DAQMAN’S BOXING DAY SPECIAL BETS: Daqman’s Hot Spots horses-to-follow make up a Boxing Day special of four big races including the Christmas Hurdle and King George V1 Chase at Kempton, and he goes forecasting the one-twos in the feature events at Aintree and Market Rasen.
BLUEKING WENDIGO DANGER
⭕ 1.20 Kempton (3m Kauto Star Novices Chase) Willie Mullins is on a fishing expedition here with Kitzbuhel but, as well as testing the British novices, he has an eye for the £57k first prize on the long haul to catch trainers’-title leader Dan Skelton.
Four times favourite but has scored only twice, at 2m over hurdles and 2m 3f chasing, Kitzbuhel’s best form has been in the mud.
Mullins is out of form (3-33) for a race Paul Nicholls knows well, having won it with Black Corton and Bravemansgame.
Nicholls took the Select Hurdle at Sandown with Blueking d’Oroux holding off Salver and Kitzbuhel.
Salver has since won the Esher Novices Chase at Sandown (3m), well clear, and another Grade 2 at Newbury (2m 4f) saw Wendigo establish himself. When others have used their speed, he’ll be keeping on.
🔥HOT SPOT🔥 Wendigo
BE A DINO NOT A GINO PUNTER
⭕ 1.55 Kempton (Christmas Hurdle) Nicky Henderson’s reputation for getting them ready to win after a long absence has taken a few knocks lately, particularly with Constitution Hill, once the star of this race.
Now stablemate Sir Gino, himself a Fighting Fifth winner, is odds on after one day short of a year off.
The five-year-old still has a big future if he has recovered from serious injury but I’m a Dino not a Gino man today, back to the 2m which saw him dispose of Alexei in the Welsh Champion Hurdle.
Golden Ace is the girl for the big occasion, having played her cards late on in the Champion Hurdle and the Fighting Fifth. Gets 7lb allowance.
🔥HOT SPOT🔥 Celtic Dino
ROMEO FLIRTS WITH STARDOM
⭕ 2.20 Leopardstown (Racing Post Novice Chase) Though always going to be a chaser, Romeo Coolio was the Leopardstown Future Champion hurdler.
Seven lengths behind Salvator Mundi for Top Novice Hurdle at Aintree but that one didn’t take to fences so well when beaten at 7-1 on at Thurles a month back.
Romeo’s 2-2 as a chaser have included the Drinmore by eight lengths from a previous hat-trick scorer rated 153.
🔥HOT SPOT🔥 Romeo Coolio
WARRIOR TANGO WITH JANGO
⭕ 2.30 Kempton (King George V1 Chase) LAYS LOGIC: a shocking run of beaten favourites in the last seven seasons. They include previous winners Might Bite and Clan des Obeaux (twice) and they have let in 12-1 (twice), 20-1 and 28-1 scorers.
Willie Mullins has won it only once since success in 2001. That was with Tornado Flyer four years ago at 28-1: he came to the race after nine defeats and lost eight times afterwards.
174 Gaelic Warrior (Willie Mullins) Has landed a hat-trick but the runners-up the last twice were also trained by Mullins. In other words, we are talking stable stardom.
In a neck-and-neck finish for the John Durkan with Fact Or File; can both emerge from that battle fully fit and refreshed after just a 33-day break?
173 Fact To File (Willie Mullins) His senior Grade-1 winning form of Punchestown Chase and Ryanair at Cheltenham were both around half a mile shorter. His one 3m win was in a weak Brown Advisory, when he was already rated 12lb clear of those to finish.
167 Banbridge (Joseph O’Brien) Last year’s winner but nine now. Horses who set up a sequence of King George success are six or seven when they first win it. Trip and better ground suit.
163 Il Est Francais (Tom George) The horse Banbridge beat last year was this front-runner, who stopped quickly last time out in the Ascot Chase won by Jango Baie.
165 Jango Baie (Nicky Henderson) Excellent jumping in a dramatic show of improvement at Ascot by last season’s Arkle winner and the right age to become a star.
Raised 21lb in a successful year; never out of the frame and ground in his favour. He’s got the gears but can he stay 3m?
164 Djelo (Venetia Williams) Group-2 double this autumn but has 37 lengths to make up on Gaelic Warrior and 65 on Fact Or File in Grade-1 events last Spring. Off 148 then, has officially improved only 16lb.
157 The Jukebox Man (Ben Pauling) Never out of the frame and 3-3 over fences, returning with a Haydock win which was boosted a few days ago.
Good to see owner Harry Redknapp scoring again! One of the great doers and dealers of football missing from the modern game. ‘Jukebox’ is not so bad himself and his trainer is on a roll (seven winners in six days’ racing).
🔥HOT SPOTS🔥 Jango Baie, Gaelic Warrior
DUEL OF THE DAY AT AINTREE
⭕ 2.15 Aintree Dan Skelton swerves Kempton but has 18 runners around the country, including Snipe who tries to recoup this prize he won in 2023. I took 7.9 on Betdaq Betting Exchange.
Dropped to within 4lb of his winning mark that day, he meets last year’s winner, Fortunate Man, for J P McManus and very-much-back-in-business Jonjo O’Neill. BETDAQ 5.1.
⭕ 2.57 Market Rasen (Lincolnshire National) After O’Connell last season, Sue Smith tries to win it for the second year running with Wetherby specialist, The Big Breac, but favourites have a poor record (1-10).
This track will very much suit Ben Pauling’s Sound And Fury, who made all in the Cumberland Chase at Carlisle in November, with O’Connell in third. BETDAQ 12.5 taken.
DAQMAN’S 🔥HOT SPOTS🔥
on Betdaq Betting Exchange
(all 20 points each)
1.20 Kempton
WENDIGO
1.55 Kempton
CELTIC DINO Betdaq 7.6 taken
★★ 2.20 Leopardstown (supernap)
ROMEO COOLIO
2.30 Kempton (20pts each)
GAELIC WARRIOR
JANGO BAIE
DAQMAN’S REVERSE FORECASTS
1.20 Kempton (2pts RFs)
WENDIGO
BLUEKING D’OROUX
2.15 Aintree (each to win 20; 2pts RF)
BET 5pts win FORTUNATE MAN
BET 2.85pts win SNIPE
2.30 Kempton (2pts RF)
GAELIC WARRIOR
JANGO BAIE
2.57 Market Rasen (bull’s-eye bet, 2pts RF)
BET 4.35pts to win 50 SOUND AND FURY
BET 6pts to win 10 THE BIG BREAC
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