BIG CHASE BULL’S-EYE DOUBLE ACROSS THE CARDS: Fortune Cookies have surely got a champion in the Christmas Hurdle winner, Epatante, but there’s more action this week before Daqman revises his list. Another supernap today plus bull’s-eye bets in the two big chases: the Coral Welsh Grand National and the PP Chase at Leopardstown. Headlines:
🔹 ALLMANKIND COULD JOIN ELITE
🔹 TAKE JACK TO CORNER NATIONAL
🔹 GERAGHTY FITS HENRY SO WELL
DAQMAN LEADS PRICEWISE 15-8 INTO 6-RACE SPREE: Pricewise cut a chunk out of Daqman’s profits yesterday but our man still leads 15-8 on winners in the value races, which today are 1.10 and 2.55 Leopardstown; 1.35 and 2.50 Chepstow; 1.55 and 3.05 Kempton. Check them out and see if you can beat the experts by taking value in the BETDAQ orange.
ACCOUNTS UPDATE
Daqman 15, Pricewise 8 (+69.80 to -25.00)
Bull’s-eye bets 31% (+44.25 from 5-16)
Bulls-eye naps 47% (+249pts from 8-17)
All Daily Naps 43% (+51.36 from 18-42)
Supernaps 46% (+04.68 from 6-13)
ALLMANKIND COULD JOIN ELITE
1.35 Chepstow (Coral Finale Juvenile Hurdle) This race launched Bristol De Mai and Defi Du Seuil and, if you fancy either one of the hot pair, Allmankind and Cerberus, in the race today, make an offer ante-post in the BETDAQ Triumph Hurdle orange.
Allmankind’s impressive Cheltenham win was franked by the runner-up (when he had Elysian Flame nine lengths behind in the Triumph trial), whereas Cerberus has played acey-deucy with his stablemate, A Wave Of The Sea.
1.55 Kempton (Ladbrokes Mares Hurdle) Culture De Sivola won this last year, getting 10lb from the top weight and favourite, Momella.
It’s a potential reversal of roles here, with Culture De Sivola, top weight and favourite, giving weight all round, including to last year’s runner-up, Molly Childers.
Coillte Eile, a BETDAQ 6.0 offer this morning, won well at Ascot under Cillin Leonard, and claiming his full 7lb allowance would open up a weights gap to exploit of nearly two stone on the favourite.
TAKE JACK TO CORNER NATIONAL
2.50 Chepstow (Coral Welsh Grand National) My ABC guide to the King George had the 11-2 winner on top yesterday, confirming the value of mixing the form and stats.
But there is no combination of trends that will land you this grand national, with winning ages in the decade from six to 13 and weights from 10st 1lb to 11st 12lb.
But the changing face of big handicaps may be reflected in the last three seasons, quality horses having won with the bigger weights (10-10 to 11-12) and youngsters having come to the fore, with two six-year-old winners out of three.
Last year’s winner, Elegant Escape, fits the bill again, and represents Colin Tizaard (two winners out of three including subsequent Gold Cup hero Native River). Here’s how I see the main contenders:
ELEGANT ESCAPE: Back in business when third, failing only narrowly to give 16lb and 23lb to winner and second in the Ladbrokes Trophy (the old Hennessy) in November, looking as good as ever in first-time blinkers and finishing a long way in front of Yala Enki. Due to go up 4lb.
NOW McGINTY: The result makes Elegant Escape around a stone better horse than De Rasher Counter, for whom an earlier defeat by Now McGinty in a Chepstow novices was honors even at the weights. So not much between the front two in the market today.
TRUCKERS LODGE: Jockey bookings suggest that Paul Nicholls has his sights – and therefore Harry Cobden’s – set on Kempton, leaving Lorcan Williams on Truckers Lodge.
However, it has to be said that Williams (2-3) has easily the better record on Truckers Lodge than Cobden (1-6).
POTTERS CORNER: A hidden horse in that Christian Williams has kept him to hurdles (won here at Chepstow on the last day), since taking the Midlands Grand National (4m 2f heavy) off a 10lb lower mark in the Spring.
WEST APPROACH Three consecutive defeats by Paisley Park saw him switch from hurdles to chasing, his Cheltenham third to Cogry over 3m 2f in December probably his best result since a fading sixth in the Sandown Gold Cup in April.
THE TWO AMIGOS (3-4 at this time a year or so ago) has been well backed in the run-up to this. Cheekpieces could improve him and also help another one for the money, Prime Venture.
But Prime Venture has been well behind both Potters Corner and Truckers Lodge this year, without any appreciable drop in the handicap.
Captain Chaos has twice been placed in the Rehearsal Chase at Newcastle and finished sixth in a Kim Muir but has won only a novice chase in more than two years.
Verdict: The 7lb claimer Jack Tudor proved his worth on Potters Corner when driving him out to win here over hurdles on the last day and can line up at peak fitness and only 3lb higher than for the nine-year-old’s Midlands Grand National success. I took 11.5 on BETDAQ.
But there’s no shortage of youngsters again in consistent and classy Elegant Escape, The Two Amigos (20.0 offers) and Truckers Lodge, who is also claimed off.
GERAGHTY FITS HENRY SO WELL
2.55 Leopardstown (PP Chase) No Comment, owned by J P McManus, has been backed to win this on a 9lb turnaround in the weights with Any Second Now from the Kim Muir at the Cheltenham Festival on ground similar to today’s.
I can’t take a short price about one without a chase win or, in fact, any success for three years now.
Any Second Now might have gone close as favourite in this race a year ago but for a bad mistake at the last. As it was, in front of him at the finish were Vieux Morvan, Fitzhenry and Solomn Grundy, with Blazer just behind.
Blazer, also owned J P McManus, gets a 7lb pull on Any Second Now. Though runner-up that day, Vieux Morvan is 15lb better off, if you count Oakley Brown’s allowance. He had been fifth in the race the year before.
Also claimed off is Solomn Grundy but he’s always needed softer ground than this to get into the winner’s enclosure.
Fitzhenry (BETDAQ 10.5) has the best form since last year, and Barry Geraghty has turned his attentions from Kempton, and Epatante’s Christmas Hurdle triumph yesterday.
Fitzhenry and Geraghty have an appealing record together in the last two years or so (2121232), and trainer Paul Nolan had a winner yesterday.
I pass on Solomn Grundy, preferring his stablemate, Kerry National winner Poker Party (11.5 offers) under Rachael Blackmore, who was inspired on Notebook at Leopardstown yesterday.
DAQMAN’S BETS
1.35 Chepstow (supernap)
BET 20pts win ALLMANKIND
1.55 Kempton (win 30)
BET 6pts win COILLTE EILE
2.50 Chepstow (bull’s-eye bets to win 50)
BET 4.75pts win POTTERS CORNER
BET 2.5pts win THE TWO AMIGOS
2.55 Leopardstown (bull’s-eye bets to win 50)
BET 5.25pts win FITZHENRY
BET 4.75pts win POKER PARTY
3.05 Kempton (win 10)
BET 2pts win at 5.6 JUST A STING
DAQ MULTIPLES
10pts win double
Chacun Pour Soi (1.10 Leopardstown)
Allmankind (1.35 Chepstow)
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