5-2 HUNTER SAVES THE DAY: Daqman had to reach for the Sky to save his stakes after more than 60 points profit was lost in desperate finishes at Goodwood yesterday. Monarchs Glen (short-head second 3-1) just failed to get up and the banker nap, Fadillah (2nd 4-1), lost a shoe before closing the leader down to a neck. Sky Hunter (WON 5-2) saved the day.
NEWMARKET NAP IS VALUE: Newmarket opens with a sequence of two-year-old tests which carry a health-of-your-wallet warning. But one of the youngsters would be a much shorter price if with a top trainer, says Daqman. That’s a nap.
TOMORROW: Look out tomorrow for Daqman’s promised pot-of-gold bets on the Silver Cambridgeshire.
IS THIS FILLY REALLY UNFORGETABLE?
2.00 Newmarket The John Gosden newcomer just failed me yesterday. And the front of the market in this one suggests that one of only ordinary ability from his unraced duo can score at a price.
The favourite, Okool, is with a small stable and they’re reaching for visors for the second favourite, Taj Mahal.
So it is that I took, to small stakes, 9.0 Azam and 23.0 Vantage Point for Team Gosden, both carrying the V for victory sign on their colours.
2.35 Newmarket We crave long handicaps but a 21lb range in a nursery is a real headache, where the ratings are really only estimates of early ability. What you hope to find is collateral form which suggests that the handicapper has fallen short.
Derby colt Escobar will be all the rage later on the card, so we have to consider Red Ensign, who was third to Escobar at Newbury, looking as if the better surface and longer trip of today’s race was required.
In sixth place was Mr Tyrell, who would later be the ‘moral’ (not beaten far, giving weight to the winner) when runner-up to Berengaria at Leicester.
Sure enough, Red Ensign landed the odds over a mile next time he ran, and can be forgiven his latest performance on soft ground, which blunted his speed.
Haulani was 20lb in front of a horse called Quothquan at Salisbury, whereas Jumping Jack had only a 7lb edge on that one, if a race at Windsor this month is any guide. No wonder Richard Hughes calls on David Egan to take another 7lb off Jumping Jack.
The progressive Haulani has been winning with his head in his chest and, saddled by a big name trainer, would be shorter than the morning 5.0 best BETDAQ offer (in a 104% orange).
3.10 Newmarket And still they come. We have to wait until 4.15 before we see a horse that isn’t a two-year-old!
Unforgetable Filly had a 10-length winner in third and an Ascot scorer in fourth when runner-up here at Newmarket in late August. No wonder she’s a shade under evens this morning.
Storm Cry and Urban Fox have bags of experience or, alternatively, you could suggest that they are well exposed (the choice between those phrases is merely an indicator of which side the sloppy-writing journalist is on).
Contrast with Highland Pass, who caught the eye on his debut at Kempton three weeks ago, and gets 7lb under the conditions of the race. Surely 16.5 in the BETDAQ orange is ‘wrong.’
THE ULTIMATE BET TO BEAT ESCOBAR
3.40 Newmarket (Tattersalls Stakes, Group 3) Here’s Escobar, who is no odds-on shot in my reckoning. He’s beaten nothing well so far but Red Ensign – third to him in their debut race – could have given him a boost in the nursery.
Sir Dancealot’s connections are also looking for ‘a result’ in the nursery. They will be shouting for Fly At Dawn, who was third to their boy at Kempton.
Whitecliffsofdover led them like lemmings to the drop at Naas and, though unlikely to be a top-ranker at Ballydoyle, would be Aidan O’Brien’s third win in the race and he looks a bit big at 6.0.
Larchmont Lad, though also short of top class in a big yard, might be good enough to place, while Law And Order needs another furlong.
Ultimate Avenue had winners behind him at Newbury, and 14.5 on BETDAQ is surely the biggest price he’ll be all day.
4.15 Newmarket (Rose Bowl) This field is 7lb and more below its usual level, excepting Sir Fever, but he’s been absent 544 days.
Three-year-olds get a very tasty concession in this, so it’s surprising that we’ve only seen three contenders in the decade: all were placed; two seconds and a third.
Apart from Yorkidding, who has never raced off such a high mark as today’s 98, the runners here are once-a-year winners, who can’t be relied on.
So I’m giving the Classic generation a chance at 9.8 Goldmember in a very open contest (103% BETDAQ orange).
He’s been within four lengths of the winner in two Group-3 events and, if taking after his dam’s side, which contains a Triumph Hurdle winner, the step up in trip should suit.
The first-time tongue-tie may also be worth a pound or two. Seamour, placed in top-class handicaps, is the obvious danger.
HUNTER AND HUNTLAW COINCIDENCE
4.50 Newmarket This is a handicap of class 3 and class 4 animals, masquerading as a class 2.
In such cases, you look for an improver who is stepping up the grades. That would have to be William Hunter, with Alan King enjoying a terrific season on the Flat; I’m sure we can look forward to early novice-hurdle winners.
Shakopee has finished close in a class 2 but the handicapper won’t let go of him now. Frontiersman looks dangerous as a lightly-raced three-year and Appeared suddenly appeared at the front of the market this morning.
5.20 Newmarket Great Order misses the Cambridgeshire for this, and is a progressive, light-raced sort for a yard which does well at this meeting (see yesterday’s preview). But he’s not much value this morning.
Directorship, Huntlaw, Iconic, Replenish and Michele Strogonoff have all front-run, so we can expect some pace on. Huntlaw (12.0) and War Glory (8.8) are the most reliable of the threats to Great Order.
DAQMAN’S BETS (each staked to win 20 points, except multiples)
BET 2.5pts win AZAM, and 1pt win and place VANTAGE POINT (2.00 Newmarket)
BET 5pts win (nap) HAULANI (2.35 Newmarket)
BET 1.25pts win and place HIGHLAND PASS (3.10 Newmarket)
BET 4pts win WHITECLIFFSOFDOVER, and 1.5pts win and place ULTIMATE AVENUE (3.50 Newmarket)
BET 2pts win and place GOLDMEMBER and 2pts win (stakes saver) SEAMOUR (4.15 Newmarket)
BET 4pts win WILLIAM HUNTER (4.50 Newmarket)
BET 2pts win and place HUNTLAW, and 2.5pts win (stakes saver) GREAT ORDER (5.20 Newmarket)
DAQ MULTIPLES: 5 x 1pt win doubles and 2 x 1pt win trebles Haulani (2.35 Newmarket) and Unforgetable Filly (3.10 Newmarket) with Huntlaw and Great Order (5.20 Newmarket)
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