WARWICK MARATHON PREVIEWED: Daqman looks forward to Saturday’s racing, previewing the Warwick Classic long-distance chase. Kempton has the Lanzarote Hurdle, also on Saturday, while Sunday is the start of a two-day meeting at Punchestown.
TODAY’S TIPS: Daqman relies on his staking plan today and keeps the stakes low on a modest day of racing. His nap runs later at Chelmsford.
CLASSIC MARATHON TEST
⭕ 3.00 Warwick, Saturday (Warwick Classic) This 3m 5f Grade 3 has been a pointer to several Nationals and other marathon chases.
Willsford (the 1995 winner) also won the Eider Chase and the Scottish Grand National; Moorcroft Boy (1994) was third in the Grand National and won the Scottish National two years later.
West End Rocker (2011), who was all the rage in the Grand National market after winning this, was brought down at Aintree but won the Becher Chase there for Alan King the same year.
One For Arthur (2017) won the Grand National for Lucinda Russell three months after an impressive win in the Classic.
Milansbar (2018) was fifth at Aintree for Bryony Frost. Kimberlite Candy (2020) was placed twice in the Becher Chase.
Bryony Frost is down to ride Grace A Vous Enki on Saturday for Paul Nicholls, as his only runner in the race. Lucinda Russell declares only top weight Corach Rambler.
Last year’s one-two, Notachance (Alan King) and Achille (Venetia Williams), are in the early market, but Achille’s stablemate, Commodore (Fortune Cookie) has not been declared.
Dan Skelton has taken over (from Colin Tizzard) an eight-year-old called Padleyourowncanoe, who is one of those breeding oddities.
‘Canoe’ is related to Flat-race sprinters, with the dam’s side recording winners only up to a mile. He himself has won a 3m chase and was fourth, staying on, in the 2020 Summer Cup at Uttoxeter (3m 2f).
CHIPS DOWN ON MCCAIN
⭕ 12.40 Catterick It will a huge shock if the Don McCain trained A Different Kind doesn’t make it five wins on the spin later on in the card (2.10pm) but the trainer also has a good chance in the opener with Gredin who can hold the southern raiders at bay.
Gredin is third favourite on the morning BETDAQ BETTING EXCHANGE market but might be worth support now he is up in trip. He ran poorly at Doncaster last time out when up in grade to a class 3 but might be better judged by his previous 2m 4f win on soft ground at Carlisle where he stayed on well over that testing circuit.
The McCain stable remain in good form and he he preferred to 22/1 Market Rasen winner Guerlain De Vaux who is also now up in trip and Olly Murphy’s Best Trition who has finished runner-up in both his starts under rules so far.
HATHLOOL FOLLOW UP?
⭕ 6.00 Chelmsford The Mick Appleby stable go from strength to strength and have a runner, King Of Stars, in the big sprint at Meydan on Friday. Ahead of that, Hathlool can follow up on his Christmas win at Wolverhampton in this company. He’s won two out of four since joining the stable and it would come as no surprise if there was further improvement to come.
A starting handicap mark of 76 proved too much for Alhammaam when favourite here last time out and he might struggle again off the same mark tonight.
Morlaix went close last time out at Wolverhampton and looks the danger to the selection.
ANOTHER APPLEBY HARVEST
⭕ 7.00 Chelmsford Mick Appleby looks to have another strong chance on the card, this time with Whittle Le Woods.
He was beaten a neck on debut for the yard at Newcastle when a warm favourite. The handicapper has given him a chance of going one better by keeping him on the same mark.
That’s not the case with main dangers Legende D’Art (up 3lb) and Porfin (5lb penalty).
DAQMAN’S BETS (staked to win 10 points)
BET 2.2pts win GREDIN (12.40 Catterick)
BET 5.5pts win (nap) HATHLOOL (6.00 Chelmsford)
BET 5.3pts win WHITTLE LE WOODS (7.00 Chelmsford)
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.
