LOOK OUT FOR THE GUINEAS NEXT WEEK: The Newmarket Guineas and the big Punchestown meeting make next week classic occasions for jumps fans and Flat-race punters alike; hopefully, tipsters, too, says Daqman, who will be back with his ABC guides and race-by-race analysis.
BAD DAY AT THE OFFICE FOR TIPSTERS: Daqman was not alone in having a poor tipping day yesterday, leaving his record behind at five naps in a row – 10 from 12 – and six bankers out of six. Total profit to 20-points level stakes: 345.
BE WINNER WISE WITH BETDAQ VALUE: He leads Pricewise 22-4 since the start of the Flat and 61-16 overall in races where both have made selections since November 23. It’s all down to BETDAQ value, says our man.
Truce! The layers finally got me yesterday. And today is the day of Treve, which in French means ‘truce’ or ‘respite’, and, by inference, ‘peace’.
Not for long, though. I see The Guineas meeting ahead, plus Punchestown and then Chester and York. It’s not the end of my bankers and lays sequences. It’s not even the end of the beginning.
But today is a day to watch (if you can), as Treve reappears for a season which is likely to go like this: Ganay, Royal Ascot, Vermeille, back-to-back Arcs.
After a dumb Saturday, I feel justified in a bit of trumpeting: I tipped her for the Arc. But, I have to admit, I thought she was second best to Intello.
I like doing a one-two. This one turned out to be a one-three. Maybe Treve – I think she’ll improve further – and Intello, forced to retire, showed themselves two of the best this century .
Where will Australia, Kingman, True Story, Kingston Hill and War Command figure in the Classics story of 2014? Let’s take an armchair ride through the season with BETDAQ, starting today.
1.30 Longchamp (Prix Vanteaux) Famous for the launch in her Arc year of the fabulous filly Three Troikas (1979) but no great claim to fame since, though it can be a pointer to the Prix de Diane (French Oaks).
All eyes are on the Aga Khan’s Vazira, by Sea The Stars out of a Zafonic mare, half-sister to a Prix Saint-Alary winner. She won on the debut in March but has something to prove because fillies behind her that day have been beaten.
Privet Hedge enjoyed the good ground when she won at ‘Maisons’ and only drizzle is forecast on the existing good-to-soft Paris terrain this morning.
The experienced filly is Kenzadargent, Group 3 placed twice and with a Listed run in March behind her. But Vazira should win.
2.40 Longchamp (Prix Ganay) Criquete Head(-Maarek), who trained Three Troikas and has had six more Vanteaux winners since 1979, is concerned only with the Ganay today.
And there is no ‘should’ or ‘could’ about Treve, Frankie Dettori’s meal-ticket for the season. It’s ‘will’ win! Get this one wrong, Frankie, and you may as well do a flying dismount on your nose!
Treve’s was the traditional route to the Arc for a three-year-old French filly – Diane, Vermeilles, then Longchamp – but there’s nothing in the distaff history book since Allez France to compare with the devastating turn of foot she showed in that Arc.
From an ‘impossible’ draw in 15 – they simply don’t win from the car park in the bois – she flew five lengths past the 2012 runner-up Orfevre, with French Derby winner, Intello, in third.
Another lady of the turf, Mme Barande-Barbe, is determined to take the chirp out of Criquette with her Ascot Champion Stakes winner, Cirrus Des Aigles, now eight but back to form, second in the Sheema Classic at Meydan in March.
I’m more interesting in seeing whether she can improve the five-year-old dual Group winner, Norse King, who landed a backend treble made four in a row on his seasonal debut.
There are some limitations on Norse King as a gelding, so he’ll be striking at top company when he can, and an attack on Treve is likely to be most worthwhile at the start of the season.
Smoking Sun beat Norse King, Triple Threat and Baltic Baroness in the Prix d’Harcourt earlier this month but was first-time blinkered and getting weight from the runner-up.
Dual winner of the Canadian Internaitonal, Joshua Tree, and the Ascot (fillies and mares) champion, Belle De Crecy, stablemate of Treve, complete the best Flat-race line-up this season in Europe so far.
3.15 Longchamp Ninth behind Treve in the Arc, and then second in the Prix Royal-Oak on heavy ground, Going Somewhere, has English targets – including the Gold Cup – this year, as he is a better colt on top of the ground.
3.35 Gowran Park This Listed race has thrown up a few decent fillies of its own: Ribblesdale winner Banimpire (2011) and Pretty Polly heroine Chinese White (2010).
Dermot Weld, who has a run of form in this of 121041 since 2008, saddles the only three-year-old, I’m Yours, trying to maintain the 50% record of Classic-year fillies in a race in which they get a stone concession.
Weld has scored with two three-year-olds among his five most recent starters this season, has sent out Fascinating Rock to take the Ballysax and, of course, has Epsom Derby fancy Free Eagle on the sidelines among second-season strength in depth at his Curragh stables.
DAQMAN’S BETS
BET 6pts win (nap) I’M YOURS (3.35 Gowran Park)
DAQ MULTIPLES: 3 x 3pt win doubles and 1pt win treble DITTANDER (2.15 Kempton), I’M YOURS (3.35 Gowran Park) and RANJAAN (5.15 Kempton)
LONGCHAMP: 1.30 Vazira, 2.40 Treve, 3.15 Going Somewhere
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