S.P. Read Esq. Royal Ascot and Italy v Costa Rica

Our daily columnist and pundit S.P.Read Esq. previews the fourth day of Royal Ascot and ITALY v COSTA RICA at 5pm !!

Distances were not kind to me at Royal Ascot yesterday with a final make-up of just 5.05 lengths making for a losing day. Four horses in a line at the end of the two mile Gold Cup was not exactly what I was after.

The football bet – a buy of the time of the first goal in the Uruguay v England match was a break even.

I bought at 39 minutes and the first goal arrived on – you’ve guessed it 39 minutes !! Damn those Star Spreads market makers for being just too accurate…… even one minute later would have got me into profit.

Star Sports fixed odds tweeted this morning that England are 8/1 to qualify from the Group D of death.

Rearrange these three words…..

STRAWS – AT – CLUTCHING

There’s still a chance of course. It’s not THAT hard surely to envisage a win for Italy against Costa Rica later today and then against Uruguay plus a win for England against Costa Rica. There are probably worse 8/1 shots in a year – but even if they pulled off the Houdini it is hard to see England getting much further on what we have seen to date.

There’s also the problem of tactics. A draw will suit both Italy and Costa Rica today (5pm, BBC) in a match likely to be played in soaring temperatures in Recife and I can’t see many goals (if any) going in.

Plenty of passing no doubt, but both teams may be so pre-occupied with avoiding defeat that they will lack the inclination to score.

So, I’m a seller of total goals at around 2.6 at the home of sports spread betting, Star Spreads.

As for the racing I’m sticking with the distances and again going long at Royal Ascot.

The buy price has reduced slightly today to 9.1 which has sucked me in again for more action.

There’s only one handicap on the card and the two mile Queen’s Prize is an obvious candidate for the bigger margin winner that I have been craving all week.

CLICK HERE FOR LIVE ROYAL ASCOT MARKET ON STAR SPREADS

CLICK HERE FOR LIVE ITALY v COSTA RICA MARKET ON STAR SPREADS

RECOMMENDED BET (scale 1-100 points)

BUY DISTANCES AT ROYAL ASCOT at around 9.1 with Star Spreads for 5 points

SELL TOTAL GOALS ITALY v COSTA RICA at around 2.6 with Star Spreads for 12 points

WORLD CUP SO FAR: PROFIT 78.25 POINTS

• Any spread prices quoted are indicative and as always prices are subject to fluctuation.
• Please note the opinion, views and forecasts above are of the author and not of Star Spreads.