VALUE FIRST CHOICE AT SANDOWN Opening day at Sandown today and Daqman finds bets from even money (nap) to 17.5 and 19.5 on your flexible, friendly BETDAQ exchange, in which he goes for place returns two different ways. Says Daqman:” So much to choose from, so choose the value!’
TWIN NATIONAL TESTS TOMORROW A superb double of big-race meetings tomorrow, with the Tingle Creek at Sandown but with a feast of marathon tests focused on two Nationals: the Becher Chase over the Grand National fences at Aintree and the Coral Welsh Grand National Trial at Chepstow.
IS ‘HAY’ ANOTHER GOSHEN?
⭕ 1.15 Sandown This is the race Gary Moore reserves for his best juvenile hurdler, with not a bad record in the last eight seasons: 1201312.
If you back his runner this year, Hayedo (BETDAQ 17.5 this morning, 14.5 each-way market), you may know your fate early by following the market: his three winners in the eight-year sequence were all heavily backed to SPs of 9-4, 9-2 and 1-3 favourite Goshen, who went on to land a five-timer.
Hayedo has had a prep for this but two in the race are winners already, Forever Blessed and Romeo’s Bond, so I’m betting in the each-way market, which looks big value only three points behind the win-only offers.
PROMISE BACK ON COURSE
⭕ 1.50 Sandown Nicky Henderson (Bothwell Bridge) has saddled three beaten favourites in this race and 672 losers at Sandown, while Paul Nicholls (Holo Des Obeaux) sends out one of those four-year-olds of his which are instant champions or suffer from the overface and come back two years later.
Champagne Well was not a natural as a chaser last year (form 332) but that dropped his rating 9lb and he’s into handicaps now off a good mark, showing his well-being the last day with a late run to score over hurdles at Plumpton.
Mahler’s Promise, who has improved every start, might be coming here after a CD win at Sandown but the saddle slipped against a winner of seven in a row.
BETDAQ BETTING EXCHANGE 5.4 Mahler’s Promise
BOOTHILL WAITED FOR THISM
⭕ 2.05 Exeter Tea For Two won this novices chase as a prep to taking the Kauto Star on Boxing Day, and Defi Du Seuil won the Golden Miller at the Cheltenham Festival the following March.
But it’s a modest turnout today with four of the runners between 7lb and 13lb clear in the ratings.
Boothill swerved the deepish surface last week and looks the one if only light rain falls on the good-to-soft ground.
He’s never been out of the frame in Point, bumper and hurdles, and ran a cracker in a big-field Listed at Ascot in October, despite soft going. A fraction better than evens this morning.
Elixir Du Nutz was a Graded winner over hurdles but is 16lb behind his best mark of those days with wind surgery and long breaks off the track lending nothing to his chasing career so far.
Adrimel is another who brings an illustrious hurdles career to the big fences and could be anything at this stage.
⭕ 3.00 Sandown Gary Moore has also won this one twice in the last six seasons, last year with Darebin, who tries for back-to-back wins today.
But Darebin has had his day already this autumn and has never been one to put two strikes together.
Desque De L’Isle can do it; he won his first two races of the 20/21 season, and started 21/22 with a win a grade higher last month at Ffos Las. The handicapper has thumped him 10lb for it!
Moore also saddles Early Du Lemo, who was the ‘moral’ in this race last year, beaten a neck giving 11lb to Darebin.
One True King is 3122103002 in the last 15 months but that reduces at around 2m or so to 312212.
DARK HORSE ‘PRESSES’ ON
⭕ 2.40 Exeter Venetia Williams has won this twice in the last five seasons with well backed favourites, but both had previous chasing experience.
Her contender this time, L’Homme Presse (BETDAQ 3.7), who ran a street clear on his hurdles debut, makes his debut over fences this afternoon.
And Venetia has listed him as a dark horse in some of her published stable tours, saying that chasing will be his forte.
Gunsight Ridge has already started out over fences and is a 3m Point winner with a consistent hurdles record. Longshanks may be better than the bare form.
TOP CHANCES FOR THOMAS
⭕ 3.35 Sandown Pileon, runner-up in the Martin Pipe at the festival of 2020, had been in the doldrums until showing some of that old form the last day at Ascot.
Despite lack of fluency and a penchant for a sound surface, Stoner’s Choice is usually thereabouts but not at 3m.
Storm Arising was earmarked for chasing after finishing down the field in the Pertemps Final at the festival in March but first-time cheekpieces today suggest that Paul Nicholls will give hurdles another shot off his current mark.
Al Dancer returns to the smaller obstacles for the first time since the Spring of 2019, after third then 15th in successive Autumn Gold Cup chases at Cheltenham. He’s 4-5 over hurdles.
Sam Thomas puts a claimer on Al Dancer and secures the services of Nico De Boinville for the old boy William Henry whose form in Graded hurdles was 14301 until out of his depth in the Stayers’ Hurdle at Aintree.
The ground may change in The Cob’s favour and he’s already won a Graded novice at 3m. I’d fancy South Terrace off his current mark if Dr Richard Newman’s outfit was in better form.
BETDAQ value 7.8 Al Dancer, 19.5 William Henry (5.2 place)
DAQMAN’S BETS
1.15 Sandown (win 20)
BET 1.5pts each-way HAYEDO
1.50 Sandown (win 10)
BET 2.25pts win MAHLER’S PROMISE
2.05 Exeter (win 10 nap)
BET 10pts win BOOTHILL
2.40 Exeter (win 10)
BET 3.75pts win L’HOMME PRESSE
3.35 Sandown (win 20, place win 10)
BET 3pts win AL DANCER
BET 1pt win and 2.5pts place WILLIAM HENRY
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.
