4BR has been in touch with our local branch of ‘Honest Ted’ the punter’s friend, and has for the first time ever in the history of the banding world, come up with the definitive set of starting prices for the forthcoming early seasons contesting stakes up and down the country – as well as a few speciality bets too.

Favourites

So who are the pre race favourites for, Butlins, Yeovil and the Regionals? Who is getting a few hard earned pounds put on them to take over the top seat at Grimethorpe, and who may be out of a job by the end of the season…

4BR will be keeping the odds under review as the season progresses…

Who is getting a few hard earned pounds put on them to take over the top seat at Grimethorpe, and who may be out of a job by the end of the season4BR

Butlins Mineworkers Championship:
6 –1 joint favourites: Hepworth (Cookson Homes) & Desford Colliery
8 – 1: Carlton Main Frickley
10 –1: SWT Woodfalls
12 – 1: Virtuosi GUS
15 – 1: Wingates

25 –1 bar

Yeovil Entertainment Championship:
5 –1 joint favourites: Tredegar & BTM
7- 1: Flowers
10 – 1: SWT Woodfalls
12 – 1: Camborne

20 – 1 bar

New Principal Cornet at Grimethorpe for the Regional Championships:
12 –1 favourites: Philip McCann & Raf Van Looveren
20 – 1: Ian Culross
25 –1: Alan Morrison, Stephen Wilkinson, Richard Marshall, Robert Westacott
100 –1: David King
1000 – 1: Kirsty Abbotts, Roger Webster

Regional Championship betting:

Yorkshire:
3 –1 joint favourites: Black Dyke & Grimethorpe Colliery
6 –1: Brighouse & Rastrick
10 –1: Carlton Main, Rothwell Temperance, Hepworth (Cookson Homes)

North West:
3- 1 favourites: Fodens
5-1: Leyland
8 –1: Fairey
15 –1: Wingates, Stockport Brass

Scotland:
8 –1 favourites: Whitburn
10 –1: Scottish Co-op
12 –1: Kirkintilloch
25 –1: Unison Kinneil & Kingdom Brass

Wales:
2-1 favourites: Cory
4 –1: Tredegar
6 –1: BTM
10 –1: Tongwynlais Temperance

Midlands:
9 –1 favourites: Desford
12 –1: Virtuosi GUS & Sovereign Brass
15 –1: Thoresby Colliery

West of England:
10 –1 joint favourites: Flowers, Mount Charles, SWT Woodfalls, Camborne
15 –1: St Keverne
20 –1: Bournemouth Concert

London & Southern Counties:
8 –1 favourite: Redbridge Brass
10 –1: Aveley & Newham
15 –1: Zone One Brass

North East:
5 –1 favourites: Reg Vardy
8 –1: EYMS
10 –1: Fishburn
15 –1: Felling & Tavistock Chester-le-Street Riverside

Roundabout Stakes:

Which conductor will be conducting a new band from the one they direct as their first choice at the Regionals by the end of the 2009 season?

Without a note being blown, the bookie has come up with the following odds…

10 –1: Russell Gray, Andrew Duncan, Morgan Griffiths, Allan Ramsay,
15 –1: Phil Harper, Andrew Berryman, Frank Renton, Melvin White
25 –1: Alan Morrison, Steven Mead, Phil Chalk, Gareth Pritchard
40 –1: Jason Katsikaris, Nigel Seaman, Jeremy Wise
50 –1: Allan Withington, John Berryman
75 –1: Ian Porthouse, Selmer Simonsen
150 – 1: Garry Cutt, Nigel Taken
500 – 1: Robert Childs, Nicholas Childs, Frans Violet, David Roberts