START OF THE CHELTENHAM PICNIC: Home runners lined up yesterday to start giving away the Cheltenham prizemoney to Ireland for another season. Daqman calls it the Prestbury Park picnic. And the last big two-year-old test of the season went the same way.
THREE TOP-CLASS SUNDAY MEETS: Today it’s jumping only in England at Aintree and Wincanton, but with a different raiding party on the Flat: 12 from England and nine from Ireland are after the half-a-million in French prizemoney at Saint-Cloud.
HANDED TO IRISH ON A PLATE
It was their first Prestbury Park picnic. From now until the end of the festival in March, horses from another country, mainly with form not known to English trainers, racegoers and punters, feast from the Cheltenham table at will.
RACE 1: WON Lisnamult Lad 20-1 (Ian Patrick Donoghue, Meath)
RACE 2: WON Intense Approach 2-1 (John C McConnell, Meath)
RACE 3: WON Senior Chief 11-1 (Henry De Bromhead, Waterford)
RACE 4: WON The Wallpark 9-2 (Gordon Elliott, Meath)
That’s how the first four Saturday races went to Ireland; £87k first-prize money won. Gavin Cromwell and Cian Collins also won races there on Friday at 6-1 and 8-15.
FUTURITY: WON Hotazhell 11-1 (Jessica Harrington, Kildare). One-two with Delacroix (Aidan O’Brien) in the two-year-olds Futurity at Doncaster.
STAGE SET FOR NICHOLLS
⭕ 1.50 Aintree (Old Roan Chase) For four years, Stage Star has won first time out in October-November and, despite Paul Nicholls current low return, the eight-year-old seems sure to get his ground.
But his five chase strikes out of nine have been staged at Cheltenham, and Nicholls also runs Hitman in this Grade 2 at Aintree, runner-up in the Old Roan in 2022.
Ahoy Senor, who usually needs a run back, does best at 3m and 3m 1f on the Mildmay Course here.
⭕ 2.25 Aintree (Veterans’ Chase) Cap Du Nord was stone last in 2023 but was back to form this year with success in Spring and summer.
The horse in form has to be Copperhead. His wins at Plumpton and Chepstow this year were were five months apart but he’s had three in a row before (around Christmas 2019-20)
The trainer in form has to be Nigel Twiston-Davies (Torn And Frayed, winner of only one chase). ‘Twiston’ has had seven winners in two weeks and had Broadway Boy placed yesterday.
⭕ 3.35 Aintree Kamsinas, a favourite hurdler at Fergal O’Brien’s yard, won first time out last October and was a Grade-2 novice winner the following month.
Cruz Control is a winner twice and second after breaks, and won the Freebooter Chase (3m 1f) on this course in April.
Betdaq Betting Exchange 5.2 Kamsinas, 9.9 Cruz Control
LINE UP ENGLISH OUTSIDER
⭕ 2.50 Saint-Cloud (Prix Royal-Oak) An all-aged St Leger, similar to the Irish, and with Aidan O’Brien hungry for the £174k first prize.
Grosvenor Square is the right age group; he would be the fifth three-year-old winner in six years but doesn’t yet have the qualities that Yeats still possessed when he won this aged seven.
Trueshan, now eight, was runner-up three weeks ago in the Prix Du Cadran (French Gold Cup) to the modern Yeats, O’Brien’s latest staying ace, Kyprios.
Grosvenor Square won the Irish St Leger Trial on good ground at the Curragh but was only fifth in the Doncaster St Leger behind stablemate Jan Brueghel.
Charlie Johnston asks us to align two stars: Subjectivist won this Prix Royal-Oak for the stable after finding the Doncaster Classic too sharp for him.
Now he sees Align The Stars in the same mold. A huge horse 10lb behind Grosvenor Square in the ratings, landed a hat-trick before finding York too quick for him in the Lonsdale. BETDAQ 14.0.
I would love to see David Menuisier cap his season by winning with his heavy-ground filly Entrancement (12.58) under Oisin Murphy.
CREDO READY FOR A REPEAT
⭕ 3.15 Wincanton (Desert Orchid Silver Cup) Deise Aba (2), Remastered (3), Quick Draw (2) and Lieutenant Rocco (2) have to bounce back from a total of 11 times pulled up overall in 17 races.
Credo won this handicap last year when fresh – 5lb lower – and has Sam Twiston-Davies available today for the mare’s first race since Punchestown in May.
Found On has won in September (x3) and October in previous seasons. Quick Draw won fresh last October and scored at Wincanton In February.
DAQMAN’S BETS
12.58 Saint-Cloud (win 10, French nap)
BET 4pts win ENTRANCEMENT
1.50 Aintree (win 12)
BET 8pts win STAGE STAR
BET 1pt win (stakes saver) HITMAN
2.50 Saint-Cloud (win 40, place to win 10)
BET 3pts win, 4pts place ALIGN THE STARS
3.15 Wincanton (win 12, English nap)
BET 4pts win CREDO
3.35 Aintree (win 12)
BET 3pts win KAMSINAS
BET 1.25pts win CRUISE CONTROL
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