DAQMAN’S THREE NAPS FROM FOUR WITH CLASSIC-TRIAL WINNER: Daqman made it three winning naps out of four and went 8-4 up on Pricewise when Bolshoi Ballet won a Group 3 at Leopardstown yesterday. See Ballet’s Bold Step To The Derby (below). The three naps were:
✔️ WON 10-11 MONMIRAL (Thursday nap)
✔️ WON 2-1 FAKIR D’OUDAIRIES (Friday nap)
✔️ WON 2-1 BOLSHOI BALLET (Sunday nap)
CORAL SCOTTISH GRAND NATIONAL SWITCHED TO NEXT SUNDAY: Saturday’s main meetings have been moved to Sunday as a mark of respect for Prince Philip, Duke Of Edinburgh, whose funeral service takes place in the afternoon. The Coral Scottish Grand National at Ayr and the Newbury Spring Trials at Newbury both now take place on Sunday.
BALLET’S BOLD STEP TO THE DERBY
Slow but quick, quick go! Bolshoi Ballet was dramatically cut to second favourite for the Derby after winning his first Classic trial, the Ballysax Stakes at Leopardstown yesterday (pictured below).
Yet another Galileo in training with Aidan O’Brien, Bolshoi Ballet won in a slow time but, after a muddling race, injected an impressive burst of speed from a furlong out and stayed on well.
The colt, who will be back for the Leopardstown Derby Trial, was cut to 8-1 in a place, 10-1 generally but 13.0 in the BETDAQ Sportsbook.
The well-backed Poetic Fare kept on to win the Leopardstown 2,000 Trial for Jim Bolger and Kevin Manning.
But there was an 80-1 turn-up in the 1,000 Guineas Trial when Keeper Of Time, well drawn in stall 3 under Ronan Whelan, scored on the nod for Curragh trainer John James Feane.
There were some slow fractions before she came dashing through and just held on to fend off Kevin Prendergast’s Mehnah with another rank outsider at 66-1 in third.
Next week at Newmarket, Royal Champion is one from the many hidden three-year-olds just emerging in the trials and big-field maidens.
I single this colt out because Roger Varian is leading trainer at the Craven meeting in the decade.
For me, an Early Bird trainer is one with credentials for the meeting but also coming into it in form, and his figures for April look good: 1202133222101, which reduce to 211 on turf. On the money almost every time.
Royal Champion, target the 2,000 Guineas, is very likely to step forward from his autumn debut win, as a son of Shamardal whose dam is a half-sister to Dubawi. It all shouts progressive, progressive.
BRANCHING OUT WITH SYCAMORE
⭕ 4.40 Windsor The Flat season cranks up another gear this week and today it’s the return of ‘Windsor Mondays’. I’ll swerve the opening race with eight unraced two-year-olds but it’s interesting to see the support on the BETDAQ BETTING EXCHANGE for the Richard Hannon trained Zoltan Star in favour of stablemate Hotline Bling. Hannon has been quick out of the stalls this season (8 winners from last 32) and his first two-year-old on the turf Gubbass was a winner at Leicester last week.
In fact, I’ll keep my powder dry until the final race on the card when I am keen on the chance of Sycamore partnered by champion jockey Oisin Murphy.
The Martyn Meade trained runner is certainly one of the least exposed runners in a competitive looking finale and showed more than enough in three starts last season to suggest he has ability and will be suited by the step-up in trip.
He wasn’t a great fan of the starting stalls in his first two starts but seemed fine with them on his final run at Leicester and I am sure has had plenty of practice since during the closed season.
Of the ones with more experience Heaven Forfend looks the biggest threat – especially as he comes here match fit from the all-weather. He won a modest three runner event at Lingfield for which the handicapper showed no mercy and might need more relief than the pound drop he gets today.
LE BAYOU LOOKS LE ANSWER
⭕ 5.30 Redcar Le Bayou went into my notebook and countless others no doubt with his close up third to Leroy Leroy on the opening day of the season at Doncaster.
Given he was beaten less than half a length the one pound raise looks very generous – weird how the handicapping system works at times – if he’d won by a neck he’d have probably gone up three !!
He looks unquestionably well-handicapped at the moment and is now a full 24lb lower than his previous trip to Doncaster last year.
The downside is that he remains a maiden in 10 turf starts but this isn’t a heat that is jam packed with previous winners and he gets one of his best chances to date.
Regal Mirage arguably brings the best form into the race but has always needed the first start after a break before he gets fully wound up.
GG FOR THE NAP
⭕ 6.50 Wolverhampton Just the four runners but the market is wide open.
G For Gabrial won at Pontefract (apprentice race) last week and can make a winning switch back to the all-weather given he is not racing under a penalty.
He seems equally as adept on the artificial surface and was a C&D winner back in January when he was noted as travelling particularly well.
None of his three rivals can be easily dismissed but they come with more question mark baggage.
Lopes Dancer has won five times on the all-weather but never shown his best form at Wolverhampton.
International Law is back up in trip and I think more effective over a mile – although has won over this trip.
Termonator comes into the reckoning purely on the great recent form of Grand Tuer – Newcastle treble from just three runners last week. Termonator is another though whose balance of form would suggest he’s more effective over a shorter trip.
DAQMAN’S BETS (staked to win 10 points)
BET 3.8pts win SYCAMORE (4.40 Windsor)
BET 3.8pts win LE BAYOU (5.30 Redcar)
BET 5.2pts win (nap) G FOR GABRIAL (6.50 Wolverhampton)
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