SUPER NAP: SUPER HORSE: His first and last bets won yesterday, both at Leopardstown, but not quite enough to pay for Daqman’s opening day of the Dublin Racing Festival.
WON 11-8 FINAL DEMAND (10 points win)
WON 1-2 GALOPIN DES CHAMPS (20 points win, supernap)
ANOTHER GOLD HAT-TRICK: Galopin Des Champs was completing a hat-trick in the Irish Gold Cup and will try to do the same at Cheltenham. He was winning nap number seven for Daqman in the last 10 days. See full list yesterday.
RACHAEL BACK ON QUILIXIOS
⭕ 2.10 Leopardstown (Dublin Chase) The 2m 1f chase was launched for year one of this festival in 2018, and Willie Mullins has taken all seven for more than half a million euros in win prizemoney.
Six of them were favourite but he beat his own odds-on market leader when one of today’s runners, Gentleman De Mee, stopped Blue Lord in 2023.
Willie won the Arkle here with Majborough yesterday in fast time and the chase course today is again the best surface, with ‘sunny spells’ possible this afternoon.
Gaelic Warrior was beaten in his first race for 239 days by front-running Solness here in December (Marine Nationale third), after Solness could scarcely see the rear end of Jonbon in the Tingle Creek.
Irish pundits don’t want to believe any of that and would rather hark back to the Cheltenham Arkle when Gaelic Warrior was an impressive eight-lengths winner.
And the Racing Post verdict is that ‘back on soft ground’ Gaelic Warrior could hold a fitness edge on stablemate El Fabiolo, winner of this chase last year and officially rated 9lb higher.
But yesterday’s Arkle suggests that it isn’t that soft and the forecast ‘yielding’ has the official rider ‘good to yielding in places,’ with ‘sunny spells possible this afternoon.’
Qilixios, who was outrun, second, by Jonbon in the Tingle Creek had beaten Marine Nationale at Naas in November further than did Solness and Gaelic Warrior here in December.
Betdaq Betting Exchange 2.88 Gaelic Warrior, 3.35 El Fabilo, 10.5 Quilixios.
VERDICT: Spurred on by the return of Rachael Backmore, Quilixios (win and place) might now find that bit extra he needs. I can’t split the Mullins pair but, if Gaelic Warrior was beaten for lack of fitness in December, why does Willie feel the need of a tongue-tie to try to squeeze more out of him.
TOWNEND STANDS BY HIS MAN
⭕ 3.20 Leopardstown (Champion Hurdle): Again, difficult to split the Willie Mullins pair with Lossiemouth’s allowance officially putting the grey mare within a pound of State Man, to whom Paul Townend remains loyal.
And the trainer’s quote could be intended for either State Man or Gaelic Warrior (or both!): ‘ You should never knock a horse for one bad run.’
⭕ 4.25 Leopardstown My strongest news is of Blue Velvet for Willie Mullins in this mares’ bumper, despite the presence of his pair, Future Prospect and Bambino Fever. BETDAQ 6.9.
QUEST FOR NATIONAL PLACE
⭕ 2.25 Musselburgh (Edinburgh National) The 2023 winner, Magna Sam, and last year’s, Inis Oirr, are back in cheekpieces and blinkers, respectively, in an attempt to revive their golden hour.
But they face big improvers with the Grand National in their sights, both seven-year-olds, Surrey Quest and King Turgeon.
King Turgeon (140) landed an autumn hat-trick including the Grand Sefton, but is still way short of the 159 mark of last year’s Aintree winner.
Just to safely get into the big chase, he and Surrey Quest both still need a 7-8lb rise for one or two more victories.
King Turgeon needs a convincing win, or even the double, of today’s race and the Haydock Park trial in two weeks’ time to prove he gets beyond the 3m 3f of his third at Wincanton the last day.
Surrey Quest (139), not entered at Haydock, is already proven at longer trips. He was beaten a nose in the Scottish Grand National on soft and was also second in a Grade 3 at Cheltenham on good ground.
Anglers Crag has suffered a form collapse since winning the Eider last February gave him a four-timer and pushed him two stone up the ladder.
Bretney is 11lb higher after winning the Highland National last Spring and the Borders National in December.
Bodhisattva was back to form the last day after running third in the Ulster National (3m 5f in April).
Betdaq Betting Exchange 8.0 Surrey Quest, 10 King Turgeon
DAQMAN’S BETS on Betdaq Betting Exchange
2.10 Leopardstown (win-50 bull’s-eye bets)
BET 5pts win and place QUILIXIOS
2.25 Musselburgh (win-50 bull’s-eye bets)
BET 7pts win SURREY QUEST
BET 5pts win KING TURGEON
★ 3.20 Leopardstown (win 12, nap)
BET 10pts win STATE MAN
4.25 Leopardstown (win 30)
BET 5pts win BLUE VELVET
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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.
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