ARC-DAY WRAP: SO NEAR AND YET SO FAR FOR THE TREBLE: Move the winning post back a couple of yards and Enable had done it again. But, though she swooped from the clouds, the heavens had opened in the days leading up to her Arc de Triomphe treble bid and the stayer of the race came and ‘did’ her near the line in very soft ground. As Daqman cries: ‘Enable! But the race wasn’t over!’
DAQMAN’S STILL THE VICTOR WITH A BETDAQ PLACE BET: Daqman actually made money on the race with a nifty place bet on Sottsass (3rd 66-10) covering his win stake with something to spare from a morning BETDAQ win and place. His returns yesterday:
WON 9-5 VICTOR LUDORUM (Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere)
3RD 66-10 SOTTSASS (Arc de Triomphe)
ACCOUNTS CHECK
Daqman 76, Pricewise 35 (Daqman + 409, Pricewise – 481 to 10pt stakes)
Bulls-eye naps (8-16) 50% (256pts profit to recommended stakes)
Supernaps (23-37) 62% (95pts profit to 20-point stakes)
ENABLE! BUT THE RACE WASN’T OVER
LONGCHAMP WRAP: Enable’s reign was rained on yet her Arc de Triomphe treble bid was no damp squib but a gallant-as-ever attempt, which would no doubt have been historic had conditions been better.
1: Waldgeist Three times placed behind Enable in Arc, Breeders Cup and King George, had the mud on his side to short-circuit her electric charge.
2: Enable She and Frankie Dettori ran a spot-on finish to dispose of this year’s Classic form in the guise of Sottsass and Japan, and went clear. But the race wasn’t over.
3: Sottsass Ran his Arc to perfection at the French Derby distance. The Niel had not told us enough and, for the umpteenth time, I implore the French authorities to return their Derby to the Classic trip.
ITV coverage: The ‘build’-up to the Arc was like being in a dentist’s waiting-room flipping through a few magazines of historical equine interest, occasionally interrupted by a race which seemingly had no betting.
The few minutes after the Arc was an after-timer’s bluff of a word to the wise by Andre Fabre to which we were deemed not privileged to know before the race.
Cut to a polite but increasingly irritated John Gosden, who must have been swirling with emotions, having just seen yet another fabulous Enable finish, only to be asked repeatedly if she’d ever race again, as though she’d come home crippled.
You could see him decide: I’ll just have to reach for the flyswat. You wouldn’t have blamed him if that had been the Bell for round one, but he managed to extricate himself, the first swat wafting the fly away.
Incidentally, the same venerable bluffer who didn’t let us in on the Fabre story had told us before the race that Ghaiyyath would have no trouble getting to the front from his wide draw and would be making all to win out of sight.
In the event he exhausted himself getting into a challenging position, faded and finished 10th, beaten 33 lengths. Why not put bluffer back in his box and dig up Prince Monolulu and the biggest flyswat of them all..
Victor Ludorum Did nothing wrong in the Lagardere and, in any other year, might now be 2,000 Guineas favourite. But Godolphin have Earthlight in front of him and Pinatubo in front of Earthlight!
Albigna Won the Marcel Boussac in a faster time than Victor Ludorum won the Lagardere, franking the amazing filly form of Jessica Harrington, who’s won 20 fillies’ maidens and the Cheveley Park with Millisle.
Godolphin will have to look for three different 2,000 Guineas. As for Jessica, she needs to find at least half a dozen 1,000s!
PONTEFRACT… AND IT’S OFF
Pontefract’s card today has been called off.
The racecourse’s official Twitter account posted: “Following a further 4.5mm rain on Sunday evening falling on saturated ground and with further heavy rain forecast today, racing has been abandoned.”
There maybe further problems on Tuesday with Catterick and Leicester both now subject to morning inspections due to the threat of further rain.
MRS WORTHINGTON IS ON THE STAGE
Batten down the hatches this week. For the racing (that goes ahead) we’ll almost certainly be needing to seek out the heavy ground secliaists.
2.10 Windsor The Thames-side course haven’t had as much rain as in other areas but the ground is still soft with the course reporting on their twitter account ‘a further 2-3 mm of rain today’.
Talap is favourite here but has no experience of testing ground. The Roger Varian trained runner has shown promise in three starts and is now handicapping and up in trip for his in form stable but I need to have a tick in the going box.
I therefore prefer the chances of Arabian Moon who is another progressive runner who is in a nursery for the first time. He was staying on well over seven at Doncaster last time out, so should get the extra furlong and the good to soft ground at Ffos Las previously didn’t seem to hold him back.
A big danger could be Mick Channon’s Sir Arthur Dayne who has the most experience and was a good third when stepped up to today’s trip at Ayr last time out. However, he has not raced on anything slower than good ground in nine career starts. If handling the ground, he would be a big danger but the safer play looks to be Arabian Moon who at least we have some firm evidence on ground-wise.
4.40 Windsor Lofty looks too short in the market here for a horse that has been a beaten favourite twice in four starts and has no experience on the ground.
The problem with the race looks the paucity of opposition but I want to steer clear of the odds-on shot and try and find an alternative in the BETDAQ place market.
My starting point was Doubly Beautiful who showed promise on debut at Newbury last season on good to soft ground but was well beaten on his reappearance after a 306 day break at Kempton. If reproducing his Newbury form he would certainly have big claims but it’s quite a big ‘if’ and the stable are not in great form.
True Belief is 0/9 and was last of seven at Epsom on his only previous start on soft ground and Festina has no experience on turf, so the race does really stack up well for Mrs Worthington who is hovering around evens on the BETDAQ place market.
Although she’s another with 0/9 on her CV – she’s got bits and pieces of form that stack up well in the context of this race, notably a close up Goodwood fifth on soft ground.
She goes down as a PLACE NAP on the day to win 10 points and a small 1.6 points in the win market just in case Lofty flops.
8.00 Newcastle Billy Wedge was an eye-catching second over course and distance last time out and has been given a great chance by the handicapper off just one pound more.
It looks a race where all his main rivals are woefully out of form.
DAQMAN’S BETS (all staked to win 10 points including place nap)
BET 2.1pts win ARABIAN MOON (2.10 Windsor)
BET 10.0pts place (nap) and 1.6pts win MRS WORTHINGTON (4.40 Windsor)
BET 4.5pts win BILLY WEDGE (8.00 Newcastle)
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