DAQMAN ROMPS 286 POINTS UP ON PRICEWISE WITH 14-1 STRIKE: Daqman yesterday landed a first-day double at York in Pricewise races to go 20-8 clear of his archrival on the Racing Post, with a level-stakes lead of 286.61 points. York Day 1:
WON 7-2 ILARAAB from 5.8 on BETDAQ
WON 14-1 MR LUPTON
TWO MORE OUTSIDERS AT 12.0 AND 19.0 FOR DANTE DAY AT YORK: Daqman names two more outsiders in handicaps today at 12.0 and 19.0, as he completes his ABC guides to the Classic trials with the Derby-test Dante Stakes.
THE FRANKEL HURRICANE WARNING
COPPER-BOTTOMED AT THE WEIGHTS
THE DRINKS COULD BE ON 12.0 OUZO
ALL ABOARD FOR THE YORK EXPRESS
THE FRANKEL HURRICANE WARNING
⭕ 3.10 York (Dante Stakes, 1m 2.5f): In the last decade the winner of the Dante has gone on to take the Derby once, Golden Horn (2015), to be third twice (Carlton House 2011, Roaring Lion 2018) and fourth once (Wings Of Desire 2016). Trainers: John Gosden 3, Mark Johnston 2. ABC order today:
Belloccio (David Menuisier) Won twice on the soft in France; well back, fifth, behind Alenquer (withdrawn) in the Sandown Classic Trial.
Flying Visit (Jim Bolger) From 2,000 Guineas winning yard; gelded before easily beaten second to Bolshoi Ballet as a 33-1 outsider in the Ballysax in April.
Gear Up (Mark Johnston) Took the Group-3 Acomb at York as a juvenile before surprise winner, racing strongly on heavy ground, to win the Criterium de Saint-Cloud. Rated 113, just 2lb behind High Definition.
High Definition (Aidan O’Brien) Brother to Innisfree who missed out last season and is targeting Royal Ascot as an 8-10f horse.
High Definition is a big-striding type forced to swerve early engagements this year: 2-2 as a two-year-old, including the Beresford Stakes but interrupted training schedule this Spring.
Hurricane Lane (Charlie Appleby) Frankel colt with stamina from the dam’s side. Strong at the finish at both Newmarket (1m heavy as a 2yo) and Newbury (1m 2f last month).
Stable knows the form through 2,000 Guineas runner-up Master Of The Seas and Adayar, second in both the Sandown Classic Trial and the Lingfield Derby Trial.
Megallan (John and Thady Gosden) Kingman colt, dam half-sister to Golden Horn. Seven races already for a rating of 105, so potentially second string to Uncle Bryn.
Pythagoras (Richard Fahey) Fahey clocked up 150 winners at York with Mr Lupton yesterday but Pythagoras needs to find a stone from somewhere, as Listed winner at Pontefract (soft) but only fourth in the Blue Riband Trial at Epsom, won by Wirko (beaten favourite in the Chester Vase since).
Roman Empire (Aidan O’Brien) Nothing in breeding or form to suggest anything other than he is pacemaker for High Definition.
Royal Champion (Roger Varian) Shamardal colt whose dam is a half-sister to Dubawi. Had Chester Vase winner, Youth Spirit, just behind him when, beaten favourite, third in the Fielden Stakes
Uncle Bryn (John and Thady Gosden) Immature Sea The Stars colt; 2-2 on AW but beaten favourite, third, in the Chester Vase (see Pythagoras). Frankie Dettori rides.
BETDAQ Derby Sportsbook: 5.8 High Definition, 18.0 Hurricane Lane, 18.5 Gear Up, 45.0 Uncle Bryn, 50.0 Royal Champion, 154.0 Roman Empire.
TODAY: 2.63 High Definition, 8.2 Hurricane Lane.
COPPER-BOTTOMED AT THE WEIGHTS
⭕ 1.40 York: Illusionist is 1-14 with that win only his maiden, always a bad sign, and local-hero Tim Easterby’s horses are either side of him in the market.
Count d’Orsay may have to shed a few more pounds before he can be taken seriously for betting purposes. His last two wins have both been off 91 and he’s half-a-stone higher today.
Copper Knight has scored four times at York, and is 16lb lower than when winning this race last time it was run in 2019.
On Haydock in September (soft), he has a 21lb pull for six lengths with Count d’Orsay.
Another Easterby, Sunday Sovereign beat the Coventry winner, Arizona, as a two-year-old. A gelding op and a drop of 8lb on his favourite surface makes this lightly-raced Equiano a place bet.
Muscika (David O’Meara), 2-3 in big-field handicaps at York, and good-ground winner Jawwaal (Michael Dods) are from stables out of form.
BETDAQ value: 8.6 Copper Knight, 19.0 Sunday Sovereign
THE DRINKS COULD BE ON 12.0 OUZO
⭕ 2.40 York When Brunch burst from the pack in the Lincoln, I started counting my money until he was overhauled by my second choice, Haqeeqy!
We thought Haqeeqy was a Group horse in a handicap the way he went clear but he was beaten in a Listed at Ascot next time.
Brunch is 10lb higher than when winning here in August, 8lb worse off with the runner-up, Hartswood. And I think Ouzo (CD winner on the soft) more likely to come on from the Lincoln, with Ryan Moore riding at his best.
Matthew Flinders was progressive as a three-year-old and was a good third in the Newbury Spring Cup on his return after gelding (Johan behind).
He faded over two furlongs and more here at York in October (What’s The Story behind) but drops back to a mile in this and we now know that the winner that day, Ilaraab, is something special, perhaps more like the Group horse in a handicap here yesterday than Haqeeqy in the Lincoln.
The Spring Mile winner at the Lincoln meeting, Artistic Rifles, has had the form demoted since by the placed horses, and his trainer will check out the ground before running him today. He and Johan appear to be the pace horses, boosting the low numbers.
BETDAQ value 6.4 Matthew Flinders, 12.0 Ouzo
ALL ABOARD FOR THE YORK EXPRESS
⭕ 3.40 York Hat-trick scorer last summer, one of them here at York, Acklam Express ran a huge race, third against older horses in the Al Quoz at Meydan in March, less than a length behind American ace sprinter, Extravagant Kid.
The filly Winter Power, has had First Company (twice) and Atalis Bay (once) well beaten off but has herself been twice beaten easily by Acklam Express. When they met for a third time, she came out better than the gelding as easy winner of the Cornwallis at Newmarket in October, but the Express was sweating up and in second gear that day.
BETDAQ value 3.15 Acklam Express
DAQMAN’S BETS
1.40 York (win 50 bull’s-eye bets, win 10 a place)
BET 6.5pts win COPPER KNIGHT
BET 2.75pts win and 1.5pts place SUNDAY SOVEREIGN
2.40 York (win 50 bull’s-eye bets)
BET 9pts win MATTHEW FLINDERS
BET 4.5pts win OUZO
3.10 York (win 20, win 10)
BET 2.6pts win HURRICANE LANE
Bet 6pts win HIGH DEFINITION
3.40 York (win 10, nap)
BET 4.75pts win ACKLAM EXPRESS
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.
