50.0 GRAND DAQMAN NATIONAL: Daqman put his ruler on the Grand National field of 40 and came up with a world-beater at 50.0 in his ABC analysis on Wednesday, Rule The World (WON 33-1 from 50.0 on BETDAQ). Says Daqman: ‘Betdaq gets the credit for value, the horse for a superb display of composed jumping throughout.’
THAT FOLLOWS 34.0 IRISH WIN: Daqman paid tribute to trainer Mouse Morris. Only 12 days ago, Daqman also tipped the same stable’s Rogue Angel (WON 16-1 from 34.0 on BETDAQ) to win the Irish National. ‘I first met Mouse in the Lastofthebrownies days, and no dedicated Aintree National man deserved this more,’ says Daqman.
HE INSISTED ‘AINTREE WILL SUIT’: Daqman had a ton-up bet to win 100 points, marking Rule The World top of the list, as a ‘strong-staying, prominent racer who should be suited by Aintree.’ His headlines on Wednesday and Saturday, heralding the Mouse that roared?
MOUSE COULD RULE AGAIN WITH 50.0 SHOT
RULE THE WORLD IS A SAFE CONVEYANCE
DAQMAN NOWS LEADS PRICEWISE 302-119: Daqman had a separate place bet on Rule The World and his arch-rival, Pricewise, the Racing Post tipster has two winning place bets in the race, so – fair’s fair, judged on number of winning returns – it’s counted as a 2-2 draw, with the score now 5-3 this season, and 302-119 overall.
Says Daqman: ‘Thanks for the brilliant ballyhoo lay-out, boys! But the show goes on.’
TRUE CLASSIC FORM IS A TRIAL TO US ALL
Aiming high at the moon again. Keeping the dream alive after a sensational Grand National is Leopardstown today with its tasters for big races and great horses to come.
The Guineas trials warn us that the powerful play goes on, and we can’t afford to miss a minute of it, if we are to win big when tomorrow’s stars strut the stage.
Willie Mullins had a sleepless night counting his punts – he’s now nearly £200,000 ahead in the English NH trainers’ race – and the spotlight switches to Flat-race domination by the other Irish king of England, Aidan O’Brien.
It’s a Classic, the annual guessing game that will Spring into life again this afternoon: ‘Which are the best three-year-olds at Ballydoyle?’
Here’s my take on it: They won’t know before the trials are run, and you won’t know after the trials are run!
2.40 Leopardstown (2,000 Guineas Trial): Zawraq won it last year and that was the last we heard of him. In fact, you have to go back to Famous Name (2008) to find a top-quality winner. He won 19 starts more up to Group-2 level.
What do Zawraq and Famous Name have in common? Answer: both were trained by Dermot Weld, who is on a hat-trick in the race today after scoring in the last two seasons.
Weld and O’Brien have two runners each among a five-horse field in heavy ground, making the race a double disaster zone for punters.
All we know at this stage is that, if both Johannes Vermeer, the Racing Post Trophy runner-up, and True Solitaire are beaten, it will require repainting much of the 2016 Classic picture.
The pair are neck and neck on the book, True Solitaire having been beaten a length and a half by Johannes Vermeer on today’s course in September, and now in receipt of 3lb.
The way they are betting, in one of those 10-11 and 11-10 situations, with anything you like bar two, you have to make your choice, and I would follow the trainers’ trend and go for True Solitaire.
LET’S AIM FOR THE MOON IN FILLIES’ TEST
3.15 Leopardstown (1,000 Guineas Trial) Feature of the Ballydoyle guessing game is that the O’Brien second string can often win the race at this stage of the season.
Again his favourite, Alice Springs, brings top two-year-old form to the table: placed in Moyglare, Cheveley Park and Breeders’ Cup juvenile.
But she had a long season, and another clever but not always helpful adage I can hand down is that, as far as three-year-olds are concerned, ‘last year is last year, this year is this.’
Just when you start thinking that it’s gospel, all the juvenile heroes win the Classics. As you were.
But not much better than evens Alice Springs doesn’t appeal today on ground which is a big question-mark, according to Mr O’Brien himself, and I’d rather a bit on her stablemate, How High The Moon (hooded for ‘go’) at 7.4 in the BETDAQ orange this morning.
The Weld filly, Juliette Fair, may not like the conditions, and Queen of Sicily could be a bigger threat at 12.5.
You can’t win if you aren’t in, so I lay Alice Springs as not value, back How High The Moon and place punt Queen Of Sicily. That’s my triple whammy to liven up the day.
MOON DOUBLE: ‘SHE’S MAGIC, ALL RIGHT’
3.50 Leopardstown (Ballysax Stakes) This is different. The front five in the betting have had a total of only 12 races.
Though Aidan O’Brien has provided the best from the decade (Fame And Glory 2009), gentleman Jim Bolger has had four winners. Five of today’s seven are trained by them.
The Aga Khan’s Harzand, to be saddled by Dermot Weld, may have the drop on them, unless something good surfaces, because he’s already had a race this season and won it in heavy ground. Two pluses in one.
The word from my man in the long grass is that Bolger’s Moonlight Magic, whose stablemate Theodorico has finished alongside Cook Islands, is that he is ‘magic, all right.’ At 4.7, I can aim at the moon again but need a saver on Harzand.
POBBLES BAY TEMPTING ODDS FOR THE NAP
2.15 Market Rasen As after Cheltenham, J P McManus likes to make a weekend of it, and big things are expected of Dream Berry, who cost yer man 205,000 euros after winning a conditions race at Auteuil.
The one for your long-range notebook is another McManus runner in this one, Sarazen Bridge, a son of Yeats, who is related to an Irish National winner. Another mile. Next year. Another World?
4.15 Ffos Las Despite the withdrawal of Count Guido Deiro, Pobbles Bay remains a tempting 4.3 on BETDAQ, unlucky on the last day not to have scored a second time in his short career. That’s a value nap.
DAQMAN’S BETS (staked to win 20 points, except the lay and the multiples)
BET 8pts win DREAM BERRY (2.15 Market Rasen)
LAY to lose 10pts ALICE SPRINGS, and BET 3pts win HOW HIGH THE MOON, and 1.75pts win and place QUEEN OF SICILY (3.15 Leopardstown)
BET 6pts win MOONLIGHT MAGIC, and 2pts win (stakes saver) HARZAND (3.50 Leopardstown)
BET 7pts win (nap) POBBLES BAY (4.15 Ffos Las)
DAQ MULTIPLES: 5 x 2pt win doubles and 2 x 1pt win trebles TRUE SOLITAIRE (2.40 Leopardstown), with MOONLIGHT MAGIC and HARZAND (3.50 Leopardstown), and with POBBLES BAY (4.15 Ffos Las)
£25 IN FREE BETS
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