April 2020
BARRY GERAGHTY INSIGHTS
Barry Geraghty: Hopefully the computer says, Anibale Fly
Friday 3rd April 2020 –Leading National Hunt jockey and Sporting Index ambassador Barry Geraghty’s latest blog looks at how the 2020 Grand National could have played out.
I’d imagine I would have been on Anibale Fly again this year.
I finished fourth on him two years ago but couldn’t ride him last year, where he finished fifth under Mark Walsh, as I broke my leg in the Topham the day before.
I was really looking forward to the ride this year, particularly after he ran well in his prep run at Naas last time out.
He hadn’t shown an awful lot of spark the few runs before that, finishing well-beaten in Grade Ones, but the run at Naas was a bit more like it and he’s a horse that’s always done better in the spring.
He would have benefitted from missing Cheltenham this season, though he obviously still hasn’t shown as good a level of form and you can only be hopeful.
TIGER WOULD OF BEEN THE MASTER
Why Tiger would have been the Master once more
Thursday 9th April, 2020 – Augusta should have been set for the 84th edition of the Masters this week, and despite circumstances leading to the postponement of golf’s first major of the year, research from Sporting Index reveals Tiger Woods would have likely reigned supreme once again.
The 2019 Masters winner and 14-time major champion holds the best average score at Augusta of the world’s top 25 ranked players in the sport that have completed four full Masters tournaments, with an average of -5 at the famous course.
It may come as a surprise that all of the golfers currently ranked higher than Woods, including star-studded names such as Rory McIlroy, Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson and Justin Thomas to name a few all have higher average scores at the Masters when compared with Tiger. DJ, Koepka and McIlroy come closest to the Californian with an average score of -2, while Justin Rose is just behind on -1.
Of the top 10 average scores from players in the top 25 in the rankings to have played four full Masters tournaments, Woods is the only player to have won more than one Green Jacket.
HAGGAS TO DO THE DOUBLE
Haggas 10/1 for Group 1 double Down Under
Thursday 10th April, 2020 – William Haggas landed a big Group-race double with Young Rascal and Addeybb at Rosehill three weeks ago, and he is 10/1 with Sporting Index to pull off the same feat at Royal Randwick on Saturday morning
Young Rascal looks set to go off favourite in the Group 1 Schweppes Sydney Cup (6.15am) over two miles, where his chief market rivals are last year’s Ebor winner Mustajeer and Raheen House, formerly trained by Haggas.”.
Addeybbis batting for favouritism with Japanese raider DanonPremium in the Group 1 Longines Queen Elizabeth Stakes (6.55am) over 1m2f and the likely soft ground after a wet spell in Sydney will suit the six-year-old son of Pivotal.
Charles Hitchings, Head of Racing at Sporting Index, said “You’ll have to set your alarm, but there is some cracking action at Royal Randwick on Saturday morning.
William Haggas has had a successful period Down Under and he will be delighted with the rain that has fallen this week for both Young Rascal and Addeybb. We are offering 10/1 for the Newmarket trainer to land a famous Group 1 double.“
BARRY GERAGHTY INSIGHTS
Barry Geraghty’s Sporting Index blog: No need to step Defi up in trip in the short term
Thursday 16th April 2020 – Leading National Hunt jockey and Sporting Index ambassador Barry Geraghty’s latest blog looks back on a successful season in the saddle.
Even just last week Trump found himself clear in the running to secure a second term in the White House, however the ongoing global health pandemic has caused the president to be undermined, with rival candidates swooping in.
Having missed out on the first five months of the season with a broken leg, I was always going to struggle to make any personal records for total winners, but the quality of rides I’ve had since the autumn has been great and overall it’s been a very good campaign.
I’ve had my fair share of success on the big days, particularly with five wins at the Cheltenham Festival, and given that the surgeon said my leg wouldn’t be at full strength until after Christmas, everything has worked out pretty well.
HENDO MISSING FOR KLOPP
Liverpool crash without captain Henderson
Friday 24th April 2020 – Liverpool’s dip in form this season coincided with the absence of Jordan Henderson, and a study from betting firm Sporting Index shows that the Reds’ win-rate slipped to 57% from 70% when their skipper was not in the side.
Friday 24th April 2020 – Liverpool’s dip in form this season coincided with the absence of Jordan Henderson, and a study from betting firm Sporting Index shows that the Reds’ win-rate slipped to 57% from 70% when their skipper was not in the side.
Henderson was named club captain when Steven Gerrard left Liverpool in 2015, and since then the Reds have won 70% of their matches with him compared to 57% without, claiming victories in 60 of the 86 matches he has worn the armband.
At the other end of the scale and seemingly less indispensable is Manchester United captain Harry Maguire. Since Ashley Young left in January, Maguire has a 33% win rate as skipper compared to United’s impressive 60% victory rate without him.
The next most influential club captain appears to be Spurs’ Hugo Lloris. His side see a 13% drop in win-rate when he hands over the armband, while Manchester City’s David Silva is responsible for a 10% win-rate rise when leading.
UNITED STRONG WITH NO HARRY'S NAME
United on fire without Maguire, while City are slicker with Silva’ baby name
Tuesday 28th April, 2020 Manchester United are better off without Harry Maguire, according to a study from betting firm Sporting Index, which shows that the Red Devils’ win-rate jumps to 60% from 33% when he’s not in the side.
Tuesday 28th April, 2020 Manchester United are better off without Harry Maguire, according to a study from betting firm Sporting Index, which shows that the Red Devils’ win-rate jumps to 60% from 33% when he’s not in the side.
Maguire was named club captain when Ashley Young left for Inter Milan in January this year, and since then Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’sside have won 60% without the centre half, compared to just a third of matches when he is playing.
United’s noisy neighbours Manchester City, on the other hand, are better off when their Spanish skipper David Silva is in the team, as they win 65% of their matches with him compared to 55% when he’s not in the team wearing the armband.
Silva took over as club captain from Vincent Kompany this season after the Belgian left the Etihad at the end of the last campaign, and they have won 13 of the 20 matches he’s played this season leading the team.