NICHOLLS ALL SET TO PARTY WITH TRAINER’S CHAMPIONSHIP.. Paul Nicholls celebrates his trainer’s-championship presentation today with 10 runners at Sandown. Daqman, smarting from a half-length defeat for Adayar (2nd 8-1 from BETDAQ 11.0) in the Classic Trial there yesterday, moves in on a Nicholls’ big-race trio, staking for a profit if just one of them wins.
WHILE DAQMAN CELEBRATES 15 SEASONS BEATING PRICEWISE: Feature of the market has been the plunge on Henry De Bromhead and Rachael Blackmore to bag the Sandown Gold Cup with Plan of Attack. Daqman considers the position, as he himself celebrates beating Pricewise of the Racing Post for the 15th consecutive season in a challenge to every one of his tips, and is already 9-5 up on the Flat. Today’s headlines:
IRISH PLAN COMES UNDER ATTACK
SKELTONS WANT ROCKSTAR CHAMP
8.0 GREANETEEN BIG BETDAQ VALUE
IRISH PLAN COMES UNDER ATTACK
Champions all! Paul Nicholls and Harry Skelton, who are certain of the trainer and jockey NH titles before the last day today, try to keep Irish hands off the last big prize in England, the Sandown Gold Cup.
The invader’s Plan of Attack has been favourite all week for Cheltenham Festival record-breakers Henry De Bromhead and Rachael Blackmore.
Which way will it go: will Plan of Attack shorten up even further? Will something come out of the pack and challenge him in the market and in the race itself?
⭕ 3.40 Sandown (Gold Cup) It seems very much a case of their fame preceding them, as the Blackmore-De Bromhead favourite has current form that I can’t ever recall seeing for the market leader of a Graded contest at this time of year.
Plan Of Attack is PP0F and hasn’t won for 555 days, despite regular breaks, cheekpieces and the application of first-time blinkers the last day.
He was third in the big Christmas Chase at Leopardstown and fourth in the Kim Muir at Cheltenham, both on the soft, but that’s going back to 2019-20.
This season he took in both races again but at Christmas was only eighth, unfancied at 40-1 at Leopardstown, and he fell, going ok when close up four out until stumbling to the ground, despite the first-time blinkers, in the Kim Muir.
Golan Fortune has been another punt in the race but has made no impression in better quality chases since winning a four-horse affair at Ludlow in December.
Crosspark seems to have become the overburdened bridesmaid (form 2222P2) since winning the Eider and running second in the Coral Scottish Grand National in 2019.
1 Enrilo The Nicholls-Skelton hope is two out of three in novice chases, quickly overtaking his hurdles rating, even though it was achieved (here at Sandown) in a Grade-2 novices. He swerved the Ultima at Cheltenham to wait for this.
2 El Presente Just got up to beat Potterman, with the hampered Kitty’s Light third, in the Wincanton Silver Trophy on good ground in November.
Kitty’s Light will appreciate the extra distance but not the hike in the weights (from last time’s win at Kelso) which makes it hard for him to catch El Presente and Potterman.
3 Supreme Escape Showed his stamina for this when winning a furlong and a half further at Chepstow last month on a sound surface.
4 Plan Of Attack Each-way thieves want him to ease a couple of points to get a break-even situation from win and place.
On the other hand, for a lay, he needs to shorten further. As I write, he’s no value either way at 5.9.
BETDAQ BETTING EXCHANGE 7.2 Enrilo, 9.8 Supreme Escape, 10.5 El Presente. I prefer the unexposed seven-year-olds, Enrilo and Supreme Escape.
Lays Logic: Plan Of Attack at 4.0 or shorter
SKELTONS WANT ROCKSTAR CHAMP
⭕ 1.55 Sandown (Novices Championship Final) Rockstar Ronnie is a big price for the Skeltons, with this race his target all year.
November Handicap winner On To Victory has won two of his last three starts for Alan King, and has had a light season.
Herbiers and Royaume Uni, first and second at Ascot last month, are brought together in the handicap now but both look exposed.
BETDAQ BETTING EXCHANGE value 6.7 On To Victory, 15.0 Rockstar Ronnie
⭕ 2.30 Sandown (Oaksey Chase) King George winner Frodon should guarantee a final-day prize for Paul Nicholls, ahead of Greaneteen (3.05), appropriately in the Celebration Chase, and Enrilo (3.40) in the Sandown Gold Cup.
Frodon made all at Kempton and was then not disgraced in the Gold Cup without being punished when his chance hs gone. Back down in trip and sure to try to humble this field from the front.
Mister Fisher would be major opposition on a jumping day but his P1PU form figures tell you the risk that comes with a bet on him.
⭕ 2.50 Haydock Fox Champion is a Spring horse, dropped 15lb since beaten less than five lengths in a Group 1 at Royal Ascot in 2019. Has been gelded and is well drawn on the debut for Ralph Beckett.
But there’s plenty of confidence that Persuasion and Dreamloper will improve as four-year-olds to become considered Ascot material for this year.
BETDAQ BETTING EXCHANGE value 6.6 Fox Champion, 8.0 Persuasion
8.0 GREANETEEN BIG BETDAQ VALUE
⭕ 3.05 Sandown (Celebration Chase) No wonder Put The Kettle On had enough left to regain the lead when challenged for the Champion Chase at Cheltenham; the race went off in very slow time.
Take the Cheltenham fences away and run it again as a speed affair and Greaneteen should be shorter than today’s offers. Couldn’t quite handle the hill after joining the leaders two out.
Sceau Royal can’t be discounted as a CD winner but has now been passed by Greaneteen in the ratings and is giving away two years to an improver.
That leaves the enigma Altior. How can we say that about a horse coming to this for a four-timer?
Well, we’ve seen him only once since he beat Sceau Royal at Newbury in February 2020, and they’ve given more excuses than my notes to school for missing class to watch Cheltenham!
He’s reached the final curtain, cheekpieces for the first time at age 11, and will hopefully put up a good show for his swan-song. But he’s not backable.
Win or lose, I say the same as I said of Tiger Roll. He’s done the business over and over and should be on parade here not asked to put all that glory on the line for a few dollars more.
BETDAQ BETTING EXCHANGE value 8.0 Greaneteen
DAQMAN’S BETS
1.55 Sandown (win 50 place 10, win 20)
BULL’S-EYE BET 3.5pts win, 2.5pts place ROCKSTAR RONNIE
BET 3.5pts win ON TO VICTORY
2.30 Sandown (supernap)
BET 20pts win FRODON
2.50 Haydock (win 20)
BET 3.75pts win FOX CHAMPION
BET 2.75pts win PERSUASION
3.05 Sandown (win 50)
BULL’S-EYE BET 6.25pts win GREANETEEN
3.40 Sandown (win 30)
BET 5pts win ENRILO
BET 3.5pts win SUPREME ESCAPE
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.
