BULL’S-EYE NAP IN THE SCOTTISH SPRINT: Daqman is two out of three with his bull’s-eye naps (staked to win 50 points). There’s another one today as he checks out the Queen’s Cup meeting at Musselburgh to which the Scottish Sprint has been brought forward this year. Headlines:
🔹 VOLTA CAN LEAP BACK TO FORM
🔹 CLASS 2? NO, IT’S A GREY AREA
🔹 MADNESS IF YOU MISS BETDAQ 7.6
🔹 LONG SHOT HAS ART OF HANAGAN
🔹 7.2 FRANKEL FILLY TAKES THE EYE
VOLTA CAN LEAP BACK TO FORM
1.50 Musselburgh Mark Johnston had five winners yesterday, including a dramatic 43-1 double at the AW championships via Watersmeet and Matterhorn.
Lake Volta hasn’t been dropped to this level for 20 races. When lower than class 2, he won back-to-back after the debut. He’s now down 15lb since running in the Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot last year.
Porth Swtan, Hayadh and Raselasad are all CD winners at Musselburgh. But the trio ran together here on the second day of this month, separated by less than two lengths, with Three Saints Bay fourth.
Obviously, the handicapper has had a chance to equalise them and, rather than try to separate them with a pin, I shall have my pound on Lake Volta at 7.2 on BETDAQ this morning.
CLASS 2? NO, IT’S A GREY AREA
2.25 Musselburgh This is a class-2 mile in name only. None in the race has been placed at this level, nor even in class 3 (unless you count Coolagh Forest’s last of three at Southwell in January).
Front-runners Lincoln Park and Politicise are likely to make it a tough test; both have performed best on the soft.
Politicise is hard to get right but is William Haggas’ sole raider from Newmarket, just as AW-winner On The Line is the only Hugo Palmer traveller.
Maybe both will fall to the in-form Reggae Runner, another Mark Johnston, this one given a break after being progressive at the start of the year.
Amadeus Grey, the only course winner in the race, was prepped for this 12 days ago but, of the two greys, I prefer On The Line (5.1 BETDAQ taken), who has been making progress this Spring.
MADNESS IF YOU MISS BETDAQ 7.6
3.00 Musselburgh (Scottish Sprint Cup) A Momentofmadness is usually ready early and Charlies Hills hit form yesterday with a surprise winner at Newcastle. I took 7.6 on BETDAQ.
Savalas is also an early bird but best form is on soft. Final Venture hasn’t won for 20 starts but is still high in the handicap. Captain Colby has won here and started back at this track three weeks ago after wind surgery.
Copper Knight and stablemate Ee Bah Gum have always needed a run and I’ll guess they’re prepping for the York May meeting. I have a similar view of Harome; I reckon they want to try the Derby day sprint at Epsom.
Line Of Reason and Mokaatil were both back to form in the last few days, and it depends how they have taken the recent race.
Michael Appleby has won this twice in the last five years and there was money this morning for Sandown winner Saaheq, who has stepped up a couple of grades on AW.
LONG SHOT HAS ART OF HANAGAN
3.35 Musselburgh (Queen’s Cup) Mark Johnston runs four. Lucky Deal has stepped up two grades on AW but has to match that, returned to turf and back in trip.
He’s badly in now with his Johnston stablemate, Making Miracles, and the trainer also runs Hochfield (not won since 2017 but back to his winning trip) and Austrian School, who goes particularly well fresh but is often the bridesmaid (last seven races: 2232223)
Interesting that Michael Bell has booked Paul Hanagan for Artamon, expected to improve and the only course-and-distance winner in the race. A bit each way at 17.5 on BETDAQ.
7.2 FRANKEL FILLY TAKES THE EYE
3.45 Kempton (Snowdrop Fillies’ Stakes) Bit late for snowdrops but I’m not coming up smelling of roses right now, so let’s see what we can find.
James Fanshawe who won this twice in three years, including with Ribbons (2014), Group race winner afterwards at Deauville and the Curragh, saddles the Frankel filly Tiger Eye, a tasty 7.2 on BETDAQ this morning.
Any draw higher than 8 would be a serious disadvantage but it’s often equally tricky to cope with the one stall, which is where Tiger Eye finds herself today after a hat-trick over a furlong shorter.
Contrive’s hat-trick late last year was over today’s kind of trip and started out here at Kempton. She takes a big step up but is expected to improve and has been training well for a stable in form. I took 16.0 on BETDAQ.
Rawdaa has never been out of the first two but her success story is mainly at Newmarket, where she is due to contest the Dahlia Stakes on May 5 so the fear for the punter is that, like Mustashry (target Lockinge), this may turn out to be an unhurried prep.
Anna Nerium has won the last twice after breaks but again the mile is a worry. Her form beyond 7f is 020. Dancing Brave Bear won first time last season but was second in a substandard Musidora.
Similarly, Agrotera was hot last Spring and won the Sandringham at Royal Ascot. Can she bounce back under Gerald Mosse?
DAQMAN’S BETS
1.50 Musselburgh (win 20)
BET 3.25pts win LAKE VOLTA
2.05 Haydock (win 30)
BET 3pts win and place BHUTAN
2.25 Musselburgh (win 20)
BET 5pts win ON THE LINE
3.00 Musselburgh (win 50)
BULL’S-EYE BET: 7.5pts win (nap) A MOMENTOFMADNESS
3.15 Haydock (win 30)
BET 5.25pts win TRIXSTER
3.35 Musselburgh (win 30)
BET 1.8pts win and place ARTAMON
3.45 Kempton (win 30)
BET 4.75pts win TIGER EYE
BET 2pts win and place CONTRIVE
Did you know that as well as checking the realtime prices on BETDAQ below – you can also log into your account and place your bets directly into BETDAQ from BETDAQ TIPS.
