DAQMAN NAPS 11-4 OAKS WINNER: Daqman landed the euros away from home yesterday when he napped La Cressonniere (WON 11-4) to win the match against Irish raiders in the French Oaks. He also landed a place return from Giant Redwood (3rd 20-1) at Pontefract.
50 WINS UP IN FEATURE RACES: It took Daqman’s feature race success, in events nominated by Pricewise of the Racing Post to 50 for the season (the scores are Daqman 50, Pricewise 22). It was Daqman’s fifth day out of six in profit after his Ascot spree of 14 winning bets.
MY VOTE? IT’S THE WORLD’S BEST RACING
No time to stand and stare. Royal Ascot and the English Classic scene may be over but next weekend is one of the best in these so-called British islands (no hint of Brexit intended).
I remain (oh dear; done it again) convinced that racing in England and Ireland is the best in the world, despite the occasional sprinting missile sent from America and Australia.
And next weekend has all the ingredients of all that is best since immigrant progeny of Nearco and Native Dancer – mainly through his grandson Northern Dancer – began to dominate the scene. What more do you want than this two-day carnival on three racetracks:
IRISH DERBY Despite the renown of the Epsom version, this is the one that can produce the greats, so often down the line of Northern Dancer’s own grandson, Galileo.
A rematch between the Epsom Derby one-two Harzand and Aidan O’Brien’s US Army Ranger is eagerly awaited, with O’Brien already having won 11 Curragh Derbys, including seven consecutively. This duel should decide top dog, at least until the Arc.
PITMAN’S DERBY It was always the Derby for the pitman. Now it’s an all-weather handicap, this year run for the first time on a man-made surface. Later in the week, I’ll be telling you the secrets of finding the winner.
SUMMER CUP The Curragh has many other top races at the weekend: among them the Railway Stakes and Pretty Polly (not to be confused with the Newmarket race of that name).
But the Summer Cup at Uttoxeter – same sponsor as the Pitman’s Derby (Nortumberland Plate) – provides a superb punt between two disciplines.
The Summer Cup is a Listed chase over 3m 2f, so hope for good ground – not too firm, no mud- for a strong field. Yes, you guessed it; a certain W Mullins has a couple of entries.
The overrounds on BETDAQ will astonish you, if you don’t already know them. You can bet in the morning at around 105%. Last year’s Northumberland Plate Total SP? 130%.
The bookies think they’ve got it on a plate, and can pinch £30 every time you bet £100; but we know differently!
FORTUNE-COOKIES ARE STRIKING AT 33%
OUR Irish Derby ‘Fortune Cookie’ is, of course, US Army Ranger, and we have So Mi Dar lined up for the Irish Oaks in July. Our win strike-rate is 33% and place 86%. Look out for a replacement for A Shin Hikari.
— 0 A Shin Hikari (DELETE)
— 3 Awtaad (Kevin Prendergast)
-22 Cotai Glory (Charles Hills)
— 0 Exosphere (Sir Michael Stoute)
232 Found (Aidan O’Brien)
– 21 Minding (Aidan O’Brien)
— 1 So Mi Dar (John Gosden) Irish Oaks, The Curragh, July 16.
– 11 Profitable (Clive Cox)
— 2 US Army Ranger (Aidan O’Brien) Irish Derby Stakes, The Curragh, Saturday
— 1 Usherette (Andre Fabre)
I’D RATHER BE ON PHILADELPHIA..
6.50 Windsor Cheptow was off, and rain had already caused some defections tonight by the time I was writing at 10 a.m.
Roger Varian has a 46% strike rate with handicappers here and these fields suggest that, on the whole, I’d rather be on Philadelphia!
The soft-ground Doncaster winner didn’t like it firm at Newmarket, and the BETDAQ betting was wide open this morning (5.3 the field), suggesting that something like the 8.2 Philadelphia would produce the winner.
Incidentally, they were all single-figure offers, except Silvestre De Sousa’s mount, Willsy, at 16.0. The champion had rides on only three days at Royal Ascot, most of them rank outsiders. Why is he suddenly out in the cold?
7.50 Windsor Racereaders who saw Indulged’s cheeky win at Ripon marked her down for the Pattern, as she floored an odds-on shot of William Haggas’s.
I shall put her in as a banker at 2.46 on BETDAQ early mouse and double her with the 8.2 Philadelphia.
DAQMAN’S BETS (1 to 9 for strength; 10 is a banker)
BET 4pts win and place PHILADELPHIA (6.50 Windsor)
BET 10pts win (banker nap) INDULGED (7.50 Windsor)
DAQ MULTIPLES: 2pts win double the two above
£25 IN FREE BETS
Did you know that as well as checking the realtime prices on BETDAQ below – you can also log into your account and place your bets directly into BETDAQ from BETDAQ TIPS.
