DAQMAN’S 18.5 BETDAQ PICK WINS SPRINT AT 8-1 The French stole the AW championships yesterday but Daqman was ready for them as long ago as March 21 when he warned that City Lights (WON 8-1), a 14-1 shot with Ladbrokes at that time, was an Early Bird, matured over the winter, for the Sprint title. And he went in again yesterday at 18.5 on BETDAQ.
NOW 18 POINTS AHEAD OF PRICEWISE FOR VALUE Daqman, who also scored with a 7-1 shot at Newcastle (not in the value challenge), is now 4-1 up on Pricewise of the Racing Post and nearly 18 points in front of him at SP to a single-unit level stake (+ 9.00 to – 8.75). His two winners were:
WON 8-1 CITY LIGHT (from 18.5 on BETDAQ)
WON 7-1 CHAPLIN BAY
FIVE BIG RACES TAKE HIM TO 195 POINTS PROFIT That gave him 17 wins in a week and took his profit in that time to 195 points. Yesterday he listed the big races to come. Now here’s a list of his big races won! All inside a week:
WON 8-1 CITY LIGHT (AW Sprint Championship, 18.5 BETDAQ, Friday)
WON 8-1 ROKSANA (NH Mares’ Final, Saturday)
WON 6-1 ON THE GO AGAIN (Irish Lincolnshire, 14.0 BETDAQ, Sunday)
WON 5-1 ADDEYBB (Lincoln Handicap winner in three, Saturday)
WON 10-11 ZABEEL PRINCE (nap, Doncaster Mile supernap, Saturday)
15.0 TORCEDOR FOR GOLD SHOCK
12.45 Meydan (Godolphin Mile) Horses over the age of five have a very limited chance (1-11), according to the stats, which means that Doug Watson’s four-horse hat-trick bid probably lies with Kimbear and Muntazah.
Doug comes from Jebel Ali in white-hot form there, with figures of 21312 from just the five starters.
Six of the last nine Mile winners came from stalls 1 to 5, so Muntazah (in 3) is most interesting of the pair, Group-2 placed for Barry Hills as a juvenile and winner of the President’s Cup (Listed) at Abu Dhabi on only his second start for Watson, yet 19.5 in the BETDAQ orange as I write.
1.50 Meydan (Dubai Gold Cup) Vazirabad bids for a hat-trick in this, again low drawn (he was in stalls 1 and 3 the last two years and is now in 5).
Five of his six closest rivals in the market are from England and the one remaining is from Ireland, Jessica Harrington’s Torcedor, whose seconds to Order Of St George in the Irish St Leger and British Champions Long Distance Cup in the autumn were on soft ground.
But Jessica is not worried about the faster surface or the wide draw: ‘Torcedor is progressive, and has really been stretching out well.’
In fact, Torcedor (15.0 BETDAQ offers) beat Order Of St George in April last year on good ground for a Group 3 at Navan.
Big Orange is clear top rated. He beat Order Of St George over 2m 4f on firm in the Ascot Gold Cup but trailed him on soft when Torcedor was second at Ascot in that autumn contest over today’s trip.
Big Orange’s answer in today’s race a year ago was to try to make all but both Vazirabad and Sheikhzayedroad (third) overtook him for finishing speed.
Here at Meydan on the first of the month the best trial for today (but over 1m 6f) was won by Rare Rhythm from Vazirabad, Sheikhzayedroad, Natural Scenery and Red Galileo, which speaks only for Vazirabad again.
With William Haggas in devastating form, Dal Harraild’s potential to improve cannot be overlooked but he has so far failed in Group company and his successful step up to 2m on the last day was in a small field of modest performers.
AIDAN O’BRIEN’S FIRST 2018 DERBY
2.30 Meydan (UAE Derby) For the first time this season comes the cry: oh no! multiple Aidan O’Brien runners.
But surely, if he is to add to his 2012-13 back-to-back success, it will be with Mendelssohn, who had pacemaker Threeandfourpence and Seahenge well beaten at Dundalk three weeks ago.
Mendelssohn has really only to stop the UAE 2,000 Guineas winner, Gold Town, but bear in mind that today’s Derby is even shorter than the French version, so this is no great step up in trip for him.
After 28 Group-1 winners last season, Aidan needs another sideboard, with this his first Derby for 2018.
3.05 Meydan (Al Quoz Sprint) Charlie Appleby has the favourite, Blue Point, even though he has yet to win a Group 1 (placed Middle Park, Dewhurst and Commonwealth Cup) and four-year-olds have never taken this Sprint.
He also has to overcome a high draw, which has been done only twice in nine seasons.
What confirms him as a lay is that 11 of the field are rated between 112 and 119, which probably amounts to only about two lengths.
5.50 Meydan (Dubai World Cup) Bob Baffert, who has won this three times, saddles Breeders Cup Classic third, West Coast (holds Gunnevara), and Mubtaahij, former UAE Derby winner, who has been second and fourth in the Cup before.
North America progressed to win a Group 1 over CD on the last day. Fillies champion Forever Unbridled steps into male territory and is up a furlong.
Talismanic won the Breeders Cup Turf for France and is well bred for this switch t o dirt. Bang-in-form Andre Fabre entrusts the ride to Mickael Barzalona. The BETDAQ 11.0 is too big.
TORRES LINED UP TO SCORE AT 7.8
1.50 Musselburgh The going was firm when Twin Appeal won this last year. His sole success since has been on AW.
He was only fifth when Hayadh made all at Wolverhampton in February but will be 9lb better off today.
Masham Star has also been given a big chance in the handicap, dropped in grade for the first time in 18 starts and 8lb lower on turf than for his Listed placed on AW last time out.
Lualiwa, down in class too, won three times over 7f last campaign. Ado McGuinness has been missing strike, including at Lingfield yesterday, and Set In Stone would normally need several runs to get cracking, while Sharp Defence has his first run for the Dublin yard.
Luis Vaz De Torres (7.8 offers on BETDAQ) is well placed here, a CD winner racing off his winning mark after a reappearance run 11 days ago.
2.05 Haydock (Middle Distance Chase Series Final) The way Crievehill scooted clear at Sandown from Aloomomo and Masterplan, he has nothing to fear in this bid for a hat-trick in the race by Nigel Twiston-Davies.
Thanks to Creep Desbois’s participation, and a 103% BETDAQ orange, I could get 3.85 Crievehill. Desbois is no creep but you’d expect him to need more time to step up in grade.
PUT YOUR CHIPS DOWN ON McCAIN
2.40 Haydock (Two-Mile Hurdle Series Final) The two winners of this have carried 10st 3lb and 10st 4lb, and the high weights may well be caught for puff again as Chti Balko (2-2 at Haydock) takes them along at a pace.
He lasted out here in December over Sleepy Haven and Joke Dancer, who has improved 10lb since, according to the handicapper.
But if Chti Balko’s trainer has read the stats, he may have William of Orange in mind for this, first run after a wind op and bottomweight if you include the 5lb claim.
I’ll put chips on both of McCain’s at 7.0 and 8.4 respectively, a plausible ploy in a punter-friendly 106% BETDAQ orange
3.35 Musselburgh (Queen’s Cup) Outsiders traditionally win this, and the one-two have been double-figure odds for the last two renewals. Can Time To Study, who opened on BETDAQ at 6.0, break the mould?
Mark Johnston sees him growing into a genuine Cup horse and £62,000 to the winner here would be a decent start.
He must surely have too much in the tank for fugitives from hurdling, American Gigolo and Sir Chauvelin.
DAQMAN’S BETS (each staked to win 20 except the naps and the lay)
12.45 Meydan
BET 1pt win and place MUNTAZAH
1.50 Meydan
BET 1.4pts win and place TORCEDOR
BET (to win 10pts) 4.25pts VAZIRABAD
1.50 Musselburgh
BET 3pts win LUIS VAZ DE TORRES
2.05 Haydock
BET 7pts win CRIEVEHILL
2.30 Meydan
BET 8.5pts win (away nap) MENDELSSOHN
2.40 Haydock
BET 3.25pts win CHTI BALKO
BET 2.75pts win WILLIAM OF ORANGE
3.05 Meydan
LAY 10pts at 2.3 BLUE POINT
3.35 Musselburgh (to win 30)
BET 6pts win (home nap) TIME TO STUDY
5.50 Meydan
BET 2pts win and place TALISMANIC
OTHER SELECTIONS
4.35 Meydan BENBATL and 5.10 CLOTH OF STARS
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