BOXING DAY ‘KING GEORGE’ TON-UP CRACKER: There’s a Boxing Day bonanza of 11 meetings in the UK and Ireland today, headed by a cracking King George day at Kempton. Daqman took 6-1 ante-post for this and now adds another punt on the same horse to win a total of 100 points. He also has bets at Market Rasen and Wetherby over Jumps, taking BETDAQ morning offers up to 17.0, and his nap is on AW at Wolverhampton.
TOMORROW: CORAL NATIONAL LONG-SHOT: Daqman has a 9-3 lead over Pricewise of the Racing Post in the search for value, and is 30 points clear (+14 against –16) to a single-unit stake. Save something up for an outsider in tomorrow’s big race, the Coral Welsh National at Chepstow.
DINE OUT ON ‘BIEFFES’ STAKE
12.45 Kempton Some decent novices have won this: Altior, Elgin and Menorah among them. Three of the last four winners defied the penalties that If The Cap Fits has to carry but Harry Fry is in poor form.
He’s missing strike badly with five consecutive losing favourites whereas Nicky Henderson is 1012120124 with his novice hurdlers in the last fortnight.
Henderson has scored three wins in this race in the last six years, all gambled-on favourites, so I took an early position (4.7 on BETDAQ) Diese Des Bieffes.
1.20 Kempton This has gone Nicky Henderson’s way four times in the decade, and he ousted Harry Fry (paper-favourite Hell’s Kitchen) from the front of the market this morning with Reigning Supreme.
Reigning Supreme is a £130,000 buy from Irish Points but stablemate Wenyerreadyfreddie – a gorgeous horse for fences, according to Nicky – could just as well be the one of his pair.
Has been favourite for his last three races, which shows what they think of him, so the BETDAQ 9.0 this morning may not last.
‘BALLY’ GOOD BETDAQ VALUE
1.55 Kempton (Kauto Star Novices Chase) Nothing but the best come out of this one: Long Run and Coneygree took it on the way to Gold Cup glory.
Sam Twiston-Davies reckons Ballyoptic (blundered last) would have beaten Black Corton at Cheltenham before that one was less than a length off Elegant Escape at Newbury.
Elegant Escape was earlier 13 lengths adrift of Ballyoptic (4.8 offers) at Exeter so Sam may well be right but he still has to beat the impressive Mia’s Storm, whose connections will be delighted with the lack of heavy rain.
2.10 Wetherby (Rowland Meyrick Chase) Wakanda’s second in this last year, splitting Definitly Red and Blaklion, giving weight to the winner, has since been franked more than once by top-class form, and he’s 5lb lower this time around. The early-mouse 5.8 was tempting.
SAINT JOHN TO SCORE AT 17.0
2.15 Market Rasen (Lincolnshire National) Amiral Collonges, runner-up in this last year, came back to form here on the last day, second to Vinegar Hill.
But Vinegar Hill disappointed previously when stepped up in trip wheres Amiral Collonges has won the Norfolk National since on a firm surface. Jepeck has been placed in marathons at Cheltenham and Exeter.
Southern National second Cyclop is a hard horse to win with (1-16 over fences) and hasn’t scored for more than two years but is open to improvement, as the youngster of the race.
This is a step up for Strongly Suggested but Boric has won the Highland National and finished second in the Durham National off a mark similar to today’s. Both prefer a sound surface.
Though a 17.0 BETDAQ offer, Saint John Henry is a good little ‘un and he’s won twice at 3m 2f, including when making most around the much tougher Chepstow track off 11st 12lb.
2.30 Kempton (Christmas Hurdle) Faugheen and Binocular won this back to back, and it should be for the taking by Champion Hurdle star Buveur d’Air.
BRISTOL IS THE ONE WITH BITE
3.05 Kempton (King George VI Chase) I like form the public won’t believe. I went straight in at 6-1 with Corals weeks ago after Bristol De Mai gave weight and a beating to immaculate Becher Chase winner, Blaklion, having slammed Cue Card, Outlander and Tea For Two 57 lengths and more at Haydock, taking a stone hike in the weights.
Yet here he is 5.2 on BETDAQ this morning with Might Bite as favourite, though his rating is virtually static and he’s beaten only 155 and 152 horses in his last two starts.
One of them was Whisper, unlucky to be mugged in the final strides of the old Hennessy, the Ladbrokes Trophy, running pound for pound to the ratings with the winner, yet put up 8lb for it at the age of nine.
Another nine-year-old,Thistlecrack, has had a tendon injury and not scored since taking this race last year from Cue Card, who has been retired.
Fox Norton has already been turned over by a new kid on the block in Pollitologue (Tingle Creek) and this is an adventure stepping him up to 3m.
3.25 Wolverhampton King Of Nepal was a gallop short when fading final furlong at Newcastle three weeks back. A sporting bank-holiday nap to turn over the favourite here at 6.2 on BETDAQ early mouse.
DAQMAN BETS (each one win 20, unless otherwise stated)
12.45 Kempton
BET 5.5pts win DIESE DES BIEFFES
BET 4pts win (stakes saver) IF THE CAP FITS
1.20 Kempton
BET 2.5pts win and place WENYERREADYFREDDIE
BET 1.5pts win (stakes saver) REIGNING SUPREME
1.55 Kempton
BET 5pts win BALLYOPTIC
BET 2pts win (stakes saver) MIA’S STORM
2.10 Wetherby
BET 4pts win WAKANDA
2.15 Market Rasen (win 50)
BULL’S-EYE BET 3pts win and place SAINT JOHN HENRY
3.05 Kempton (win 50)
BULL’S-EYE BET 12pts win BRISTOL DE MAI
ANTE-POST already (to win 50) BRISTOL DE MAI
3.25 Wolverhampton (win 30)
BET 6pts win (nap) KING OF NEPAL
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