Fling Dem Arrors

No, its not the local Chinese take away, its what I was thinking at approximately 7pm Thursday evening as I negotiated my way to the couch to watch the regular weekly Premier League Darts on Sky Sports. 

Darts is such a  great game, and it's particularly satisfying to see it on the box so often, following the sponsorship and exposure it has received in recent years.  Phil Taylor is a legend, plain and simple.  It will take any person who emulates his achievements a sheer lifetime to replicate the results he has tanked up over the years.

I played regularly in the Isle of Man years ago, and also in Manchester while I was working one shit job after another, and played to a decent standard I might add, 13 to 17 dart finishes being nothing strange game after game when on song.  I recently bought a board for the spare room and dusted off the old darts which where in their case since Manchester days, ten years ago!  They still frequent the treble twenty, the game never leaves you, you only leave it.  I bought a new set of darts, and they are a better dart for my throwing style.  Next I need to implement my three point plan.

1. Find a local watering hole with a dart board and a dart team.

2. Show up uninvited on a normal Saturday or Sunday afternoon and begin flinging dem arrors.

3. Whip the local players so badly that they are telling me about their pub team and how I should think about joining them some evening.

Still working on stage 1, its not easy finding boards in Dublin.  The one and only thing I prefer about England to Ireland is their love of the game of darts, its everywhere, a board in every pub, you never have to wander far to find an oche ready and waiting. 

Training

One morning in the gym this week, and lots of walking to and from work to merely soak up a few extra calories I added while in the local beer hut during the week, tentatively watching Spurs qualify for the last eight of the champions league; and witness with astonishment how biased the referee was towards Barcelona as they evicted a depleted Arsenal from the competition, the previous evening.

Planning on the same cycling route on Saturday as last week, so that I can compare the stats.  Sunday should see another shorter spin with the ThinkBike group.

Sports Betting

Couple of losing soccer bets midweek, a 3pt bet on Spurs to win, and a 2pt double on Under 2.5 on Spurs/AC Milan & Schalke/Valencia, lose, lose on both fronts.  However, this was swiftly recompensed by Phil 'The Power' Taylor & Adrian 'Jackpot' Lewis in the Darts Premier League on Thursday when they brought me home 6pts profit for the evening.  I had a losing double and treble which included Mark Webster to win his match in the darts also.  Webster lost miserably to Terry Jenkins and deservedly so, he was awful, especially after hammering Lewis the previous week with a 110 average!

The single bets on Taylor & Lewis proved fruitful and swung the financial pendulum in my favour for the evening, to the detriment of Paddy Power.

Saturday's soccer bets below:

 Top Bet

Both to Score - Cheltenham v Aldershot     4/6

Both to Score - Charlton v Brentford          4/6

5 pts @ 2.78

 Next Best

Over 2.5 - Stockport v Burton Albion      8/11

Over 2.5 - Northampton v Macclesfield   8/11

4 pts @ 2.98

 A.N.Other

Both to Score - Hoffenheim v Dortmund            8/11

Both to Score - Almeria v Ath Madrid               4/6

4 pts @ 2.88

 A.N.Other

Both NOT to Score - Real Madrid v Hercules   4/6

Both NOT to Score - Schalke v Frankfurt         8/11

3 pts @ 2.88

 A.N.Other

Home Win - Brighton   4/11
Home Win - QPR        4/9

3 pts @ 1.97

 The Longshot

Both to Score - Cheltenham v Aldershot              4/6

Over 2.5 - Northampton v Macclesfield               8/11

Both NOT to Score - Real Madrid v Hercules     4/6

Home Win - Brighton                                          2/5

Both to Score - Hoffenheim v Dortmund              8/11

1 pt @ 11.30

Tuesdays Sports Bets

Sports Betting
  Top Bet
Both to Score - Leicester v Norwich        4/6
Over 2.5 - Accrington v Stockport           4/6

5 pts @ 2.78


 Next Best
Both to Score - Southend v Gillingham     8/11
Both to Score - Macclesfield v Crewe     1/2

4 pts @ 2.59


A.N.Other
Home Win - Accrington Stanley    4/6
Home Win - Tranmere                  4/5

4pt @ 3.00


 The Longshot
Top Bet & Next Best combined

1pt @ 7.2


Another steak dinner last night, going to turn into a feckin steak soon.  Tasted better than usual as it was paid for by a winning double: Deportivo to win combined with Blackpool/Chelsea both to score, 2/1 return.

Long Weekend

 Training

Long weekend on the bike but necessary all the same.  Six and half hours on Saturday (yesterday) saw me reach the other side of Slieve Mann, via Shay Elliott and Sally Gap, retracing my route on the return leg.  Only 120km on the clock but 2,200m of climbing proved to be a recognisable improvement on the previous weeks 135km & 1800m climbing.  Route Here

The last 40km as usual was the most mundane section, but that's always the case, especially on the cold dreary days when the mist has settled on the mountains and you are cycling through a cloud.  I needed lights on my first pass of Sally Gap, but on the return the mist had lifted somewhat but was replaced by a cold breeze which turned my feet in to blocks of ice.  Six and a half hours is a long ride on your lonesome, thankfully I had decided to take my ipod which spurred me during the up tempo songs and broke the monotony on the long straights and seemingly endless countryside.  The weather makes such a  difference to the interpretation of the Wicklow wilderness.  I had also toyed with the idea of adding two laps of Wicklow Gap to the route but reckoned I was biting off more than I could chew at this stage of the year so refrained, and glad I did.

I wasn't long home before deciding not to cook for one, her beautiful self having travelled to her homeland for the weekend, and again visited the local steakhouse for my dinner (and starter and dessert).  I earned those calories so I was gonna enjoy them properly.  Good day all round.

I rose Sunday to take part in the ThinkBike spin, a mere 65km spin to Sally Gap via Djouce & Luggala.  The previous week I didn't feel up to the second Sunday spin of climbing, but this week I felt much stronger and tagged along.  I sat at the back for most if not all of the journey matching pace with the slower members of the group, which suited me fine.  To be honest, I'm not sure if I could have gone any faster if I tried, after Saturday's exertions.  By completing 65km on Sunday it clearly demonstrated an improvement in my endurance, recovery, and overall strength which is satisfying.  My ass hates me, or at least hates cycling, having spent over ten hours of the weekend sat upon what now feels like a razor blade (even though it is a comfortable enough saddle in its own right).

Current weight 13st 7.5 lbs, down from a starting weight of 14st 0.25lb.

Target weight for La Marmotte is 12st 7-10lb.

 Sports Betting

Sunday's soccer -3pts

I did have a Sunday TV double on Liverpool/Man Utd & Wolves/Spurs games which I hadn't posted, more for an interest when watching the games more than anything else but they were viable wagers nonetheless.  Both to Score double paid 2/1.  It looked a non event until Hernandez popped up in the 91st minute to score for Man U, to save my bacon in the first game.  I didn't have long to wait in the second fixture before collecting, it was 2-2 by half time, finishing 3-3.

There are midweek fixtures on Tuesday which will receive my attention between now and then.

Sunday Sports Bets

Sunday 6-March Soccer bets are:

A.N.Other
Over 2.5 - Malaga v Osasuna      11/10
Over 2.5 - Ath Bilbao v Sevilla     4/5

3pts double @ 3.78  (2.78/1)


Saturday's Results:

Soccer             +3.84 pts
Greyhounds      -6 pts

Total P&L =  -2.16 pts

The longshot came close at 13.3/1, needing only Millwall to sneek a goal against Watford, unfortunately it never materialised.

Lots of trouble in dog races.  Tyrur Domingo took out Allowdale at the first bend, ending both their chances.  Broadstrand Lad missed the break and got wrote off at first bend also.  Tyrur Henry ran a stinker.

Weekend Sports Bets

 Sports Betting

Saturday's soccer bets are:

 Top Bet

Both To Score - Wycombe v Aldershot         4/5

Both To Score - M'Gladbach v Hoffenheim   8/15

5pts @ 2.76  (1.76/1 Double)

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 Next Best

Over 2.5 - Hannover v Bayern Munich    8/13

Over 2.5 - Stockport v Oxford               10/11

4pts @ 3.08  (2.08/1 Double)

 --------------------------------------------------------------

 A.N.Other

Both To Score - Auxerre v PSG          Evs

Both To Score - Watford v Millwall     4/6

 3pts @ 3.33  (2.33/1 Double)

--------------------------------------------------------------

 A.N.Other

Over 2.5 - Peterborough v Exeter       1/2

Over 2.5 - Leeds v Doncaster             4/6

3pts @ 2.5  (1.5/1 Double)

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 The Longshot

Both To Score - Wycombe v Aldershot     4/5

Over 2.5 - Stockport v Oxford                  10/11

Both To Score - Watford v Millwall          4/6

Over 2.5 - Peterborough v Exeter             1/2

Over 2.5 - Leeds v Doncaster                   4/6

1pt @ 14.32 (13.32/1 Accum)

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Tote Gold Cup 2nd Round - Shelbourne Park

Some decent races lined up for the second round.

Heat 1 - Both of last week's fancies, Tyrur Domingo & Allowdale Prince, oppose each other in the first heat.  Tyrur will very likely go off favourite in this heat ,however, I have concerns over the number of dogs in this race that prefer to dive towards the rails during the run to the first bend.  This could cause some crowding on the inside.  Meanwhile, Alllowdale Prince in trap 6, arguably his favourite trap, will have the whole outside to himself.  Allowdale should be a decent price, around 4/1, and represents good value in a potentially hazardous race.

Trap 6 - Allowdale Prince 2pts Win

Heat 2 - Traps 1,2 &4 should dominate this race from start to finish.  They should go round the first 2 bends in close contention, and I expect trap 2 (Broadstrand Lad) to show his great back straight pace to take the lead down the far side and retain the advantage to the winning line.  Won't be a big price, 5/4 ish.

Trap 2 - Broadstrand Lad 2pts win

Heat 3 - Razdazl George will undoubtedly begin favourite in this race, but with more pace on his left tonight than the previous evening when he won, I'd prefer to watch rather than take an active part in the ring.  He is a rising star but will meet more trouble in this grade as he continues through the competition and will be interesting to see how he handles it.  No bet.

Heat 4 - I think whatever leads around the second bend in this race will probably win the race, and all have potential of doing so.  1,2&3 should have a little more speed than the others and from these three dogs I like the recent improvements in trap 2, Tyrur Henry.  This dog has huge gears and is capable of blowing the others away should he find his top form, and will be good value to boot at around 3/1.

Trap 2 - Tyrur Henry 2pts win