08/05/2011

Well, very quiet week online what with Punchestown being on. Obviously over-joyed to see St Nic back to winning ways at Chester too, completely delighted, fair enough Harris Tweed is no world beater but if he lost you'd be writing him off for the future (if you hadnt already after The Curragh run), just love that turn of foot though, woosh! Winning at Chester is still a million miles away from winning the Arc, however all things being equal and well if he turns up on the day he'll be nowhere near 33/1 and I'll be in a good position, I cant control him winning/losing just put myself in the good position with figures, fingers crossed he stays sound now and has a clear run at the year. In hindsight the ground at The Curragh was obviously horrendous and it being first run of the season found him out, that turn of foot will likely be a big advantage the way they race in France, long way away but sure I can plan.

I remember writing here I wasnt really and truly expecting him to win the 2000G, although ended up backing him (love is blind) but not for much, so IMO anyway, the only run hes had that has been disappointing has been The Curragh and hes pretty much put that behind him now, so plenty to look forward to and hopefully this time around I get a run for big odds, couldnt go through another Derby episode anyway! Speaking of the Derby, I was in Leopardstown today to see Recital, I recorded it and watched it back when home - completely disagree with Matt Chapman on that he has "no chance." Alright he hung like a gate into the rail but only after he went past fairly handily and put 3L between him and the rest, then acted like a right monkey. Plenty of positives in the sense that he won easily and KF got some practice on him, negatives are obviously the camber at Epsom with his hanging but I think he'll benefit greatly from not being in front so soon.. I wouldnt be rushing to back 6/1 though, but until we see the Dante I dont think its fair to give him too much stick - it could be far worse, he looked a monkey when hanging but at least he went past them, won the race, and then hung.. it'd be worse if he didnt want to go past.

I havent done many IPL games this week but continue to not be as fluent as the first two weeks anyway, many of the weekend games had 1.0x one side by half way and I have a bit of a family issue going on at the moment, although nothing in this house (thankfully!) and no one is dying (thankfully!), just the phone rang during a game yesterday and I ended up talking for 40 odd minutes, that type of thing. Not complaining at all, but its the type of thing where you lose a day or you lose a game you know. Its by far the biggest advantage of gambling and "being your own boss" (for want of a better way of wording it) that you can drop everything and go help or do something else whenever you want to. I dont like leaving games/events mid-way through them though or having to share the room while the market is fast moving, I read some things about gambling/trading being lonely, but I'm the opposite - I like to be left on my own, then re-engage with the world when its finished. Twitter is a great help during games though, when The Ashes was on and I was up all hours, every single one of my friends were asleep but Twitter was buzzing with everyone interested.. maybe its not "real" interaction but it serves its purpose.

Also, away from gambling, and I hate to depress everyone (reading it will depress you), but IMO the Morgan Kelly article this week is an essential read for every Irish person. Whether you agree/disagree with him, the man has a serious track record of being right and is held in high esteem by more people than not. The picture he paints is no craic, minus craic, but I think its good to be aware of these things when people like him say them, like a tipster in profit, you listen to what he says, might not follow but you listen and take on board anyway. On another point, The Queen is coming to Ireland soon and we have a few gobshites who dont want her to visit, obviously still living in the past - whatever, I'd imagine more people in Ireland would hold more hatred of the UK than of the USA, well whats that old saying, you do find out who your friends really are when things goes tits up..

The IMF, which believes that lenders should pay for their stupidity before it has to reach into its pocket, presented the Irish with a plan to haircut €30 billion of unguaranteed bonds by two-thirds on average. Lenihan was overjoyed, according to a source who was there, telling the IMF team: “You are Ireland’s salvation.”

The deal was torpedoed from an unexpected direction. At a conference call with the G7 finance ministers, the haircut was vetoed by US treasury secretary Timothy Geithner who, as his payment of $13 billion from government-owned AIG to Goldman Sachs showed, believes that bankers take priority over taxpayers. The only one to speak up for the Irish was UK chancellor George Osborne, but Geithner, as always, got his way. An instructive, if painful, lesson in the extent of US soft power, and in who our friends really are.

I'm sure the same people who have a problem with The Queen coming will be going on holidays to America, cause America is great isnt it? No, not great at helping us avoid state bankruptcy, anyway.

(EDIT 09/05/2011. A few emails and a bit of Youtube research informs me the same people who are protesting against The Queen are protesting against Obama, too. My next three words after this paragraph were "anyway fuck it" because sure each to their own. I've opened pandoras box havent I!)

Anyway fuck it, we surely have at least two years left of going on the piss and having the craic before it all falls apart, sure "it'll be grand." By 2014, Ireland will owe a quarter of a trillion, my calculator doesnt even go up that far FFS.

In other news, Manchester United have now all but won the league and will overtake Liverpool for league titles. Liverpool are currently 16/1 to win a trophy next season, for those of you reading who dont fully understand betting - if you put on €10 at 16/1, you will lose €10.