NOW IT’S 12: TWO-WINS-A-DAY DAQMAN! We call him winner-a-day Daqman but his average in the last six days is now two a day after Riggsby brought his total to 12 winning bets yesterday and the fourth day in the sequence with a profit. Check out yesterday’s list in the Archive and add:
WON 3-1 RIGGSBY Profit on the day: 3.25 points
COUNTDOWN TO THE CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL The first stage in the countdown to Cheltenham – entries published today in the Gold Cup, Champion Chase and Ryanair – reveals the strength of the Irish squad. Daqman says that only one horse stands between Ireland and yet another gold.
PROTEKTORAT HOME HOPE
He’s England’s sole chance of gold. Protektorat is the only home contender in the first nine in the market for the Cheltenham Gold Cup, for which just 30 were declared yesterday.
Seven of the nine are Irish, including previous winners Al Boum Photo (twice) and Minella Indo and, of the two English among them, Champ for Nicky Henderson is a short price for the Stayers Hurdle instead. Ireland has won six of the last eight Gold Cups.
Horses aged seven and eight do best (sharing all bar one of the last nine), which turns the spotlight on A Plus Tard (Henry De Bromhead), Galvin (Gordon Elliott) and Protektorat (Dan Skelton) from the top six in the betting.
Gold Cup Official Ratings 175 Minella Indo, 174 A Plus Tard, 170 Al Boum Photo, 167 Galvin, Tornado Flyer, 164 Protektorat. A Plus Tard and Protektorat are Daqman Fortune Cookies.
Ryanair 174 Allaho, A Plus Tard, 171 Energumene, 164 Asterion Forlonge.
Ireland has nine out of 10 of the front-runners in the Ryanair market, with just a flutter of the Union Jack from the 2020 neck-runner-up, Saint Calvados (Paul Nicholls), third to Tornado Flyer in the King George.
Champion Chase 176 Chacun Pour Soi, 174 Allaho, 172 Shishkin, 171 Energumene, 168 Nube Negra, 166 Greaneteen. England’s Shishkin is favourite!
AND THE REST IS HISTORY
⭕ 1.45 Ffos Las A chase and hurdles winner on heavy, Sabbatical, has improved his chase rating to 109, fully 7lb higher than for hurdles. Today’s the chance for his hurdles rating to catch up in a race which favours him.
🤔 Lays Logic: Wicked West has won only at novice level, and been kept mainly to races with the going on top. He and Howdyalikemenow (beaten all races on soft or heavy) both have to give 25lb to Sabbathical.
In seven of his 14 races on turf Flat and over hurdles, Natural History has started favourite. His hurdles record is just 1-7.
But he’s won on heavy on the Flat and dropped 12lb in the ratings over hurdles. Money for him last night said today is the day.
BETDAQ value 6.2 Sabbathical (saver 4.0 Natural History).
GUSTAVIAN LOVES THE MUD
⭕ 2.20 Ffos Las Nicky Henderson (Emir Sacree) has raced 13 horses in the new year, all beaten; only two of them have been placed; no winners. Contrast with Anthony Honeyball (Gustavian) who has scored with two of his last three runners.
Forget his first-fence error last time and Gustavian is 22211 on heavy plus an excellent chasing debut behind Pertemps Final third, Come On Teddy, and Fern Hill.
🤔 Lays Logic: Emir Sacree came to England after eight consecutive defeats in the mud at Auteuil, and won when fresh on good to soft.
LA TIHATY HAS GROWN UP
⭕ 7.00 Kempton La Tihaty was described by connections last year at this time as ‘still a massive baby,’ so he was kept to minor novice events, treating the opposition with disdain.
One year on, with Roger Varian’s stable in form, La Tihaty enters handicapping at a higher level but with confidence in his ability to aim even higher.
It’s nearly three years since Keyser Soze completed a hat-trick. It took them until last April to get his mark down nearly two stone; he won well enough but is up in the handicap again and an 8yo now. Motawaafeq is also a few pounds too high.
Alrehb is unexposed and could do well in handicaps, while Hafeet Alain was pipped just a head at Wolverhampton the last day.
BETDAQ BETTING EXCHANGE 3.65 La Tihaty (nap)
DAQMAN’S BETS
1.45 Ffos Las (win 15, win 3)
BET 3pts win SABBATHICAL
BET 1pt win NATURAL HISTORY
2.20 Ffos Las (win 10)
BET 10pts win GUSTAVIAN
7.00 Kempton (nap to win 15)
BET 5.5pts win LA TIHATY
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.
