NATIONAL WINNER FOR DAQMAN AT BETDAQ 14.0: Daqman hit the wire twice yesterday with 200-point-targeted Fortune Cookie, Boyhood (3rd 10-1), and Molineaux (2nd 5-1), beaten a length. But he scored a win-50 bull’s-eye in the big race, the Devon National, through the six-lengths success of Dawson City (WON 6-1), a huge 14.0 on BETDAQ.
SATURDAY STARTS 10 WINS CLEAR OF PRICEWISE: Today Daqman defends a 25-15 value-bets lead over Pricewise of the Racing Post and has two short shots running from his Fortune Cookies horses to follow:
- FORTUNE COOKIES (621 points in profit) (to 20 point stake)
3.00 Kempton ANGELS BREATH
3.15 Lingfield WISSAHICKON (Winter Derby) - VALUE CHALLENGE (Daqman 25, Pricewise 15)
2.25 Kempton, 2.40 Newcastle, 3.00 Kempton
ANGELS BREATH A SPECIAL ONE
2.25 Kempton Paul Nicholls’ Zubayr and Zarkandar were hurdles debut winners of this race, and Ecco, a Group performer on the Flat in Germany – ran in their Derby at as a 15-2 shot – was a fair offer at 7.4 on BETDAQ this morning.
This is the last Triumph Hurdle test but Alan King, going for a hat-trick in this race, has his eye on the Fred Winter for the filly Giving Glances.
Fusil Raffles can choose from both Cheltenham juvenile races, and just topped the morning market from Petit Palais, who is highly regarded and won on the debut.
3.00 Kempton Nicky Henderson currently has a 50% strike rate in this, and the race is chosen for Angels Breath to prep for the Supreme Novices Hurdle.
Nothing has come out of his Christmas form but he won decisively pitched into a Grade 2 for his first attempt over hurdles, and Henderson describes him as ‘special.’ We have 20 points on him as a Fortune Cookie.
Alan King has won this as many times as Nicky Henderson (three each in the decade) and the next four home behind Scarlet Dragon at Huntingdon are all winners before or after that race.
‘SHARK’ SETS UP 17.5 KILLING
2.40 Newcastle, Saturday (Eider Chase) Baywing and Mysteree both carried 11st to victory in the last two years. But both scored on soft/heavy (it’s good to soft today) and both are up around half a stone. It all adds up to a double negative at their age.
West of The Edge, who ran up to Baywing last year, is 10lb better off but both would prefer plenty of rain. Ditto Daklondike.
Nicky Richards reckons Progress Drive in place of Baywing but his best form is on soft-heavy and he couldn’t catch old Harry the Viking on the last day.
Vicente has won two Scottish Nationals on today’s sounder surface, both off today’s 146 rating, and was 6.8 BETDAQ favourite this morning.
Ange Des Malberaux has shot up 33lb for five wins out of seven since joining Dan Skelton in the summer, and is up two grades on the level of his Lincolnshire National win from Zerachiel, who let the form down yesterday.
Potters Corner is 12lb higher than for his last success but has failed to finish in two of his last three starts. Crosspark has twice finished ‘in the four’ in the Warwick Classic (3m 5f).
Morney Wing won the London National at Sandown (3m 5f) but is up nearly two stone since he reappeared in October.
‘Shark’ Hanlon has always thought the Eider an ideal race for Kilkishen but trainer (0-4) and jockey Danny Mullins (0-17) are both out of form. Though well supported into around 11-1 with the layers, he was 17.5 in the BETDAQ orange.
Verdict: Vicente rarely gets his ground so soon and looks hard to beat. Kilkishen is worth a flutter at big BETDAQ offers.
THE POLISHED PERFORMER..
2.50 Fairyhouse (Tommy Carberry Handicap Hurdle) No winners with 11st or more, except Presenting Percy who took this one the way to winning the Pertemps Final at Cheltenham (2017).
Polished Steel faced some tough customers – Battleoverdoyen at Navan, The King Of Brega at Thurles – before his experience came to his aid back at Thurles on the last day, when he beat 17 others six lengths and more. BETDAQ 7.4.
4.00 Fairyhouse (Bobbyjo Chase) Willie Mullins, who has won six of the last eight, five of them favourite, sends out Grand National hopes Rathvinden, the NH Chase winner at Cheltenham having his first race since the Punchestown Festival last Spring, and Pleasant Company.
After two runs back, Pleasant Company, runner-up to Tiger Roll at Aintree last year, may find the ground riding too fast, but the versatile Rathvinden (BETDAQ 6.0) has won on this ground and at this trip.
If he’s not quite ready, Magic Of Light looks better than Alpha Des Obeaux at the trip.
FRANKIE GETS THREE WISSES!
3.15 Lingfield (Winter Derby) Some good horses in this but Cambridgeshire winner Wissahickon has lured Frankie Dettori to Lingfield, looking out of the top drawer as he’s coasted by in two out of two on the winter surface. This will be three from three.
When he won the Trial for this, he easily dismissed Big Country, Court House and Chiefofchiefs, who have no option but to try again today, hoping to find him off form.
Since last year’s winner, Master The World, has a couple of pounds to make up on Big Country, that puts him behind Wissahickon, and Hathal has 10lb to find on official ratings.
DAQMAN’S BETS
2.25 Kempton (win 20)
BET 3pts win ECCO
2.40 Newcastle (win 50)
BULL’S-EYE BET 8.5pts win (nap) VICENTE
BULL’S-EYE BET 3pts win and place KILKISHEN
2.50 Fairyhouse (win 20)
BET 3pts win POLISHED STEEL
4.00 Fairyhouse (win 30)
BET 6pts win RATHVINDEN
BET 3pts win (stakes saver) MAGIC OF LIGHT
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