DAQMAN WINS WITH NAP IN MIND: Daqman landed back-to-back naps, and his third successful best bet in five days, when Open Mind scored yesterday. This week’s winners:
Thursday
WON 5-4 OPEN MIND (nap)
WON 8-11 BAILEYS DERBYDAY
Wednesday
WON 5-6 SAMBURU (nap)
Monday
WON 22-1 BELLOCCIO
CLASSIC-TRIAL DAY: On the day of the Sandown Classic Trial, Daqman looks at the Guineas and Derby scene from the Godolphin perspective.
GODOLPHIN’S NINE-CARD BRAG
⭕ 3.35 Sandown Classic Trial (1m 2f) The one-two in this last year, Alenquer (William Haggas) and Adayar (Charlie Appleby), subsequently earned 115 and 127 ratings, as winners respectively of the ‘Ascot Derby’ (King Edward V11 Stakes) and the Epsom Derby.
It was the start of a swift and meaningful ride back to the top of the tree for Godolphin, who would also take the Irish Derby with Hurricane Lane.
Appleby has already laid down markers for this season, with at least seven colts and two fillies featured in the Classics betting.
Godolphin-Appleby have won three trials, including with Native Trail, favourite for the 2,000 Guineas ahead of his stablemate, Coroebus. Here’s their nine-handed play:
Coroebus (not raced this season): 2,000 Guineas and Epsom Derby
Goldspur (runs at Sandown today): Dante Stakes and Epsom Derby
Life Of Dreams (won fillies maiden at Newbury): Oaks Stakes at Epsom
Modern Games (not raced this year): Dante Stakes or Irish 2,000 Guineas
Nahanni (won Blue Riband Trial, Epsom): Epsom Derby and French Derby
Native Trail (won Craven Stakes, Newmarket): 2,000 Guineas and Derby
New London (won novice stakes at Newmarket): Dante Stakes and Epsom Derby
Walk Of Stars (won conditions race at Newbury) Dante Stakes and Epsom Derby
Wild Beauty (won Fred Darling Stakes, Newbury): English and Irish 1,000 Guineas
Aidan O’Brien and The Lads have some catching up to do, and they will be hoping to see River Thames (BETDAQ 7.1 this morning) flow over the Sandown turf today, with a subsequent cut in his 33-1 for the Derby.
As well as being tested today by Godolphin’s latest young lion, Goldspur, River Thames faces Frantastic, the Frankel full brother to Cracksman, and his Golden Horn stablemate, Franz Strauss, for Team Gosden.
Gosden has won it NINE times but rarely with Classic players; he usually reserves his top dog for the Dante Stakes at York, and Frantastic was very easy to back this morning at 14.0
A TRAIL OF BIG BETDAQ VALUE
⭕ 1.50 Sandown (Esher Cup) LAYS LOGIC: Charlie Appleby can’t always have the top contender, and his record in this mile handicap is 00.
Blue Trail has had four AW runs this year (two wins) and looked jaded in the last one, albeit he’s had a three-week break before attempting to transfer his best winter form to turf.
The record of the favourite in this race is 1-9, and I’m pleased to see Blue Trail lead the grid because I believe the motor is in Ring Of Beara.
Second to the subsequent Acomb Stakes runner-up, scored at Ffos Las with the minimum of fuss on firm ground, before running down the field behind Modern Games in a Group 3 at Newmarket.
Ring Of Beara, who would be the third successive top-weight to win, may have most to fear from Al Marmar, who beat nothing well at Lingfield in January but was unlucky (hampered) not to place in a £105,000 Group 2 at Doha, won by a hat-trick horse.
Though Wanees beat winners at Ascot, his Salisbury follow-up was in modest company; he then swerved a Group race, and he is hooded today. Le Havres usually like a bit of cut.
Thanks to Blue Trail’s popularity, there was huge value this morning in a 104% BETDAQ book.
BETDAQ BETTING EXCHANGE 6.6 Al Marmar, 9.0 Ring Of Beara
NATIONAL FOR TWISTON-DAVIES
⭕ 2.40 Perth (Highland National) When Wincanton winner Poppa Poutine was beaten by I See You Well at Fontwell (3m 2f), he finished full of running, while the winner was all out.
Oscar Robertson is better off at the weights for his second in the Wincanton race and is a bigger danger to Poppa.
Still only six, Nigel Twiston-Davies’s top-weight clearly stays all day but is a decent offer at 7.4 on BETDAQ in an open market.
DOUBLE-YOUR-MONEY FREE!
⭕ 3.00 Sandown Mile Won in the last three years by Addeybb and Palace Pier, subsequently 120 and 125 animals.
Alcohol Free is almost alongside them, starting this season off 119 on the strength of Coronation Stakes and Sussex Stakes triumphs, yet is a shade better than evens today in a 102% morning BETDAQ list.
Won the 2021 Fred Darling on good ground but she beat Snow Lantern (Ascot) and Poetic Flare (Goodwood) in the two Group 1s on soft and heavy.
In her favour, apart from the rating, is that Andrew Balding has won this twice in the last seven years. Alcohol Free reappears in a hood, which says to me: we can’t expect to beat the top young fillies later on so this race is ‘go’.
Johan won the Lincoln after moving to Mick Channon but the handicapper is not overly impressed. He’s been on a similar mark twice before.
Sir Michael Stoute (Lights On) used to win this race (2006 and 2007) but most of his are running a gallop short, and Sunray Major looks a bigger danger to the favourite.
Highly regarded but forced to have 18 months off badly injured, he returned in the autumn for back-to-back success, heavily backed, but I’d like to see Team Gosden in better form.
DAQMAN’S BETS
1.50 Sandown (win 10 each)
BET 2pts win AL MARMAR
BET 1.25pts win RING OF BEARA
2.40 Perth (win 20)
BET 3pts win POPPA POUTINE
3.00 Sandown (win 10, nap)
BET 10pts win ALCOHOL FREE
3.35 Sandown (win 10)
BET 2pts win RIVER THAMES
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.
