5 things we learned from the weekend’s results
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What we didn’t know on Friday, but do now
Wow, sports punters really are spoilt for choice at the minute and to keep speed with recent times, it was another weekend and another round of big results. Grand National, Premier League, US Masters, Chinese Grand Prix, world championship boxing and more, loads more.
Did you find the winners? If so, you fully deserve your returns, as it was no mean feat. Let’s take a spin through five of the more notable weekend results, and what we learned…..
Sunderland can plan for the Championship
OK, so not the biggest lesson, we knew that last week and we knew it last month too, but many believed pre-match that Manchester United were there to be shot at. The Black Cats didn’t do themselves any favours, and had Larsson sent off in the first-half to make a tough task nigh on impossible. United won 3-0, leaving Sunderland 10 points off safety at the bottom of the league. Championship football is a certainty, and they will be hoping to do a Newcastle – go down, regroup, improve, build confidence and come back a better team.
Miller’s time isn’t up
How many times has Kenny Miller pulled Rangers out of a hole in his career? OK, he signed for Celtic and kissed the badge on his Hoops shirt, but the guy is worth his weight in gold at Ibrox these days and proved it again when scoring a double against Aberdeen on Sunday, in a 3-0 romp. Two goals within two minutes of each other – and he still hasn’t been tied down beyond the end of the season! New boss Pedro Caixinha may have his own vision for the future, but Miller’s a better player at 37 than 27. Sign him up!
It pays to take a price in the National
Another Grand National, another favourite who did nothing, and another decent price winner. All the hype pre-race was about Definitly Red, and he was betting favourite on the morning of the Aintree showpiece, but he gave backers little joy before eventually being pulled up. One For Arthur won the day, off an SP 14/1, beating Cause Of Causes into second quite convincingly. You’ll know next year, if you didn’t already, not to back the favourite.
We’re set for an exciting F1 season
Lewis Hamilton got his first F1 win of the season, coming home in front after a thrilling Chinese Grand Prix. The Brit, aiming for a return to the top-step of the driver’s championship, led Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen to the flag. In a race made all the more entertaining by wet weather, it was a perfect example of how the recent rule and car changes have breathed new life into the sport. Gripping from start to finish, we saw some fantastic battles, fought at close-quarters. The race for the world championship looks to be one of the most competitive we’ve seen in years.
Beefy looks tough
There’s more high-profile fights out there at the minute, but there will be few better than Liam ‘Beefy’ Smith vs Liam Williams for the WBO world title, which took place at the Manchester Arena on Saturday. Billed as a 50/50 before the off, Coral traders had it 10/11 the pair, struggling to separate them. We told you in our fight preview Beefy would win, and he did just that, with the fight being stopped in the ninth. Smith now has a record of 25 wins, one draw and a defeat, with some big bouts on the horizon.
