GUINEAS HEADS UP: POWER PROPOSAL: Perfect Power’s highly-charged performance in the Greenham at Newbury on Saturday sparked a decision last night to go for the 2,000 Guineas on Saturday week. He was trading at 11.5 on BETDAQ.

DERBY HEADS UP: SEE HOW THEY WON: The Blue Riband Derby test on the Epsom course ruffled no feathers yesterday but Daqman works out which trials have produced recent winners. He calls it ’See How They Won.’


DERBY: SEE HOW THEY WON

Godolphin’s at full gallop. The run of Charlie Appleby and William Buick, which established a strong 2,000 Guineas favourite, after Native Trail won the Craven Stakes, yesterday saw a son of Frankel set Derby gossip alight, with candidates from the three big stables.

Nahanni, who had form only in lower class, was all the rage for the Blue Riband Derby trial at Epsom and fought off all-comers.

Representatives of the top Classic stables in Ireland (Aidan O’Brien) and England (Team Gosden) were only fourth and fifth respectively with United Nations and Mighty Ulysses.

None are strong enough to figure in the ante-post market, so which winners already, and which from the trials listed below, may contain the Derby winner.

The answer is that all of them have done so in the recent past, including the three that I’ve shown as returns so far this season, including the Blue Riband.

The five beneath them are the ‘ones most likely to’ contain the Epom hero in the next couple of weeks.

⭕ Ballysax Stakes, Leopardstown WON April 2 by Piz Badile (Donnacha O’Brien) from Buckaroo (Joseph O’Brien); short head; 1m 2f, good. Harzand (2016 Derby winner) took the Ballysax on heavy ground.

⭕ Craven Stakes, Newmarket WON April 13 by Native Trail (Charlie Appleby) commandingly by 3.5 lengths from Claymore (Jane Chapple–Hyam); 1m, good.

⭕ Blue Riband Trial, Epsom WON yesterday by Nahanni (Charlie Appleby) by half a length; 1m 2f; good to firm; made virtually all, resisting challenge of Grand Alliance (Charlie Fellowes).

⭕ Sandown Classic Trial (Sandown, Friday) Adayar, the 2021 Derby winner (good to soft), was runner-up in this, beaten half a length after being slowly away and losing his right-hind shoe.

⭕ 2,000 Guineas (Newmarket, Saturday, April 30) Masar (2018 Derby), who had won the Craven Stakes, was third in the Guineas. Also third was Australia (2014). Camelot (2012) won this first Classic en route to Epsom.

⭕ Chester Vase (Friday, May 6) Ruler Of The World (2013) won this trial. Wings Of Eagles (2017) ran second, closing near the finish.

⭕ Lingfield Derby Trial (Saturday, May 7) Adayar was runner-up in this after being slowly away; 1m 3.5f soft. Anthony Van Dyck (2019) won the Lingfield Derby Trial on soft, then won the Derby on firm.

⭕ Dante Stakes (York, Thursday, May 12) Golden Horn (2015) won this, considered the best Derby trial over the years.


CARRY ON COREY

⭕ 4.41 Perth The Festival north of the border kicks off today and Gordon Elliott mounts a strong raiding party with five Wednesday runners.

His Getaway Goldie may struggle to see off the prolific mare Corey’s Courage who bids for her fifth win in a row and in doing so extend her unbeaten sequence.

Trained by Olly Murphy, Corey’s Courage has scored with plenty in hand in each win so far and seems versatile ground wise. She starts life off in handicap company off a mark of 117 which is tough enough but she still seems to be improving at a rate of knots.

Getaway Goldie is back over the smaller obstacles having seemingly not enjoyed fencing with two disappointing efforts. She’s back after a break and whilst meriting respect, given the stable, it’s hard to make a strong case for her on the formbook.

The Micky Hammond trained Desaray Girl didn’t seem to perform as well on the faster ground last time out and a bigger danger may come from Island Mahee whose Musselburgh third last month stacks up very nicely indeed in the context of this race.


SAMBURU FOR TEAM GOSDEN

⭕ 6.10 Salisbury I wasn’t immediately drawn to BETDAQ BETTING EXCHANGE favourite Samburu in this given that defying a penalty is never easy and the John & Thady Gosden yard are not yet even close to their normal cruising speed with 4 winners from their last 34.

It seems odd to prefix the day’s nap with a couple of negatives but there are even bigger question marks against his rivals that you arrive back at the stable door of Samburu who looked a smart prospect when winning on debut at Yarmouth.

Neptunian also has a penalty to defy but doesn’t look to have as much scope as the Gosden runner whereas Naranco, Stockpyle all, to varying degrees, failed to build on promising debut efforts.


LOCKDOWN ALL OVER

⭕ 7.30 Lingfield The charismatic George Baker has his string in good form with 3 winners from his last 12 runners and his Lockdown looks of interest here.

He won over this trip at Kempton last year and there was plenty of promise on his reappearance back at Kempton last month.

Soyounique is out again after a good run on Saturday but is proving expensive to follow and is a market leader to take on.

DAQMAN’S BETS (staked to win 10 points)
BET 4.3pts win COREYS COURAGE (4.41 Perth)
BET 10.0pts win (nap) SAMBURU (6.10 Salisbury)
BET 2.2pts win LOCKDOWN (7.30 Kempton)


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.