DAQMAN’S 12-1 BULL’S-EYE AT YORK: Daqman started the Ebor Festival with a 12-1 winner at York yesterday, following naps on both Monday and Tuesday.
Wednesday
WON 12-1 EQUILATERAL (bull’s-eye bet)
(2nd 9-1 ALLIGATOR ALLEY same race)
Tuesday
WON 5-2 CLEARANCE
WON 5-2 KARAVOMYLOS (nap)
Monday
WON 6-4 POLICE ACADEMY
WON 10-11 HARAPPAN (nap)
★ 19 Fortune Cookies win
★ Daqman 44, Pricewise 22
★ 70 naps up in 2023
NOW FOR YORKSHIRE OAKS DAY: The Ebor meeting continues with Yorkshire Oaks day but the meeting will be remembered already for two front-running Frankie Dettori rides in which first his own horse was eclipsed then he stole the crown from the horse of the year.
TWO FACES OF A ‘SORRY’ FRANKIE
There was a Frankie furore on social media yesterday. The flawed genius re-emerged at York.. and he said ‘sorry’ after the wrong race.
Dettori was lambasted for a ‘mental’ and ‘embarrassing’ ride on Gregory in the Great Voltigeur, roaring into the lead, setting fractions not seen since Baaeed and which wouldn’t have been out of place in a downhill Epsom or Brighton sprint.
Gregory had to be persuaded at the start but, in doing so, Frankie lit him up and gave him his head while The Quiet Man, Ryan Moore, sat so far off the pace he was the one rousing the critics in the stands, with one wag yelling ‘come on, the race is nearly over, and you’re not in the hunt’ (or words to that affect!)
The race was over for Gregory when it began. He inevitably faded while Moore on Continuous went to the front and came clear, a 4-1 shot beating the 8-11 favourite nearly five lengths.
In the very next race, Dettori cheekily, expertly, almost cynically, made all on Mostahdaf (pictured below, from start) to outgun an odds-on Moore in the Juddmonte International, bursting the Paddington bubble for which, like a naughty child, he said ‘sorry’ to the beaten champion’s owners.
Dettori had the falling out and making up Royal Ascot romance with John Gosden in 2022 and I hoped that he would live to regret his comments to the Racing Post before this year’s Ascot: ‘If I make a balls-up, who cares? I’m about to retire anyway.’
We all must care, Frankie, as spectators of sporting achievement in an age when those who run our lives snigger and ‘get away with it’. There are enough fallen idols and we care from our pockets that each horse does its best.
To those who quickly grabbed some extended odds about Gregory for the St Leger, I hope he gets over the International and receives a winning ride at Doncaster.
O’BRIEN FILLY IS BLOSSOMING
⭕ 1.50 York (Lowther Stakes, 6f) After the six-runner Acomb Stakes worth £93k to the winner, we have the Lowther at £152k to the winner, as we move up the 2yo scale from Group 3 to Group 2 (fillies).
When Aidan O’Brien won this in 2018 with Fairyland, who went on to take the Cheveley Park Stakes, there was still a strong element of the fairytale of British betting left but punters could do with his Cherry Blossom today the way they are getting the boot. Tell your friends how exchanges work; no one minds when you win.
Favourite over O’Brien’s Cherry Blossom this afternoon is likely to be Relief Rally (William Haggas), a Kodiak colt who is three from four, including the Newbury Super Sprint but favourites were 0-7 on the Knavesmire yesterday.
SPENNY DASH ON DAPPERLING
⭕ 2.25 York (2yo) The names Hannon (5) and Haggas (3) appear alongside all bar two of the winners of this £147k Sales race in the decade.
Five winners have been drawn 2 to 7 and on the other side 12, 13, 14 (twice) and 17 do best down the middle.
It looks like a pinstickers’ race but, second in the Super Sprint at Newbury, Dapperling (drawn 4, Jamie Spencer for the Hannons at BETDAQ 15.5) will enjoy a tow from pace-horses Dragon Leader and Ziggys Condor. Persica from the same stable has to be your saver.
LISTON HAS THE MOORE PUNCH
⭕ 3.00 York (1m handicap) Six out of the last eight winners came out of stalls 9 or lower.
Last year’s winner, Blue For You, when coming from the one stall, is 9lb higher today, out of 18, and with the head-second, Escobar (7), now 10lb better off and from the same stall.
Orbaan, fourth out of gate 11, denied a clear run, is also in the same stall today, a stone better with Blue For You
Master Richard (gate 3 today) was in the one stall when he beat Point Lynas (from 16 now in 14) a nose at this meeting last year; Stewards changed the first two around.
Ryan Moore will want sweet revenge for Sonny Liston after their second of 30 in the Royal Hunt Cup.
Betdaq Betting Exchange 10 Orbaan, 12.5 Sonny Liston, 19.5 Master Richard, 29 Escobar.
DETTORI RUNNING FREE AGAIN
⭕ 3.35 York (Yorkshire Oaks) FORTUNE COOKIE Savethelastdance could follow on Aidan O’Brien’s Love and Snowfall (2020-21) and become his seventh winner of this at a tasty BETDAQ 5.1 this morning.
But those O’Brien winners hardly compare with the mighty Enable (2017 and 2019) and last year’s future Arc winner, Alpinista (Sir Mark Prescott), who beat Breeders Cup star, Tuesday, in this.
And all three victories for Savethelastdance this season came on soft-heavy ground and her sole defeat was in the Epsom Oaks on firm (I mean, Soul Sister defeat!)
Soul Sister’s stable is represented here by Free Wind, judged only 3lb inferior to Savethelastdance and a course winner.
Free Wind was favourite for the Group-2 Hardwicke at Royal Ascot (good to firm) but ran flat and it’s hard to know what to expect today, relying on Frankie Dettori at 6.2 offers this morning.
Bluestocking may have been favoured by the soft ground when runner-up to Savethelastdance in the Irish Oaks, with Warm Heart well beaten off.
Warm Heart had beaten Bluestocking at Newbury in May but that was over shorter and a repeat of the Irish Oaks one-two looks more likely today.
Al Husn has made more than a stone of improvement this year but all over 1m 2f, and has no form with ‘firm’ in the going description.
SEA STAR AS SECOND-DAY NAP
⭕ 4.10 York (Galtres Stakes) Tom Marquand, who has ridden 190 winners for William Haggas in the last five seasons – 35 this year – has mounts for him in all seven York races today.
I’ve already rated Relief Rally (1.50) as key to the Lowther but Sea Theme here (4.10) has even more potential, already a winner over the trip but still unexposed after only two starts. The nap at BETDAQ 4.1
DAQMAN’S BETS
1.50 York (win 10)
BET 3pts win CHERRY BLOSSOM
2.25 York (win-50 bull’s-eye bet)
BET 3.5pts win an place DAPPERLING
BET 2pts (to win 12) PERSICA
3.00 York (win-50 bull’s-eye bets)
BET 5pts win ORBAAN
BET 4.25pts win SONNY LISTON
BET 2.75pts win MASTER RICHARD
BET (to win 30) 1pt win and place ESCOBAR
3.35 York
FORTUNE COOKIE
SAVETHELASTDANCE
BET 4pts to win 20 FREE WIND
4.10 York (win 30, nap)
BET 10pts win SEA THEME
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