43-1 BETDAQ CHELTENHAM COUP! Daqman, who tipped 33-1 Imperial Cup winner Ebony Express on Saturday, struck again yesterday with another huge outsider, thanks to ante-post BETDAQ offers on Cause Of Causes (WON 8-1) for the Cheltenham four-miler. His column took a massive 44.0.
6-1 WIN AFTER POWER FAILURE: A second Daqman ante-post success with Glen’s Melody (WON 6-1), to win 40 points, was expensive with first choice, Annie Power, misjudging the last when clear in the Mares Hurdle.
11-1 FINALE: 4-0 FOR DAQMAN: Daqman beat Pricewise 4-0 on the opening day in races selected by the Racing Post tipster (totals now Daqman 135, Pricewise 71). His five winners on the day, listed in time order, finished with a flourish through Irish Cavalier (WON 11-1):
WON 2-1 DOUVAN (saver)
WON 4-6 UN DE SCEAUX (gold banker)
WON 6-1 GLENS MELODY (ante-post on BETDAQ to win 40 points)
WON 8-1 CAUSE OF CAUSES (ante-post at 44.0 on BETDAQ to win 50)
WON 11-1 IRISH CAVALIER (from 14.5 on BETDAQ on the day to win 30)
THROUGH THE CARD TODAY: Daqman’s first-day results in Pricewise races were: 0010100000101. Pricewise: 000302000. Today’s clash of the tipsters goes through the card in all seven races at Cheltenham.
BRYAN COOPER’S TURN ON OUTLANDER
1.30 Cheltenham (Neptune Novices Hurdle): Who’s afraid of the Willie Mullins bandwagon? Not fellow Irish trainer, Dermot Weld.
The race has cut up badly this year (there’s usually 15 or 17 runners), Mullins choosing two from 18 entries. Seven of his last 12 Neptune starters have won (three) or been placed.
But Weld takes him on with the horse Mullins beat in the Deloitte. The one-two that day was Nichols Canyon and Windsor Park, and they meet again here, yet another frame filler for Ireland.
But it could be a twist on the Deloitte, with Windsor Park hardly getting into his stride until the final stages of the Leopardstown race. Some thought he’d be pulled up in the back straight! Windsor Park is also expected to reverse earlier Leopardstown form with Outlander.
Ordo Ab Chao and Parlour Games are already winners at today’s trip, Parlour Games over this CD when he narrowly stopped a five-timer by Vyta Du Roc but, again, the one-two is not certain to be repeated in that order, with the Roc showing his stamina at the business end and likely to be suited by the strong pace today.
DAQMAN’S VERDICT: Nichols Canyon and Windsor Park look locked together but Dermot Weld’s horse has gone down to both Outlander and Nichols Canyon and the winner of this has usually been unbeaten or nearly so. The chances are that Windsor Park does not have a finish.
Parlour Games (22 races) and Nichols Canyon (14) look exposed (the winner has usually had seven runs maximum). So it may be Bryan Cooper’s turn for a Mullins winner: Outlander finished further in front of Windsor Park at Leopardstown than did Nichols Canyon, albeit in a slower time.
Martello Tower is reckoned by some a good thing in the Albert Bartlett but he beat Outlander only a neck over 3m.
NICHOLLS ENTERS THE THEATRE OF WAR
2.05 Cheltenham (RSA Chase): We’ve had the Mullins magic. Now for a spell from the English wizard, Paul Nicholls, with Ditcheat cringing at stable form for the opening quartet of 40PF.
It’s their day to pull rabbits from the hat – Southfield Theatre, Dodging Bullets, Sire Collonges, Lac Fontana – and watch them hare round Prestbury Park.
In the Champion Chase, ‘Dodge’ has to beat two past champions and, in this one, Southfield Theatre has to beat a previous Festival winner, Don Poli (Martin Pipe 2014) and a four-time Cheltenham course winner Kings Palace. It was never easy.
Don Poli defeated one of the JLT favourites (Thursday), Apache Stronghold, at Leopardstown before that one went on to finish well clear of Adriana Des Mottes on the same course.
Kings Palace likes to get on with it and has had an easy life in smaller races so far. I think he’ll struggle after the last in this company, whereas The Young Master has won battles which have lifted him 30lb in the ratings since October.
DAQMAN’S VERDICT: I backed Southfield Theatre ante-post, intending to follow up with The Young Master for the stable which won with The Druids Nephew yesterday. But Don Poli was switched here.
I am in it to win and, as yesterday, I have a 101% list in the BETDAQ orange, so I can back two and save on the favourite. Incidentally, the rule is that, if Pricewise has the winner and I don’t, he wins. But, if he loses and my saver wins, he has lost money, so I win.
BLACKMAIL’S LONG-TERM CUP TARGET
2.40 Cheltenham, (Coral Cup): Activial is up 10lb for two top placed efforts, including third in The Ladbroke (2m), but will he get this extra trip? Aux Ptits Soins has to bridge the gap, too, and it’s his first time in an English handicap.
And I’m much keener on Paul Nicholls’ other runner, Lac Fontana, claimed off and so lower in the ratings than for the second leg of his Cheltenham-Aintree double last Spring. Lac Fontana’s defeat of Arctic Fire in the County Hurdle now catches the eye.
Sean Bowen, whose mount he is, will also partner the stable’s Le Mercurey in the Martin Pipe on Friday. For a claimer that would be a double to rival Ruby Walsh’s exploits.
Another claimer, Peter Carberry, is not out of it on Volnay De Thaix, fifth behind Lac Fontana at Aintree, but staying on second to Rock On Ruby in the Relkeel in December.
Tony Martin, who had seven left in this earlier in the week, openly declared that he would lay out Blackmail for a handicap at this meeting when he strolled home at the Galway Festival. Hooded first time today.
Martin also saddles Marinero who was not disgraced behind Douvan at Punchestown in a Grade-2 novice in January. He’s being claimed off under Shane Shortall, who won the Galway Plate on Road To Riches.
If it stays dry it’s a bonus for Taglietelle from the yard that landed me the NH Chase yesterday at 44.0 (thanks Gordon). The forecast showers would dampen his chances.
Un Atout has been a rare Willie Mullins talking horse that so far hasn’t had a result. Dell’Arca is looking exposed but first-time blinkers could put him in the shake-up.
DAQMAN’S VERDICT: I took 21.0 each of two, Blackmail and Lac Fontana this morning, ton-up bets to win 100 points.
MATCH OF THE DAY: A NEW CHAMPION
3.20 Cheltenham (Champion Chase): The Gold Cup on Friday looks overshadowed by this stunning contest, a match of the day in which the top teams all have a striker.
DODGING BULLETS 9 wins (Paul Nicholls rated 171): ‘Dodge’ leapt a stone up the ratings when he won the traditional stepping-stone for this, the Tingle Creek at Sandown in December.
But he widened his winning margin over runner-up Somersby from two-and-a-half lengths to 12 in taking the Clarence House at Ascot in January, really manning it up as he emerged triumphant to swivel the spotlight which had been fully focused on the odds-on runner-up, Sprinter Sacre.
SPRINTER SACRE 14 wins (N Henderson rated 179): The 10-wins-in-a-row champion of 2013 had been a sick horse for 20 months, with the Ascot race crucial to his return to the top.
The old flair was seen in some mighty leaps on the final circuit and at one stage he looked likely to take off with Barry Geraghty in the manner which made him a national hero.
But the finish was missing and there were still some tweaks needed to his overall fitness. The signs since have been good but this would be the most remarkable return to the winners’ enclosure since the crock Aldaniti won the Grand National with a cancer patient in the saddle!
SIRE DE GRUGY 15 wins (Gary Moore rated 172): Top stables, I said. And whoever writes racing history has to hand it to the Moore family machine. They are the salt of the earth in the racing game.
They matured Sire in his races with the utmost care, taking him up the ratings 27lb to win a Champion Chase (2014) and, as with race rival Sprinter Sacre, have had to bring him back from the edge.
CHAMPAGNE FEVER 9 wins (Willie Mullins rated 162): Winner of the Champion Bumper (2012) and the Supreme Novice Hurdle (2013), last year’s Arkle runner-up cannot be left out of the picture, with his stable already with one hand on the silverware for leading trainer at this week’s meeting.
DAQMAN’S VERDICT: I looked at the front page of the Racing Post this morning (Sprinter Sacre v Sire De Grugy) and thought the winner had come out!
No, of course, I can’t be as confident as that but, when in doubt, always back the improver, and Dodging Bullets suggested ‘more to come’ after beating an almost-there Sprinter Sacre at Ascot.
Sire De Grugy has had recent setbacks and is fully exposed with 27 starts against their 17 and 18, and may find Champagne Fever running him out of it: he pinged the fences when still an immature chaser in the Arkle last year and has his ground. You could say his stable is in form.
DAQMAN’S CHAMPION 1-2-3: Dodging Bullets 1, Sprinter Sacre 2, Champagne Fever 3.
SIRE SAVED UP FOR THE CROSS-COUNTRY
4.00 Cheltenham (Cross-Country): The lower weights win this unless there’s a Garde Champetre or a Balthazar King in the race, and there isn’t this year.
The nearest is Any Currency, beat en a short head last year but he was one of those lightweights then and is hiked 17lb in the ratings for this.
But he did win off 140 in the same series of cross-country races at Cheltenham in December, when Duke Of Lucca was favourite but unseated rider.
Before that he’d finished fourth with Sire Colonges just in front of him behind Balthazar King – saved for the Grand National – in another one in the same series in November. Sire Collonges is now 7lb better off.
A recent fall and better ground here also reduces confidence in unless 10 times (yes, TEN) French cross-country winner, Toutancarmont.
Punchestown Grand National Trial third, Are Ya Right Chief, may be too slow, even for this extra trip and he has no experience of banks racing in public.
DAQMAN’S VERDICT: Sire Collonges. Has the form. Saved up for the race.
ZARIB TO PUT SKELTON ON FESTIVAL MAP
4.40 Cheltenham (Fred Winter Juvenile Hurdle): Sebastian Beach was touted for this but has drifted likely a lonely dog on a raft over my betting weir to 32.0 this morning.
Jonjo’s horses have yet to show they are in peak form for this festival. Ditto Philip Hobbs, who trains the top weight. Hostile Fire might be too keen and run the finish out of himself.
DAQMAN’S VERDICT; Horses by group-1 Flat champions win this, and you can’t do better than Dan Skelton’s Zarib (Azamour out of a Dalakhani mare).
CD WINNER MOON RACER BUMPER BET
5.15 Cheltenham (Champion Bumper) Champions emerge from this – like Cue Card and Champagne Fever – but few recognise them at the time, and those two started 40-1 and 16-1 respectively when they won this race!
Willie Mullins has won four times in the decade but his winners, too, have been enormous odds for a meeting like this: 25-1, 16-1 and 12-1; just the one favourite.
Ireland is eight from 10 and five-year-olds five from eight, none of those winners since 2007 having more than three races before lining up here. That still leaves six Willie Mullins’ starters!
DAQMAN’S VERDICT: The one with bags of stamina – but the speed to have won two bumpers already – and by a sire who gets good ground winners is Stone Hard: 17.0 on BETDAQ this morning.
Best of the home contingent must be Moon Racer, who comes from a race of winners, when absolutely powering home here in the autumn.
DAQMAN ‘S BETS
*BET (to win 30 points) 7.5pts win OUTLANDER (1.30 Cheltenham)
*BET (ante-post to win 40) 5pts win SOUTHFIELD THEATRE at 9.01, plus (win 30 today) 5.5pts win THE YOUNG MASTER and 6pts win (stakes saver including 1.8 loss ante-post) DON POLI (2.05 Cheltenham)
*TON-UP BETS (to win 100): 5pts win on each BLACKMAIL and LAC FONTANA (2.40 Cheltenham)
*BANKER: BET (ante-post to win 40) 10pts win at 5.1 DODGING BULLETS plus 10pts win today at 6.8 (3.20 Cheltenham)
*BET (to win 30): 4pts win SIRE COLLONGES (4.00 Cheltenham)
*BET (win 30): 2.4pts win ZARIB (4.40 Cheltenham)
*BET (win 30): 4pts win MOON RACER, and 1.8pts win and place STONE HARD (5.15 Cheltenham)
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