BANKER AND 9-2 GAMBLE BOTH WIN: Daqman landed a John Gosden double yesterday with Dreamfield (WON 2-5) a gold banker and Cracksman (WON 9-2) the gamble of the day from 9.6 on BETDAQ.
MELBOURNE CUP VALUE ON BETDAQ: Today Daqman gives you options: a nap of that name; big outsiders again, at 14.0 and 9.6; doubles and trebles in Daq Multiples; and ante-post value on the Melbourne Cup.
BRAVE CUP BET, MATE! 18.5 ON BETDAQ
It’s not a vintage crop. That’s the verdict of my man in Oz: ‘We beat you with sprinters but you beat us when stamina is the issue, and this year you’ve only got Hartnell to worry about.’
He’s talking about the favourite for the Melbourne Cup who takes on 12-times-winner Winx in his Flemington prep, the Cox Plate, at Moonee Valley on Saturday (see my column, Monday).
So, in the race that stops a nation, who does he fancy from the old country? Bondi Beach (Aidan O’Brien) or Heartbreak City (Tony Martin)? Or Big Orange (Michael Bell) from England, maybe?
Says my man: ‘All of those, but none of those: I reckon Willie Mullins’ Wicklow Brave is your one. I watched a video of him beating the English Gold Cup winner, Order Of St George, who was third in the Arc.
‘That’s pretty good form and that was in the Irish St Leger, which had two things crossing my mind: how a ride like that could win the Melbourne Cup, and how the last time I saw a seven-year-old Irish St Leger winner score at Flemington, it was Vintage Crop, who started it all in 1993.
‘Until then, the Cup was our preserve, our day out. We hadn’t contemplated losing it, ever. Then your Dermot Weld came over with that amazing jock, Mick Kinane, and the world was turned upside down, literally.
‘From then on, it was revenge time, which we could only get with sprinters. Since then Weld has won the Cup again, with Media Puzzle, aged six.
‘We know Weld, himself, meets his master in Ireland, that man Mullins, who has had some showdown with his principal owners.
‘Older horses seem to dominate at Flemington; you need something street wise; six year-olds have won five of the last six.
‘It may be the beer talking but we put all this together and came up with Wicklow Brave, and we sent over to take the 14-1.’
‘Well, good luck’, says I, ‘I’ll keep you informed of any news about the horse. In fact, I’ll have a bit of Wicklow Brave myself.
‘But I’m ahead of the game, mate: I can get 18.5 on BETDAQ! You’re wised up that we’ll win it this year all right, but you need BETDAQ to get the value.’
OPTION IS BRED TO HAVE A BIG FUTURE
3.05 Ludlow It would be a poor novice-chase if an eight-year-old won it (take out Canicallyouback and Nicolas Chauvin), and I can’t have Iftiraaq, who has tried everything, Flat and hurdles, from 10f to 2m. Chasing could be his game changer, but I doubt it.
McCabe Creek is a bit gassy but, with the drop back in trip, could improve on his hurdles form. I would let him get on with it, but that suggests he’ll have a nice blow in front for ‘next time’ on this chasing debut.
They’re poopooing After Eight Siovola’s debut success over fences because the odds-on favourite fell. He did nothing wrong but has always won only when fresh.
The answer might be I’dliketheoption who had learned a lot from a sketchy start at Newton Abbot when last seen here at Ludlow and was unlucky to guess one and tip up.
By Presenting out of a Supreme Leader mare, you’d think he’d have a big future, once he gets his act together. Could well be today; the market says so. Barry Geraghty’s only ride at 3.4 on BETDAQ.
3.55 Carlisle Lucinda Russell, who won this last year with Settledoutofcourt, brings him back, with the £10,000 prize gift-wrapped by the handicapper.
Settledoutofcourt has been beaten a total of 190 lengths in five starts since that day, so you can’t blame the handicapper for dropping him 12lb, so that with Steve McQueen’s (sorry Stephen Mulqueen’s) claim, he is a 15lb better. Stephen needs to be the king of cool today.
Benzel is a novice giving weight all round, and Basford Ben is up 13lb since his CD Carlisle win in the Spring, with the stable out of form. Nakadam’s Ayrshire yard hasn’t had a chase winner this season.
Ballyben has struggled for 18 months now but the handicapper will hardly budge on his rating. So they all have it to prove after the break.
I would put up stablemate Voyage A New York as the one likely to foil the plot horse. His third at Aintree in the summer stands out here. The stablemates were each 14.0 on BETDAQ this morning.
4.05 Newton Abbot Colin Tizzard, with 11 placed out of 13 still standing in the last two weeks, has a likely sort here in Bramble Brook.
A Kayf Tara so should respond to this step up in trip to the kind of distance that brought success for his relatives Briery Belle and an old friend of mine, Fair Bramble. I took 9.6, win and place.
DAQMAN’S BETS (staked to win 20 points)
BET 8pts win (nap) IDLIKETHEOPTION (3.05 Ludlow)
BET 1.5pts win and place on each SETTLEDOUTOFCOURT and VOYAGE A NEW YORK (3.55 Carlisle)
BET 2.5pts win and place BRAMBLE BROOK (4.05 Newton Abbot)
DAQ MULTIPLES: 5 x 2pt win doubles and 2 x 1pt win trebles ALPHA DES OBEAUX (2.05 Thurles) and IDLIKETHEOPTION (3.05 Ludlow) with VERNI and WOLFTRAP (3.30 Newton Abbot)
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