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Centrebet Capers CRICKET Australia are back! The 3-0 whitewash that the Aussies handed out to the ICC World XI didn't really come as a surprise when you sat down and thought about it. Australia has been the dominant one-day side on the world arena and the World side was playing for the first time together. Amazingly, we recorded big wins on each of the three matches even though Australia was obviously the better side. In the last two matches, there were massive amounts of support for the World XI. Perhaps the thinking was the organisers would want them to win one of the games to give it credibility. That wasn't the case as the Aussies won each toss and went on a run scoring rampage. Betting has done a back flip on the Super Test which begins on Friday at the SCG. Before the one day-matches all the money had been for the World XI, who had been backed from 2.10 into 1.90. The largest of those bets had been $15,000 at 1.90 but they have now blown out to 2.30 due to that form. Since the one-day matches concluded Australia has come from 2.20 into 1.95, with big bets of $10,000 coming at 2.05 and 2.00. We have also opened up the two domestic title markets prior to the first ING Cup match, which will be played on Sunday between Queensland and New South Wales. In the ING Cup, we have posted QLD as 3.25 favourites ahead of WA at 3.75. As for the Pura Cup, QLD are the favourites there as well at 2.75 ahead of NSW at 3.50. South Australia may be the big improvers. They look like having Jason Gillsepie for the whole season and will welcome Matthew Elliot to the batting ranks. RACING Leica Falcon was quoted a 400/1 chance with some agencies to win the Caulfield and Melbourne Cup just over a month ago. Thankfully we dodged it as we were always well under that price. Leica Falcon just keeps improving at every run and we think he's big overs to win the Caulfied Cup on Saturday at 8.00. If he was trained by Lee Freedman or David Hayes he'd be pressing for favouritism. El Segundo is very promising winning the Yalumba but his win was a little flattered because Perlin missed start and Confectioner was slaughtered and should have finished much closer. He's still got a great chance but is no value whatsoever at the current price of 3.60. Chances also given to Railings (12.00) who has done everything asked of him this prep and also Dizelle (13.00) who had no luck whatsoever in the Turnbull Stks. Demerger (21.00) is coming good at the right time and is a horse to keep a close eye on especially from a Melbourne Cup perspective. Plastered's two runs this prep have been ok but I would have liked to see him show a little more dash last time out when 5th to Makybe Diva. Last year’s VRC Derby winner remains in commission at 6.50. We did take a bet of $1000 out of Mummify on Monday at 21.00 then same punter back up with another $1500 at 17.00. Plastered is definitely the worst result in the doubles. We're standing it for roughly $200,000 in the double to win both Cups whilst the Plastered (Caulfield Cup) and Makybe Diva (Melbourne Cup) is about a $100,000 loss as is the Plastered (Caulfield Cup) Lad Of The Manor (Cox Plate) double. RUGBY LEAGUE The season may be over as far as the NRL is concerned but there are still some exciting times ahead for rugby league followers. Firstly we have the Grand Final of the UK Super League competition with Leeds taking on Bradford at Old Trafford on Saturday evening. Leeds has been the form side of the finals, however, Bradford with Adrian Morley on loan from the Roosters have been no less impressive. They managed to squeeze past table topping St Helens last week 23-18 in what was a high class game. Betting has the game at 1.90 take your pick and we expect Leeds to have heavy support in what should be club stalwart Barrie McDermott's send off. Bradford has now reached the final five years in succession and we expect that experience to hold them in good stead. On the international front, the Kangaroos host New Zealand this weekend at Telstra Stadium in Sydney for the first game of the tri-nations series. Australia is 1.25 to win the series with the biggest challenge coming from England at 4.75 with the Kiwis at 11.00. This weekend has the Kangaroos 1.16 and 16½ point favourites while the Kiwis are 5.25. Early betting saw some money for the visitors. However, the last 24 hours has seen all the money come for the Kangaroos including one $8,000 wager at the 16 ½ point-start. GOLF Tiger Woods won his eleventh WGC event when he defeated John Daly on the second hole of a sudden death play-off in San Francisco. Despite the big hitting and immaculate iron play it came down to a three foot putt, which Daly inexplicably missed. Punters were well aware of Tiger’s liking for these events and were all over the 3.50 on offer prior to tee off with bets taking out in excess of $50,000. That was then followed by a betting frenzy after 54 holes with Woods favourite at 2.90 but two shots behind Daly at 4.00 and one away from Montgomerie at 5.50. On the European tour John Bickerton had a commanding five shot victory over fellow Englishman, Stuart Little and South African, Michael Kirk in the Abama Open de Canarias. It had taken the affable Englishman 287 events to record his maiden tour win despite finishing runner-up on five occasions. This was a poor betting affair with Ricardo Gonzalez (13.00) and Scott Drunmmond (26.00) best backed. This week we head to Nevada for the Michelin Championship, an event which has been kind to the Australasians in recent years with Aussie, Andre Stolz a winner last year, Stuart Appleby the year before that and Phil Tataurangi in 2002. Phil Michelson has been installed favourite at 8.50 ahead of Jim Furyk (13.00) and Appleby at (19.00) Furyk has had two wins here in '98 and '99 and so perhaps he is the man to beat. Punters have agreed with Furyk and Appleby backed to win in excess of $30,000. The best backed has been South African Rory Sabbatini, (81.00 into 41.00). MOTOR BIKES Valentino Rossi has been the only rider punters want leading into this weekend's Australian MotoGP. After opening at 1.75, 'the Doctor' is now into 1.60 and shortening by the day. We have taken two separate bets of $5000 for Rossi and a swag of smaller bets. Clearly some people who have been betting may not be aware of the inroads that Loris Capirossi has made into Rossi's dominance. Capirossi has been very hard to sell and is out to 4.25 after opening at 3.50 but it is worth noting that he has two recent victories over Rossi. Aussie, Chris Vermeulen is rushing back to Phillip Island to ride in this race after a successful season on the Superbikes. There has been money for him at 31.00 and also to finish on the podium at 4.50. FORMULA ONE If ever there was any doubt as to how much Kimi Raikkonen and his McLaren have on the rest of the field, the Japanese Grand Prix would have put an end to all the arguments. Raikkonen had engine trouble (again) during the qualifying sessions, which saw him banished ten places on the grid, which saw his price blow from 1.75 to 4.50 after Friday's session, then way out to 9.00 after the final session. In reality that was well under the odds but the McLaren is so quick it would be foolish to write it off and that is what happened. There were a few who took the 9.00 but there was plenty of money for Raikonnen to finish on the podium at 2.50. The F1's back up quickly in this week’s Chinese GP. Raikkonen is hot favourite at 1.60 ahead of Montoya (4.50) and Alonso (5.50). There hasn't been a lot of early action following on from the events of last week with Mark Webber attracting the most interest, backed to take out nearly $25,000 to win the race at 41.00 and close to half of that to finish on the podium at 9.00. IDOL Milly Edwards made a tearful exit from Australian Idol on Monday night but she was the 26.00 outsider so it wasn't a real surprise. What was a surprise though was the 'touchdown' awarded to Emily Williams which has seen the ex-Kiwi zoom into favourtism at 3.00. It was a very impressive performance but to be fair, the 'big band' format probably suited Emily more than Dan England, who has drifted to 3.75. We have a real betting race on our hands here as the next two in the market, Anne (4.50) and Kate (5.00) continue to meet with good support. Daniel Spillane has been hanging on by a bare thread over the past few weeks and is now the outsider at 34.00. He is 2.25 to go this week, just ahead of James at 2.50. New Zealand Idol will be decided on Monday night and the format is a shade different to what we are used to. There will be a show on Sunday night (which is pre-recorded) after which time the voting begins and the winner announced on Monday night. Nik Carlsen has been our favourite for all bar one week of the series and he goes into the final as slight favourite at 1.70 ahead of Rosita Vai at 2.00. Until next week, good punting For further information contact Gerard Daffy at Centrebet on 02 9206 8715 or centrebet@centrebet.com
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