Weekly betting column: May day at Molineux

North End gaffer Simon Grayson is clearly looking to give squad players such as Stevie May some game-time for an early pre-season booster. It was great to see Stevie score on Saturday and I would back him again to score first here, pairing him up for the ValueBet 2 for 1 offer with player of the season Aiden McGeady.

The classic season is upon us on the Flat and it coincides as it often does with the last weekend of the 
Football League.

Over at Newmarket the very best of the three-year-old colts at a mile will line up in the Qipco 2000 Guineas. It is then the girls’ turn in the 1000 Guineas on Sunday.

The book is headed by as usual an Aidan O’Brien trained short price favourite in CHURCHILL currently at 11/8. The colt has done nothing wrong and won five of his six races as a two-year-old. They clearly rate him very highly at Coolmore and his form has been boosted since, though I do think there is value to be had down the list.

The Craven Stakes winner EMINENT certainly looked like a nice miler when winning what is usually a decent trials race last month. The colt is out of Frankel and looks the type to keep progressing through the season so I will be having a punt on that myself.

In the fillies’ equivalent on Sunday, again Aidan O’Brien heads the market with RHODODENDRON at 2/1. Again this is another nice horse but one which doesn’t look like much value.

The market support has come in for another O’Brien filly in WINTER which has gone from prices over 20/1 last week to 8/1 over the weekend. She was beaten by another stable runner over in the Irish trial at Leopardstown and must be showing promising signs at home.

However it is the John Gosden trained winner of the Fred Darling Stakes, DABYAH who I think looks the value punt. She won her trial with a bit in hand and looks to be a smart prospect. Currently at 9/1, she looks a decent bet and can be backed each way for some insurance.

For football fans up and down the country this is make-or-break weekend.

Decades of history are on the line for clubs such as Blackburn Rovers and Hartlepool United. Blackburn were looking like they might just be okay when Tony Mowbray came in to replace Owen Coyle.

They clearly had some quality in their squad though the games have run out and what a tough last game they have to save themselves on the last day.

A team like Brentford are just about worse-case scenario, with them scoring goals for fun and turning teams over at home.

They have nothing to play for apart from to put on a show for their fans. Their last two home games they beat Derby 4-0 and QPR 3-1 and you have to worry for Blackburn. For me Brentford at 6/4 look a good price to send them down.

The Premier League isn’t finished just yet though it is quickly sorting itself out.

The last relegation spot is still very much up for grabs. I would back Bournemouth to continue to their decent run and put Stoke to the sword at home.

Stoke really are struggling for goals whereas the Cherries play nice football under Eddie Howe.

Over on Humberside it really is a must-win game for Hull against a Sunderland side who have sadly become the league’s whipping boys. I would back them to get the job done and bag the three points.

Hull have improved vastly under Marco Silva and this will have been the plan for weeks.

To boost the Saturday treble I would take a chance on Swansea to back themselves and get a massive win at home to Everton.

They looked good in getting a point at Old Trafford and with the home crowd behind them they could be a good price at 2/1. The treble pays a tasty 9/1 and could be a nice little acca to enjoy with the good weather.