THE GREAT EIGHT CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS BETDAQ RACE: A champion of champions will emerge from the BETDAQ Punchestown Champion Hurdle today, whichever one of four is the winner, since they have been holders of an incredible EIGHT champion-hurdle verdicts collectively.
DAQMAN CREATES HIS OWN HEADLINES ON A BETTOR’S DAY: Daqman rates it a very open betting day, so all the more reason for following BETDAQ. You get early odds so much better that you can often back two in a race. And, of course, the market will be trading right to the ‘off’ with offers between clients, so you create your own value. Headlines:
🔹 THE BETDAQ DRINKS ARE ON BUVEUR
🔹 IT SHOULD ALL GO RIGHT FOR REAL
🔹 A WINNER? YOU ONLY HAVE TO ASK
🔹 RENDEZVOUS WITH HIDDEN HORSE
THE BETDAQ DRINKS ARE ON BUVEUR
5.30 Punchestown (BETDAQ Champion Hurdle)
THE winners of EIGHT champion hurdles clash in a quality decider the like of which has not been seen because of the many one-horse eras of such as Istabraq, Hurricane Fly, Quevega. Just look at the line-up:
APPLE’S JADE Punchestown Champion 4yo Hurdle, Punchestown Mares Champion Hurdle and Irish Champion Hurdle.
BUVEUR D’AIR Cheltenham Champion Hurdle twice
SUPASUNDAE Irish Champion Hurdle and BETDAQ Punchestown Champion Hurdle
WICKLOW BRAVE The BETDAQ Punchestown Champion Hurdle
In addition, Melon and Petit Mouchoir have both been placed in a Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham, making this a race of champions like no other.
In its 20 years, the modern version of this race has been won only once by a horse over the age of eight, a black mark against a repeat win by Supasundae (aged 9) and against Wicklow Brave (now 10).
But, to be fair to Supasundae, the only older winner was Hurricane Fly and, like Supasundae, he had won it the year before.
Willie Mullins has captured the prize eight times, but his Wicklow Brave has to defy the record books and become the first to regain the title. Jessica Harrington has scored four times, and no name other than Mullins or Harrington is on the trophy in the last nine years!
1 Buveur d’Air A winner 10 times on soft ground, including the 2017 and 2018 Cheltenham Champion Hurdles but only 2F2 in Grade-1 this year.
His 2017 championship was impressive but he had wind surgery after beating Melon only a neck to retain his title last year, and fell early on this season. Has never raced outside England and has to adapt to this specialist track.
2 Apple’s Jade Winner of 14 hurdles races and form figures at Punchestown 1213. Four in a row November to February from 2m to 3m, defeating Supasundae 20 lengths and 16 lengths respectively in the Hattons Grace and then in the Irish Champion Hurdle.
Flopped as favourite for the Cheltenham championship and, though beaten only half a length for the Stayers’ Hurdle at Aintree, finished distressed and it’s a worry that she was jumping to the right at both festivals.
3 Supasundae Placed four times behind Apple’s Jade in the Hatton’s Grace (twice), the Christmas Hurdle and the Irish Champion Hurdle.
Won this BETDAQ Punchestown Champion Hurdle last year but it was a weaker field than this time around, and Melon fell when disputing second three out.
Took advantage of another fall by Melon and the stamina limitations of Buveur d’Air when gamely taking the Aintree Hurdle (2m 4f) a month ago. If you delete races beyond 2m 4f in the last two years, his form figures are 131212221.
4 Wicklow Brave Has not won at Graded level since he took this race in 2017 but was second to the subsequent Champion Hurdle winner, Gavin Cromwell’s Espoir d’Allen, at Naas before an amazing run for his age and big weight to be beaten in a photo for the Coral Cup at Cheltenham.
5 Melon Ran Buveur d’Air to a neck in the 2018 Cheltenham Champion Hurdle but beaten 15 lengths when trying to make all this year.
Was even further behind Apple’s Jade in the Irish Champion Hurdle in February and has scored only once since winning his hurdles maiden in November 2017.
6 Petit Mouchoir The grey was third in the 2017 Cheltenham Champion Hurdle but went chasing after that until four hurdles starts under Rachael Blackmore (21 lengths behind Apple’s Jade in the Irish Champion Hurdle). Cheekpieces first time today.
7 Summerville Boy Has not gone on from his Supreme Novices Hurdle win of 2018. Among his last three races, he has finished 22 lengths behind Buveur d’Air and 33 behind Supersundae. Plenty of rain would help.
IT SHOULD ALL GO RIGHT FOR REAL
4.20 Punchestown This Grade-A novice handicap chase had a notable winner last year, Kemboy, among five in the decade for Willie Mullins (Real Steel), but Jessica Harrington (Jetz) has scored three times since 2013.
Winners usually come from the quality top half of the handicap, where Real Steel, a decent novice hurdler is making up into a fine young chaser, runner-up in the Fairyhouse Ryanair Gold Cup Novice Chase only 11 days ago.
He is not always fluent but the key to his form is that he is much better going right-handed, and it’s a race where the front rank have all had jumping problems. They’re novices, after all! I took 5.7 in the BETDAQ orange.
Hardline and Jetz were third and fourth in a classy novice chase at Leopardstown in February. Hardline flopped when favourite for the Cheltenham Arkle and they’re claiming off him today. Jetz has not been jumping well.
Poker Party, a 6.6 BETDAQ offer this morning, is not the easiest of rides but gets on well with Rachael Blackmore and has improved 22lb in three starts, if the handicapper is to be believed.
As a result of training problems and racing over a trip too far, the Foxrock winner De Name Escapes Me hasn’t got the CV he deserves. He’s getting 19lb from Real Steel, but is another who needs to have a better day with his jumping.
A WINNER? YOU ONLY HAVE TO ASK
4.55 Punchestown (Glencarraig Lady Mares Handicap Chase) The stats say that the top half dozen will struggle against unexposed lightweights.
We certainly had one of those last year – and wish she were here now! – in Magic Of Light, who found only Tiger Roll too much for her in the Aintree Grand National at 66-1.
Ask Susan’s form looks in and out but the mare is a different animal going right-handed, placed 10 times (five wins). She’s drawn a blank going anticlockwise.
Moyhenna needs rain but both Barra and Timeforwest (8.2 BETDAQ) are claimed off for the full amount. This race is not won by double-figure SPs, so it’s from one of those three we should find the danger to Ask Susan.
I’ll try the local mare, Timeforwest, whose stable won the bumper yesterday. Timeforwest is in foal, which very often brings a sudden improvement in form.
RENDEZVOUS WITH HIDDEN HORSE
6.05 Punchestown (Champion Novice Hurdle) Next year’s near-the-top stayers emerge from this, and ‘the one most likely to’ is City Island, who beat Champ in the Ballymore at Cheltenham (Sams Profile fifth, Battleoverdoyen flopped) before that one franked the form at Aintree.
The day before Champ’s Aintree win, Reserve Tank won there, beating Brewin’upastorm, who had been fourth in the Ballymore, with not a lot between the two performances.
Like Battleoverdoyen, Tornado Flyer has to bounce back. So, too, Easy Game, another who was behind in the Ballymore.
The ‘hidden horse’ is Royal Rendezvous. Showed a high cruising speed in the autumn and, though he’s had just the one hurdle race, and has been absent six months, he has had a special preparation for this and is City Island’s main danger. Huge offers of 17.0 on BETDAQ this morning.
DAQMAN’S BETS
1.35 Lingfield
BET 8.5pts win (Flat nap) SUDONA
4.20 Punchestown (win 20 each)
BET 4.25pts win REAL STEEL
BET 3.5pts win POKER PARTY
4.55 Punchestown (win 20 each)
BET 8pts win ASK SUSAN
BET 2.75pts win TIMEFORWEST
5.30 Punchestown (supernap)
BET 20pts win BUVEUR D’AIR
6.05 Punchestown (win 50, win 10)
BULL’S-EYE BET 3pts win and place ROYAL RENDEZVOUS
BET 10pts win CITY ISLAND
DAQ MULTIPLES
5 x 2pt win doubles
2 x 1pt win trebles
SUDONA 1.35 Lingfield
REAL STEEL and POKER PARTY 4.20 Punchestown
BUVEUR D’AIR 5.30 Punchestown
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