GARY MOORE GAMBLE ON HIS FAVOURITE TRACK: Daqman goes nap on an early-doors mover, first time in a Plumpton hurdles handicap for the track’s leading trainer, Gary Moore.
Who’s a birthday boy, then? Irish trainer Jim Dreaper appropriately crosses the Irish Sea today, running one horse at Ayr on his 61st birthday, with a one-in-five strike-rate for his English raiders.
Radharc Na Mara (2.20) translates as ‘sea view’ and is on the welcome plate of many a B&B in ‘the old country.’
The money hasn’t been down on this horse yet but will be today: he was 25-1 when a good third at Clonmel on heavy, closing on the leaders over half a mile or so less than the trip at Ayr.
Immediately stepped up to a decent handicap at Fairyhouse (93-123 compared with today’s 0-115), he was going well as a 12-1 shot when he fell two out.
Royal Mackintosh showed signs of a return to form last time out but was a Carlisle-only winner in his prime; Badger Foot was behind him at Kelso but, four years younger, has a better chance of bouncing back one of these days.
Dreaper’s compatriot Stuart Crawford brings two over but both have form only at a level lower than today’s class 4; Seven Is Lucky has won only once, though he’s now 10; and Rossini’s Dancer is yet another one in this who has to bounce back.
Nelson Du Ronceray (three), Circus Clown, Prosecco and Raysrock (two each) have all won at least two hurdle races at Ayr, all on very soft or heavy ground.
They clash today in the class-3 handicap (3.25), and all have done well at this level. ‘Nelson’ has never been out of the frame (11421) in a hurdle here and, though he is getting on a bit now and his last win was nearly two years ago, he has run two good races recently when an unfancied outsider. Prosecco (hurdles form at Ayr: 11), is back from chasing over further but Peter Buchanan seemingly prefers Raysrock, who has won only once in almost two years and that over fences. Lady Bluesky won well at Kelso but is hiked 7lb and flopped over today’s CD when tried at this level.
Circus Clown has become a bit of a bridesmaid as he’s struggled to cope with penalties for his back-to-back wins here a year or so ago but has scope for improvement at the age of seven and he’s visored for the first time in this discipline (wore them once on the Flat).
First-time blinkers are tried at Plumpton on Bobbie Magern (3.15), his full brother, ‘Billie’, having bounced back on Saturday from the exact same – I collect tautology – form figures of PP.
Meanwhile, the patriarch, Ollie Magern, could come out of retirement for a hunter-chase at Wincanton on Thursday.
Alan King, who was in tremendous form at the weekend, seems to have a penalty kick in front of an open goal (1.10) with Montbazon.
As well as a richness of horses at home, ‘Kingy’ now has two quality jocks to choose from: Wayne Hutchinson has shone – once or twice outshine – the injured Choc Thornton in his absence.
After the steering job on Montbazon, Wayne’s mount, Ruling Party, is the main threat to Firey King, rated ‘athletic’ and therefore well placed by Nicky Henderson at plumptious Plumpton.
But it’s not that straightforward apparently: despite top weight, Aikideau, who beat a Henderson favourite earlier this month, and ran respectably in the Triumph Hurdle, shot to the fore of Betdaq offers this morning.
It leaves Ruling Party on a fair each-way price in an eight-horse race; you get most, if not all, your money back if he can place, with three chances in eight.
There used to be a rule in Fleet Street: if there’s a printing error about the name, that horse always wins. Ministry (3.50) is first time in a handicap but does not appear in the Handicap Debut list in the Racing Post, perhaps because he’s run in a Flat handicap (hardly relevant).
Forecast 7-1, Ministry, who is with leading course trainer Gary Moore, was gobbled up quickly this morning, steaming to the front of the Betdaq market at 3.7, as I write, everything else on the drift, dogs on a raft. I’ll take the hint.
DAQMAN’S BETS
BET 4.6pts win and place RULING PARTY (2.10 Plumpton)
BET 4.3pts win RADHARC NA MARA (2.20 Ayr)
BET 6.4pts win CIRCUS CLOWN (3.25 Ayr)
BET 7.4pts win (nap) MINISTRY (3.50 Plumpton)
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