Home Blog Page 489

Galway Races ‘Phone A Friend’

The 2020 Galway Races Summer Festival will begin on Monday 27th July, sadly behind-closed-doors due to Covid-19.

As a result of this, the team at Ballybrit has come up with a novel idea for people to enjoy the Galway Races from their homes. The ‘Phone A Friend’ initiative will see people from the racing world making a friendly phone call to members of the public.

People can nominate a friend or family member to receive a phone call from a racing personality in the run to and during race week. A number of nominees will be selected to receive a call from Monday 20th July to Sunday 2nd August 2020. Once selected, the person who nominated a friend or family member will receive a call from a member of the Galway Races team to confirm your successful nomination and that they should inform the person they have nominated to expect a call from a racing name.

Commenting on the new initiative Sinéad Cassidy, Sales and Marketing Manager at Galway Racecourse said:

“When we contacted various jockeys, trainers and stable staff to get involved in this project, every single one of them jumped on-board and have been really supportive. We have a fantastic group of supporters who have been coming to the Galway Races for ten, twenty, thirty years plus. This is our way of connecting with them and giving them a little treat to say thank you for all the years of support”.

To nominate a friend or family member to receive a phone call simply email: information@galwayraces.com and give the following details: your full name, contact phone number, nominees full name and why your nominee should receive a call.

Extra.ie FAI Cup – First Round Draw

SSE Airtricity League Champions Dundalk will face Waterford in the first round of the Extra.ie FAI Cup. 

FAI Cup holders Shamrock Rovers were one of the 13 clubs to receive a bye to the second round of the competition, due to the shortened 2020 season format.

St. Patrick’s Athletic will travel to Finn Harps and in the final tie of the first round, Neale Fenn will host his former club Longford Town at Turner’s Cross.

Extra.ie FAI Cup – First Round Draw

Cork City v Longford Town
Dundalk v Waterford
Finn Harps v St. Patrick’s Athletic

Byes

Athlone Town
Bohemians
Bray Wanderers
Cabinteely
Cobh Ramblers
Derry City
Drogheda United
Galway United
Shamrock Rovers
Shelbourne
Sligo Rovers
UCD AFC
Wexford

Eight fillies to contest Juddmonte Irish Oaks

Ballydoyle trainer Aidan O’Brien accounts for four of the eight fillies that will line up in the Juddmonte Irish Oaks at The Curragh on Saturday’s right-race card.

O’Brien, who has won the fillies’ Classic five times since 2006, will be represented by Epsom Oaks runner-up Ennistymon, together with Snow, Laburnum and Passion.

The recent Alwasmiyah Pretty Polly Stakes runner-up Cayenne Pepper will line up for Jessica Harrington, Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas-winning handler Ger Lyons will be doubly represented with Yaxeni and Even So, with Joseph O’Brien’s New York Girl the other runner in the 12-furlong feature race.

Seven two-year-olds will contest the Group 2 GAIN Railway Stakes at The Curragh on Saturday with Merchants Quay, Law Of Indices, Lucky Vega and To Glory among the contenders.

Joseph O’Brien’s Master Of Reality and Twilight Payment are among the six runners in the Group 2 Comer Group International Curragh Cup, along with his father Aidan’s Memorabilis, Camphor represents Jessica Harrington yard and the Luke Comer pair of Cypress Creek and Giuseppe Garibaldi complete the field.

In the Paddy Power Minstrel Stakes, Classic and Group 1 winner Romanised is one of seven declared runners, with Aidan O’Brien’s Lancaster House set to oppose the Ken Condon-trained horse who seeks to repeat last year’s victory in the Group 2 event.

A field of 17 runners go in the Kildare Village Ladies Derby, with the same number of runners in the Paddy Power Scurry. Nine two-year-olds will face the starter in the Irish Stallion Farms Maiden and 12 horses are declared for the Sentinel Ireland Equine Products Handicap.

A free interactive digital race card will be available to download at www.curragh.ie 24 hours in advance of the meeting.

RTÉ will televise four live races on Saturday, the Paddy Power Minstrel Stakes, GAIN Railway Stakes, Juddmonte Irish Oaks and Kildare Village Ladies Derby.

Orderofthegarter returns to the track on Saturday

The former Aidan O’Brien-trained Orderofthegarter, a son of Galileo, returns to action after almost two years off the track at Flemington on Saturday.

Now trained in Australia by Danny O’Brien – no relation of the Master of Ballydoyle – Orderofthegarter will have his first run since finishing second in a Flemington handicap behind Furrion in September 2018.

The Lloyd Williams-owned horse was previously trained by Liam Howley on his only Australian start.

The six-year-old horse’s best form saw him win a stakes race in Ireland and place behind Benbatl in the Group 3 Hampton Court Stakes in 2017.

Speaking ahead of his return to the track, his handler Danny O’Brien said:

“He’s had a lovely long prep coming off a long break so we’re treating Saturday as a bit of a learning experience, but he’s been in work since the start of March so he’s ready to go to the races. His form is a long time ago – he hasn’t raced for two years. He ran at Royal Ascot in 2017 and that’s three years ago and he’s only had one run since.

Two uncommon Live Dealer games you must try in 2020

A best online casino should offer a lot to its customers all of the popular games such as slot machines, poker, bingo, table, and Live Dealer games. To bring the most real atmosphere to play-at-home gamblers, many casino features live casino in order to make you feel the same way you do when you sit down at a blackjack table in a brick-and-mortar casino.

You usually found these game titles such as Roulette, blackjack, and baccarat because they are the most common games when it comes to live dealer games. 

However, some casinos offer you the most unique live casino games such as Thanks to the multiplier, Dream Catcher has the potential to give you some incredible payouts with only a small stake at the beginning

In today’s article, I would like to introduce the different live dealer casino games which might not too popular but worth playing, Please check Betmentor.com to play at these two games at free demo version. 

Dream Catcher

The first time I heard about Dream Catcher, I thought it might just be a regular slot game and we can not play it on live dealer section. However, surprisingly some casino has added it to the live version which sounds very attractive to me. One of the good news that I want to show you is this game is pretty easy to play. 

All you need to do is to bet bet on which number you think the wheel will land on. There are fifty-two spaces with the numbers one, two, five, ten, twenty, and forty on them. You will win the bet when the wheel lands on the number that you bet on. 

You will hit big win when the wheel land on a multiplier space. If wheel lands on the multiplier twice in a row. Then your initial stakes at $10 will be calculated like this  140:1 payout because 7 x 2 = 14, and 14 x 10 = 140. The overall payout for that original $10 bet would be $1,400.

Thanks to the multiplier, Dream Catcher has the potential to give you some incredible payouts with only a small stake at the beginning. What it could be better if you can play this game with a live dealer at the Live section where you are able to interact with the live dealer and other players on the gaming tables. 

Deal or No Deal

Deal or No Deal is also one of rare live casino game which starts with a qualifying round that is similar to a slot machine. The game work by calculating how many gold bars you get on the reels before the time is up. The number of spins as you wish to spin is unlimited but when it comes to those additional ones when you have to pay. 

The maximum winning you can get will be in the range of 75-500 times your initial bet. Imagine your initial bet is $10, you can win up to $5000. What a huge amount. At this game, there is a “Top Up” option that gives players the opportunity to increase the highest prize by an additional 5-50 times their stake.

This game on online casino live dealer game works exactly like the game which used to air on the television show. In the game, there will be 16,  briefcases that will get set off to the side for you. Each briefcase has a number that will be used to multiply by your initial stake to calculate your prize.

The dealer will open three to four briefcases at a time to reveal the amounts inside and get removed once it’s exposed to the game. At the end of each round, you will have to decide to take the cash amount which is offered by the live dealer or “ No Deal” to move to another round. When there are only 2  two briefcases that remain, you still get to choose to accept the dealer’s offer or to take one briefcase that remains and the dealer will show the number inside. At that point, you will get your winning which is shown in the  briefcase

Deal or No Deal is a fun game because you have many chances to actually win. The decision is yours and you take the banker’s deal at any time or you can keep playing to accept the amount that is in your briefcase.

Enter to this live dealer game, you can feel you are one of a  contestant who you usually see on the TV show. Plus, this game also can improve your bankroll if you know what is the smart decision to make. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Revised Fixtures and Venues for 2020 Premier League Darts

A revised schedule for the 2020 Unibet Premier League has been confirmed, which will see the tournament resume in August with six nights played behind closed doors at the Marshall Arena, Milton Keynes.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic and current restrictions, the planned double-header at Rotterdam Ahoy will not take place in 2020, along with the scheduled league nights in Birmingham, Belfast, Leeds and Berlin.

Six replacement nights, including Judgement Night which will see one player eliminated from the competition, will take place behind closed doors at the Marshall Arena from August 25-30.

The 2020 Unibet Premier League is then scheduled to continue with the remaining four league nights in Glasgow, Manchester, Newcastle and Sheffield, before the top four players contest the Play-Offs at The O2 in London on its revised date of October 22.

Ticket holders for five venues cancelled in 2020 (Birmingham, Belfast, Leeds, Berlin and the Thursday night in Rotterdam) will have their tickets automatically transferred for the same seat at the 2021 event at the same venue. All remaining tickets for these events are available from venue Box Offices. The 2021 Premier League schedule, including venues and dates, is listed below.

Any fans wishing to receive a refund must apply to their point of purchase (the Box Office where they bought their tickets) before 1700 BST on Friday July 31 (Friday August 14 in Rotterdam). Ticket holders for the Berlin night who purchased tickets through Affilitix can see details of the German government’s voucher scheme at https://www.pdc-europe.tv/de/beantrage-deinen-gutschein (German) or https://www.pdc-europe.tv/voucher/ (English).

Ticket holders for the Wednesday night at Rotterdam Ahoy (September 9) will be automatically refunded as that show will not take place in 2021.

Tickets for the 2020 Premier League event at The O2, London will be automatically transferred to the Play-Offs on October 22, NOT to the May 2021 date.

Tickets for the 2020 nights in Glasgow, Manchester, Newcastle, Sheffield and London remain on sale.

For the six venues already played in 2020 (Aberdeen, Nottingham, Cardiff, Dublin, Exeter and Liverpool), as well as Glasgow, Manchester, Newcastle, Sheffield, Brighton and London, tickets for their 2021 Premier League nights will go on sale later in the year. Details will be advertised at pdc.tv/tickets once finalised.

2020 Unibet Premier League

Revised Schedule – At July 15 2020

Night 7 – Tuesday August 25, Milton Keynes

Night 8 – Wednesday August 26, Milton Keynes

Judgement Night – Thursday August 27, Milton Keynes

Night 10 – Friday August 28, Milton Keynes

Night 11 – Saturday August 29, Milton Keynes

Night 12 – Sunday August 30, Milton Keynes

Night 13 – Thursday September 17, The SSE Hydro, Glasgow

Night 14 – Thursday September 24, The Manchester Arena

Night 15 – Thursday October 1, The Utilita Arena, Newcastle

Night 16 – Thursday October 15, The FlyDSA Arena, Sheffield

Play-Offs – Thursday October 22, The O2, London

10 Things Every Skater Should Know

If you are a beginner in skating and are worried about what you should consider, then this is the right page for you. If you have been skating for a while, it is also good to refresh your mind of the things that a skater should know.

Below are ten things every skater should know:

 

  • The Basics are Essential

 

Some professional skating tricks like kickflip seems easy when you see a professional do them in videos and skate parks. 

However, if you try them yourself, you may realize that it is somehow challenging. This may lead to feelings of disappointment, but you should never give up. All you need is to take your time and master a few basics.

 

  • Never Compare Your Progress to Others

 

It will help if you progress at your own pace without comparing yourself with others.

Some people learn slowly and others first. Don’t look at those people who learn tricks faster and think you’re not good enough because you are learning slowly.

Instead, you should see those who learn faster as an inspiration to work hard and match their skills someday.

 

  • Don’t Be Shy to Practice in the Skate Park

 

Many skating beginners are shy to enter the skate park in fear of being laughed at or called a poser. But this should not worry you.

 It would be best if you practiced without fear. Remember that everybody was once a beginner.

Those who have more experience should encourage beginners and help them learn new tricks.

 

  • Equipment versus Practice

 

You should ensure that you have a good skateboard. If you are a beginner, find the best skateboard to buy to learn on. The same thing applies to skate shoes. 

However, the equipment will not benefit you if you don’t practice. You must practice regularly.

 

  • The Skate Should Be Your New Friend

 

As a beginner in skating, you should only aim your skating goal just for fun and progressing. Many skaters go wrong when they skate for money and sponsorship.

Sponsors mainly look for those who are having fun and are doing it with passion.

After all, even if you are sponsored, you are still going to skate, and progress and hence this should be your goal. 

 

  • Never Focus on Pleasing People

 

Before you take that risk of trying a new trick that you are not sure of to impress people, you should first take safety. It is not worth maintaining a major or minor injury to impress people.  

If you get injured, take time to heal. Always try what you can do and leave that you doubt for another day.

 

  • Always Stay Positive

 

Sometimes you will do a trick that you have been doing in front of your friends and this time it goes wrong. 

In such a case, you need to be strong and positive. You can do another one that you know and your day will end well.

 

  • Skate with Friends

 

While there is no harm in skating alone, doing it with friends is even more enjoyable. The importance of skating others is that you will learn from them. They will support you in learning what you don’t know because they were once in that position.

 

 

  • Try New Tricks

 

There are many tricks that you can learn in the skateboard by being creative. After learning the basic tricks, it is time you push yourself to learn new tricks.

 You have to apply your creativity to progress, but never be stuck in a single spot. 

 

  • Patience is Key

 

It is not everybody who can do a new trick in a single try. Some people can try a thousand times of failing to do an Ollie. So, keep trying new tricks and don’t go off when you fail. Practice will make perfect.

 

Details of Lions 2021 tour of South Africa

The British & Irish Lions and SA Rugby have confirmed the 2021 Tour to South Africa will go ahead as scheduled, with every game live on Sky Sports.

The eagerly-awaited series visits some of the most impressive stadiums in world sport and culminates in three Test matches against the newly crowned Rugby World Cup champions, the Springboks.

The eight-game Tour kicks off on Saturday 3 July 2021 when the Lions play Vodacom Super Rugby’s DHL Stormers in Cape Town.

Three weeks later the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg will host the first Test – a venue which has previously hosted the 2010 FIFA World Cup Final.

The second Test will be on Saturday 31 July at the Cape Town Stadium – the first Lions Test there since 1997 – before the tourists return to Gauteng for the final Test on Saturday 7 August at Emirates Airline Park – the venue of the 1995 Rugby World Cup final.

The Lions have toured South Africa on 13 previous occasions, with the first Tour taking place in 1891. In that time, the Lions have won four Test series, lost eight with one drawn. Their overall record against the Springboks is played 46, won 17, lost 23 and drawn six.

Lions 2021 tour schedule to South Africa:

Saturday 3 July: British & Irish Lions v DHL Stormers – Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town.

Wednesday 7 July: British & Irish Lions v South Africa ‘Invitational’ – Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth.

Saturday 10 July: British & Irish Lions v Cell C Sharks – Jonsson Kings Park, Durban.

Wednesday 14 July: British & Irish Lions v South Africa ‘A’ Team – Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit.

Saturday 17 July: British & Irish Lions v Vodacom Bulls – Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria.

Saturday 24 July (first Test): Springboks v British & Irish Lions – FNB Stadium, Johannesburg.

Saturday 31 July (second Test): Springboks v British & Irish Lions – Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town.

Saturday 7 August (third Test): Springboks v British & Irish Lions – Emirates Airline Park, Johannesburg.

Leinster Rugby Academy players for 2020/21 confirmed

Leinster Rugby has this morning confirmed the Academy list for the 2020/21 season with seven new players joining this summer.

Niall Comerford (UCD RFC), Joe McCarthy (DUFC), John McKee (Old Belvedere RFC), Sean O’Brien (UCD RFC), Max O’Reilly (DUFC), Andrew Smith (Clontarf FC) and Alex Soroka (Clontarf FC) are the players in question.

All seven players were named in the Ireland Under 20 squad for the 2020 Six Nations competition which is currently suspended with two rounds to go and with Ireland on top with three wins from three.

Noel McNamara, the Leinster Rugby Academy Manager said

“As with any year we are delighted to see a group of young men move on to Senior contracts and we wish those five players the very best of luck.

“Then it’s time to get excited for the next group coming in and seeing how they develop over the coming seasons.

“This morning’s announcement is a hugely special moment for the players and the culmination of a lot of hard work over many years. Of course, the reality is that the hard work is only beginning, but it is important to mark this achievement and for them and their clubs, schools, and families to take pride in what this next step means.

“It is also important to highlight the role played by the coaching team based in the Ken Wall Centre of Excellence and their contribution in developing these players.

“We are very much looking forward to continuing our support to the incoming players in the next stage of their journey with Leinster.”

With the IRFU confirming last week that the four provincial Academies will return to training on 20th July, McNamara reflected on the few weeks ahead as players started to look towards next season.

“There will be challenges of course but the set-up in UCD and down in Energia Park in the Ken Wall Centre of Excellence is ready to welcome Academy staff and players in time and safely for the start of training.

“Huge credit must go to the team behind the scenes from an operations point of view and also the medical and the S&C side of things.

“Trojan work from everyone but Dave Fagan and Joe McGinley in particular from an S&C perspective and then from Darragh Curley and Mark Kenneally on the medical side of things. No stone has been left unturned over the last few months as we build towards the 20th.

“Everyone recognises that this is a unique situation trying to finish one season, before moving on to another and everyone at Leinster Rugby is committed to playing our part in that going ahead successfully and hopefully the positive news continues over the coming weeks.”

Leinster Rugby has already confirmed that five players have been promoted from the Leinster Academy system and will start the 2020/21 season as part of the Senior squad and today’s confirmation brings the total number of players in the Academy to 18.

Leinster Rugby – Senior Contracts 2020/21:

Ryan Baird (7 caps)
Harry Byrne (9 caps)
Jack Dunne (7 caps)
Tommy O’Brien (3 caps)
Dan Sheehan (0 caps)

Leinster Rugby Academy – Year Three 2020/21:

David Hawkshaw
Michael Milne (8 caps)
Aaron O’Sullivan
Patrick Patterson (3 caps)
Michael Silvester

Leinster Rugby Academy – Year Two 2020/21:

Tom Clarkson
Brian Deeny
Cormac Foley
Martin Moloney
Charlie Ryan
Liam Turner

Leinster Rugby Academy – Year One 2020/21:

Niall Comerford
Joe McCarthy
John McKee
Sean O’Brien
Max O’Reilly
Andrew Smith
Alex Soroka

Can Klopp Guide Liverpool to Back-to-Back Titles?

It is often said that the defence of a title is more difficult than winning it in the first place. That is now the next challenge for Liverpool’s talented German manager Jurgen Klopp.

Having dominated the 2019/2020 Premier League season, Klopp’s Liverpool showed no mercy as they marched to victory. Sometimes the football was breath-taking, and on other occasions, it was gritty and determined – the exact formula needed to add yet more silverware to the Anfield trophy cabinet. 

However, while many EPL expert predictions for this weekend are asking if Liverpool will break the 100-point barrier, we want to look further down the road and preview what next season may hold for the title holders.

The Weight of History

The last Liverpool manager to win back-to-back league titles was the legendary Bob Paisley in 1981/82 and 1982/83. The Reds also went on to win the league the following season (1983/84), but that was under the stewardship of Joe Fagan.

In the Premier League era (1992/1993 onwards), only three managers have achieved the feat of retaining the title. They are Sir Alex Ferguson, Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola. Many world-class coaches, such as Carlo Ancelotti, Arsene Wenger, Antonio Conte, and Roberto Mancini, tried and failed to follow-up their inaugural Premier League success. 

This sums up the size of the task that Jurgen Klopp is facing. While Liverpool fans celebrated wildly this season, they don’t want this to be a one-off victory. For much of the past 25 years, they have suffered as Manchester United ruled English football. The Reds’ supporters want this to be the start of a new dynasty for Liverpool Football Club.

Who Stays and Who Goes?

It is too simplistic to say that if Klopp keeps his squad together that his boys will romp to another title next season. First, there is the mindset of the player. If any members of his team feel like they have achieved greatness already, will they be as hungry to want more?

In my opinion, this is an area where Jurgen Klopp excels as a coach. His man-management skills are off the charts. Take the previous year, for example. Liverpool pushed Manchester City all the way. They picked up a staggering 97 points and finished a single point behind Pep’s side. Furthermore, they went on to win the Champions League beating Tottenham Hotspur in the final. Instead of feeling sorry for themselves, Klopp motivated his team to push even harder, and the fruits of their labour have paid dividends. 

But back to the question who stays and who goes? While Liverpool’s front three of Salah, Mane, and Firmino grab many headlines, this current squad has several other gems like Andy Robertson, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk, and Alisson Becker.

It goes without saying that European giants, including Real Madrid, Barcelona, Juventus, and even PSG with their deep pockets, would love to get their hands on any of these players. Could Liverpool face another Coutinho scenario where a big-money offer comes in, and the player’s head gets turned? 

Second favourites at the bookies

Most of the leading online betting sites have already opened their books for the 2020/21 Premier League season. Rather surprisingly, Liverpool have been marked-up as second-favourites, with Manchester City leading the betting. Admittedly, there isn’t much in it. City are evens (2.00) and Liverpool are 6/4 (2.50). But nevertheless, this is somewhat insulting to a team that virtually had the title in the bag at Christmas. 

If Klopp and his lads need any extra motivation to go out and prove themselves again. This favouritism of Pep and Man City should do the trick. What do you think will happen next year? We’d love to hear others’ opinions on this topic.