POTENTIAL STARS FROM FAIRYHOUSE: Today’s Daqman wrap on the weekend Fairyhouse trials suggests two names he will be adding to his Hot Spots tomorrow as he builds his horses-to-follow list with Cheltenham in mind. Tomorrow’s list bills the Hot Spots runners for next weekend.
FFOS LOST: Tuesday’s card at Ffos Las has been called off after the course was found to be waterlogged.
MORE MOORE: Ryan Moore returns at Lingfield on Wednesday after his right femur injury sustained in August.
ROMEO WINS PUNTERS HEARTS
IN the championship reckoning between Dan Skelton and Willie Mullins, with Skelton further ahead at this time than when he had to concede to Mullins at Cheltenham 2025, Gordon Elliott is determined to play the spoiler.
Yesterday at Fairyhouse, the race which Willie famously won two years back with I Am Maximus produced a potential Arkle winner for Elliott.
Romeo Coolio was enormously impressive in giving Elliott his ninth Drinmore Novice Chase.
It was only the second chase of his life, but so smoothly did he travel to the line, Romeo looked for all the world as if he will stay the Arkle trip and add pounds more to his rating before Cheltenham.
Teahupoo was another for Elliott when he became a three-time winner of the Hattons Grace Hurdle.
But it was the year-younger Mullins challenger he beat who caught my eye, runner-up Ballyburn confirmed for the Stayers Hurdle, proving the wisdom of Willie’s move to resume his hurdles career, despite a Grade-1 strike over fences.
Ballyburn won four hurdles in a row in 2023-24, including champion novice events at Cheltenham and Punchestown, and only just failed to catch Teahupoo on this Grade-1 hurdles debut.
NOT VOTING FOR CHANCELLOR
⭕ 3.27 Kempton Hyde Stakes (Listed) A busy nine race card at Kempton today where this one mile black type race is the feature.
The in form Gosden’s have strong cards here through Chancellor and Torito with the Betdaq Betting Exchange market preferring the former who won here last month on his first start wind surgery. That was a class 2 handicap so he probably needs to improve further to beat his elders here.
Torito is by no means out of this – despite appearing the second string. He is proven at this level and ran a solid race at Newmarket last time out when third to Liberty Lane and looks overpriced here.
I’ll add in the Karl Burke trained Holloway Boy who was a neck second to Crown Of Oaks in the competitive Balmoral Handicap at Ascot when last seen and is best in at the weights today based on official ratings.
FREDDIE TO TAKE STARRING ROLE
⭕ 3.57 Kempton Freddie’s Star has made a bright start to his career and is taken to handle the step up in class on his handicap debut off a mark of 77 and see off the more exposed likely market leader United Approach (rating 82).
We didn’t learn much about Freddie’s Star at Chelmsford when he won at 1/16 but he clearly handles the all-weather surface well as he also showed here in September when third to Rose Of Honour.
United Approach was second over this trip at Wolverhampton last week and should run another big race but this does look slightly tougher on paper.
VALUE OPTION FOR NAP
⭕ 4.25 Wolverhampton This is a re-match and I’ll take a chance with Akirra turning the tables on likely favourite Comic Strip in a race which the pair should dominate.
Comic Strip looks too short in the market. He only had three quarters of a length in hand over Akirra at Southwell where they were first and second but the revised weights gives Akirra a 4lb swing and that could easily be enough.
Add to the fact that Akirra progressed from that Southwell run with an easy four and a quarter length win at prohibitive odds over course and distance last time out and is clearly going the right way.
DAQMAN’S BETS
on Betdaq Betting Exchange
3.27 Kempton (both win 10)
BET 4.5pts win HOLLOWAY BOY
BET 1.6pts win TORITO
3.57 Kempton (win 20)
BET 2.9pts win FREDDIE’S STAR
★ 4.25 Wolverhampton (win 10, nap)
BET 5.3pts win AKIRRA
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