Outright
England are installed as hot favourites by bookies, at $1.45 but I think that is mental. They have struggled against an average New Zealand side and whilst they drew with India, they got absolutely battered by South Africa on home soil. Rarely can Australia have been available at $4.33, so thats what I am piling into.

Correct Score
With the weather likely to be utterly shambolic, I can see quite a few of the games ending in a draw, so my tips are Australia 2-0 at $41.00, and Australia 2-1 at $13.00.

Back the Aussies!

It’s Monday and the dust has settled – both on the Oval cricket pitch and at Randwick and Moonee Valley, with the former racecourse being a bit of a punter’s graveyard over the weekend.

I hold my hands up to the Voice Commander shout in the 1400m Warwick Stakes – he was nowhere to be seen and my dollars are similarly conspicuous by their absence after Trusting came in, having stood at around 9.00 with many bookies.

Moonee Valley thankfully took the edge off this as Secret Flyer got us the win in the BC3 Future Stars – anyone who paid attention and slapped a wedge on this one at 2.70 with Centrebet on Friday will be breathing a very happy sigh of relief.

The ‘Pom’ part of ‘Pom de Turf’ is especially smug about the Ashes for more reasons than should be mentioned here. I won’t bore you with the sledging but will instead point to the floppy blonde head of English pace bowler Stuart Broad – not to laugh, but to hail his five wicket haul which would have netted you some cash if you took Friday’s advice of a punt on a bowler to take five wickets in an innings with Betfair at 2.02.

You all fancied Ben Hilfenhaus for this on Saturday didn’t you? Well you won cash anyway so don’t look quite so down. Remember what happened the last time England went to Australia to defend the urn and you should cheer up smartly.

We have midweek racing at Randwick on the Kensington track on Tuesday and the 1100m Intergaze Maiden Plate is a potential nightmare – there are a number of decent horses dropping down to midweek and although there’s plenty of interest on Glowlamp at 1.85 with Centrebet I’ve got a bad feeling about this one with decent shouts Purdey and Schlager hovering ominously behind.

Instead the Chris Munce – ridden Sainthood is looking reasonable in the 1550m handicap on the same card – Betfair will give you 3.00 for this.

Elsewhere we can expect a massive week in both AFL and NRL betting – watch this space for tips as the battle for the top eight heats up.