FORTUNE FOR BANKER TONIGHT: A horse called Fortune has been backed like a good thing at Newbury tonight. A banker, says Daqman, who also finds two more at Newbury and two at Yarmouth this afternoon.
IRISH CAMBRIDGESHIRE PLOT: Look out for Mick Halford’s acceptors for Sunday’s Irish Cambridgeshire. He has a tremendous record in the race as outlined by Daqman, who checks out all his entries.
A CRACK AT CRESSONNIERE: Although unbeaten five-time winner La Cressonniere looks the proverbial good thing at Deauville, Daqman warns that the English raider is reckoned to have bags of improvement in her.
IS THE WINNER IN HALFORD HALF-DOZEN?
He’s the six-gun Kildare kid! You can’t blame Mick Halford for potentially fielding half a dozen in the Irish Cambridgeshire on Sunday.
He’s won it twice (2006 and 2010) and been placed three times in a row (2013, 2014 and 2015, two of them second).
Last year’s runner-up, Portage, was probably the best of the lot, and shows that the stable is firing quality this season. Portage won the Royal Hunt Cup in June (tipped by yours truly, of course).
It seems hard to believe that one of these will not be knocking at the door, so check out his acceptors, in handicap order, from:
HASANOUR: Irish Cambridgeshire third in 2014, followed by back to back CD wins in the Spring of last year.
Only five lengths off Portage in the Royal Hunt Cup, after being placed in another big field at Naas. Still a force though six years old.
EASTERN RULES Prolific winner 2013-14 (five out of eight), two of them here over 7f, and placed in three Group races in a row (2014-15). Not much to show this year and aged eight now, but down 10lb in last 14 months.
WYCHWOOD WARRIOR Listed placed twice last season but has won only at 7f, both times at Dundalk (Polytrack). Could do with shedding a few pounds, but handicapper still has his eye on him.
CASTLE GUEST Seven years old but consistent this season. Though third in good handicap at Leopardstown , third again at Ballinrobe and then winning at the Curragh on the last day, has gone up just 4lb.
That Curragh win was only his second start dropped back to a mile in 18 outings; he’s showing stamina over further on the Flat and when third in a maiden hurdle.
AL QAHWA Here’s a hidden horse. Has run twice in Group 3 (third at this meeting a year ago) and in a Listed this month. We haven’t seen the best of him but it’s a tough race for a three-year-old.
CAILLIN MOR She’s a big girl all right and a tough one but has underplayed her hand. Winner of an apprentice race here a year ago and of a decent handicap at Cork last autumn, she’s not been back to form until the last twice.
Kept on, a close fourth (7f) at the Galway Festival, and beaten two short-heads in a blanket finish for a Listed at Killarney. She’s hovered on 89-90 all year, seen as exposed after 20 starts, but could be better than that.
FILLY NEZWAAH ‘HAS LOADS OF ABILITY’
1.20 Deauville The French 1,000 Guineas and Oaks winner, La Cressonniere, drops back in grade for the Prix de la Nonette at Deauville this afternoon.
She should win this if her 12-1 Arc de Triomphe quote is to hold up, with just a Group-3 runner-up, Lakalas, and a Listed winner, Nezwaah, to beat.
Nezwaah is of special interest to English punters, trained as she is by Roger Varian and quoted for the St leger and the Fillies And Mares at the big Ascot festival.
She’s three from four but still very much unexposed and is said by the yard to have ‘loads of ability.’
But it’s hard to see how the Jean-Claude Rouget hot-pot is going to get beat, since he holds all the aces, tactically, with four of the runners in the small field.
Incidentally, I hear of a bet for 2020 for a champion-trainers’ double, Hugo Palmer in England with Rouget’s assistant, Jean-Bernard-Roth, in France. Is that before or after Martians land here?
PICK UP WINNING THREAD WITH SPENCER
3.00 Yarmouth The stats give Notice of a winner in this maiden. Trainer David Simcock shows a massive 64-point profit from a single-unit stake on his runners here at Newmarket-by-the Sea.
This is the first time that Notice will have been ridden by Jamie Spencer, who is 2-3 on Simcock horses on today’s course.
Apart from Notice, there is another first time in a handicap, but Alsacienne has not been seen for 305 days
4.00 Yarmouth Dwelt, stumbled, bumped. Things haven’t gone right for Burning Thread in his last three starts, but Spencer again could be a key to success for the nine-year-old.
Another is his having been dropped a pound short of a stone this year, despite a couple of close-up finishes, within two lengths or so of the winner.
BANKER-STAKES BACKING FOR A FORTUNE
4.40 Newbury Fields Of Fortune, who came from way off the pace to be second at Sandown (the third has won since), has been backed this morning as if defeat is out of the question, as 4-1 paper forecast Ettihadi eased right out to 7.0.
6.20 Newbury I don’t really do systems but I know a man who does. One of them is to back horses that lead twice in a race and win.
So it is that Kylla Instinct led on the bit at Yarmouth a furlong out – the distance of today’s race – and, when headed, came back gamely to score: 7.4 in the BETDAQ orange this morning.
6.50 Newbury Just when I was going to write that ‘they’re rare birds, these led, led again’ horses, here comes another one..
Gale Song led, also at Yarmouth, was steadied and led again over two out to score there last month.
She was odds on that day so was entitled to walk all over her field but that’s what she did and, coincidentally also at 7.4 this morning, is also entitled to a say in today’s contest.
DAQMAN’S BETS (staked 1 to 9; banker is 10)
BET 6pts win NOTICE (3.00 Yarmouth)
BET 6pts win BURNING THREAD (4.00 Yarmouth)
BANKER: BET 10pts win (nap) FIELDS OF FORTUNE (4.40 Newbury)
BET 3pts win and place KYLLA INSTINCT (6.20 Newbury)
BET 3pts win and place GALE SONG (6.50 Newbury)
£25 IN FREE BETS
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