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  September 29, 2018 12:18 PM EEST

  Alex Hammond with her thoughts ahead of the Investec Derby Festival with tips in all the big races. Mike Shannon Jersey . Its a classic weekend at Epsom, who do you fancy to win the Investec Derby on Saturday and what do you make of this years race?The Derby this year may be open, but it doesnt mean its a weak race. There are a handful of colts in the line up that could be absolutely anything. At the time of writing we are unsure how the ground is likely to ride, but its sure to be good at best after rain midweek and thats probably the most trainers can hope for. US Army Ranger has been on the slide after the change in underfoot conditions, but he is the talking horse from Ballydoyle and it has been hard to ignore him for that reason alone. Aside from the chatter, he may have only just won the Chester Vase beating stable mate Port Douglas by a short head, but he wasnt disgraced and should have learned plenty for that run, which was only his second.He has the right pedigree for this test being a son of Galileo out of an Irish Oaks winner. So, his price is drifting because of the rain, but on all evidence he shouldnt mind some ease in the ground and I dont think there will be any excuses on that score. That said, he doesnt really excite me and I wont be backing him. Ive backed Port Douglas each way because Id kick myself if he runs into a place without me! Alex Hammond I mentioned Port Douglas and if you fancy US Army Ranger, you have to give this colt a chance of running well at almost three times the price. The 14/1 available with Sky Bet is the dangling carrot that tempts me to back him to finish in the three and I think you could do worse in an open race. He stays well and could make up into a Leger horse later in the season so dont be surprised to see him dictating the pace as a Ballydoyle third, fourth or even fifth string. He gave 4lbs to US Army Ranger at Chester and that puts him in here with a shout.Another of the runners that has been the subject of plenty of chat is Andre Fabres Cloth Of Stars. He takes the same route as the master trainers Pour Moi and created a favourable impression at the Breakfast With The Stars morning. Derby: A-Z Guide Investec Derby at Epsom: Guide to the runners and riders Yet another horse that further muddies an already murky picture is Sir Michael Stoutes Ulysses, who needs to improve to win this, but has plenty going for him. Another son of the mighty Galileo, he is out of 2007 Oaks winner Light Shift, so is also bred for the job. He was impressive in winning his maiden, and while he needs to step up to make his mark on the race, he is with a trainer unlikely to be tilting at windmills.Jim Bolger has been keen to give a good mention to his Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial winner Moonlight Magic too and the step up to a mile and half should suit this son of Cape Cross who has a fairly regal pedigree on the dams side as she is a half sister to Sea The Stars and Galileo out of supermare Urban Sea.The ante-post favourite is now Dante winner Wings Of Desire at 4/1 with Sky Bet. Hes another colt that could be a superstar, but it has all happened quite fast as he didnt make his racecourse debut until April. Ive backed Port Douglas each way because Id kick myself if he runs into a place without me and I would like to see Ulysses find the necessary improvement to stamp his authority on the three-year-old colts division. He was impressive in winning his maiden, and while he needs to step up to make his mark on the race, hes with a trainer unlikely to be tilting at windmills. Alex on Ulysses There should be a classy line up of older horses over the Derby course and distance for the Investec Coronation Cup on Saturday, who wins this?Well, Postponed is 4/6 favourite with Sky Bet for the race to continue his winning run which goes back to his victory in the King George last summer and takes in the Prix Foy in September (both for Luca Cumani), followed by two wins at Meydan (for new trainer Roger Varian) including the Sheema Classic on his last start.  The price doesnt appeal again though, so Ill be looking elsewhere.Can Aidan OBriens Found beat him? On her best form she certainly can as we saw when she took the scalp of Golden Horn in the Breeders Cup Turf last October. However, she was beaten when sent off odds on favourite for the Tattersalls Gold Cup a couple of weeks ago and will need to bounce back from that. She has had a busy few weeks, so for me its another of the females that Ill be siding with.Simple Verse reappeared with a promising run in the Jockey Club Stakes at Newmarket, finishing second having to give weight to all of her rivals. Id expect her to improve for that run and she is a class act winning the Leger and the Champion Fillies and Mares Stakes at Ascot in October. Female or otherwise, she is one of the best middle distance horses around and its great to see her connections keep her in training as a four-year-old when it would have been an easier option to retire her to the paddocks after her Classic winning campaign last season. Im happy enough to back her at the 7/2 available with Sky Bet and hope she can beat the hot favourite with her weight allowance. Female or otherwise, she is one of the best middle distance horses around and its great to see her connections keep her in training as a four-year-old when it would have been an easier option to retire her to the paddocks. Alex on Simple Verse The Epsom Dash is a real spectacle and takes place over the fastest five furlongs in the world. The draw will play a big part, but who are you hoping will be allotted a handy berth on Saturday?A cavalry charge in the true sense of the word and a real lottery. Im not mad keen on betting in these types of races, but you are guaranteed a thrill if you are getting involved.Duke Of Firenze won this in 2013 for Sir Michael Stoute and is back for more at a track he acts well over. He seems to be enjoying life with David Griffiths who took over his training this season having bought him for just 16,000 guineas, he won a good handicap at York for him last time out and carries a penalty for that win.Last years winner Desert Law is back for more and is one of two in the race for Paul Midgley who does well with his sprinters and also has last years runner up Monsieur Joe amongst the entries. Those horses should be involved again. Harry Hurricane is also penalised for a York handicap win last time out.Roger Varians Maljaa looks a potential fly in the ointment for the seasoned sprinters. He is having just his 11th start in this race and could progress out of handicaps. He returned this season with a good effort at Chester (despite getting a bump turning into the home straight), has plenty of speed and given a decent draw he could run a big race. Hes a 10/1 shot with Sky Bet.There are some equally competitive handicaps over the two days racing on the Downs, can you highlight one horse that you hope can win one of them please?The ground on Wednesday afternoon was changed to soft, good to soft in places so it is unlikely to suit fast ground horses even if its dries considerably before Friday/Saturday. I refuse to give up on What About Carlo who is declared to run in Fridays 10 furlong handicap at 1435. Conditions will suit Eve Johnson Houghtons gelding perfectly and if he can jump off on terms he should run a big race; although a word of caution, the yard are without a winner for a while.Theres no doubt he has work to do to beat Dark Red, who has beaten him the last twice, but he loves Epsom and will pop up at some point and Ill be gutted if its without me, I do think I could be following him off a cliff though!Ill also be watching with interest to see how Dutch Uncle gets on when dropped back to a mile in the 1545 on Friday for in form trainer Ed Dunlop. On Friday the fillies line up in the Investec Oaks, the picture has looked less clear as race day approaches, who do you think will come out on top?Nine fillies are declared for the Oaks with Aidan OBriens 1000 Guineas winner Minding heading the betting. Theres no doubt she is the form horse in the race and on all known evidence she should take all the beating. She was beaten by Jet Setting in the Irish 1000 Guineas where a bang to the head in the stalls was given as a possible excuse. Whether that affected her greatly or not is almost irrelevant because her form is the strongest in Fridays line up and at her best the rest will struggle to beat her. Her price isnt really attractive though and I wont be backing her.Skiffle has been added to the field at a cost of £30,000 and she comes here having handled the cambers of Goodwood by winning the Height Of Fashion Stakes. She is pretty inexperienced, but should improve further for the step up to 12 furlongs. I can see why Charlie Appleby was keen for Sheikh Mohammed to add her to the field and she should run well.The horse Ill be having a little fun each way flutter on given the rain that has fallen, is Harlequeen, who is trained by Mick Channon. She finished 4th in the Musidora at York behind So Mi Dar, not beaten far, and if she settles a bit better could finish in the first three at a decent price (currently 20/1 with Sky Bet). I dont think shell be going back to Channons as a Classic winner, but neither so I think shes a no-hoper, she should stay 12 furlongs and will handle the ground if its on the soft side. Also See: Derby: A-Z Guide Live results service Full racecards Get Sky Sports Marcell Ozuna Jersey . The No. 1-ranked Nadal tweaked his back warming up for the Australian Open final, which he lost almost four weeks ago in a major upset against Stanislas Wawrinka. His first stop after the layoff is the clay in Rio as he tests the back and tries to stay healthy for the French Open in three months. Chris Carpenter Jersey .B. -- The Baie-Comeau Drakkar took over sole possession of first place atop the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League on Thursday with their sixth straight win. http://www.cardinalsrookiestore.com/Cardinals-Brett-Cecil-Kids-Jersey/ .S. hockey team after paying his dues as an NHL general manager for more than three decades and giving up a lot of his free time to help USA Hockey. It can be hard to measure your play when it comes to tennis. Yes, you can keep score in a match and go by that, or you can consider the points youve kept in play and any winners youve hit. But how do your strokes look? Are you hitting flat? How much spin are you putting on the ball? Are you working your forehand as much and as well as your backhand?Im always looking to better my game, so I was excited to learn about the Babolat POP, a wristband that tracks your stats.How it worksFor me, the best technology is easy to use and doesnt have a long, drawn-out setup, which is the case with Babolat POP. You download the app on your phone, sign up and charge the sensor. Youll create a profile on the app too, where you can add personal info and a photo if you want (this will come into play if you challenge friends). Then place the sensor into the bracelet, put the bracelet on your dominant wrist and go play.What I likedThe POP is not distracting at all while youre playing. The bracelet is made of a cloth material that comfortably fits on any size wrist, and it records everything in the background (read: you dont have to hit a button every time you want a shot recorded).After you complete a session, it takes just a couple minutes to sync the data to your phone -- and Ive never had the sync freeze on me mid-transfer, which is lovely. You also can say where you played (indoors versus outdoors) and on what type of surface (hard court versus clay), if you like keeping track of that kind of data.The POP has the ability to record each forehand, backhand, overhead, smash, volley and serve, and it totals the amount for you. The sensor breaks it down further, classifying how many shots were flat versus slices, as well as your topspin. I found this really insightful, especially in a game when I knew I was more dominantly hitting backhands but no real winners -- it was because a lot of my shots were flat. Knowing that, the next time I stepped on the court, I made a point to work on hitting my backhand with a bit more topspin, so I could win more points with that shot.The POP also provides what they call a PIQScore, or a score based on a combination of your style, speed and spin. Style? Although it isnt able to record how beautiful you look while hitting a cross-court forehand, the sensor picks up on the fluidity of your strokes, which is where this number comes from. At first, I didnt think I was all too interested in a made up score the company came up with, but after using the POP bracelet for a bit, I found myself comparing my PIQScore from session to session. Its basically a quick overview if you had to sum up your session with one score, which became more appealing when looking at improvement over time. Tim McCarver Jersey. he POP also records activity, which is based on the length and intensity of your session. This made it easy for me to identify which of my sessions were actual games versus just casual rallying with a friend. It also tells you after each session what your top hitting speed was and the amount of shots in your lengthiest rally. Again, this data I just found interesting, and I even surprised myself a few times with a top speed I didnt know I was able to hit.Then theres the challenge aspect of the Babolat POP -- because what tracking device doesnt allow you to compete with others these days, right? First, you have the ability to find your friends who have POP and add them to your network by following them. I wasnt looking to use the device to compete, but rather to up my own game. Still, you have the option to create a challenge: forehands, backhands or serves and the number of shots taken. Each shot gets a PIQScore, which is averaged and then used to determine the winner of the challenge. Its a fun way to add a little competition to the mix, if youre looking for that.What I didnt likeAlthough the POP generally recorded pretty accurately, I found that it sometimes had issues differentiating between types of shots. For instance, in a match in which I hit a couple overhead shots, they were recorded as serves. It wasnt a huge deal to me, but I didnt get much feedback on my overhead shots, which I would have liked.I know this would be taking the device capabilities to the next level, but I wished it knew how many shots were in. I found it really helpful to break down my shots, top spin and speed, but what if my fastest shots were all going out (at one point, they were)? From glancing at my stats on the app, youd think these were the best shots, when in fact, I probably needed to take a little speed off to keep the ball in play and not lose the point.Worth it?Im the type of person who always likes to improve -- whether its tennis or snowboarding or public speaking. I like that the Babolat POP can give me some specific feedback and stats on my tennis game that I otherwise would have needed to figure out on my own or with the help of an instructor or coach, which can be costly.Although it wasnt 100 percent accurate, this gave me more insight into my game than I had previously. At $90, the Babolat POP isnt cheap, but for someone like me, Id say its worth it. Cheap NFL Black Jerseys Cheap Jerseys China NFL Jerseys Outlet Cheap NFL Black Jerseys Black China NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys 2020 Cheap NFL Jerseys China Wholesale Black NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Throwback Wholesale Black NFL Jerseys NFL Jerseys Wholesale Cheap NFL Black Jerseys Stitched Jerseys Cheap Jerseys Cheap Jerseys Free Shipping ' ' '