Find Me a 100 Winner: Under-rated French duo can spring a surprise in Dubai

After some close defeats, Romain Wattel looks a first-time winner-in-waiting

With the cream of the European Tour chasing untold riches in Dubai this week and dominating the market, there are some very good players available at enormous odds. Paul Krishnamurty argues the pick of the value lies with a pair of up and coming French players...

On the basis of previous renewals, this week's Race to Dubai finale is hardly the ideal tournament to be searching for a big-priced winner. All three past champions were fairly obvious and only one of the 15 players to register a top-five finish begun the week within our triple-figure price range. Nevertheless, the strength of the market leaders means there are some very interesting candidates available at enormous odds. In particular, I like promising French duo Victor Dubuisson and Romain Wattel at 300.0299/1 and 380.0379/1 respectively.

Over the past couple of seasons, a slate of excellent prospects have emerged to head the next generation of the European Tour. Each of George Coetzee, Thorbjorn Olesen, Bernd Weisberger, Dubuisson and Wattel will have started shorter than the rest at some stage, usually on the basis of the previous week's results, yet there is little to choose between them on the overall balance of form. A decent punting plan might involve simply backing any of this quintet when they appear at markedly higher odds than the rest, which this week would point strongly towards the French. Whereas Coetzee is a mere 34.033/1 chance, Wattel is available at 380.0379/1, over ten times bigger.

Both Dubuisson and Wattel have enjoyed decent second seasons, albeit without winning, (which could also be said of Coetzee). Both have seven top-15 finishes on the Race to Dubai and gone close on occasion. Dubuisson has three top-fives to his name this summer, while Wattel registered consecutive top-threes in strong fields at Gleneagles and Crans just a couple of months ago. Moreover, with power off the tee a prerequisite for success around the 7,700 yard Earth Course, these big-hitting course debutants will enjoy a meaningful advantage over at least half this 64-man line-up. Beating the likes of Rory McIlroy will be a huge ask, but a place on the leaderboard, featuring amongst the market principals at some stage in-running, is a perfectly realistic target.

The trading advice is to stake two units in total, then place lay orders on each player at 20.019/1 and 3.02/1 respectively to bank profit. Just hitting one lay target would ensure a 500% return on our initial outlay.

Recommended Bets

Back Victor Dubuisson 1u @ 300.0299/1
Back Romain Wattel 1u @ 380.0379/1

Place order to lay 10u @ 20.019/1
Place order to lay 20u @ 3.02/1

Updated 2012 Stats: +34 units