win at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day. He’s a horse we hold in high regard and we couldn’t be more pleased with the way he travelled and jumped. He’s clearly learned from the mistake he made at Newbury. He was so gutsy after the…

Top jockey looks ahead to his weekend rides I started the year as I mean to go on with a treble at Exeter on New Year’s Day. It was tremendous and I was delighted. They are three nice young horses too. It was a really good day. I was thrilled with White Moon. The way he went and jumped the last four fences was…

Is Cherries ace set for a January switch? Our trading team have slashed the odds on Callum Wilson switching the South Coast for West London. The AFC Bournemouth striker is now just Evens to join Chelsea. His odds were 2/1 earlier today, but strong support in the betting has seen odds of a move tumble. The Blues look to be the only real contenders…

Image credit: Flickr FA Cup third round day is a magical one for all concerned. For people of a certain age, FA Cup football was all that was shown on live TV and it still holds a certain lustre as the day when anyone can beat anyone. That makes it ripe for betting as a weekend when anything can happen will produce some outlandish ACCAs (hit…

Giant killing is written into the folklore of the FA Cup and this weekend will be no different. To help you build an accumulator for this year’s third round, here are five potential giant killers to keep an eye on. We start on Tyneside where Newcastle torrid recent FA Cup record is put to the test by Blackburn Rovers. Newcastle United vs. Blackburn Rovers…