BANKERS DOUBLE UP ON MONDAY: Daqman made it three 20-point winning bankers out of three with a double of maximum-stakes bets on Monday, Coologue (WON 5-4) and the huge gamble, Made With Love (WON 1-7, morning odds against on BETDAQ), following Irish Saint (WON 6-5) on Saturday.
6-1 HEADLINE BET IS A WINNER: Made With Love and Coologue were doubled and trebled with Don’t Be (WON 2-1) in his Christmas yankee, and he headlined Nordic Nymph (WON 6-1).
7-5 DAQMAN OVER PRICEWISE: Punters were treated to all three winners in last Saturday’s big races, as the Daqman v Pricewise duel ended with an extended lead, 7-5, to Daqman, now 115-64 in front, since their challenge began 13 months ago. Today they clash in the 1.45 Wetherby and 3.10 Kempton.
SILVINIACO CONTI STILL KING OF KEMPTON
3.10 Kempton (King George V1 Chase) The stats spell it out clearly. Today’s King George has a champion who wins year on year, whatever his age. Or the spell is broken and a young pretender takes the crown. Here’s the ABC Guide, with my verdict that Silviniaco Conti is currently too good and the champagne challenge will have to stay in the bottle for another year.
Whatever you chose this morning, you couldnt go wrong on BETDAQ, with the orange adding up to 100%; paying out as much as is paid in.
A: Grade-1 winner (10 out of 10)
B: Aged six and seven (17 first wins out of 24 since 1972)
C: Won the race before (17 since 1972)
D: Trained Paul Nicholls (8 since 1997)
AB Champagne Fever
This is the right age to launch a new star but Willie Mullins has had a hard time with his chasers in England and Champagne Fever’s Grade-1 wins were in hurdles races not chases.
However, this Supreme Novices’ Hurdle winner, from My Tent Or Yours, was beaten only a head in the Arkle in March after looking all over the winner until Western Warhorse came with such a sensational run that connections of both, along with the crowd, were stunned into silence.
Champagne Fever slammed Alderwood on his seasonal reappearance at Clonmel but that one did nothing for the form when a moderate fourth to Felix Yonger in the Hilly Way at Cork recently.
ACD Silviniaco Conti
Can become the latest sequence horse in an illustrious progression in this race, which has seen 11 horses dominate since Pendil (1972-3) and Captain Christy (74-75), through Silver Buck (two wins), Wayward Lad (3), Desert Orchid (4), The Fellow (2), One Man (2), See More Business (2), Kicking King (2), Kauto Star (5) and Long Run (2).
After four successive novice chase successes, Silviniaco hit the buffers with a fall at the third last in the 2013 Gold Cup (some thought he was going like the winner).
Though beaten in the run up to the race, he came back well to win last year’s King George (from Cue Card and Al Ferof, with Dynaste fifth) before fourth in the Gold Cup.
He’s progressed on similar vein again this term, turning around defeat by Menorah at Wetherby to score impressively in the Lancashire Chase at Haydock (Dynaste third, Cue Card fourth), looking even stronger than last year. Ideally wants soft ground but has won twice on the billard-table surface at Aintree, best turf in the world.
AD Al Ferof
Five in a row in 2012 as novice hurdler and in chases, until falling short of top class in the Champion Chase and behind Menorah at Aintree.
Victory in the PP Chase at the end of that year put him back on the map, but he has won only one of five races since after a year off.
A good 14 lengths behind Silviniaco Conti in last year’s King George (suffering from ulcers) and fifth to Dynaste in the Ryanair.
Impressive on his return at Ascot last month (Wishfull Thinking third) but a lot of ground to make up, with his 10th birthday looming.
A Cue Card
King George of 2012 was the only time in 15 chases that he’s been out of the first four, including a big stamina leap forward when runner-up in last year’s King George, splitting Silviniaco Conti and Al Ferof after trying to make all, having beaten the winner in the Lancashire Chase at Haydock.
Below par this season, including in the same Haydock chase, not seemingly at his best when fourth behind Silviniaco Conti, Menorah and Dynaste.
A Dynaste
Young pretender of 2013 after four novice wins out of five (beaten in the then Jewson Chase at the Cheltenham Festival) and divided Cue Card and Silviniaco Conti in Lancashire Chase at Haydock, but flopped in the King George behind that pair.
Won this year’s Ryanair on good ground after a break but twice behind Silviniaco Conti, at Aintree in April and again on his return for another crack at the Lancashire Chase, eight lengths adrift of the second, Menorah.
A Menorah
Third in the 2012 Arkle to Sprinter Sacre but well behind Dynaste, then Silviniaco Conti, at Cheltenham and Aintree festivals this year.
Bounced back to highest ever rating by winning November’s Charlie Hall (beat Silviniaco Conti on good ground) then second to that one on the soft in the Lancashire Chase (Dynaste and Cue Card third and fourth).
Tom O’Brien, deputising for banned Richard Johnson, has chosen Menorah over stablemate Wishfull Thinking (Barry Geraghty). The ground suits Menorah.
BD Wonderful Charm
Three in a row as a novice, but well behind Wishfull Thinking in the Peterborough Chase. Prefers a sound surface and rating of 159 is a stone below this level.
B Johns Spirit
PP Gold Cup winner at Cheltenham in November 2013 and narrowly beaten in same race again recently. But only fifth behind Double Ross there a year ago. Returned to form in an ordinary handicap on his reappearance, and a good 12lb short of this level.
– Double Ross
Same mark as Wonderful Charm, brought down behind that one at Newton Abbot in October and unseated rider in Lancashire Chase won by Silviniaco Conti the following month.
– Wishfull Thinking
Consistent two-miler, third Champion Chase at Cheltenham (2013), but new lease of life this year, beating Double Ross in Topham Trophy, and also winning Old Roan Chase and Peterborough Chase (beat Wonderful Charm) but soft ground found him out behind Al Ferof at Ascot. Now the trip may do the same.
DAQMAN’S ORDER IN Silviniaco Conti 1, Al Ferof 2, Champagne Fever 3
FAUGHEEN TO BOOST HIS CHAMPION STATUS
12.50 Kempton Penalised horses have scored six times in eight seasons, with just two winners off 11st. It’s neck and neck, four each to aged four and five.
Nicky Henderson has taken this twice in the last three seasons but, though he’s won a bumper, you’d think the grey Bringithomeminty would need another mile, as a son of Presenting out of a Roselier mare.
The big question mark is whether Willie Mullins has improved Flat-bred Sempre Medici’s hurdling technique. Ruby Walsh could have him on the bridle throughout; he’s so classy. But what will happen when he’s let down and asked for a competitive jump?
1.25 Kempton Nicky Henderson has won this four times, with all ages – 4, 5, 6 and 7 – since 2006, but never giving weight all round, as River Maigue has to do, living off his prowess as a hurdler.
He was no more than encouraging in his one and only chase and hardly rates 137, as he finished 11 lengths off the 138-rated winner. The assumption is that he will at least match his hurdles rating (142) and benefit from the half-mile step up in trip.
The Skyfarmer and Katgary have also been difficult to train, while patience has been the watchword with Stellar Notion, a Presenting who is now ready to try this stronger company. I took 4.7 on BETDAQ early mouse.
1.40 Wincanton One of three five-year-olds should win it (they are 8 out of 9), with Tom Scudamore taking the ride on penalised Batavir before taking a helicopter to Kempton for Dynaste in the King George.
Batavir tries to sneak in under the handcapper’s radar here, due to go up another 7lb. but he won from the front at Ascot and the stayer Southfield Vic may take him on here. Junction Fourteen is a real terrier.
1.45 Wetherby (Rowland Meyrick Chase) Broadway Buffalo came back to form at Haydock but prefers soft-heavy ground and has yet to handle Graded or Listed company.
Four of the top five in this handicap have. They include previous winner, Cape Tribulation but he is also a heavy-ground performer.
I shall have a bit win and place on Trustan Times, Pertemps Final (hurdles) third and Scottish National fourth, and 15.0 on BETDAQ this morning.
But I also like the top one, Corrin Wood, at 8.6. I remember him at Catterick as a novice and he never saw another horse that day!
He’s top weight but deserves it and, apart from the rags at the bottom, it’s a 12lb handicap.
2.00 Kempton (Kauto Star Novices Chase) This, the old Feltham, has thrown up Joe Lively, Long Run, Grands Crus and Dynaste since 2007 alone.
Paul Nicholls has two runners, with Sam Twiston-Davies seemingly preferring Saphir Du Rheu to Virak. We’ve learned the hard way recently not to choose between a stable pair but back them both and Virak is big at 6.2.
2.10 Market Rasen (Lincolnshire National) A tough call, with three last-day winners not certain to reproduce their form, local horse Chac Du Cadran with blinkers first time, Petit Ecuyer under a penalty and Presented never having won this high in the handicap.
With the going on top, it’s a day for those higher in the handicap and Many Stars is an unexposed stayer who will appreciate track and trip.
2.20 Wetherby Brian Ellison is two from two in this and appears to have laid out Powerful Ambition for the hat-trick. Had useful form last year.
2.35 Kempton (Christmas Hurdle) Fine weather has kept this card buoyant, when all feared that Faugheen would sink it without trace.
Paul Nicholls is prepared to take him on with Irving and Nicky Henderson switched Sign Of A Victory from The Ladbroke, the theory being that these fast two-milers can foil the stamina of a horse that’s won all bar one of his six consecutive hurdles races from 19.5f to 3m on soft-heavy.
But, since Faugheen’s target is the Champion Hurdle, I think we can expect an all-the-way charge here from Ruby Walsh.
2.55 Leopardstown (Racing Post Novice Chase) Within 20 minutes of Faugheen, another Willie Mullins star, Vautour, must confirm his Cheltenham potential.
But is the race a portend for the King George? Mullins won this novice chase back to back in 2011-12 but last year his Champagne Fever was beaten odds-on favourite.
In another 15 minutes (see top of the page), we will know if the Christmas hoodoo strikes Champagne Fever again.
3.25 Wincanton (Lord Stalbridge Memorial Cup) The drying ground will suit Harouet, who drops to his lowest mark for more than two years for a trainer in top form. Big at 16.0 in the BETDAQ orange, as I write.
Loch Ba misses the Welsh National for this race, which Monkerty Tunkerty won in 2012. Saroque is consistent but needs mud, and Buck’s Bond is a winner only once in eight starts on the course. Kudu Shine is the likely improver at 6.2 on BETDAQ, as I write.
DAQMAN’S BETS (each horse backed to win 30 points at morning BETDAQ offers unless otherwise stated. Bankers and lays to a fixed stake)
BET 7.4pts win STELLAR NOTION and 5.5pts win RIVER MAIGUE (1.25 Kempton)
BET 4pts win and place CORRIN WOOD, and 1pt win and place TRUSTAN TIMES (1.45 Wetherby)
BET 5pts win VIRAK and 4.2pts win )(stakes saver) SAPHIR DU RHEU (2.00 Kempton)
BET 8pts win MANY STARS (2.10 Market Rasen)
BET 3pts win POWERFUL AMBITION (2.20 Wetherby)
BANKER: BET 20pts win FAUGHEEN (2.35 Kempton)
BANKER: BET 20pts win VAUTOUR (2.55 Leopardstown)
LAY 5pts CHAMPAGNE FEVER and BET 12pts win (nap) SILVINIACO CONTI (3.10 Kempton)
BET 6pts win KUDU SHINE, and 2pts win and place HAROUET (3.25 Wincanton)
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