NAP MAINTAINS WINNERS SEQUENCE: Maliboo continued Daqman’s latest winner-a-day sequence yesterday with another profit thanks to BETDAQ morning offers about his nap – slightly better than evens – which went long-odds-on after non-runners reduced it to a two-horse race.
WON 2-5 MALIBOO (Wednesday nap, from BETDAQ 2.1)
WON 11-8 NAJEEBA (Tuesday)
WON 11-8 GIAVELLOTTO (Monday)
WON 10-3 SHOW MAKER (Monday, from BETDAQ 6.5)
TODAY: Horse-by-horse guide to Saturday’s Scottish Grand National.
TOMORROW: Two-day meetings at Ayr and Newbury open
SCOTTISH NATIONAL GUIDE
⭕ 3.35 Ayr, Saturday (Scottish Grand National) Winner and second last year were in the top five of Daqman’s guide which was based on a ratings requirement of 140 to 149. In fact, the first two ran off 144 and 145.
Using those figures as my paradigm, Saturday’s race key is: R=Rating; D=winner or narrow defeat over 3m 2f plus; T= Trainer: Paul Nicholls 2, Alan King and Nigel Twiston-Davies 1.
LAYS LOGIC (black mark X): Only one six-year-old (Kittys Light) has ever won; that was in 1994. Only one 12-year-old (Vintage Cloud) has ever won; that was 1995.
Ashtown Lad (RD) Graded hurdler; fourth in big field at Aintree last April. Highly regarded unexposed staying chaser; Towton third at Wetherby to Ahoy Senor.
Hill Sixteen (RD) Becher Chase runner-up (beaten a nose) over National fences in December to Snow Leopardess, but pulled up Welsh Grand National and fourth Great Yorkshire.
Jersey Bean (RD) Chase form from 3m 1f to 3m 4f is: 1101. Raised 5lb for stayers’ chase win at Haydock in November. Not seen since; prefers top of the ground.
Win My Wings (RD) Stablemate of the young pretender Kittys Light. Won 10 lengths at Cheltenham a year ago. Returned to form, well-backed winner of the Eider Chase in February in first-time cheekpieces.
Kittys Light (RDX) Won the Borders National last Spring before runner-up in the Sandown Gold Cup. Second again, to Chirico Vallis, on his return in the autumn and again in Grade-3 Kempton Trophy last month (Enrilo, fourth, is better off now).
Vintage Clouds (RDX) Third, sixth and seventh in this race. Won the 2020 Peter Marsh and the Ultima at Cheltenham in March, 2021.
Fantastikas (RT) Lightly raced (five chases), third Grade-2 novices at Cheltenham in January and won at Lingfield. Seventh in the Ultima at the Cheltenham Festival, and novices do well in this National.
Fidux (RT) Good novice-chase mark made life difficult for him at senior level. Not bred for stamina, but a tough horse who puts his head down.
Chirico Vallis (D) Just prevailed in head-to-head with Kitty’s Light at Chepstow in the autumn and third in the Warwick Classic in January. Jumps well; travels well.
Cool Mix (D) Placed 20 times from 28 starts. Fifth in this race last year off 5lb higher; always in first four since.
Court Master (D) Consistent in small-field races; third in Grade 3 at Cheltenham. Fourth in the Eider Chase the last day.
El Paso Wood (D) Consistent lightweight. Fourth Sussex National and Midlands Grand National, won Somerset National, all this year.
Innisfree Lad (D) Third in two 4-milers; the Scottish Borders National in December and the Eider Chase behind Win My Wings in February.
Prime Venture (D) Fourth Midlands National, fourth and fifth Welsh National but his chase wins (2-18) were both minor events.
Strong Economy (D) Won 3m 3f here (heavy) before sixth in 2021 Eider Chase. Modest since.
The Ferry Master (D) Fourth in this last year on only his fifth start. Modest form since and 5lb lower now, with big potential back to marathon trip.
The Wolf (D) Runner-up to Fortescue at Perth a year ago and second again the last twice: at Cheltenham in January, then in the Edinburgh National.
Ask A Honey Bee (–) Unexposed, placed 5-7 hurdles and 4-5 chases. ‘Tough, genuine and wants distance,’ says the trainer.
History of Fashion (–) Irish raider, lightly raced stablemate of Stormy Judge. Well backed under 7lb claimer but blundered and unseated early in the Eider Chase.
Major Dundee (T) Novices do well in this race and Major Dundee is almost entirely unexposed, laid out for this by Alan King after three chase starts: 112.
One More Fleurie (–) Novices Champion here at Ayr (3m good) a year ago; modest off higher mark in Graded chases since; now dropped 6lb.
Stormy Judge (–) Pat Fahy saddles this full-brother to Mister Fogpatches, who was second in the race last year. That the Judge was traveling well in his comeback Leinster National is suggested by his evens in running on BETDAQ.
Streets Of Doyen (–) Albert Bartlett third at Cheltenham 2021 and chase winner that year at Galway Festival but not gone on from there.
Via Dolorosa (–) Fourth Grand Sefton (Grand National fences)in the autumn. Back to form in March with double at lower level.
PRINCE’S POWER ESCALATES
⭕ 3.15 Warwick Jonjo O’Neill has done exceptionally well to score 70 strikes worth £0.75m from a low-level string this season.
It is noticeable that the best he has are focused on Aintree and Sandown in the hope of finishing the season with a flourish and doubling the prizemoney won.
Cobolobo Topham Trophy, Aintree, Friday, April 8
Cloth Cap Grand National, Aintree, Saturday, April 9
Easysland Grand National, Aintree, Saturday, April 9, and Sandown Gold Cup, Saturday, April 23.
Palmers Hill Topham Trophy, Aintree, Friday, April 8.
Time To Get Up Irish Grand National, Fairyhouse, Monday April 18, and Sandown Gold Cup, Saturday, April 23.
Jonjo has runners at Warwick and Wetherby today, including a hat-trick bid by Prince Escalus in this not-to-be-sniffed-at £10,000 chase (2m).
That the Prince has a rating of 141 tells us two things: he is deemed 11lb better than anything else in this field but, as it’s a handicap, must give that much and more away; in one case, double it!
Can he hack it? He’s been second, then won twice, at this level over fences, a well-backed favourite in all three races.
He was eased down, 11 lengths clear, giving weight to the runner-up at Hereford the last day, with the third, Moonlighter, struggling, more than 13 lengths third and now only 11lb better off, without a win for more than a year, and successful over fences only on heavy.
If it does rain, no worries: Prince Escalus has performed just as well on good, good soft and soft, and there seems a whole lot more left in the tank.
DAQMAN’S BETS
3.15 Warwick (win 20)
BET 20pts win PRINCE ESCALUS (supernap)
4.05 Chelmsford (win 10)
BET 1.75pts win LAST DATE
4.50 Naas (win 10)
BET 2.25pts win CHAMP ROYAL
5.05 Wetherby (win 10)
BET 3pts win THE QUESTIONER
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.
