Horse racing betting: Rainfall means Time faces his biggest Test yet June 30, 2016 All eyes are once again on the weather ahead of Saturday's Coral Eclipse (3.45pm), the most valuable race run in Sandown’s 130-year history. Aidan O’Brien’s French Guineas winner The Gurkha is as short as evens with Betway for the £525,000 Group One with rain-softened ground unlikely to harm his chances. Investec Derby disappointment Deauville and [...]
Horse racing: Bet on Simcock’s Breton to Rock Criterion rivals at Newmarket June 23, 2016 Although it was the summer solstice on Monday, the ground at Ascot last week and at Newmarket this weekend will be more akin to Newbury or Cheltenham in December. The forecast for next week looks better, but there’s been plenty of rain recently at HQ and conditions are certain to be testing on Saturday. The [...]
Rio Tinto shakes up management board, whittles down debt June 21, 2016 Rio Tinto's incoming chief exec reached deeper into the miner's arsenal of tools today, as it battles a prolonged price slump. Deputy chief exec, Jean-Sébastien Jacques, who will take the top spot on 2 July, appointed Chris Salisbury to run the FTSE 100-listed firm's core iron-ore operations. Read more: Rio Tinto says Lithium project has proven "an attractive investment" Salisbury is currently acting [...]
Private equity activity has picked up despite the looming EU referendum June 21, 2016 Private equity deal activity picked up in the second quarter of this year despite the upcoming EU referendum. In the first quarter of 2016 there were 42 deals tracked with a value of £2.9bn. In the second, there were 46 deals worth £3.1bn. UK private equity deal value was down by a third in the first [...]
Majestic Wine raises glass to revenue boost after Naked Wines buy, but braces for store revamps and takeover costs to hit profits June 19, 2016 Majestic Wine, the favoured mass booze retailer of the middle classes, is expected to report a leap in sales tomorrow following its takeover of rival Naked Wines last year. Revenues at the firm are forecast to have risen 41 per cent in the year ending March 2016, from £285.4m to £403.2m, according to analysts at Investec. However, [...]
Horse racing betting: No Coronation for China Horse Club’s £1.3m Jet Setting June 16, 2016 Impressive Irish 1000 Guineas winner Jet Setting heads the betting for the Coronation Stakes (4.20pm) on Friday having changed hands for £1.3m at the Goffs London Sale on Monday. The China Horse Club, the filly’s new owners, will be delighted about all the rain that has fallen at Ascot as the softer the ground the better for [...]
Horse racing betting: Blue looks the perfect colour on Ladies’ Day June 15, 2016 There may only be a field of nine declared for Thursday's Tercentenary Stakes (3.05pm), but what it lacks in quantity it more than makes up for in quality. Aidan O’Brien, Sir Michael Stoute and John Gosden all run lightly-raced colts with plenty of potential, but I’m sticking with the form in the book and siding with [...]
Hollywood Bowl strikes for £280m London IPO June 15, 2016 Hollywood Bowl Group, the UK's largest 10-pin bowling operator, will float on the London Stock Exchange next month in a deal valuing it at around £280m. The group, which runs 54 bowling centres around the country, has been striving to modernise the popular pastime with Americana-themed diners, licensed bars and interactive scoring systems that "customers didn't even know they wanted". Steve [...]
Trevor Bayliss confirms selectors will ponder Nick Compton’s Test future as weather ruins England’s chances of series whitewash June 13, 2016 England head coach Trevor Bayliss has hinted that batsman Nick Compton faces an uncertain Test future after the third and final Investec Test against Sri Lanka at Lord’s ended in a tame draw. Only 74 balls were possible as Sri Lanka progressed their overnight score from 32-0 to 78-1 in pursuit of their 362 victory [...]
Horse racing betting: Jennies looks Jewel of a bet in Ascot slog June 13, 2016 Many of the 20 runners in Tuesday afternoon’s Ascot Stakes (5.00pm) are tackling two and a half miles on the flat for the first time, with the recent rain putting even more emphasis on stamina. National Hunt trainers have dominated this prize in recent years, having won eight of the last 10 renewals, and are again [...]