Race 1 (Kelso 2.15) - Keeneland and Cavite Eta both have been in fair form over the last few months and assuming they remain in good heart should be thereabouts at the finish of this opening novices hurdle.

Race 2 (Kelso 2.45) – Donald McCain’s Swift Arrow has been a little disappointing so far under rules but the better ground my well bring about some improvement. Also suggested in a trappy contest is Gentleman Jeff, who hails from the in-form yard of Chris Grant.

Race 3 (Kelso 3.20) – Point-to-point winner Witness In Court represents a top yard and shaped with promise on his rules bow in a bumper at Hexham. Sure to have come on for that effort he is nominated as a banker in a basically modest novice hurdle.

Race 4 (Kelso 3.50) – Rockabilly looked unlucky when coming down while leading at Perth last month and may gain compensation here. We also suggest including locally-trained Humbie, who goes particularly well at this track.

Race 5 (Kelso 4.25) – Mahfal looks one to keep on the right side and appears to have been found a winnable opportunity by his trainer Brian Smart. We suggest including the Yorkshire raider as a second banker selection on the card.

Race 6 (Kelso 4.55) - Abragante is the pick on official figures in this hunter chase but at the end of a long season we also feel it prudent to include Alan Brown’s Laura’s Light who has been going well between the flags.

Suggested Kelso Placepot perm – 2×2x1×2x1×2 = 16 bets.

It is perhaps something of a surprise that these two will be striding out at Wembley given the fact that they finished the regular season in sixth and seventh place respectively.

However, the sides are there on merit with Cheltenham easing past Torquay 4-1 on aggregate and, although the scoreline was much tighter, Crewe missed a number of chances to wrap up a convincing victory as they saw off Southend 3-2 on aggregate.

Having led 1-0 from the first-leg, the Alex should really have sealed their Wembley place long before Southend equalised on the night and, although it set up a frantic finale, that could just work in their favour come Sunday.

Crewe have been installed as very marginal favourites in the match betting as they are priced at 8/5, with Cheltenham a shade bigger at 17/10, while the draw is on offer at 12/5.

Cheltenham have been a surprise package this season, having started their League Two campaign as one of the market leaders for relegation, but defied the critics to make it to the play-offs.

Perhaps not one of the highest scorers in the divsion, the Robins were strong defensively at home – conceding just 16 goals – making life difficult for visiting teams at Whaddon Road.

The manner of their victory over Torquay was also impressive, winning 2-0 at home and 2-1 away, which should give them confidence after going into the play-offs with some indifferent form.

Crewe by contrast are enjoying an 18-match unbeaten streak which stretches back to February 18, gaining revenge for that loss by getting the better of Southend in the semi-finals.

A fair number of those games have been draws though, 10 in total with eight wins, but they should also be full of confidence as they have scored in every game since that defeat at Roots Hall.

What is also in the Alex’s favour is the fact that they won both regular season meetings between the two sides, winning 1-0 at Whaddon Road in October – albeit with an injury-time penalty – while the 1-0 at home came just three matches before the end of the season.

Those two matches suggest that Sunday’s clash could be a tight affair, although there is the obvious difference that this game takes place on the hallowed turf of Wembley in front of the cameras in a final.

Defender Luke Garbutt is available for Cheltenham after being released by England Under-19s after recovering from a hamstring problem, and he could displace the man who replaced him against Torquay – Keith Lowe.

Crewe are also able to welcome back a player as midfielder Luke Murphy has recovered from his own hamstring injury to give boss Steve Davis a fully-fit squad to choose from.

Jermaine McGlashan has hit form at the right time for the Robins with a goal in both legs of the semi-final and is on offer at 10/1 to score first/last and 11/4 anytime, although the big game atmosphere might bring the best out of Crewe’s Nick Powell.

The 18-year-old has been in fine form for the Railwaymen this term with 14 goals, and his displays have got the Premier League big guns circling for his services with Manchester United, Arsenal and Everton all linked with a move.

Providing he can handle the occasion, Powell looks a good shout at 11/2 First/Last Goalscorer and 3/2 Anytime, in what has been an effective partnership with AJ Leitch-Smith (6/1 and 13/8).

Cheltenham have not lost a play-off game in their history with five wins and three draws previously, but Powell can provide the key to unlock the Robins’ defence and seal promotion for the Alex.

In arguably the biggest derby in rugby league, the Challenge Cup holders Wigan go up against the Super League runners up St Helens, in a game that could really go either way.

Wigan came out on top in the last meeting between these teams in the Challenge Cup earlier this month, with an 18-4 victory at the DW Stadium.

That was a closely fought contest in Lancashire and you can expect a similar clash at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday, when the same big names will be looking to perform.

Wigan boast the likes of Sam Tomkins at full-back who can spring attacks in any area of the pitch and, with the glorious sunshine set to continue throughout the weekend, the firm ground will be perfect for the England international to implement his running game.

As for St Helens they have the creative influence of Jonny Lomax in their ranks and the half-back has the ability to unlock any defence in the Super League, including Wigan’s.

Form tends to go out the window in derby clashes and there are bound to be some upsets over the Magic Weekend.

Despite their decent form, Saints have struggled against Wigan in recent games and that trend may well just continue, with the Warriors set to just edge this one in Manchester.

In another classic Super League derby Bradford Bulls get set to go up against their West Yorkshire adversaries Leeds Rhinos, with sparks set to fly once again between these rivals (Bradford 5/2, draw 20/1, Leeds 3/10).

The last time these two met it was the Bulls who bagged themselves two late tries to snatch victory from the Rhinos at Odsal and Leeds will be looking for revenge on Sunday.

With the Super League champions continuing to struggle for form in the regular campaign as they did last season, the Rhinos will be desperate to get back to winning ways and who better to do it against than Bradford.

Once again the firm pitch at the Etihad will suit Leeds and their attacking game and they should come out on top against the Bulls.

The two remaining games on Sunday look like they will both be one sided affairs that should have some pretty high scorelines.

Huddersfield Giants have continued to progress under head coach Nathan Brown and they will be fully expected to see of the Salford City Reds, as they battle near the top of the table (Huddersfield 1/8, draw 25/1, Salford 8/1).

This will certainly be a season to forget for the London Broncos and their woes are set to continue when they face the Catalans Dragons this weekend (Catalans 1/7, draw 25/1, London 9/2).

The French outfit will certainly be in the mix come the playoffs this term and the Dragons will sense any weakness and exploit it as much as they can.

Unfortunately for the Broncos they have weaknesses all over the pitch and Catalans should run out comfortable winners.

Delhi Daredevils led the group stage of this season’s IPL pretty much from start to finish but Kevin Pietersen’s departure back to the England ranks saw them struggle towards the end and, despite having two bites at the cherry due to the elimination system, they failed to reach the final and suffered a shock exit.

Kolkata finished second in the table and their victory over Delhi in the first qualifier was a massive confidence boost and saw them advance straight to the final, with Delhi then losing to Chennai on Friday.

But despite finishing four points above Chennai in the league and downing the mighty Daredevils, they find themselves second favourite to win the final with Super Kings odds-on to claim their third consecutive IPL crown.

Both sides have peaked at the right time with Chennai winning four of their last six group games to qualify for the play-offs before thrashing Mumbai Indians by 38 runs in the first eliminator.

Delhi were tipped to provide them with a much tougher test but they steamrollered Virender Sehwag’s side by an amazing 86 runs on Friday.

It has certainly been a collective effort that has got them to the final as they struggled at times this term but rallied when it mattered most to get over the line.

Friday’s second qualifier was a classic example as Murali Vijay had done little in the competition to suggest that he would have much of a say in proceedings before going on to smash 113 to propel his franchise into the final (Vijay 16/5 Top Chennai Batsman).

Four batsmen have scored more than 300 runs, with Faf du Plessis, Dwayne Bravo, Suresh Raina and skipper MS Dhoni all scoring heavily and it has been the same story with the bowlers.

Ravi Ashwin, Ben Hilfenhaus, Albie Morkel, Ravindra Jadeja and Bravo have all claimed more than 10 wickets and it proves that, unlike some of the franchises, the team owners have not put all their eggs in one basket and have spread out the talent to cover all bases.

They clearly have the experience to win the sub-continental extravaganza for the third straight time and the fact that they had to come through two play-off games against tough teams will stand them in good stead for Sunday’s show-piece.

However it will be by no means an easy task to get past a Kolkata side who, after a dodgy start, won eight of their last 10 completed group games to finish just behind Delhi in the standings.

Skipper Gautam Gambhir has been the standout player for the franchise, with 588 runs at a strike rate of more than 144 and he has received excellent support from Jacques Kallis, who has gone about his business in a workmanlike manner to amass 340 runs.

Brendon McCullum has, as always, been hit and miss, while Yusuf Pathan scored vital runs in the victory over Delhi and Manoj Tiwary has made more than useful contributions.

It is a strong batting line-up and will benefit from the return of Bangladesh’s Shakib Al Hasan, who has missed several games through injury.

Their bowling has been dominated by West Indian off-spinner Sunil Narine and how Windies’ skipper Darren Sammy would have loved to have had the youngster in his squad on the current tour of England.

The 23-year-old has taken 24 wickets at an economy rate of just 5.2 runs per over and, with Lakshmipathy Balaji conceding only 5.4 runs an over and Shakib 6.29, it is easy to see why they have done so well in this season’s competition.

Twenty20 cricket is not all about pace and KKR have a well-balanced attack with several top-class spinners and the likes of Kallis, Rajat Bhatia and Balaji to do the bulk of the seam-bowling duties.

These two sides look evenly matched on paper and it might come down to the captaincy skills of Gambhir and Dhoni to decide who is crowned IPL champion 2012.

They have both done well and need to lift their players one more time to claim the spoils.

This one looks too close to call but experience usually counts for a lot and so it may well be that the India captain is the toast of Chennai once again on Sunday night.

Race 1 (Haydock 2:30) – Archbishop, Gabrial and Grey Mirage are our chosen trio in a very tricky mile handicap that should test form pundits to the full.

Race 2 (Goodwood 2:45) – Jet Away could make quite a name for himself this season and looked one to follow when hacking up on his first start of the term at Ripon. Cai Shen looks likely to give him most to do.

Race 3 (Haydock 3:00) – Sole Power has everything in his favour at a track where he has gone well in the past having won this very race 12 months ago. The ground has come ideal for the Irish raider and we nominate him as a banker selection in this Group 2 event.

Race 4 (Goodwood 3:20) – Romeo Montague looks to be coming to hand after a solid effort at York last time out and along with Hamilton winner Ithoughtitwasover looks the one to be on in this tight handicap.

Race 5 (Haydock 3:30) – L’Ami Louis shaped with promise on his seasonal bow at Doncaster and should be in the thick of the action and is selected along with Headspace and Azrael in a very competitive handicap.

Race 6 (York 3:45) – In a typically ultra-competitive York sprint handicap we rely on three selections to see us through to a winning dividend in today’s Scoop6. Our chosen trio are Celerina, Ancient Cross and Magical Macey.

Suggested Scoop6 perm – 3×2x1×2x3×3 = 108

Race 1 (Haydock 2:00) – Top weight Beyond Conceit goes on all ground so punters shouldn’t be put off by his recent win on a soft surface. Also included is The Queen’s Moidore who could be one to keep on the right side this term.

Race 2 (Haydock 2:30) – Archbishop, Gabrial and Grey Mirage are our chosen trio in a very tough mile handicap that should test form pundits to the full.

Race 3 (Haydock 3:00) – Sole Power has everything in his favour at a track where he has gone well in the past having won this very race 12 months ago. The ground has come ideal for the Irish raider and we nominate him as a banker selection in this Group 2 event.

Race 4 (Haydock 3:30) – L’Ami Louis shaped with promise on his seasonal bow at Doncaster and should be in the thick of the action and is selected along with Headspace and Azrael in a very competitive handicap.

Race 5 (Haydock 4:05) – Seeking Magic and Midnight Feat are two horses with good prospects in handicap company this term and are selected in the hope of seeing us safely through the final leg of the Placepot.

Race 6 (Haydock 4:40) – Farlow and the unexposed Sharzan are both interesting contenders in yet another fiendishly difficult handicap in which a case can genuinely be made for more than half the field.

Suggested Haydock Placepot perm – 2×3x1×3x2×2 = 72 bets

It seems crazy that England are going into a major championships with a new manager who has had little time to prepare, given the fact that he only finished with his responsibilities at West Brom on May 13 – and the Three Lions are still fourth favourites at 10/1 to lift a trophy they have never won.

There have been a few talking points raised by the squad he named last Wednesday but the proof is in the pudding, and Hodgson – like the rest of us – will have a better idea of his starting XI following the warm-up games.

The first of two fixtures has been one that has caused England problems in the past with the team, which has had the better of the head-to-head record, not having beaten Norway since 1980 – albeit just five games ago.

Although there are one or two names recognisable to Premier League watchers, this Norway side does not look the strongest on paper – made evident by a 4-1 drubbing against Wales just last November.

England have been installed as the 11/10 favourites in the match betting, despite playing away, which is perhaps not surprising given Norway’s current resources with Fulham’s Brede Hangeland and John Arne Riise as well as Blackburn’s Morten Gamst Pedersen the better known faces in the squad.

It will be interesting to see the make-up of Hodgson’s first team selection for his country, particularly with just one other friendly (against Belgium at Wembley on June 2) to come before the tournament gets underway, but there are sure to be a host of substitutions as the former Switzerland and Finland boss tests his charges on the international stage.

That could give ammunition for those looking to oppose Hodgson’s men at the prices and Norway should not be under-estimated at 5/2 with the draw 23/10, given the fact that they only missed out on the play-offs for Euro 2012 due to a worse goal difference behind Portugal.

In fact, Egil Olsen’s men beat the Portuguese 1-0 on home territory in qualification, while they also held Group H winners Denmark 1-1 in an unbeaten campaign on home soil, suffering two defeats on their travels.

However, that recent defeat to Wales still leaves doubt in the mind with their goal coming from a horrendous gaffe from goalkeeper Wayne Hennessy.

The Norwegians did bounce back with a 3-0 defeat of Northern Ireland in a friendly but England are a much tougher proposition and should have the tools to pick up a morale-boosting win – even with Andy Carroll and Stewart Downing in the squad.

It would be prudent to wait for team news, given the nature of the clash – a friendly ahead of a major tournament with a new manager’s first squad – before jumping in to the goal scorer markets, although Hodgson’s options up front are somewhat limited.

Wayne Rooney and Danny Welbeck have been struggling with niggling injuries so could miss out, particularly with the former suspended for the first two games of Euro 2012.

That could see Carroll indeed start up front with Jermain Defoe, seemingly a substitute at Spurs, and both are available at 11/2 First/Last and 3/2 Anytime Goalscorer, with Welbeck also priced up at those odds.

Whatever side England put out on Saturday night should be good enough to come away with the win but of course whether it is good enough to go all the way in Poland and Ukraine remains to be seen.

For the Irish they face Bosnia-Herzegovina in their last home game before they turn their attention to the serious business of Euro 2012. Elsewhere, the Scots have no major tournament to prepare for but they will be keen to get a result across the Atlantic against the United States.

Republic of Ireland v Bosnia-Herzegovina – 3pm

There is bound to be a jovial atmosphere inside the Aviva Stadium on Saturday as Irish supporters look for their team to continue their Euro 2012 preparations with a win.

Coach Giovanni Trapattoni has done a fantastic job with what is predominantly an ageing Irish team to get them to Euro 2012. However, if Ireland are to make it out of Group C, with Italy, Spain and Croatia all in their way, they will have to up their game.

The clash with  Bosnia-Herzegovina is a good test of what this Ireland squad is capable of, with the Balkan nation narrowly missing out on a place in Poland and Ukraine this summer after a play-off defeat to Portugal.

Coach Safet Susic has a few talented players at his disposal, with Edin Dzeko, Miralem Pjanic, Senad Lulic and Zvjezdan Misimovic all expected to start on Saturday.

Having just failed to reach the European Championships you’d expect Bosnia-Herzegovina to give a good account of themselves, even after a long, hard season. With Trapattoni naturally cautious the game is unlikely to be an open one, especially given all of Ireland’s injury concerns in defence.

Kieren Westwood will start in goal ahead of Shay Given as he recovers from a knee injury. Paul McShane has been called up to the squad because the central defensive trio of John O’Shea, Richard Dunne and Sean St Ledger are all unavailable.

In attack, Trapattoni has a big decision to make when it comes to who should partner Robbie Keane (11/10 to score anytime), with Shane Long (3/2), Jon Walters (7/4), Kevin Doyle (13/8) and Simon Cox (15/8) all in the reckoning.

Despite having something to play for and home advantage Saturday’s game could be something of an anti-climax, with a draw the most likely outcome.

The draw is 9/4, with Ireland evens and Bosnia-Herzegovina 3/1.

USA v Scotland – 1am

Even the most hardy of Scotland fans might give this game a miss given the kick-off time here as Craig Levein takes his team to Florida for this ’soccer’ match. You might be forgiven for thinking this is just a jolly for the Scottish players and if they treat it like that then they’ll be turned over by a strong USA team.

Levein has taken a weakened squad to Jacksonville for the clash, with Jamie Mackie, Kris Commons, Darren Fletcher, Steven Naisimth, James Morrison, Graham Dorrans and Charlie Adam all left at home. The uncapped duo of Blackpool winger Matt Phillips and Dundee United striker Johnny Russell have been called up to fill the void but are unlikely to feature against the States.

Despite failing to reach Euro 2012 Levein can be happy with the progress he has made in the national set-up, losing just one of his seven games in charge and that was against Spain. However, the USA have a strong squad and under current coach Jurgen Klinsmann recorded their most famous result to date when they beat Italy 1-0 in Genoa in February.

The States team boasts a number of familiar names, with Clint Dempsey, Landon Donovan, Maurice Edu and Tim Howard all expected to feature against the Scots. Given the season Dempsey has had at Fulham he could be a good bet to score anytime at 11/8, or you could place him a scorecast with Dempsey first goalscorer and the USA to win 1-0 priced at 20/1.

The States have won the last four, three of which finished 1-0, and will be expected to roll over the Scots. A USA win is 8/13, with Scotland 9/2 and the draw 11/4.

Watch out for the Irish! That’s my racing advice for the weekend because the Irish could clean up in all the big races!

Indeed if Jim Bolger’s Parish Hall is a good as the trainer thinks he is then this colt is going to take some beating in the Abu Dhabi Irish 2,000 Guineas at the Curragh on Saturday.(3.15 Channel 4 and ATR)

“He’s as good if not better than any horse I’ve trained” said Bolger who is hoping to win the mile classic on Saturday before sending the colt to Epsom next week for the mile and a half  Investec Derby!

That’s an ambitious double by any standards but it shows you the very high regard the trainer has  for the horse who won the Dewhurst at Newmarket last October.

Hermival and Trumpet Major who challenge from France and England respectively and who finished 3^rd and 4^th in the English 2,000 guineas behind Camelot represent classic form.

Hermival is very interesting but he has only run on soft ground before and it’s going to be an awful lot quicker in Ireland on Saturday!

Trumpet Major, from the Richard Hannon team, looks great each way as he was a ready winner of the Craven, ran a solid race in the guineas and last year was a bit unlucky in running when a length and a half behind Parish Hall in the Dewhurst. His form is solid all the way through!

You can never discount Aiden Obrien of course but I think he will have his big day on Sunday when the amazing Homecoming Queen aims to follow up her runaway success in the English 1,000 guineas by winning the Irish 1,000 guineas.

Also on Sunday Aiden is also hoping to saddle So You Think in the Tattersalls Gold Cup and if that’s the case then look no furthur for the winner.

Eddie Lynam’s Irish raider Sole Power looks the one to be on at Haydock on Saturday and looks set to win the Betfred Temple Stakes for the second year running. (3.00 Channel 4 and RUK)

Sole Power who’ll be ridden by Paul Hanagan, the champion jockey, ran a cracking race to finish 2^nd to the Australian mare Hortensia in the big sprint on Dubai World Cup Night in Meydan amd now looks ready to win.

Sole Power finished just in front of Monsieur Joe that night and although there should not be much between them on Saturday Sole Power should confirm the form.

Bated Breath and Tangerine Trees are two horses who merit the highest respect and wouldn’t it be something if the old horse Borderlescott could show the youngsters home at the age of 10!

It’s a cracking Group 2 but Sole Power should win with Monsieur Joe as the best each way.

And then at York on Saturday the Irish domination is set to continue with Tommy Stack’s Celerina in the Whixley Handicap. (3.45 Channel 4 and RUK)

Stack will always be remembered as the man who rode Red Rum to that record breaking 3^rd success in the 1977 Grand National but he is also an outstanding trainer of horses and it’s interesting that he’s booked Frankie Dettori who rides this York track so well!

So Tommo’s advice watch out for the Irish!

Also don’t forget to have a go at the Scoop 6 on Saturday – for £2 you could win a life changing amount.Also the Placepot is without doubt the best bet day in and day out in British racing.

All you’ve got to do is get 6 horses to be placed in the first 6 races at any meeting and you win!

It’s great value again at £2 and if you can’t get to the track or a Betfred/Tote shop you can do it on your phone!

And talking of the phone if you are on Twitter then why not takeontommo  @tommoracing and win free bets @totepool.

Take me on in the Scoop 6 rollover race and if you pick the winner you could win free bets @totepool.

Race 1 (Goodwood 2.00) – Tommy’s Secret made a satisfactory debut at Chester earlier in the month and will have learned from the experience. The booking of Ryan Moore for newcomer Smiling Shark is interesting and he is also included in this opening event.

Race 2 (Goodwood 2.30) – Hannibal Hayes represents a powerful yard and is being introduced into handicap company at a fairly low level so is one to have on your side, along with seasonal debutante Blanc de Chine who was a model of consistency last term.

Race 3 (Goodwood 3.10) – Kingsdine showed enough at Ascot recently on his first start for 10 months to suggest he will be in the mix today. Another with prospects is Konstantin who will also be better for a recent pipe-opener.

Race 4 (Goodwood 3.45) – Michelangelo ran a cracker on his debut at Newmarket in listed company when just edged out by the useful pair of Noble Mission and Mariner’s Cross. Granted normal progression from his first run he should be very much on the premises here and is nominated as a banker selection.

Race 5 (Goodwood 4.20) – Triple Aspect is the class act of this field and as long as he gets the run of the race he will prove hard to keep out of the frame. We nominate Jeremy Gask’s charge as a second banker on the card.

Race 6 (Goodwood 4.55) – Lady Rosamunde could be a step ahead of the handicapper judging by her recent Newbury win and is nominated in this Placepot finale together with previous C&D winner Kathleen Frances, who ran with promise on her first outing of the term a few weeks ago.

Suggested Goodwood Placepot perm – 2×2x2×1x1×2 = 16 bets

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