The Longshot: Derby to crown a big weekend for thoroughbreds

BACK in the day we used to have an inside line to what colour the queen’s hat would be on the first day of Ascot, something bookies offered odds on each summer, and a tradition now at an end for a few generations you would guess.

One of her grandsons, who wasn’t as royally flush as some of his relatives, would pass on the info in exchange for some of my premium football tips.

Tomorrow we also know in advance what colour the headgear on Charlie’s noggin will be: gold and studded with some looted diamonds.

But there are other markets being offered on his big day, when he finally gets to sit in the big seat.

What interest is that of us here, I hear you ask? Why should we care about some family held in high esteem by eejits across the water?

Well RTÉ have deemed it important enough to dedicate four hours of coverage to the ceremony tomorrow afternoon. That’s RTÉ One too, not ‘HRHGO’. Coming a week after the national broadcaster failed to show even one puck from Limerick and Clare last Saturday, this should cause a bit of a stir for those among us who are flicking around looking for Cork v Tipp tomorrow evening.

Their other cross-channel neighbours have also had some grievance with the shindig, specifically the menu. The incoming monarch apparently always gets to choose a dish for the great unwashed to serve to celebrate their ascent.

Chas’s mam opted for a ‘coronation chicken’ (served cold with curry cream sauce, rice and peas), but he’s gone for a ‘coronation quiche’ (spinach, broad beans and tarragon filling).

Fine (except for the tarragon), but he’s gone and upset the French by calling it a quiche.

The recipe was personally chosen by the incoming king and Camilla, his quiche consort, and prepared by the aptly named royal chef Mark Flanagan (flan again, anyone?) but experts from the Lorraine region in France claim what they have created would be better off being labelled as a pie, considering its provenance — a tart reply, no matter what way you look at it.

Bookies are betting the British public won’t be overly convinced by the unpatriotic flavour to the controversy and it’s as big as 10/1 ‘coronation quiche’ will be the top-selling item in British supermarkets in May, although it is coming up against some heavyweight staples like milk and butter here.

A few over here will surely tune in to the action from London, claiming they like the pomp and costumes on display, rather than out of any sense of fealty. Every channel in the UK (bar some of the +900 channels more renowned for being associated with different crown jewels) will be showing the event, so it should be no surprise it does attract a huge audience, albeit it is expected to be well under the 28m UK record audience the queen’s funeral garnered. It is 6/4 18-20m will tune in over there.

Odds are also that Carlos Three will have less of an interest in the ‘sport of kings’ than his mam (her last winner was the unfortunately named Just Fine at Goodwood, two days before she died), evidenced by his selling of 14 racehorses he inherited from her for around £25 million.

Away from the Coronation Stakes, we have one huge race this weekend, across the bigger pond.

It’s Kentucky Derby weekend with the 149th running of the most prestigious race in the US in Lexington.

Last year Rich Strike lived up to his name by becoming the longest-priced winner at 80/1 since Donerail passed the post first in 1913. Churchill Downs usually throws up shorter-priced winners than that in the 20-horse field and my fancy is Tapit Trice at 11/2. He is trained by Todd Pletcher, who also has favourite Forte and mid-odds fancy Kingsbarns at 3/1 and 12/1 respectively.

Leeds opt for last roll of the Allardyce to avoid the drop

ROBBIE Keane has been added to Sam Allardyce’s backroom team as the former England boss takes over at Elland Road for the last four games of the season.

The Ireland striker’s last job was a well-paid role in the Irish international set-up that saw him do not much once Stephen Kenny said he was surplus to requirements.

Big Sam is on a £3m bonus fee if he manages to keep Leeds in the Premier League, probably the best per-hour pay ever offered to a manager if he achieves it.

Although he is renowned for being a relegation saviour, a few things look against him. The fixtures are one: Man City, Newcastle, West Ham, and Tottenham. And the side he takes over is on a run of one point in five games with 18 goals conceded. The 68-year-old’s win percentage as a Premier League manager is 33%, as opposed to the 100% record he had when relieved of his duties as the national team manager (after one game, that is).

That the champions-elect are first up is concerning. City have defeated Big Sam sides on more occasions than any other club in his career. They have also scored 30 goals in their last seven home games.

Leeds fans may bemoan their transformation from and attacking side under Marcelo Bielsa to a long-ball team, but Big Sam won’t mind if his methods get immediate results. He is 3/1 to keep them up and stay on as manager for the start of 2023/24. They are 17th right now and out of the relegation zone on goal difference but are still 4/7 to go down.

Big Sam famously has an aversion to tippy-tappy football and will probably be sad to see City have opted for it less this season now they have a rocketman up front. He will set up not to concede under any circumstances tomorrow afternoon and hope to nick a goal on the break of from a set play, so 4/1 on Leeds to score a headed goal should appeal.

They are 18/1 to win and it’s 15/2 they get a draw, which is the most they or Arsenal fans can probably hope for, although a big Champions League clash on Tuesday may see Pep ring in the changes.

Everton received some good news that Seamus Coleman’s injury may not be as serious as first thought.

They face high-flying Brighton away on Monday and Sean Dyche’s side are 8/11 to be in the Championship next season after a first relegation since 1951.

The Toffees pulled off a great escape under Frank Lampard last season, and he now finds himself in what, if you squint, you could see as a battle against the drop with Chelsea. Frank hasn’t registered so much as a draw since taking over the Blues again, and it is 9/2 that he doesn’t gain one win before the end of the season. They are 100/1 to somehow go down, while Lamps’ other old club West Ham are the other outsiders for the drop at 28/1 despite a midweek defeat to City. Notts Forest are 10/11 to go straight back down, while Leicester are 15/8.

Rebels can edge Tipp

A BIG crowd is expected tomorrow evening to welcome Tipp down The Marina.

Munster’s traditional heavyweights impressed in their opening games, and now with Limerick looking even slightly on the wane, their ambitions must be boosted by being top of the table despite being the sides with only one game played.

Of course, the losers might find themselves in a dogfight with Clare (assuming John Kiely’s men get their act together) to qualify for the All-Ireland series, so there is a lot on the line tonight.

I’d opt for the Rebels to win by up to three points at 7/2 in what could be another classic not to be broadcast on terrestrial TV.

In the football we have the Munster final of Clare and Kerry in the Gaelic Grounds on Sunday. The same venue hosted these two in 1992 (The Banner have only played the decider in 2012 since), and I should know as I was at the game, the only one I ever attended with both my grandfathers.

On the trip home, one of them kept muttering about Jack O’Shea falling on his arse (after contesting a high ball) after the great midfielder had been turned into a full-forward for his final game, a famous defeat. It is also memorable for Marty Morrissey’s immortal: “There won’t see a cow milked in Clare for at least a week.”

Red under pressure

ANOTHER travesty of a game we attended on Shannonside, albeit more recently, was Munster v Glasgow game at the tail-end of March. If you don’t remember it, it was where the Reds went 0-31 down after 44 minutes. It ended 26-38 and was pretty dire stuff from the home side at their ‘fortress’.

Graham Rowntree’s men were pummelled in their Champions Cup game a week later against the Sharks but have two decent performances in South Africa under their belts since then.

The Warriors, returning to the playoffs for the first time since 2019, have won their five games since their visit to Limerick, yet are only evens when they meet again tomorrow, as opposed to 10/11 for Munster. Glasgow are unbeaten at Scotstoun this season and while Munster boast the best defensive record in the competition, the Scots are a bogey team for the Reds and an 11-15 winning margin at 10/1 looks possible.

Canelo back home

SAUL ‘Canelo’ Alvarez defends his undisputed super middleweight title against Londoner John Ryder tomorrow night.

It is the champ’s first fight of 2023 and indeed first south of the border down Mexico way and on home soil in 12 years.

This is Alvarez’s 22nd world title fight in his career (20 wins) and he will be aiming to secure his 40th knockout as a pro (16/5).

Ryder is a 10/1 underdog. He recently beat Daniel Jacobs, a fighter who took Canelo the distance in 2019. Canelo has only lost twice in his career, to the most imperious boxer of all time in Floyd Mayweather Junior a decade ago and 12 months ago after stepping up to light-heavy to take on the more powerful Russian Dmitry Bivol.

The Bet

TAPIT Trice has yet to lose a race in 2023 and is known for his closing speed, and if he can get out the gate quickly and find an outside line he should have the legs to hold off his stablemates at 11/2.