AND DOWN THE STRETCH THEY COME!

Got an itch to get in on some red-hot College of Cardinals wagering action? John Paul II appears to be recovering from his Soviet cold, but the books are now open if you want to lay down some cash on the next Vicar of Christ:

ROME (AFP) - As Pope John Paul II recovers in a Rome hospital from surgery to alleviate severe breathing problems, Irish bookmakers Paddy Power have begun taking bets on the identity of his successor.

The company has made 70-year-old Cardinal Dionigi Tettamanzi, the Archbishop of Milan, its firm favourite as next leader of the Roman Catholic Church.

Tettamanzi, at 5-2, is ahead of 74-year-old Nigerian Cardinal Francis Arinze, 3-1, and 68-year-old Jaime Lucas Ortega y Alamino of Cuba, 11-2.

Leading outsiders, according to the bookmakers, are Florence Archbishop Ennio Antonelli, Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga of Honduras — both 6-1 — and Cardinals Joseph Ratzinger of Germany and Claudio Hummes of Brazil, both 8-1.

Take it from me: Ratzinger at 8-1 is still a sucker’s bet. If you’d like my five-star Holy See Lock of the Week, contact me for further details. Over three and a half satisfied customers know we’ve got the picks that beat the big boards! Plus if you sign up for a full season, I’ll throw in the outcome of the Anglican “throw out the Americans” vote absolutely free. Who else can give you this kind of action?