JULY LOOKS LIKE A MONTH FOR GIANT KILLING: June has whizzed by and most of the Classics are behind us, with reputations confirmed at Royal Ascot. But today Daqman looks forward to July, now seen as a season of deciders between the great names of 2017, starting on Saturday with the Irish Derby.
THREE TUESDAY BETS: DAQMAN heads to Beverley, Brighton and Leicester in search of winners on Tuesday.
ONLY THE IRISH DO DERBY DOUBLES
A summer feast of great races. That’s the July banquet as Spring heroes clash to decide the champion of champions at each major level. Daqman will be keeping you up to date with stats and facts, as he tries to add to his glorious start to the season.
Irish Derby, Saturday (1m 4f) We have a Derby double bid on Saturday. There are illustrious Epsom Derby winners who missed out on the Irish version – New Approach, Sea The Stars, Golden Horn – but the doubly-crowned kings this century have been among the best we’ve ever seen, starting with an amazing triple double:
2000 SINNDAR (Epsom and The Curragh, John Oxx)
2001 GALILEO (Epsom and The Curragh, Aidan O’Brien)
2002 HIGH CHAPARRAL (Epsom and The Curragh, Aidan O’Brien)
Epsom missed a huge star in 2006 when Dylan Thomas won the Irish Derby on his way to triumph in the Arc. Then came three more doubles:
2012 CAMELOT (Epsom and The Curragh, Aidan O’Brien)
2014 AUSTRALIA (Epsom and The Curragh, Aidan O’Brien)
2016 HARZAND (Epsom and The Curragh, Dermot Weld)
Only the Irish, with all six this century, seem capable of the double, and I’ll be looking at the chances of a seventh when Wings Of Eagles lines up for Aidan O’Brien in the second leg.
It’s 25 years since an English-trained Epsom derby winner went on to confirm his supremacy at The Curragh. His name was, appropriately, Commander In Chief (Henry Cecil)
Eclipse Stakes, Sandown, Saturday, 8 July (1m 2f) Golden Horn, the 2015 Epsom Derby winner, took in the Eclipse, as had Sea The Stars (2009). Other star winners this century were Giants Causeway (2000) and Nathaniel (2012), who would go on to win the King George.
Irish Oaks, Curragh, Saturday, 15 July (1m 4f) This year I’d like to see Enable complete the Oaks double from Epsom, and go on to the premier prize, the King George at Ascot, but there’s only two weeks between them.
Super filly, she may be, but I’m asking a lot. How much will trainer John Gosden ask of her? Is he dreaming of the Arc, which he won with Golden Horn in 2015?
King George, Ascot, Saturday 29 July (1m 4f) The absolute giants win this, and now we’re certain after Royal Ascot that the 2016 hero, Highland Reel, deserves that accolade.
Montjeu (2000), Galileo (2001), Dylan Thomas (2007) and Danedream (2012) were probably the greatest – the giants among giants – of King George winners this century.
July Cup, Newmarket, 15 July (6f) This is not one of the Classics but who among us doesn’t want to see Caravaggio v The Tin Man?
NOW THAT’S JAZZ
2.00 Beverley My first reaction on seeing the opener at Beverley was that I wanted to be against Arabian Jazz – but have come round to thinking she is not only the bet in the race but the nap of the day.
You always need to be prepared to change your mind and when you find angles for fancying a horse at face value you wanted to be against then arguably it’s an stronger case for a bet as you’ve talked yourself from a negative to a positive.
I remember her run at Brighton last time out when she was a disappointing third over six furlongs when going off favourite. I never rate Brighton form highly, so you can see why I was initially thinking negatively – even more so as the form hasn’t worked out.
However the extra furlong this afternoon I think will be crucial in what looks a poor contest – even more so given the Mark Johnston trained Rampant Lion is now a non runner.
Arabian Jazz had previously stayed on well over five furlongs at Leicester when second to Marchingontogether who wasn’t entirely disgraced in midfield in the Windsor Castle at Royal Ascot and anything in the parish of that form will be easily good enough here.
Mark Johnston’s remaining runner If We Can Can has only beaten one horse home in two starts and will need to improve significantly for the change of ground whilst Jaffar improved slightly from his Thirsk debut to finish fifth at Haydock last time out but the seven furlongs looked too far for him that day so would have preferred him over six.
5.15 Brighton Best jockey on the best horse. That’s the case in this amateur riders handicap with Ross Birkett teaming up on the bang in form front running Strictly Art.
The four-year-old won at Goodwood earlier in the month and has been kept busy with a third at Brighton and a close second last time out at Ripon.
The handicapper has kept him on the same mark and he should strike again in a race where the jockey skills will be paramount.
6.40 Leicester Mick Channon could do no better than eighth from his seven runners at Royal Ascot which has clouded what otherwise has been a good spell of form for him at the smaller tracks.
He fields the interesting Maksab tonight at Leicester who has just three rivals in this novice stakes.
He’s bred well, being by 2,000 Guineas winner Makfi and my man in the long grass reports he is winning most of his gallops at home.
He should come on a bundle for a creditable debut fifth at Newmarket earlier this month and the form of that race took a big boost when the third Take Me With You filled the same spot in the Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot last week.
Falmouth Light scraped home by a head on debut at Sandown and might well be vulnerable under his resulting penalty.
DAQMAN’S BETS:
BET 9pts win (nap) ARABIAN JAZZ (2.00 Beverley)
BET 5pts win STRICTLY ART (5.15 Brighton)
BET 6pts win MAKSAB (6.40 Leicester)
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