🏇 CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL: MARKETS DRAMA TODAY: Constitution Hill is out of the Champion Hurdle betting with his appearance in the balance.
🏇 CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL: ANTE-POST TOMORROW: With weights now known for the handicaps at the festival, Daqman looks for value.
⭕ MIDWEEK BIG RACES: Daqman analyses the runners for the feature race at Bangor today, the North Wales National.
⭕ MIDWEEK BIG RACES Tomorrow is the Forbra Gold Cup at Ludlow, with three country meetings on show.
ODDS-ON BACKERS CATCH A COLD
It’s his constitution. Now we know the truth about the odds-on Champion Hurdle favourite. He’s prone to head colds.
Deemed one of the few ‘certainties’ against the Irish in any Cheltenham Festival, Constitution Hill (pictured below) has raced only once this season, sidelined at home in January because twice scoping dirty.
Now he’s on antibiotics after working badly with a nasal-tract infection yesterday morning, beaten by two gallops companions.
There were drawn faces among workwatchers, and trainer Nicky Henderson and jockey Nico de Boinville were visibly shaken, after Constitution Hill, almost stopping, finished 12 lengths behind Triumph Hurdle favourite, Sir Gino.
Quiet routine became Act 1 of high drama. Act 2 is whether antibiotics will work in time to return the horse to training for Cheltenham; Act 3 is whether he can then reproduce the form in the book on March 12.
What is clear is that the true Constitution Hill has been revealed, a great athlete but a delicate one.
The Irish equivalent after completing a four-timer in the Leopardstown Champion Hurdle, State Man is the new favourite in a fortnight’s time.
I’m not sure Nicky Henderson will want to risk the ignominy for horse and trainer of losing the championship to last year’s nine-lengths runner-up.
TOMORROW: Daqman ante-post on the handicaps.
NOTACHANCE GIVEN LAST CHANCE
⭕ 3.20 Bangor (North Wales National) It’s a long time now since I was able to trust my money to the stables of great National winners and handicap coups, Pipe and McCain.
Here’s one of them among four likely favourites for this, Gold Emery, only once at longer odds than 9-2, four times favourite, or jointly so, yet a winner only of his hurdles maiden, always a bad sign.
The grey called Gold has been placed four times in handicaps for Don McCain without winning and was beaten favourite put back to novice company the last day at Haydock.
Would you believe, one of his rivals at the front of the market, Stellar Stream, has also won only his hurdles maiden, and today is a new trip.
Can the two other candidates for favourite, Duke Of Deception and Notachance, belie their names?
This trip is also unknown territory for Duke Of Deception, who has won a couple of 3m chases down in class 5.
1 NOTACHANCE was winner of the 2021 Warwick Classic over the 3m 5f but, without success since, has plummeted 29lb.
He was third in both the Warwick Classic and the Midlands Grand National last Spring and the handicapper has given him a chance, after modest efforts in the Mandarin and the Surrey National since the turn of the year.
2 Haute Estime is down from classes 2 and 3 and has been dropped 19lb since his first chase mark, after winning at Listed level over hurdles.
She, too, is up in trip, has won a chase only at the novice level; but wind surgery and tongue-tie should help. Reliable trainer.
3 In Rem Failed to complete in two marathon staying chases but won over 3m 2f over hurdles and was second at Chepstow at that trip over fences in October. Reliable trainer.
Having been drifted down the scales from 122 to 108 over these last two seasons, Whydah Gally, made a breakthrough when trying today’s trip for the first time at Lingfield 15 days ago.
Can he hold his form on this relatively quick reappearance? If so, he should, be favourite, not 14.0 on BETDAQ. But he’s been a big drifter from 9-2 to 10-1 with bookies.
Betdaq Betting Exchange 7.0 Notachance, 8.9 Haute Estime, 11 In Rem
SEE FREDDIE PEDLEY IN TOP GEAR
⭕ 3.35 Wincanton Thanks to Freddie Gingell’s allowance, Pedley Wood and I have been given a stone and more to dispose of Pachacuti, local trainer Joe Tizzard versus that man Pipe, and Great Name That, so far placed without winning.
⭕ 5.05 Wincanton Famous Clermont, Liverpool Foxhunters winner last year, skips Cheltenham and makes this his prep for the same race at Aintree.
Still only nine, made all for Barber and Biddick in a pipe-opener at Larkhill late last month but, with only one to beat, he didn’t have the strength of opposition he needed. Rated 12lb clear in this.
DAQMAN’S BETS
3.20 Bangor (win 30)
BET 5pts win NOTACHANCE
BET 3pts win IN REM
3.35 Wincanton (win 10)
BET 6pts win PEDLEY WOOD
5.05 Wincanton (supernap)
BET 20pts win FAMOUS CLERMONT
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