FALLON THE KEMPTON BANKER: Daqman tries again with maximum stakes at Kempton this afternoon after a similar banker bet was beaten a short neck at Deauville yesterday. Today’s is ridden by Kieren Fallon.
It’s easier in the North. As if to challenge Kieren Fallon to prove his words himself or put his riding boot firmly where his mouth is, the ex-champion was offered rides by Northern trainers at the big York meeting last week.
Fallon does a double stint down South at Kempton and Windsor on his championship quest today but the support of Nigel Tinkler, Mick Easterby and Kevin Ryan could be absolutely vital in the later stages of the season.
It wouldn’t go amiss at the Doncaster St Leger meeting, for instance, as Fahey hots up Hanagan and Johnston stokes De Sousa. If you hadn’t noticed, Fallon won for all three of those Northern yards during York week.
It might have been more but he was on the ‘wrong one’ of Brian Ellison’s (Saptapadi, fifth) as the Ebor went to claimer Dale Swift on Moyenne Corniche. I couldn’t have tipped a maiden-only scorer to win an Ebor in a million years but, not for the first time, Ellison was right to forecast that his pair would both be in at the finish. When he’s on form, his horses sing.
Yes, it’s not so much a surge of Northern jocks, as a surge of Northern trainers. Not since Peter Easterby, Sam Hall and the Elseys – Bill and Charles – has so much money been earned by so few ‘up North.’
Collectively, but very competitively, the three Northern leaders, Kevin Ryan, Mark Johnston and Richard Fahey have so far this season taken £3.5m in prizemoney out of racing’s pot.
Ryan is, of course, the find of the season, though it could be argued that he’s been the find of every season since he started in 1998, steadily cutting his way through the ranks until in 2011 he’s already 10 winners ahead of 2010 and only £15,000 short of a million in earnings, alongside the Stoutes and Gosdens of this racing world.
Unknown Rebel (3.30 Hamilton) is his only runner today, progressive but a winner so narrowly at Hamilton (short head) and Chester (threeparts of a length) that the handicapper has raised him only 9lb overall for three wins from five races since the Spring. Compare that with 15lb for three wins by Carragold.
Unknown Rebel’s success has come from the front at a mile and 10f so the question mark today is: will he get the ‘extra furlong and a bit’ of Hamilton’s 1m 3f 16yd?
Philip Makin, who is two out of two on Unknown Rebel (9.8 on Betdaq this morning), is another one of those rising stars we keep calling ‘the find of the season.’
Ellison’s runner, Artisan, has learned to settle and did best last time when stepped up to 10f. Could continue on this steady climb.
Though carrying top weight, George Adamson is down a pound or two after four consecutive races at a higher level, including a 12f win at Thirsk.
Jonny Delta is unexposed, but the ones I fear most are back-to-form Hail Bold Chief, whose recent win has been boosted, and Record Breaker (15.0) for Paul Hanagan, riding for Mark Johnston here instead of Richard Fahey.
Now 26lb lower than for his best form three grades higher, the seven-year-old has to bounce back but the jockey booking suggests he’s ready to do so.
Meanwhile, Kieren Fallon is booked by his most ardent supporter, who stood by him in the darker days: Sir Michael Stoute.
It must be a racing certainty that he’ll score on one of the three Stoute maidens, Zenaat (4.15 Kempton), Ladyship (5.20 Windsor) and The Mongoose (7.20 Windsor). Ladyship looks best.
DAQMAN’S BETS
BET 5pts win ARABIAN FLIGHT (2.15 Kempton)
BET 2.2pts win UNKNOWN REBEL and 1.5pts win and place RECORD BREAKER (3.30 Hamilton)
BANKER: 20pts win LADYSHIP (5.20 Windsor)
DAQ MULTIPLES: 5 x 1pt win doubles and 2 x 1pt win trebles Arabian Flight (2.15 Kempton) with Unknown Rebel and Record Breaker (3.30 Hamilton) and with Ladyship (5.20 Windsor)
