BACK-TO-BACK DAQMAN NAPS UP: He’s done it again! Another day with a winner (that’s 25 in two weeks); another nap, Harper Valley (WON 11-8), back to back with Monday’s and number 46 this year.
TODAY: DERBY RATINGS: The Derby is a puzzle this year; can Daqman rate them right and get a result for Saturday, June 3?
TOMORROW Daqman’s winning tip for last year’s Derby is back at Sandown.
PASSENGER DRIVES DERBY FIELD
FIVE colts are within 2lb of each other at the top of Daqman’s Derby ratings, in a top 10 which includes six trainers who have won the race before.
The Epsom super-six are Charlie Appleby, Andrew Balding, Team Cole, Team Gosden, Aidan O’Brien and Sir Michael Stoute.
Odd man out among trainers of the top 10 is John Joseph Murphy, whose White Birch gets into the list after a neck defeat by The Foxes in the principal Derby trial, the Dante Stakes, with Continuous third.
But top-rated for Epsom is Passenger, only fourth at York but whose Raceform notes after the Dante read: ‘Denied a clear run from approx 2f out to the 1f marker.’
Passenger and White Birch are by the same sire, Ulysses, who progressed by two stone in his career to win the Eclipse and Juddmonte International, second in the King George and third in the Arc behind Enable.
Yesterday I forecast another Enable year from the powerful pair at the top of the three-year-old fillies’ ratings.
But the Derby could yet provide a powerful answer from its riddle of questions, not least whether Passenger can fulfil the potential of his Dante promise.
The winner that day, The Foxes, continues to improve; Arrest and Military Order impressed in their trials; and Auguste Rodin could bounce back from his soft-ground flop in the 2,000 Guineas behind Chaldean, who is currently leading the ratings field.
Top Ten 2023 three-year-old colts
124 CHALDEAN (Frankel, Andrew Balding)
117 PASSENGER (Ulysses, Sir Michael Stoute)
116 THE FOXES (Churchill, Andrew Balding)
115 ARREST (Frankel, John and Thady Gosden)
115 AUGUSTE RODIN (Deep Impact, Aidan O’Brien)
115 MILITARY ORDER (Frankel, Charlie Appleby)
115 VICTORIA ROAD (Saxon Warrior, Aidan O’Brien)
115 WHITE BIRCH (Ulysses, John Joseph Murphy)
114 ROYAL SCOTSMAN (Gleneagles, Paul and Oliver Cole)
112 CONTINUOUS (Heart’s Cry, Aidan O’Brien)
* Little Big Bear, who ended his juvenile campaign on 124, is back on track in the Sandy Lane Stakes at Haydock on Saturday.
SOLAR LOOKS SYSTEM HORSE
⭕ 7.40 Kempton Solar Orbiter is taken to maintain his unbeaten record by completing a hat-trick and build on the exceptional promise he showed as a three-year-old.
The Roger Varian trained colt was impressive in both his wins at Newcastle and Kempton winning by 3 3/4 lengths and 5 lengths respectively and should be even more suited by this step up to seven furlongs.
His win at Newcastle on his final start could easily have been by a double digit margin and whilst if you were being picky you could argue that the runner-up hasn’t really boosted the form since – you can’t really use that to take away from the potential of this horse who also holds a Royal Ascot entry for the Wokingham.
This is a decent class 4 race – probably better than that in reality – and his price is holding up just below evens on Betdaq Betting Exchange making him my nap of the day.
Whilst the others bring more experience to the table the flip side is that the handicapper generally has their measure whereas Solar Orbiter is still filed in the ‘could be anything’ drawer.
EASIER THAN ROYAL ASCOT FOR BALHAMBAR
⭕ 8.10 Kempton Balhambar is dropped into slightly calmer waters by Sit Michael Stoute having finished 12th at Royal Ascot when last seen out in the King George Stakes. Despite his finishing position he was only beaten six lengths and had trouble in running, so it was by no means a bad run in much better company than he will face tonight.
I’m not so worried about the absence. The stables’ most recent winner Fox Journey reappeared after a lengthy break to win at Newmarket and I can’t help but think that this one remains leniently handicapped in that we haven’t seen the best of him yet after just four starts.
Shockwaves bolted home at Lingfield to give trainer Hughie Morrison his only winner from his last 25 runners but is now up a whopping 12lb and a significant extra half mile in distance. Both those points send warning signs to me.
⭕ 8.40 Kempton Meisterzinger looks worth another chance in the nightcap. He flopped in soft ground at Bath last time out but this is his track and distance and he was a winner over course and distance back in February. He has a lovely effortless style of running – so expect him to trade short in running and hopefully he will have enough left in the tank to complete a hat-trick of wins at the Sunbury venue.
DAQMAN’S BETS
7.40 Kempton (win 10, nap)
BET 10.6pts win SOLAR ORBITER
8.10 Kempton (win 10)
BET 3.4pts win BALHAMBAR
8.40 Kempton (win 10)
BET 2pts win MEISTERZINGER
KEMPTON TREBLE (SP Sportsbook)
BET 0.5 point win above three
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