The eight-year-old has met with hold-ups to his training schedule over the last couple of months as a result of the severe winter weather experienced in Ireland, and is still considered by connections to be one gallop short of race fitness. As well as Hurricane Fly, unbeaten in three outing so far this term, Dunguib could find himself facing Solwhit, Voler La Vedette and former champion hurdler Sublimity, in what will doubtless prove to be a key trial for the big race itself at the Cheltenham Festival on March 15th.

An outstanding novice hurdler last term, the gelded son of Presenting was seen as the Irish banker of the meeting at Cheltenham last year, lining up for the opening race of the fixture, the Supreme Novices’ hurdle, as odds-on 4/5 favourite in the Cheltenham odds having been unbeaten in four outings over hurdles, including two at Grade 1 level. His defeat at the hands of Menorah appeared a major disappointment at the time, but has subsequently proven to be very smart form in light of the winner’s achievements since.

Beaten again at Punchestown in April (behind Hurricane Fly) when probably over the top for the season, Dunguib’s return to action is eagerly anticipated by his many fans. A good effort at Leopardstown would almost certainly see his current ante-post odds for the big race at Cheltenham cut from the best price of 20/1 on offer at present, to less than half the price. The Gold Cup betting will be many punter’s obsession during the festival, but the Supreme Novices’ could be a race to watch.

A return to his best would be great for Dunguib, great for Irish racing and for the Champion Hurdle itself, which is already building up to be an absolute cracker.

I decided to re-blog his tips here so everyone can have a piece of the action. If Andy’s football tips don’t come off, don’t blame me. Remember, you can claim a free bet deal for new customers with Betfair Bookmakers

Here’s Andy’s top tips for this weekends football action. Remember theses odds are only available on Betfair Bookmakers. Nearly all of the games this weekend are F.A. Cup fixtures, apart from Manchester United Vs Hull and the big Milan derby between Inter and AC.

Spurs v Leeds: Harry will be disappointed at a return of one point from his last two league matches. Whereas they did everything but score against Hull, they were really poor at Anfield on Wednesday night and in truth deserved nothing from the match. But they’re a different animal at White Hart Lane and let’s not forget that Leeds are not one division below them, but two. Yes, Simon Grayson’s outfit were superb at Old Trafford in the previous round but it’s asking a lot for lightning to strike twice.

That said, the Spurs back four will need to keep Jermaine Beckford quiet if they’re to progress to the next round at the first time of asking. It looks like he’ll be leaving at the end of the season whether Leeds go up or not and his pace and finishing are good enough for him to make a name for himself in the Championship. As for the Premier League, we won’t know if he can hack it at that level until he actually plays there.

He’ll obviously be Leeds’ main threat on Saturday afternoon but I fancy an organised Spurs defence to get the better of him on the day.

Recommended Bet: Back Spurs on the -1.5 Asian Handicap (Spurs to win by two goals) at 1.97.

Here are Andy’s score predictions for five of the weekend’s biggest games…

Preston v Chelsea
The Premier League faves will be far too strong for a Championship side in transition.
Recommended Bet: 0-3 at 9.6.

Spurs v Leeds
There’s too much of a gulf in quality between these two, so Spurs should win pretty comfortably.
Recommended Bet: 2-0 at 7.6.

Scunthorpe v Man City
Don’t expect any complacency with Mancini in charge but it won’t be easy.
Recommended Bet: 1-2 at 8.2.

Stoke v Arsenal
A replay is on the cards in this battle of contrasting styles.
Recommended Bet: 1-1 at 7.6.

Inter Milan v AC Milan
Milan’s attacking style will win the day and throw Serie A wide open.
Recommended Bet: 0-1 at 11.0.

Luck is often regarded as the predominant force in sports betting, but you would be very unwise to rely on it. Yes, some people get lucky a lot, and most people are more than likely going to have a bit of luck when it comes to placing a bet, but it is not something that will get you consistent success and relying on it could lead you into very murky waters! Successful betting relies predominantly on preparation, skill and dedication.

You need to be prepared to take the time necessary and educate yourself in whatever sport or event you intend on placing a bet on. Some people have it easier – for example people who are huge football fans will more than likely have no trouble putting an educated bet on the outcome of a football match or league. They might let their love of a certain team blind them somewhat, but at least they will have an iota of a clue of what they are betting on!

So if you do not have this love of the sport you want to bet on then you need to make sure you gather information, analyse the facts, and weigh up the probabilities before you make your informed decision about your bet. But make sure that your information comes from sound sources – ‘hot tips’ from friends don’t cut it as expert opinion. Betfair Bookmakers offer free stats on just about any sport you care to mention. It might all sound a bit heavy going, but if you don’t then it is your own money that you are throwing away! The aim of betting is to make a profit! Even if you are as prepared as you possibly could have been, you might still lose – but you will have made the effort and in the long run you will come out a winner.

Always seek out the best odds, as not all sports sites offer the same odds. Betfair Bookmakers and Tote Bookmakers offer some of the best odds online. Know your betting options as there are numerous ways that you can bet on a sporting event or game. A straight bet is a simple and easy bet, whereas a future bet is best for those who have a good knowledge of the event or sport. Always avoid long shots – to be successful at sports betting you are better off not searching for the ultimate instant get-rich-quick bet but steadily bet in a knowledgeable fashion and then hopefully you will get a fair amount of victories. Avoid hunches and ‘good feelings’ that you get about who is going to win or lose, as you will most often find that your intuition is not as good as you thought!

Mange you money and know your limits – never risk more than you can afford to lose. No matter how great a winner you think you are on to, you are still taking a gamble, and things can go wrong! Now go and swot up on the event you want to bet on!

Poor conditions like this will make handling more difficult and kicking a nightmare. Errors will lead to a stop start game and no team will be able to get into a flow.

Don’t back big scores in rugby matches when the weather turns nasty. Also look for unfancied teams against French opposition in the Heineken Cup when the weather turns bad, horrific conditions can be a great leveler.

Strong winds will play havoc with teams that like to kick for territory, depending on the direction of the wind you might also see one team forced to run the ball more than they would like. You can use this to your advance on betting exchanges like Betfair Bookmakers, Betfair have lots in-play markets. It’s much more likely that the team with a strong wind on their backs are going score the next points.

The dual Cheltenham Gold Cup winner held on to take his third victory in the race but to say he won by even a nose would be an major overstatement, as the official photo showed that first place was achieved by barely a hairs breadth.

Haydock is far from being Kauto Star’s favourite track and the nine year old unseated jockey Sam Thomas at last years event. Pre-race, the weather forecast also proved to be unfavourable and the soft ground meant that there was plenty of support for second favourite Notre Pere. However, it quickly became obvious that only Imperial Commander was capable of keeping up with Paul Nicholls champion, as Notre Pere and the rest of the challengers fell away long before the final run-in.

That left two horses in it with three to jump and while Paddy Brennan and his eight year old challenger kicked on well, they were destined to fall agonizingly short. Speaking after the race, trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies said: “He did bloody well. From every angle I saw he had got it, but there you are. I am sure the camera doesn’t lie.” “All the so-called experts said he couldn’t stay, but how couldn’t he? He ran over 2m5f in the Paddy Power in the heavy and he was powering up the hill. And if this had been 3m2f he would have won easily. Bring on the Gold Cup!” Twiston-Davies will now have to decide whether or not to send his horse to Kempton to take on Kauto Star again, this time in the King George VI Chase. In order to emerge victorious he may face an even stiffer test however, with Kauto going for a fourth successive victory in the race.

With a good run under his belt to boot, not only is ante-post favouritism justified but the ever decreasing odds on an unbeaten season suggest that, while undoubtedly impressive, Imperial Commander’s attempt may prove not to be ground gained but merely an opportunity missed.

The amount of money you can win is determined by the bookmaker at the time you place the bet. If you bet £10 on Manchester United to beat Liverpool at 2/1, you would win £20, plus you will get back your original £10 stake, giving you a return of £30. The maximum you can lose on a fixed odds bet is your original stake which in this case would be £10. You can add two or more fixed odds bets to build what is known as an ‘accumulator’. These accumulators come in many forms. 2x bets are known as ‘doubles’ and 3x bets are ‘triples’.

In horse racing it is common to have large accumulator bets such as a ‘Trixie’ which is a full-cover multiple bet made up of three selections for different races. It consists of three doubles and one treble. You have to win a minimum of two selections to receive a return.

If that sounds complicated then take a look at a ‘Super Yankee’ bet. A Super Yankee is a full-cover multiple bet made up of 5 selections in different races. A Super Yankee is made up of 26 bets – 10 doubles, 10 trebles, 5 fourfolds and 1 accumulator. You have to win a minimum of two selections to receive a return.

Accumulators are popular due to the fact that they can yield big returns for very low stakes as the money you win on one race or match is then added to the stake on the next and so on and so on. Although these bets can be tempting to the punters the bookmakers love them as they’re very hard to win.