SUPER NAP! BET BLIND ON IT, DECLARED DAQMAN: Daqman’s new Supernaps have been landing winning sequences of up to six in a row but Daqman declared his first win-40 supernap yesterday, On The Blind Side (WON 6-5 from 2-1 BETDAQ offers) at Sandown. ‘You can bet blind’, he declared.
A 5-1 WINNER AND 16-1 PLACE IN THE SAME RACE: Daqman made a profit on the day of just over 59 points from three races when he also named winner and third in a marathon at Exeter, as follows:
WON 5-1 YANMARE
3RD 16-1 JEPECK (same race)
WON 6-5 ON THE BLIND SIDE (supernap)
HE’S 35 POINTS UP ON RACING POST’S PRICEWISE: Today he takes up the gauntlet again, 7-2 in the lead, in his challenge to Pricewise of the Racing Post. Daqman is 35 points clear to a single-unit stake as they face off in the 1.30 Aintree, and the 2.20 and 2.55 Sandown Park.
TRUMP CARDS COVER THE ACE
12.25 Aintree Play The Ace shot 16lb up the ratings for a hat-trick he had to fight for on the last day, and today’s ground is not his favourite surface.
Though a 2m 5f hurdles winner, Ballyhill has been asked to bag chasing prizes at 2m. He hasn’t been particularly effective, but they will have sharpened up his jumping, and this return to 2m 4f could see marked improvement, albeit his best known form is on good ground.
Hat-trick scorer over further in 2015, Ravished hasn’t completed the course over today’s trip in three years.
Katachenko, a winner over 2m, hasn’t much to show for five subsequent forays over further.
Swift Crusader was pushed straight from a single novice-hurdle run (won 30 lengths over 2m 4f) to a novice chase over the minimum (second) and is now asked to jump up to better company again. They clearly think a lot of him.
One-time Champion Hurdle contender, Hargam, disappointed Nicky Henderson and was soon struggling for his new yard on the last day.
Similarly, Barrys Jack made hard work of his sole steeplechase success at Carlisle, and takes a strong hold.
So it is that Ballyhill (4.5 on BETDAQ) and Swift Crusader (4.0 offers) look poised to improve and spoil Play The Ace’s four-card trick.
12.40 Sandown The handicapper has not been impressed by The Wicket Chicken and Whatduhavtoget, who won 16 lengths at Ludlow but is only 2lb higher now.
The Wicket Chicken was said to be progressive when scoring at Southwell in July but the handicapper kept her on the same mark, and her stable is on 25 consecutive losers.
Secret Door has struggled to carry a 13lb rise for back-to-back wins in the Spring, and it may all add up to a shock result, possibly from the 23.0 BETDAQ offer Loves Destination, who stays all day and the Sandown hill could reveal her courage.
12.55 Aintree Ben Pauling, whose exploits I wrote about yesterday, calls Le Breuil ‘an electric jumper’ and ‘best in my yard’.
Last time he ran on the soft, he spread-eagled his field at Newbury, and the market agrees (around even money) that he could be a class apart in this field.
33-1 BECHER SURPRISE PACKET
1.30 Aintree (Becher Chase) I previewed this race early in the week (see Daqman Archive), when I pointed out that no winner in seven seasons has carried more than 10st 12lb.
That, as the 2015 winner and last year’s second, Highland Lodge is sitting pretty off 10st 5lb, only a pound more than in 2016. That The Last Samuri comes out well on collateral form.
But, until proved otherwise, we have to assume that, after Bristol De Mai’s 57-lengths Haydock romp, the half-length second to him at Wetherby, Blaklion (Definitly Red 23 lengths back in third) is one of two exceptional Twiston-Davies horses.
Lord Windermere has been kept in Grade 1 virtually all the way as his rating has dropped by up to 21lb, and he could be the surprise packet at BETDAQ 33.0.
Beaten only a head first run back last year at this time over a trip much too short (2m 6f), he finished that season with an absolute belting run, seventh in the Grand National.
1.45 Sandown (Henry V111 Novices Chase) The race that’s thrown up Al Ferof and Altior in the decade may have another star here in Brain Power (around 2-1 BETDAQ). I’m pledged to follow him until he’s beaten.
2.05 Aintree I fancy the mudlovers from Ireland to turn over the favourite. Gavin Cromwell, who won this with Jer’s Girl in 2015, is hoping that Famous Milly (15.0) can follow up, and Joseph O’Brien saddles a hat-trick seeker, Grey Waters at 5.0.
2.20 Sandown Nicky Henderson (Jenkins) is 4-7 in this and won it last year with Brain Power. Fidux returns to the course where a swinging hurdle stopped him winning on the last day.
But word has it that Arthur Moore has plotted this race up for Crossed My Mind, a ‘hidden horse’ because you can ignore his run over a trip too far at Punchestown and he was hampered in his finish at Down Royal on the last day. Barry Geraghty rides the 5.8 BETDAQ offer.
ALPHA MALE TO RULE OVER RED
2.35 Aintree (Many Clouds Chase) There’s masses to read in the papers about the big races, which I previewed earlier in the week, so here’ s bit extra about this one.
This Grade 2 commemorates Oliver Sherwood’s Grand National winner, who was one of very few to return to form after the 30-fence marathon, and won the last running of this race.
It has several recent star names on its roll of honour (Don Poli and Sam Winner among them) but this is a poor home turn-out and Irish raider Mouse Morris is hoping that his RSA fourth, Alpha Des Obeaux (BETDAQ 4.4), is up to the task.
Mouse has had just one winner with 25 starters in England in the last five seasons. That was a certain Rule The World, for which I can forgive him anything! And for which he, no doubt, is hoping Obeaux is a dead ringer.
Definitly Red won the Rowland Meyrick and the Grimthorpe last season, and ran well enough on his return against the ‘monster’ stablemate, Bristol De Mai and Blaklion.
Another of today’s stars on display, Fox Norton, is represented here by his recent runner-up at Cheltenham, Cloudy Dream, but that was 2m and this is either an experiment for Cloudy or just a dream.
Flying Angel beat Cloudy Dream a length in the Manifesto on this Mildmay course at the Grand National meeting in April, but he, too, has no form this far.
TACTICS POINT UP POLITOLOGUE
2.55 Sandown (Tingle Creek Chase) I wrote in my preview earlier in the week that Paul Nicholls has won this with two five-year-olds and a six-year-old in the decade and it would be no surprise to see Politologue, who is six, taking on Willie Mullins’ stars, Douvan and last year’s winner, Un De Sceaux.
Well, he now has no Douvan and Un De Sceaux to beat, and is the only one fancied (at 4.6, with 13.5 bar) to challenge the odds-on Fox Norton.
I’m an old fan of Foxy’s. He’s not been out of the first three for 15 consecutive races but Ar Mad’s haring off in front (doesn’t he always) could make this a mad affair. I shall ‘cheat” and back Politologue but put the two of them in my Daq Multiples.
3.05 Navan (Foxrock Chase) Gordon Elliott’s given up trying to win it; Willie Mullins is back for another go after ignominious defeats.
That’s the story of this race, won by the smalle stables including Stuart Crawford with Fine Rightly.
The 2015 winner off a 5lb lower mark could be the value here, after a decent effort on his return in the Grade-2 Fortria Chase over a trip too short for him, 2m of today’s course.
He missed the Foxrock out last year, preferring a crack at the Hilly Way won by Douvan, also over an inadequate trip. A galloper who prefers a left-handed track and soft ground, should be in his element at 7.4 on BETDAQ early mouse.
DAQMAN’S BETS (each staked to win 20 points, unless otherwise stated)
12.25 Aintree
BET 6.5pts win SWIFT CRUSADER and 5.5pts win BALLYHILL
12.40 Sandown
BET 1pt win and place LOVES DESTINATION
12.55 Aintree
SUPERNAP: 20pts win LE BREUIL
1.30 Aintree
BULL’S-EYE BET (win 50): 1.5pts win and place LORD WINDERMERE
BET 7.5pts (to win 20) BLAKLION
1.45 Sandown
BET 10pts win BRAIN POWER
2.05 Aintree
BET 4pts win GREY WATERS
BET 1.4pts win and place FAMOUS MILLY
2.20 Sandown
BET 4pts win CROSSED MY MIND
2.35 Aintree
BET 5.75pts win ALPHA DES OBEAUX
2.55 Sandown
BET 5.5pts win POLITOLOGUE
3.05 Navan
BET 3pts win FINE RIGHTLY
DAQ MULTIPLES: 5 x 2pt win doubles and 2 x 1pt win trebles Le Breuil (12.55 Aintree), and Brain Power (1.45 Sandown) with Politologue and Fox Norton (2.55 Sandown)
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