Kick off time

The world's eyes will be on St Mary's stadium as Plymouth Argyle open their League One season with a trip to league favourites Southampton and that undoubtedly is the sporting highlight of the weekend.

Last season was miserable for Plymouth and I can't think of a year when there was so much poor football played at Home Park. But there's a new manager in That Man Reid, a newly laid pitch to replace last season's bog and an air of optimism about the place (as there is every year before the season actually starts....) That Man has stated that nothing less than promotion will do and in these halcyon final hours of pre-season we can all concur and look forward to unremitting success.

The big match will be long over by the time my two horses run today, the first of them in the 17 runner heritage handicap at Haydock at 3.25. Tony Martin has stuck one in here which will either be punted off the boards and win or be ignored and lose but even with his menacing presence lurking in the background I am going for Sirvino at 9-1. He was a massive improver last season, shooting up the handicap with five wins before finishing well back in the Cambridgeshire. His comeback run in a listed race should have put him right to get back into winning ways today over his ideal distance.

At Ascot I am going for Strategic Mount in the 4.30 Shergar Cup Challenge at 7-1. He won this race in 07 and 08 but didn't run in it last year and goes into today's race in good form. Those two wins were his only victories in the past three years so I'm banking on him getting the hat-trick. Yesterday's betting was abysmal and we need a winner to get back on track so there us a lot riding on these two!

Happy Punting one and all!