FORTUNE COOKIES SLAM SIX IN A ROW: Daqman caught a dose of the dreaded ‘seconditis’ yesterday: Highland Hunter (2nd 11-1), Tequila Blaze (2nd 4-1) and Fortescue (2nd 7-2). But Fortune Cookies winners continued unabated: six in a row now, with Edwardstone (WON 8-15).
NOW AN 8.3 BIG-RACE BET IN IRELAND: Fortune Cookies field A Plus Tard and Janidil in the same big race at Leopardstown today, with Daqman currently not staking odds-on shots. That leaves a bold bet at BETDAQ 8.3.
LEICESTER OFF: Today’s card at Leicester was called off following a 9.45am inspection after overnight rain.
SCOTLAND THE SHOUT
⭕ 1.25 Catterick After pulling up and then a fall, No Cruise Yet got his act together to win at Sedgefield last time out but makes limited appeal under a 6lb penalty in what looks a better race.
Scottish Accent looks far more interesting now he is stepped up again in trip. He has stamina in abundance and will love the ground – he was a seven length winner at Carlisle on heavy ground in February and was a staying on second to Valence D’Aumont at Newcastle last time out over a 2m 4f trip.
The Rebecca Menzies stable are in good form with seven winners from their last 25 runners and Scottish Accent makes more appeal than the morning BETDAQ BETTING EXCHANGE market leader Representing Bob.
This one is unproven over this trip but still has potential. He’s two from two over fences but the handicapper has had his say too with him up 9lb since his last win. He was a beaten odds-on favourite at Chepstow last time out when switched back to hurdles.
PORTER SET FOR COMEBACK
⭕ 1.45 Leopardstown (Christmas Hurdle) This race has been easy, with four winning favourites out of the last five, but poses a parlour-game of questions as ITV takes in the meeting today.
Klassical Dream Can he score for a third time after long lay-offs? He came in off a 391-day break to win here three years ago, and only last Spring topped that to take the Punchestown Champion Stayers Hurdle after 487 days away.
Since then he’s had a mere 164-days off, returning here with all thought of a chasing career on the back-burner again, keeping the hood he wore first time at Punchestown.
Fleeting Porter Looked the new kid on the stayers’ block when he won this Christmas Hurdle as the middle leg of a treble, completed – as a Fortune Cookie – at 12-1 in the Cheltenham Stayers Hurdle.
But he pulled up before the last in Klassical Dream’s Punchestown triumph (hung badly left) and, going best, fell two out on his reappearance in November. Can he bounce back?
Abacadabras Beaten only a head by Shishkin in the Supreme Novices (2020), stepped up to 2m 4f and beat Buzz at Aintree in April. Can he now cope with 3m in top company?
Sire Du Berlais, runner-up to Flooring Porter in this last year, and Ronald Pump, third to Klassical Dream for the Punchestown championship, both appear nearly horses but Sire Du Berlais is back at the right trip in the right conditions.
BETDAQ value: 4.0 Flooring Porter
JANIDIL TO JOIN BIG GUNS
⭕ 2.20 Leopardstown (Savills Chase) Another 3m Grade 1 but this time for chasers, with a massive pedigree of finding future stars, though from beyond the obvious (only two favourites have won in the decade).
Fortune Cookies clash: last year’s winner, A Plus Tard, and John Durkan runner-up, Janidil, who impressed me as a potential stayer that day.
Janidil has been beaten at 2m by Energumene and 2m 4f by Allaho but, on breeding, is well worth this tilt at the big time over 3m, though currently at 16-1 for the Ryanair.
Melon (3rd) and Kemboy (8th) were behind him in the John Durkan and, despite the jockey bookings today, I rate him (and so does the handicapper) as marginally in front, or alongside, the better-known Willie Mullins runners.
Galvin was held by Frodon in the 3m Champion Chase at Down Royal, with Delta Work 4th but still looks best of Gordon Elliott’s trio.
BETDAQ value 8.3 Janidil
BLUE FLAME LOOKS HOT
⭕ 6.20 Newcastle Blue Fame went into my notebook last time out with a 25/1 second at Chelmsford over the same 7f trip as tonight.
That was a decent handicap debut and although the handicapper has shoved him up 2lb he should still have the scope to improve on that given the grey has so few miles on the clock. The Ed Dunlop stable are now in better form with two winners from their last four runners.
DAQMAN’S BETS
1.10 Leopardstown (win 30, win 20)
BET 1.25pts win POUR PAVORE
BET 1.25pts win HOLYMACAPONE
1.25 Catterick (win 10)
BET 2.4pts win SCOTTISH ACCENT
1.45 Leopardstown (win 30, nap)
BET 10pts win FLOORING PORTER
2.20 Leopardstown
FORTUNE COOKIE
BET 10pts win JANIDIL
6.20 Newcastle (win 10)
BET 4.2pts win BLUE FLAME
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.
