Timeform bring you three bets on Thursday
Timeform's US team are in good form, winning with all three selections yesterday, and they bring you three more bets on Thursday...
Aqueduct race 4 (18:57 GMT) win back #9 TO THE POINT at 5.04/1 or longer
Finger Lakes race 6 (19:30 GMT) win lay #1 MIGHTYLOVER at 3.55/2or shorter
Turfway Park race 4 (23:59 GMT) win back # 5 SOK SOK at 4.03/1 or longer
Get FREE Timeform Star Ratings & Comments for the US & Canada at http://www.timeform.com/free/.
Wimbledon manager Neil Ardley
AFC Wimbledon supporters who bought tickets for Sunday's controversial FA Cup tie at Milton Keynes Dons but had a change of heart and decided to boycott the game will receive their money back from Betfair.
The gesture comes as the long-suffering fans are faced with a "Do You, Don't You" dilemma after the Second Round draw threw up a clash away at MK Dons, a fixture they hoped would never take place.
Hundreds of supporters are expected to miss the trip in protest, having already purchased tickets to ensure that their club do not lose out on a valuable share of gate receipts.
And for every ticket refunded, Betfair will go one step further and match the rebate with an identical donation to the Dons Trust.
A back-of-shirt sponsorship deal for the match also means that Betfair will contribute further funds to the popular south-west London club.
To claim their refund fans can hand in their match ticket at an amnesty box located in the box office at their home ground, the Cherry Red Records Stadium, before 15:00 on Saturday 1 December.
AFC Wimbledon Manager Neil Ardley said: "Everyone connected to this great club knows what an emotive issue it is for us and our supporters.
"We're grateful to Betfair for taking some of the pressure of what will be a very tough decision. I'm sure our fans will do what's best for both themselves and the club."
Betfair's Andy Holmes added: "For long-standing Wimbledon fans this match has thrown up a huge and very personal conflict. After what they've been through we don't think that it's right for these supporters to fork out if they don't plan to attend the match.
"We've left the decision in their hands."
Wimbledon are 9.89/1 outsiders to spring an upset at MK Dons, with the home side trading at 1.374/11. A draw is available at 5.14/1.
Boro boss Tony Mowbray
Andy Tongue expects a tight battle at St Andrew's but thinks the visitors may nick it after the break...
Birmingham vs Middlesbrough
Friday 30th November: 19:45GMT
LIVE on Sky Sports 1
Birmingham
Now with just one win in six, and that at home to lowly Bristol City, the alarm bells will be starting to ring around St Andrew's. Their last five defeats have all been by a single goal, which shows how close this league is once again, but at the moment it's not quite happening for Lee Clark's men. Tuesday's 1-1 draw at Blackpool did at least stop a run of two consecutive defeats but the Blues will be desperate to pick up three points on Friday and start to climb away from the group of sides that is beginning to form beneath them at the foot of the table.
Middlesbrough
Boro bounced back from that shock defeat at home to Bristol City with an impressive 3-0 win over Huddersfield, which underlined their credentials as promotion contenders this season. Although their best form has come at home, away from the Riverside they have lost as many as they've won (four each) with just the one draw, confidence should be high among Tony Mowbray's troops. However, we know from experience that the Championship is the most difficult of leagues to call with everybody capable of beating everyone on any given day.
Under/Over 2.5 Goals
All the above suggests this is likely to be another close contest and Birmingham have managed just nine goals at home and seem to gain little advantage from playing in front of their home crowd at the moment. They are likely to try and keep things tight, while Boro are not exactly prolific away from home themselves. Take away the four goals they scored at Charlton recently and they have seven from eight games so Under 2.5 Goals looks a solid bet at 2.1211/10.
Half-Time/Full-Time
Clearly on current form the visitors are the better side and it may pay to back them to show their superiority after the interval, especially as Birmingham had a tough game at Bloomfield Road on a heavy pitch on Tuesday night. Boro, in contrast, had their game wrapped up by the 66th minute and could come on strong in the latter stages at St Andrew's. Draw/Boro can be backed at 7.06/1 in the half-time/full-time market which certainly makes some appeal.
Recommended Bets
Back Under 2.5 Goals at 2.1211/10
Back Draw HT/Boro FT at 7.06/1
The Wigan forward line is looking as potent as it's ever been
Manchester City are long odds-on for their trip to Wigan this evening but with the Premier league champions having drawn four of their six away games this year, Paul Robinson thinks they are a value lay.
Wigan are 15th in the league with 14 points from their opening 13 matches and while that isn't great, it's miles better than their recent standards. Roberto Martinez's side are perennial slow starters but this year they've managed to continue on some of the success they achieved with the 3-4-3 formation they adopted at the back end of last season.
Jordi Gomez hit the headlines for Wigan in the 3-2 win over Reading on Saturday but from where I was sitting, the Latics improved dramatically for the introduction of Franco Di Santo at half time. He is sure to start on Wednesday as Shaun Maloney is injured, and him, Gomez and Arouna Kone should cause plenty of problems for the City defence.
Roberto Mancini's side are still undefeated in the league and they picked up a decent point at Chelsea under difficult circumstances. My concern about them winning here though is that the Italian manager will likely rotate and I can see him possibly benching Sergio Aguero. I also wonder if Vincent Kompany will be given the night off as he clearly played through the pain barrier at Stamford Bridge.
City have drawn four of their six away from the Etihad this season and while their defence have been performing better lately, Wigan's three pronged attack have been in good form and I can see them ending their two match clean sheet run.
Wigan have often raised their game against the so called bigger teams, defeating Manchester United, Spurs, Arsenal and Liverpool in 2012 already. Man City may well be the winner come the final whistle tonight, but there is no way they should be as short as 1.528/15 and that's why I'm making them my lay of the day.
Recommended Bet
Lay Man City v Wigan @ 1.528/15
2012 P/L (1pt each bet)
Wagered: 271 pts
Returned: 277.17 pts
P/L + 6.17 pts
Cashback on selected Fixed Odds markets if Sergio Aguero scores first in tonight's match
We are offering cashback on selected Fixed Odds markets if Sergio Aguero scores first in tonight's match.
After a 0-0 draw at Stamford Bridge, Man City will be hoping to get back on to scoring form against north-west neighbours Wigan who have shipped seven goals in their last three matches.
Prior to the stalemate with Chelsea, Aguero had scored three in two matches so he will be confident about getting on the scoresheet.
We will give you Cashback on first losing Fixed Odds bets, up to 50, on Correct Score, First Goalscorer and Last Goalscorermarkets if the Argentinian scores first.
Get involved now!
Terms and conditions
Can I take part?
You can take part if your Betfair account is registered in the UK, Ireland, Sweden, Russia, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Greece, Finland, Hungary, Norway, Poland, Canada or Portugal. You can only take part using one account.
What do I need to do?
Place a Fixed Odds First Goalscorer, Last Goalscorer or Correct Score bet on the featured 'Cashback Special' match before kick-off.
Exchange bets and multiples are not included in this promotion.
How does the Cashback Special work?
If Aguero scores first, and your first bet loses, we'll refund your loss, up to 50.
Only your first bet placed counts.
When will I be credited?
You will be credited within 72 hours of end of the featured match.
Betfair Standard Terms & Conditions apply.
Caption: Cinders And Ashes on his way to Supreme Novices' glory
The defections of Darlan and Rock On Ruby leave a final field of just four declared runners, headed by last season's Supreme Novices' Hurdle hero Cinders And Ashes...
The five-year-old's trainer, Donald McCain, is bidding for a third successive victory in the Grade 1 contest following Peddlers Cross in 2010 and Overturn 12 months ago.
The Charles Byrnes-trained Trifolium, the mount of Andrew Lynch, was just a length and a half behind Cinders and Ashes when third at Cheltenham.
John Quinn's Triumph Hurdle winner Countrywide Flame reverts to hurdles having been narrowly denied in the Cesarewitch at Newmarket last month. He will be ridden by Denis O'Regan.
The field is completed by Brian Ellison's consistent handicapper Bothy, who was supplemented for the race on Monday.
Regarding the defection of Rock on Ruby, trainer Harry Fry said: "Unfortunately after the dreadful weather around the country the ground is bound to be very testing on Saturday. To run him first time on this type of going is not ideal."
"We will give the Fighting Fifth a miss and wait instead for Cheltenham a fortnight later."
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Ronaldo appears obsessed with winning personal honours
Ahead of Saturday's Madrid derby Jonathan Wilson looks at possible reasons why Real are not the force they were last season, with Cristiano Ronaldo's personal desires being one of them...
These are strange times in the Spanish capital. Not since they won the league in 1996 have Atletico Madrid finished above Real Madrid. They haven't even beaten them in a league game since 1999. The rivalry is about as one-sided as top-level rivalries get - and yet Atletico go into Saturday's Madrid derby fully eight points clear of Real.
Since that 1996 title, Atletico have redefined chaos in Spain, always shooting themselves in the foot, always conspiring to convert promise into preposterousness. But this time it's Real who are in disarray, Sunday's defeat to Real Betis - who had themselves been thrashed 5-1 by Sevilla the previous week - intensifying rumours that Jose Mourinho's time at the club is drawing to a close.
It's an extraordinary point to have reached. Last season, as Real won the title, it seemed Mourinho's attrition had done the trick, wearing Pep Guardiola down until he resigned, while the relentless accumulation of points finally broke Barcelona. With Barca appointing a new coach and, it was assumed, having to go through a process of transition, this should have been Real's free season; the year when they could canter to the title while focusing their real energies on the Champions League.
As it is, Real, when they're not putting four and five past teams, look exhausted. They have enough good individuals to hammer anybody but when the breakthrough fails to materialise early, they seem very quickly to run out of ideas and precision. They are not playing with the same tempo or intensity of last season and, without that, the structural flaws in their side are clear. This is a team that plays in patches. It's about a basic defensive structure and individual talents playing off it, not about the sort of team unit that bonds Barcelona.
Essentially there are two sorts of football: proactive and reactive. Barcelona follow the Ajax of Rinus Michels, the Dynamo Kyiv of Valeriy Lobanovskyi and the AC Milan of Arrigo Sacchi in being proactive. They want the ball, they control the ball. At times they may defend by having the ball, but it's all about them having the ball.
Real Madrid are far more reactive. Lobanovskyi spoke of the coalitions between players being more important than the players themselves. Football for him was about creating the shape that facilitated passing and the control of the ball when in possession, and presenting a shape that was hard for the opposition to penetrate when they had the ball. Barca are all about shape, and the ball zipping along metaphorical tunnels between players; at Real it's obvious that the players - and one in particular - are the most important thing.
It may be counterintuitive to blame Cristiano Ronaldo for their shaky start to the season but his endless lust for personal honours; his very evident desire to win the Balon d'Or and/or the Golden Boot seem almost to outweigh winning games, as though Real Madrid has become to him less a club that he serves in the quest for trophies than a vehicle for earning him individual honours.
Because he is an extraordinary player, he is afforded some slack, but his unwillingness to track or press the opposing full-back, Lukasz Piszczek, was a huge contributory factor in Real Madrid's defeat away to Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League, just as his defeat in the individual battle with Phillip Lahm cost Real in the Champions League semi-final against Bayern Munich last season.
Atletico, by contrast, although they rely for goals almost as much on Falcao as Real do on Ronaldo, are far more of a unit. The Atletico coach Diego Simeone has been influenced by Marcelo Bielsa - not as much as the likes of the new Chile coach Jorge Sampaoli or Gerardo Martino at Newell's - but enough that his midfield snaps with intent, presses and circulates the ball quickly.
All of the five points Atletico have dropped have come away from home, and Real have dropped only two at the Bernabeu, but Real are surely too short and worth laying at 1.491/2, a price that seems based on past history rather than recent form. Given Real have let in only three at home and Atletico's six away games have yielded a total of just 13 goals, Under 2.5 Goals at 2.8415/8 seems extremely tempting. The possibility of a Real rout is there, of course, but this looks the most interesting derby for years.
