CORAL WELSH GRAND NATIONAL IS SWITCHED TO JANUARY 9: The loss of the Coral Welsh Grand National is a big blow to holiday value-hunters today but the good news is that the Chepstow meeting is rescheduled for January 9. Limerick is also ‘off’ this afternoon and will inspect tomorrow morning for Monday’s fixture. Wetherby passed an inspection for today (going: heavy).
SHOW GOES ON AT KEMPTON, WETHERBY AND LEOPARDSTOWN: Daqman and Pricewise have been trading punches at 20-1, 16-1, 14-1 and 12-1 (twice) in the last two weeks, and the gloves are on at Kempton and Leopardstown today, with Daqman leading 12-11 in the tightest contest in years, with Daqman the seasonal winner 14-0. Headlines:
🔹 ALTIOR ‘YES’ FOR LADBROKES CHASE
🔹 CHAMPIONS CONTEST TO APPRECIATE
🔹 A PLAN TO ATTACK AT BETDAQ 45.0
🔹 KEMPTON: DUC DESERVES AN ORCHID
ALTIOR ‘YES’ FOR LADBROKES CHASE
⚠️ HEADS UP: Bryony Frost, who made all in the King George yesterday on Frodon, an old Fortune Cookie of ours, lost the chance of a massive weekend big-race double via Yala Enki, with the loss of the Coral Welsh Grand National.
Fans will have to wait until tomorrow at Leicester when she has a single ride on Admiral Barratry in a novices’ chase.
⚠️ HEADS UP: Nicky Henderson, whose Champion Hurdle star, Epatante, was beaten at long-odds-on in the Christmas Hurdle yesterday, saddles Altior at Kempton in the Ladbrokes Desert Orchid Chase ‘regardless of further rain.’ He controversially withdrew the 20 times winner from a testing Tingle Creek.
CHAMPIONS CONTEST TO APPRECIATE
⭕ 1.45 Leopardstown (Future Champions Novice Hurdle) Ballyadam went straight into the Fortune Cookies’ early-bird list when running away with a Down Royal maiden.
The runner-up hasn’t been seen since but the third horse won before and after that race.
Ballyadam then completed a hat-trick by taking the Royal Bond at Fairyhouse, beating into second and third two who were seeking a hat-trick themselves in that very race but forced to give way to the easy winner. Dewcup was fourth.
But there may be not one but two hot young hurdlers in this. Appreciate It, runner-up in the Cheltenham champion bumper in March, had punters lumping on, even at 1-12 at Cork in November.
He scored without turning a hair; ‘loads to spare’ said the Racing Post race-reader, for whom Appreciate wasn’t the word. He had ‘all the tools to be one of the standout novice hurdlers in Ireland.’
Ballyadam was exchanging at 3.35 on BETDAQ this morning, Appreciate It at 3.15 as the saver for my Fortune Cookie.
A PLAN TO ATTACK AT BETDAQ 45.0
⭕ 2.55 Leopardstown I picked Auvergnat (WON 28-1) and Roaring Bull (WON 16-1) for this Grade-B 3m chase so I’ve been up all night with the form book.
A useless bedfellow that has been, as favourites sink in the mud. But it’s a very different Leopardstown today: the forecast is sun shining on yielding ground.
Stats say that seven winners out of nine have carried below 11st., but it’s not that kind of long handicap today, with less than a stone between top and bottom.
Roaring Bull is back 7lb higher but ran well in the Ladbrokes Troytown in November, losing his pitch approaching the last, trying to give 12lb to the winner, another Daqman tip, The Jam Man. Discordantly was fourth (led three out; blundered).
Fitzhenry is 4lb better for a half-length unlucky second to the Bull as favourite for today’s race last year, after running second in the Troytown but was down the field in the same race in November.
Plan Of Attack, a close third a year ago and fourth in the Kim Muir at the Cheltenham festival, is strongly fancied now on the better ground, after failing to jump out of the mud in the autumn. I took 45.0 on BETDAQ BETTING EXCHANGE
There is also a big word from Bryan Cooper for 13.0 offer Dunvegan, now stepping up in trip.
Conditions may also suit Roaring Bull’s stablemate Farclas (BETDAQ 13.0), who is preferred by Jack Kennedy. He landed a hat-trick on a sound surface in the Spring of 2019, and has had a run back after a long break.
Minella Times has won only on soft ground but Home By The Lee appears to act – and win – on almost any surface, though his chasing experience for such as this is limited.
Conditions also look good for Jonjo O’Neill’s Lock’s Corner, who has had a break since landing three wins out of four, and climbing 29lb up the handicap. Castlebawn West is 0-2 at the trip and, though Captain Cj scored at 3m in a small field at Navan, his bridesmaid record around that win is 223F2P3
KEMPTON: DUC DESERVES AN ORCHID
⭕ 1.20 Kempton (Ladbrokes Wayward Lad Novices’ Chase) Shishkin won the Supreme Novice Hurdle, but his prior slamming of Shan Blue 12 lengths in the Sydney Banks at Huntingdon will be remembered today after Blue’s brilliant round of jumping yesterday.
⭕ 2.30 Kempton (Ladbrokes Desert Orchid Chase) The Henderson all clear for Altior is hardly convincing. It’s two years since he won this when 20lb ahead of his field; he’s 10 now and no doubt this is a gamble with a nervous Nicky watery-eyeballing from a lone vantage point somewhere in the stands, fearing his 20-wins wonder has regressed.
It may be a little different to Paul Nicholls’ doing jumping jack-flash in the vacant royal box yesterday as he punched Frodon past the winning post. A Youtube must, I thought.
Paul’s Duc Des Genievres (BETDAQ 6.6) was narrowly beaten in the Desert Orchid last year (Sceau Royal third) and was gamely run out of it by Put The Kettle On at Cheltenham in the Shloer Chase in November.
Put The Kettle On went well clear of Rouge Vif in the Arkle in March, and takes on Chacun Pour Soi (1.10 Leopardstown) earlier this afternoon at 7.7 BETDAQ offers.
⭕ 3.05 Kempton Although Enrilo let his earlier form down yesterday, Darlac was electric in taking the Silver Buck at Wincanton. BETDAQ 7.7.
Having rejected several winners in the Fortune Cookies’ list – not least Frodon! – I shall also have a pound on Crievehill, in case he bites me in the back! BETDAQ 23.0.
DAQMAN’S BETS
1.10 Leopardstown (win 10)
BET 1.5pts win PUT THE KETTLE ON
1.45 Leopardstown
FORTUNE COOKIE
BET 10pts win BALLYADAM
BET 4pts (saver) APPRECIATE IT
2.30 Kempton (win 20, nap)
BET 3.5pts win DUC DES GENIEVRES
2.55 Leopardstown (bull’s-eye bets to win 50)
BET 4pts win DUNVEGAN
BET 4pts win FARCLAS
BET 1pt win and place PLAN OF ATTACK
3.05 Kempton (win 20)
BET 3pts win DARLAC
BET 1pt win and place CRIEVEHILL
What are points? Points facilitate a staking plan, which is the secret to creating profit. One point is whatever you choose: a pound, a euro, or whatever ….
Start with a bank and decide how much you can afford to lose over a period of time, and determine the size of your bets accordingly. Daqman makes this variation every day.
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.
