Following another disaster defeat for the GB Davis Cup team, this time to Lithuania, the pressure on John Lloyd to be replaced is greater than ever. Paddy Power has Greg Rusedski as the 4/6 odds on favourite to be named the next captain followed closely by the nation’s favourite Tim Henman at 6/4.

The GB team lost to a team that has one of the smallest budgets in world tennis and more questions are being asked about the LTA system that has a reported £40m per year to spend. Whilst both Rusedski and Henman seem the obvious names, high profile coaches Paul Annocone and Mark Petchy at 4/1 and 12/1 respectively. There could also be a few names like Pat Cash at 20/1 and Super Brat John McEnroe at 125/1 that would certainly ruffle a few feathers in the LTA.

Roberto Coladangelo spokesman for Paddy Power said, “In terms of competing in the Davis Cup GB tennis is at an all time low. If the LTA do take the decision to appoint a new captain it looks like either Greg or Tim will be getting the call. Although I am sure fans would love to see a big name like Cash or Becker come in and sort this mess out.”

GB: Next Davis Cup Captain

4/6 Greg Rusedski

6/4 Tim Henman

4/1 Paul Annacone

12/1 Mark Petchey

20/1 Pat Cash

33/1 Tony Roche

33/1 Brad Gilbert

33/1 David Felgate

33/1 Jeremy Bates

80/1 Boris Becker

125/1 John McEnroe

250/1 Annabel Croft

250/1 Virginia Wade

500/1 Sue Barker

1000/1 Cliff Richard

Hunterview new favourite with Paddy after some lumpy enough bets

Champion trainer Paul Nicholls intends running Pepe Simo in Saturday’s Paddy Power Imperial Cup at Sandown as he bids to win the 70,000 event for the first time.

The six-year-old, who could be joined by stable companion Pistolet Noir, is 7-1 co second favourite with Paddy Power for Saturday’s feature and was considered good enough by the Somerset handler to last time line up in the Grade 1 Christmas Hurdle at Kempton on Boxing Day in which he finished fifth behind Champion Hurdle contender Go Native.

Pepe Simo also holds entries in both the Spinal Research Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and the Vincent O’Brien County Handicap Hurdle at next week’s Cheltenham Festival.

Nicholls said: “Pepe Simo is a definite runner in the Paddy Power Imperial Cup and we have been waiting for better ground for him, but we’ve not made up our minds yet about Pistolet Noir’s participation.”

“The ground was too soft for Pepe Simo in the Christmas Hurdle. I’m not thinking any further than the weekend for him but Cheltenham could be a possible as well. We’ll confirm him for both races at Cheltenham and decide later and I don’t know at the moment which I prefer.!

Asked if he thought Pepe Simo’s handicap mark of 140 was a fair one, the trainer quipped: “It would be better if it was 130 again I don’t know and I’ll tell you after Saturday!”

Pepe Simo is a a 16-1 shot with Paddy for the County Hurdle and a 33-1 chance for the Spinal Research Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, while Pistolet Noir, entered in both the Fred Winter Juvenile Novices’ Handicap Hurdle and the JCB Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham, is available at 20-1 for the Paddy Power Imperial Cup with the bookie.

A win for either of Nicholls’ possible duo will allow them to have a crack at a £75,000 bonus from Paddy Power to the connections of the winner of this race should the same horse go on to win any race at the 2010 Festival Meeting at Cheltenham from March 16th-19th, 2010. This will be distributed as follows: £50,000 to the winning owner, £15,000 to the winning trainer and £10,000 to the winning stable.

So far David Pipe and his father Martin are the only trainers to have pulled off the Paddy Power Imperial Cup-Festival race double, scooping the additional pot in the process. Martin managed it twice courtesy of Olympian (1993) and Blowing Wind five years’ later. The former went on to win the Coral Cup, while Blowing Wind landed the Vincent O’Brien County Hurdle.

David emulated his dad in 2007 with Gaspara, who later was an easy five length winner of the Fred Winter Juvenile Novices’ Handicap Hurdle in the colours of a certain Mr M C Pipe!

In 2008 he again won the Paddy Power Imperial Cup with Ashkazar, who was three and a half lengths too powerful for Fredensborg under an inspired Timmy Murphy ride, but the winner was unable to cope with Crack Away Jack in the Fred Winter in which he went down by two and a half lengths.

Last year David again came close to landing the Paddy Power Imperial Cup when Seven Is My Number found only Dave’s Dream too good.

This year David has entered Hunterview and Salut Flo and the former was this morning cut into 11-2 favourite (from 7-1 co second favourite) by Paddy.

Paddy Power himself said: “Hunterview was the one punters came for when we first priced up and we’ve seen a few lumpy enough bets on him today. It’s a difficult race to assess but if the support continues and the race were to cut up, it wouldn’t be impossible that he went off at 2-1, now that would be an imperious gamble!”

Paddy Power Imperial Cup

Paddy Power bets: 11-2 Hunterview, 6 Salut Flo, 7 Pepe Simo, Bellvano, Qaspal, 8 Eradicate, 10 Sway, 12 Mohayer, Oldrik, 14 Aather, Caravel, Fairyland, Press The Button, 16 Pascha Bere, Tocca Ferro, Wade Farm Billy, Tender Falcon, 20 Stradbrook, Keki Buku, Chaninbar, Numide, Mon Michel, Pistolet Noir, 22 Helium, 25 Callisto Moon, Dani’s Girl, Kanad, Cool Touch, Katies Tuitor, El Dancer, Tilt, Treaty Flyer, Cheshire Prince, Quartano, Dontpaytheferryman, 33 Border Castle, Son Of Flicka, Beau Fighter, Sambalando, 50 War Party