DAQMAN 28-15 CLEAR OF PRICEWISE: After yesterday’s blow-out, the inflated Saturday! Big races at Ascot, Haydock and Wincanton, with Daqman’ challenging Pricewise. They go into battle with Daqman a long way clear on 28-15 winning bets.
Saturday headlines ….
🔸 FROID’S STABLE LOOKS HOT
🔸 TAUGHT AN EARLY WARNING
🔸 MINT HAS STAMINA PROFILE
🔸 CAP FITS ASCOT HANDICAP!
🔸 GOSHEN TO PLAY CATCH-ME
🔸 FANION PREP-RACE POINTER
FROID’S STABLE LOOKS HOT
⭕ 1.50 Ascot (Reynoldstown Chase) J’Ai Froid’s four in a row as a hurdler last season combined with his breeding (Flemensfirth out of a Supreme Leader mare) suggests that we haven’t seen the best of him as a chaser, beaten in the autumn by both Corach Rambler and Doyen Breed.
Suddenly his trainer, Laura Morgan, is in terrific form (101011), all that she’s planned now coming to fruition. Worth a punt, better off at the weights and going the right way round again.
BETDAQ BETTING EXCHANGE 7.5 J’Ai Froid
TAUGHT AN EARLY WARNING
⭕ 2.25 Ascot Cobolobo, fifth in this 3m handicap chase last year, returned to the course 10lb lower on the last day but was pipped a nose after a last-fence error and is back up 4lb.
I don’t like to back anything that’s raised for being beaten and that also applies to Fiddlerontheroof after his Ladbrokes Trophy second. He’s now 7lb higher than his last winning mark and has been second six times out of nine.
Caribbean Boy, who holds a verdict over Fiddlerontheroof as a novice, came back to form at Kempton last week but didn’t beat very much.
Fortescue has been backed as a solid each-way bet, usually placed, including in the Peter Marsh here.
This is so tricky I’ll wait for Ask Me Early, who beat Hold That Taught at Chepstow. He avoids a rematch in this, running at Wincanton (4.33) instead.
MINT HAS STAMINA PROFILE
⭕ 2.40 Haydock (Grand National Trial) See form guide in Daqman Friday.
The only genuine Grand National hopeful is Secret Reprieve, winner of the 2020 Welsh Grand National, up in the ratings but still with a nice weight here, thanks to the presence of Bristol De Mai, who suppresses the handicap.
The five times Grade-1 winner landed two of his three Lancashire Chases at Haydock on heavy ground but has no form at today’s trip. and looks vulnerable to a lightweight.
Enqarde is one of them but – up 9lb for winning the Tommy Whittle eased down in December – has been a big drifter in the market, with no guarantee he can stay this far.
Midlands Grand National winner, Time To Get Up, has also drifted, along with Lord Du Mesnil, last year’s Trial winner. Like Sam Brown he’s midway down the handicap so still gives a lump of weight to The Galloping Bear and Mint Condition.
Mint Condition has good novice-chase form at Haydock and a profile which suggests stamina will be his forte. Brian Hughes booked.
The Galloping Bear won the Surrey National (heavy), giving two stone and more to second and third.
BETDAQ value 5.9 The Galloping Bear, 13.5 Mint Condition
CAP FITS ASCOT HANDICAP
⭕ 3.00 Ascot A wide-open handicap hurdle of 2m 3f with just the one winning favourite in the last 10 years.
Weights are compressed by the cross-country star Easysland, winner and second to Tiger Roll at Cheltenham for the last two seasons. It’s four years since he last ran in (and won) a hurdle.
Also high in the handicap is Christopher Wood, who’s left Paul Nicholls for Venetia Williams but is best suited by Musselburgh.
Nicholls runs Cap Du Mathan, a big chasing prospect by the same sire as A Plus Tard and Clan Des Obeaux. He’s won two soft-heavy hurdles in January two years apart, seemingly unphased by the long break, and so may also have bypassed whatever it is that has cursed his Ditcheat yard lately.
Zacony Rebel is on the upgrade but takes a big leap here in class and trip. Good Risk At All has never being out of the first two in six starts but he’s still a maiden, albeit second to Jonbon at Newbury.
Highway One O Two has won at today’s trip and was second over further in the Lanzarote. Twice finished only fifth here at Ascot but that was over 2m.
BETDAQ value 7.1 Cap Du Mathan, 10.0 Highway One O Two
GOSHEN TO PLAY CATCH-ME
⭕ 3.20 Wincanton (Kingwell Hurdle) Gary Moore has been in good form and Goshen has every chance of repeating last year’s prep win in this before being blown away by Honeysuckle in the Champion Hurdle.
Goshen won 15 lengths at Sandown earlier in the month. That was a good performance when you consider he’s been a better horse going right-handed, as at Wincanton today.
Triumph Hurdle runner-up Adagio ran another good race at Cheltenham, narrowly beaten in the Greatwood in November, and has had wind ops since. He’ll need a clean wind if Goshen plays catch-me.
Faivoir has never been out of the first four but his first-time cheekpieces will have to help him find 7lb in this company, if the ratings are any guide.
FANION PREP-RACE POINTER
⭕ 3.38 Ascot Chase A Grade 1 puzzle over 2m 5f, won by star chasers such as Cue Card, Silviniaco Conti and Cyrname.
Two of those were trained Paul Nicholls and one of them by Colin Tizzard, who run Saint Calvados and Lostintranslation respectively today.
But the ratings – and the market – have Fakir d’Oudairies in pole position. He’s shaken off his nemesis Allaho for the day, after three defeats by him in the Ryanair at Cheltenham and in his last two starts at Punchestown (John Durkan) and Thurles.
He goes with the pace, which is likely to be set by Dashel Drasher, who won this last year despite making mistakes; but it was less of a race than today’s with most of the field sub-150 and with the favourite, Cyrname, out of form.
After running third and fourth in the last two King Georges, Saint Calvados returns to the trip which saw him beaten a nose then a neck in Graded races at Cheltenham, including the Ryanair.
Wind ops may help him get back on track but he’s a lot of catching up to do at a time his stable is largely out of form. More rain would help.
Waiting Patiently won this way back in 2018 but Lostintranslation returned to form here at Ascot over the CD in November, with Dashel Drasher only third.
Two For Gold was helped by the weights to short-head Dashel Drasher at Lingfield on heavy last month, and is worse off now.
Mister Fisher probably did better than we thought in readily beating Eldorado Allen at Kempton before that one held off Royale Pagaille in the Denman.
That was a return to his Spring form when he was beaten only a neck on good ground at Sandown by Frodon but he won’t get that kind of surface today.
Fanion d’Estruval was giving Phoenix Way 15lb when the pair drew 16 lengths clear of a class-2 field at Ascot, the same race that has provided today’s winner three times.
BETDAQ value 3.8 Fakir d’Oudairies, 6.6 Fanion d’Estruval
DAQMAN’S BETS
1.50 Ascot (win 20)
BET 3pts win J’AI FROID
2.40 Haydock (win 50, win 20)
BULL’S-EYE BET 4pts win MINT CONDITION
BET 4pts win THE GALLOPING BEAR
3.00 Ascot (win 20)
BET 3.25pts win CAP DU MATHAN
BET 2pts win HIGHWAY ONE O TWO
3.38 Ascot (win 20, win 10)
BET 3.5pts win FANION D’ESTRUVAL
BET 3.5pt win FAKIR D’OUDAIRIES
4.33 Wincanton (win 10, nap)
BET 10pts win ASK ME EARLY
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.
