GROUNDS FOR A NAP AT SANDOWN AND HIGHLAND-NATIONAL TILT: Fast ground at Sandown may decide some very tricky contests this afternoon. Daqman relies for his nap on a horse called Ground and his Sandown survey takes in the Highland National from Perth. Nationals are his winningmost races so he increases his stake, but the word, generally, is not to overdo it. Headlines:
HOPE TO GET A TUNE OUT OF MELODY
GROUND SUGGESTS HIGHEST STAKE
FORM TELLS US MARS HAS LIFT-OFF
ADAYAR YOU TO BET SECOND STRING
Current standings
DAQMAN 9, PRICEWISE 5
LAYS LOGIC 5-6
NAPS 4-7
SUPERNAPS 1-1
HOPE TO GET A TUNE OUT OF MELODY
⭕ 1.50 Sandown (Esher Cup) Mark Johnston’s Naamoos won the Royal Mile at Musselburgh from the front early in the month, and is likely to try to get across and lead from stall 7.
But he’s 7lb higher now and Quintillus, out of gate 4, has also made all before now, and it could be argued that his fourth to Fundamental (lost second final furlong) is the best form on show, after that one was not disgraced, fifth to Chindit in the Greenham. If only he was straightforward.
Dingle has also been mixing with some interesting three-year-olds: third to Mithras at Newbury, with the one in between them third in the Horris Hill but he’s running only a week after Newbury
It would be unlike Sir Michael Stoute to have Tawareeq ready first time, with such as the Royal Hunt Cup on his agenda.
Rifleman could improve, though his winning form has been let down by the placed horses. Indeed they are all yet to show us what they can really do and, on breeding, Melody Of Life, might be thrown in.
His brother, Happy Power, a hat-trick winner last summer, runs in the Mile la er on today. My reading of the family is that they need a bit of cut in the ground but Melody of Life was a serious gamble at Kempton in January
BETDAQ BETTING EXCHANGE value 16.5 Melody of Life
GROUND SUGGESTS HIGHEST STAKE
⭕ 2.25 Sandown (Gordon Richards Stakes) Sir Michael Stoute, who first won it 40 years ago, had ‘owned’ this race for three years running before the 2020 shutdown.
But his success came with the 118-rated Ulysses and the dual winner Crystal Ocean, firstly off 118, then off 125 last time the race was run in 2019.
There’s nothing of that ratings level in the race today, including Stoute’s contender, Highest Ground (111) but he is very lightly raced and well regarded, going particularly well on a sound surface.
He comfortably disposed of the odds-on Waldkonig at Haydock last summer and could do so again while the going is on top.
Waldkonig has the advantage of a race – winning at Pontefract – but his half-brother Waldgeist needed further and cut in the ground.
Waldgeist improved throughout his career, eventually beating Enable in the Arc on the soft, but needs a big leap forward, rated 101 and some 10lb behind winning standard here.
Thunderous beat Highest Ground a neck in the Dante on softish ground last July and Hukum won the Geoffrey Freer in August but has had a long break after injury. A fascinating contest, with the fast surface favouring Highest Ground.
FORM TELLS US MARS HAS LIFT-OFF
⭕ 2.40 Perth (Highland National) Tea Time On Mars, winner of the Devon National, has only 5lb more and the form is solid. Big Difference may improve for the trip but 0-8 over fences is a turn-off.
Duc De Grissay seemed about to justify favouritism for the Scottish Borders National but sprawled and unseated at the last. Winner of only a three-horse novice chase in deep mud.
Boyhood has slid more than a stone down the handicap but even the 10.5 on BETDAQ will look short in running, if – as usual – he gets himself behind.
So the threat to Tea Time On Mars may be Alminar, described in the Press as ‘in and out’ but delete his soft-heavy ground form and he is 311 over fences, 3m or more.
BETDAQ BETTING EXCHANGE 7.0 Tea Time On Mars, 7.8 Alminar
⭕ 3.00 Sandown (Mile) Favourite for the Lockinge (May 15) and using today as a prep, Palace Pier won his first two races here at Sandown as a juvenile.
Then, at three, he beat the juvenile champion, Pinatubo, in the St James Palace Stakes, and went on to take the Jacques Le Marois; both races run on the soft, and he was kept to an easy surface for the British Champions Mile.
But Happy Power, 10lb behind him in the ratings, is also a soft-ground horse and Khuzaam, the AW Mile champion, has never won on turf.
ADAYAR YOU TO BET SECOND STRING
⭕ 3.35 Sandown (Classic Trial) John Gosden (3) and Andrew Balding (3) have had the Trial between them for most of the last seven years. Trials king this Spring has been Charlie Appleby with a hat-trick of Feilden, Craven and Blue Riband.
Backers of Guineas gamble One Ruler may know a little more of their own whereabouts in the Classic scheme of things this season, with Etonian having accounted for One Ruler in a maiden as a two-year-old on this track.
Charlie Appleby’s Yibir made all here (7f) and at Newbury (1m) as a two-year-old and we don’t know what to expect.
On Yibir’s Sandown form and Etonian’s Solario success later on, there is precious little between them on a line through King Vega but Etonian is not certain to stay up the final climb.
Godolphin stablemate Adayar, a Frankel out of a Dubawi mare, could overtake Yibir, as he was very green last year and ran on soft ground.
Lone Eagle won the Zetland (1m 2f), also on the soft, at Redcar but the placed horses were handicappers, and they still are as far as we know. Could improve, and must do.
Aidan O’Brien has won it only once, and that with one well down the Ballydoyle rankings, as Sir Lucan must surely be. As ever, informative trainer states: ‘He’s ready to start back.’
John Gosden’s Trawlerman comes to this trial up to 17lb behind the main contenders after winning at Pontefract, but the Golden Horn colt did improve a lot that day, loves fast ground and will be suited by the stiff uphill finish.
BETDAQ BETTING EXCHANGE value 11.0 Adayar, 5.9 Trawlerman
DAQMAN’S BETS
1.50 Sandown (win 20, place 10)
BET 1.25pts win and 2pts place MELODY OF LIFE
2.25 Sandown (win 10 nap)
BET 2pts win HIGHEST GROUND
2.40 Perth (win 30)
BET 5pts win TEA TIME ON MARS
BET 4.5pts win ALMINAR
3.35 Sandown (win 20)
BET 4pts win TRAWLERMAN
BET 2pts win ADAYAR
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.
