BIG THREE CLASH IN SUNDAY HURDLE: The top three Irish jockeys, Darragh O’Keefe, Jack Kennedy and Paul Townend meet in the Limestone Lad Hurdle at Naas today, with Daqman paying tribute to Kennedy’s amazing resilience to land a Cheltenham double yesterday.
KENNEDY TOWER OF STRENGTH
The comeback kid. ‘Forgotten’ jockey Jack Kennedy pinched the headlines on Cheltenham Trials day yesterday, with a sensational big-race double.
Kennedy (26) won the 2023-4 Irish championship after battling 123 winners to 121 to unseat Paul Townend and stop his run of six times champion in a row.
Then the man who rode Minella Indo, Teahupoo, Delta Work and Apple’s Jade broke his leg a seventh time in November 2024.
But Kennedy has made the journey back yet again and is second in the 2025-26 Irish table with 77 winners.
Yesterday at Cheltenham he captured the cross-country on Favori De Champdou for Gordon Elliott, and the Cotswold Chase on Spillane’s Tower for ‘Jimmy’ Mangan, Jimmy’s first big winner in England since Monty’s Pass scored in the 2003 Grand National.
Over 40 years a trainer, James Joseph Mangan had Spillane’s Tower spot on to outgun Venetia Williams’ dour stayer L’Homme Presse.
Though now 11, L’Homme Presse denied Dan Skelton’s Grey Dawning for runner-up but connections of both second and third named the Gold Cup as their next race.
Skelton landed a Daqman double when Maestro Conti (WON 5-2) took the Triumph Trial and The New Lion (WON 9-4) the International Hurdle.
Paul Nicholl’s Quebecois was expected to need the experience in the novices’ chase but was beaten just a nose by Jordans Cross.
An exaggerated waiting game with Barlovento saw him one of a group at the back who were never going to get into it on the ground.
Jagwar, who won the Plate at last year’s Festival, is a big beast who spends a long time in the air with his jumping but still battled to the line in the handicap chase, just headed giving 17lb to Donnacha.
ELLIOTT SPOTS GLORY CHANCE
⭕ 1.25 Naas (Limestone Lad Hurdle) Darragh O’Keefe with 80 winners this season, Jack Kennedy with 77 and Paul Townend on 51 are head to head (to head!) for this Grade-3.
With Kennedy the beneficiary of a Gordon Elliott winners storm (136), maybe it’s time to expect a Willie Mullins response off his total of 122 as he gears up for Cheltenham.
Willie, who has held the Irish title every year since the 2008-9 season, has the favourite, Karbau, in a race he’s won seven times in the last 10 years, with Townend going for a four-timer and seven out of nine.
Karbau has won only his maiden hurdle on heavy ground but his Grade-1 places (twice third in the Spring) were on sounder surfaces.
Glen Kiln has also tried the top grade, 19 lengths behind Lossiemouth in the Morgiana, and Workahead was beaten out of sight in the Supreme at last year’s Cheltenham Festival.
I’ll stick with the team in form: Farren Glory (Kennedy for Elliott), who is not penalised for winning a Grade 1 (the 2023 Royal Bond), is brought back from chasing for this opportunity. Betdaq Betting Exchange 9.9.
BOY TO BE ANOTHER STATTLER
⭕ 3.25 Naas I remember picking Stattler from the Willie Mullins’ contingent for this novice chase four years back, and I successfully played up my winnings in the NH Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.
Willie relies solely on Argento Boy today, a 4.6 BETDAQ bet, unlucky not to score at Punchestown in early December but making amends there the last day.
He can beat Gordon Elliott’s The Enabler and Cheltenham winner Blaze The Way, a big drifter in the early markets.
Flicker Of Hope was a surprisingly short price this morning, turning round quickly from his winning here earlier in the month.
⭕ 3.40 Sedgefield Harry Skelton has the day off which gives Tristan Durrell a chance to shine, and cheekpieces could be the answer to Delgany Deadline. BETDAQ 5.0.
DAQMAN’S BETS
on Betdaq Betting Exchange
1.25 Naas (win 20)
BET 2pts win and place FARREN GLORY
★ 3.25 Naas (win 18, nap)
BET 5pts win ARGENTO BOY
3.40 Sedgefield (win 20)
BET 5pts win DELGANY DEADLINE
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.
