Saturday should be a great day on the sporting calendar, despite the absence of some events. Mike Tyson fights late on Friday night, Formula One takes a break and owing to the internationals, there’s no Premier League either.
What we do have on offer is still mouth-watering. England are in rugby action against South Africa and Cheltenham continues with its November Meeting on the racecourse. We don’t have bets at those events, but we do have four of our own across three different sports.
Bet 1 (Football) – Doncaster Rovers to Beat Salford City
Despite the international break we do have some domestic football, with plenty of games taking place at League One level and below. This particular match is in League Two and features two teams within seven points of each other.
That may sound close enough, but really 4th versus 13th is far more accurate. Doncaster have amassed 14 points from their 8 home games so far, but even more could have been expected. They haven’t scored as many goals as they could have, but they do remain solid.
Salford have racked up 8 points from 7 away games, drawing 5 of those clashes. They will make it hard for Doncaster, but really don’t offer very much going forward.
Even if it means grinding it out, Doncaster can prove to be the better team here and should win this 3pm kick-off.
Bet 2 (Football) – Gateshead to Beat Aldershot
Gateshead fans can consider themselves a little unlucky in recent times. They have been often on the cusp of achieving something, only for a manager to move on.
First it was Mike Williamson who was poached by MK Dons. Then, just when Rob Elliot was getting them to play some excellent football at the start of the season, they were forced into another change at the top.
Gateshead were denied their rightful place in the play-offs last season and a chance of getting league football because of their stadium. Gateshead International is good enough for elite athletics, but not league football apparently.
Anyway, despite their managerial changes they continue to do well. The Tynesiders sit fourth in the National League, only five points behind York City at the top. More to the point, they are 15 points ahead of Aldershot in advance of this weekend’s game.
The home side will need to overcome some recent disappointments. They were uncharacteristically thrashed at Fylde last week, 3-0, after losing at home to Leeds under-21’s in the National League Cup. Their home form overall is rock solid however and they should get back on track here. Kick-off is 3 o’clock.
Bet 3 (Horse Racing) – Peace Man to Win the Churchill Stakes
Some will remember the Churchill Stakes being run at Lingfield Park on the Polytrack. As of this weekend, the race has been moved to Newcastle on the Tapeta and it has attracted a classy bunch of horses. There are still 11 in it at the time of writing with some expected to come out.
108-rated The Foxes could be there to represent King Power, Andrew Balding and Oisin Murphy in the mile-and-a-quarter event at 3.15. He was arguably a little underwhelming when tried on a similar surface at Southwell back in January and is on the comeback trail now.
Tyrrhenian Sea (Roger Varian) has done well here before. He is solid and is rated 108, but that may not be enough to win what looks a good quality renewal of this race.
Simon and Ed Crisford’s Swing Vote is rated 107 now but hasn’t been seen since the Dubai Carnival back in March, while former Royal Ascot winner Claymore (Jane Chapple-Hyam) just isn’t the same horse these days.
William Haggas may well run his Group 1 winner Dubai Honour in this race. The six-year-old is rated 118 now and as recently as September was sent off as the even-money favourite for a Group 1 event.
His form remains solid, with his five runs in 2024 showing him to be a solid horse at around 116-118. Even if running to his current best however, his 7lb penalty at this level makes him vulnerable.
A horse capable of running 112+ would surely win this race, and that’s where Peace Man comes in. Trained by John & Thady Gosden, the lightly raced five-year-old ran third on his comeback in the Group 3 Darley Stakes in mid-October, before bettering that with a fine second in a good Newmarket Listed event two weeks ago.
The son of Kingman is kicking on now, is currently rated 111, is getting better race after race and can prove to be the best of this bunch at the weights under Rab Havlin.
Bet 4 (Cricket) – England to Beat West Indies
England won the second T20 in the West Indies and will play a third before this match, and with prices the way they are it seems they are value to win again on Saturday.
As has been reported in the cricketing press captain Jos Buttler is once again enjoying his cricket, and it seems so to is coach Brendan McCullum since taking over the white ball sides.
There is plenty of talent in this England squad, as has been the case for a long time in the shorter forms of the game. For the straight up win in St Lucia England are just a shade of odds-on and that looks more than fair.
The match is due to start at 8pm UK time.