WHO WON? DAQMAN OF COURSE: Winner-a-day Daqman, who made 115 points profit over the Doncaster St Leger meeting, continued his run with Cindy Lou Who (WON 3-1) at Bath yesterday.
TODAY: Daqman reveals how the form among the top two-year-olds is literally neck and neck as we approach the autumn trials.
DEWHURST AWAITS ZAVATERI
Ladies day at the Curragh. Jessica Harrington’s filly Barnavara won the Blandford Stakes yesterday after Al Riffa’s Irish St Leger.
But the biggest shock was the defeat of odds–on favourite, Coventry winner Gstaad, as Aidan O’Brien bid for his 13th National Stakes.
Zavateri, out of a granddaughter of Arc winner, Zarkava, prevailed for English raider, Eve Johnston-Houghton, by a head in the two-year-olds classic, which Al Riffa won in 2022 and which saw one of the Ballydoyle figureheads, Gleneagles, score in 2014.
Johnson-Houghton’s Blewbury, Oxfordshire, stable, where her father, Fulke trained for 40 years, is now on the eve of Classic glory if Zavateri can land the top trial of them all, the Dewhurst at Newmarket in October.
Zavateri’s success takes the stable close to the £4.5m earnings mark in five seasons, with more than 30 winners this year.
On the fillies’ front, O’Brien ousted Karl Burke’s Venetian Sun from top spot when she was only third behind Ballydoyle’s second string, Precise, in the Moyglare.
Guineas punters are reminded that Gstaad was beaten a short-neck by Venetian Sun in the Morny in August, so we will need autumn tests like the Dewhurst before taking a definitive view for winter favourites in both Guineas.
WHAT A PICTURE
⭕ 3.50 Thirsk The ground will be on the testing side in North Yorkshire this afternoon but that will suit Hockney – at least on pedigree on the dam side.
The three-year-old absolutely bolted home at Lingfield last week on his first start since wind surgery and if in the same kind of mood today isn’t going to be stopped by a 6lb penalty.
That was his first meaningful bit of form, so it’s hoped that the wind surgery has transformed him and he can convert that all-weather form back to the turf.
His rivals look in the main exposed and in the grip of the handicapper. According to the Betdaq Betting Exchange market the main danger is B Associates who unseated at Chester last time out but had been reasonably consistent prior to that.
DOUBLE ATTACK ON FINALE
⭕ 5.20 Thirsk Al Muqdad is on a losing run of 11 since winning at Ayr last July off a mark of 77 but he’s now a half stone lighter in the weights and there was a signal of a return to form last time out at Doncaster when he finished a close up fourth to Commander Of Life. That was much more like it and he is being nibbled at in the early trading.
It’s a competitive finale in which I thought Travis also had a chance at bigger odds. He is a previous course and distance winner who was only headed on the post last time out at Ripon and comes into this on just a 1lb higher mark which should entitle him to be involved in the business end again.
NOT SOLID AS A ROCK
⭕ 7.00 Kempton No bet for me here but my instinct was to take on the Southwell scorers Rock Iguana and Media Darling who may struggle under their respective penalties?
Maybe the James Tate trained debutant Rose Of Honour might be good enough in what looks quite a modest race by course standards.
TIME TO BE BOLD
⭕ 7.30 Kempton The obvious horse of interest is the Roger Varian trained Champion Again Ole on his first start since being gelded but purely on form terms Bold Suitor sets the standard.
He goes well for Georgia Dobie and was only beaten a nose at Chelmsford last time out and the handicapper has dropped him a pound !!
DAQMAN’S BETS on Betdaq Betting Exchange
★ 3.50 Thirsk (win 10, nap)
BET 7.1ps win HOCKNEY
5.20 Thirsk (both win 10)
BET 2.5pts win AL MUQDAD
BET 1.0pt win TRAVIS
7.30 Kempton (win 10)
BET 2.5pts win BOLD SUITOR
What are points? Points facilitate a staking plan, which is the secret to creating profit. One point is whatever you choose: a pound, a euro, or whatever ….
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.
Did you know? DAQMAN’s tips are posted each and every day so he’s always on hand to help with your horse racing betting.
