Andy Holding & Tom Love's Horse Racing & Football Double

Andy Holding's Selection for 13:00 Pontefract

MAKETH BELEIVETH (best price 5-2) has missed several recent engagements due to unfavourable conditions, but there can be no excuses for Harry Dunlop’s four-year-old with all the recent rain around and he’s fancied to kick off his season in the best possible fashion. 

A game-winner of a 1m4f handicap at Wolverhampton last August, the son of Make Believe didn’t manage to add to his tally in four subsequent starts, but in his defence, he did record his best speed figure on his final outing at Newbury when runner-up to the progressive filly, Secret Shadow. In what turned out to be a proper test at the trip, the four-year-old battled on bravely all the way to the line, and although conditions here this afternoon aren’t going to be anywhere as taxing, the stiff nature of the track will ensure his ability to stay further is likely to prove a key factor. Moreover, the fact George Rooke, who rode him that day, gets the chance to reacquaint himself with his mount has to be seen as another major plus, and at the morning prices, he makes more appeal than most. 

Tom Love's Selection for Benfica vs Liverpool

Liverpool will have no doubt been delighted with their quarter final draw.  Considering the calibre of sides left in the competition it’s fair to say that Benfica are probably the lowest ranked. They’ve been far from convincing even in their domestic league this season and this represents a really tough task for them. 

Liverpool head to Lisbon on Tuesday night no doubt with one eye on a crucial premier league clash with Manchester City coming up on Sunday afternoon so it will be interesting to see how strong Jurgen Klopp goes with his starting XI for this first leg tie. 

Even if the Reds lost this game by the odd goal they’d still be strongly fancied by the market to progress to the semi-finals but Klopp will be eager to come away with a comfortable win to make life easier for themselves in the second leg at Anfield. 

The German head honcho has a clean bill of health which will only intensify stiff competition for places and the sheer strength in depth in the ranks these days mean Liverpool are a serious force on all fronts.

Hosts Benfica have struggled to keep clean sheets this season and lost 3-2 at Braga in their last game on Friday evening. They’ve also had a favourable route to get to this point with Dynamo Kiev and an out of sorts Barcelona in their group. 

Liverpool have shown time and again that they can control high intensity games and I’d expect Benfica to try sit back and not allow spaces in behind to let the dangerous away forwards in behind. 

However, plenty of sides have tried nullifying Liverpool in that way but they’re so hard to stop because there are threats from all over the pitch. Their 4/9 quotes are fully warranted but given they may have one eye on the weekend it may be a fairly routine win  so chancing the bigger price on Liverpool to win and under 3.5 goals looks the way to go.