DAQMAN FINDS CURRAGH KEY: Daqman is in Group-1 gear today, checking out the best bets at Longchamp tonight and the key form ingredients for Saturday’s Irish 2,000 Guineas at the Curragh.
NAPS TREBLE STILL POSSIBLE: Daqman’s naps hat-trick is still on the cards after yesterday’s best bet was withdrawn because of a going change. He still managed a profit on Wednesday with two winning bets:
WON 7-2 HOCKNEY BETDAQ 5.9
WON (w/p 3rd 16-1) GARDEN OASIS beaten a nose and a neck
Nap unbeaten this week
WON 5-6 PASSING DIAMOND Tuesday nap
WON 11-8 REDORANGE Monday nap
IT’S ‘PAR’ FOR THE COURSE
⭕ 3.40 Curragh, Saturday (Irish 2,000 Guineas) TRAINERS: Only Paddington (2023) has won recently for Aidan O’Brien, who scored 11 times in the 21 runnings between 1997 and 2017. FORM & STATS:
A: 75% winners had an official rating of 112+
B: Group-race winners are 75%
C: 60% had won a race at the Curragh
D: Newmarket 2,000 Guineas runners have a 50% record;
ABC ALPARSLAN (Karl Burke) Keen and lost position two out, 6th in the Dewhurst behind Gstaad (2nd) and Distant Storm (3rd) but won the Greenham, turning around the form with the Dewhurst 4th, Zavateri, in which he’d finished 6th in front of Pacific Avenue 7th. Alparslan’s course win at the Curragh could be key.
ABC HAWK MOUNTAIN (Aidan O’Brien) Unbeaten since his maiden, won the Beresford and the Doncaster Futurity last year and made all in the Prix De Guiche trial at Chantilly in May.
ABD DISTANT STORM (Charlie Appleby) See Alparslan and Gstaad
ABD GSTAAD (Aidan O’Brien) Coventry Stakes and Breeders Cup Juvenile winner, runner-up in the Newmarket 2,000 Guineas, eight lengths in front of the third horse, Distant Storm, and more than 13 in front of Power Blue. See Alparslan
BCD POWER BLUE Turned around Railway Stakes form, beating the subsequent 1,000 Guineas winner, True Love, in the Phoenix Stakes, but failed to give 3lb, when two-and-a-half lengths second at Leopardstown in April to Thesecretadversary (with Flushing Meadows 8th) and down the field in the Newmarket 2,000 when rated 113. See Gstaad
BCD THESECRETADVERSARY (James ‘Fozzy’ Stack) See Power Blue
C FLUSHING MEADOWS (Aidan O’Brien) weakened behind stablemate Constitution River in the Dee Stakes at Chester. See Power Blue.
ALSO ENGAGED: Bamako Beach (M O’Callaghan), Go Just Do It (Joseph O’Brien), Hardy Warrior (Joseph O’Brien), Neolithic (Aidan O’Brien), Pacific Avenue (Charlie Appleby, see Alparslan) and Take Charge Star (Johnny Murtagh).
DARYZ CAN HOLD SOSIE
⭕ 6.33 Longchamp today (Prix d’Ispahan) Arc de Triomphe winner Daryz makes his second appearance of 2026 after taking the Ganay in April.
Last year’s Ispahan winner, Sosie, more than five lengths third to Daryz in the Arc, giving away 6lb, is back for revenge at level weights.
Leffard, the Arc eighth and recent Harcourt runner-up, is also in the field with Qilin Queen (Ed Walker), raiding for England but with little or no chance on a line through Arc runner-up Minnie Hauk, who had her beaten off 13 lengths at Epsom and 25 at York last summer.
Walker’s number-one target today is the Palais-Royal (5.58 Longchamp) with Noble Champion, his Jersey Stakes winner at Royal Ascot last June.
He has around 5lb to find with Lazzat, best known to English racegoers for his head defeat in the British Champions Sprint but no stranger to today’s 7f of the Palais-Royal.
ASMARANI IN GOOD VOICE
⭕ 7.50 Longchamp (Prix Vicomtesse Vigier) Mighty stayers Buckskin and Kayf Tara made this their launchpad and last year it helped give France’s new star stable its 2025 lift-off with Candelari.
Now Francis-Henri Graffard is looking to double up in this race named after an opera singer with Asmarani and follow on from Ispahan triumph with Daryz.
Asmarani still has a few pounds to find but has twice held Double Major in two starts over today’s 1m 7f.
Arrow Eagle was behind Daryz in the Ganay but he is a Royal Oak winner on deep ground and, along with Asmarani, can hold off English and Irish raiders.
Last year’s Irish St Leger winner Al Riffa (Joseph O’Brien) might have got my vote but the very soft ground may slow his finish.
It will suit George Scott’s Newmarket traveller Caballo De Mar (Oisin Murphy), the Cadran winner.
Not forgetting that Sir Mark Prescott (Consent) and William Haggas (Santorini Star) run their Royallieu one-two from Arc day.
LEGEND COULD BE CLASS
★ NAP OF THE DAY (⭕ 2.30 Haydock): We’re staying with top class in this race, though you may not know it yet.
While Cup horses bid for glory in the French Group 1 tonight, there could be a Group stayer hidden in this maiden race at Haydock this afternoon.
Scarlet Legend is brother to Goodwood Cup winner Quickthorn, who won three in a row in the summer of 2022, beating Coltrane 14 lengths at York.
Where did Quickthorn first show his ability? It was in a race in May. That race was close on a mile and a half like today’s. And it was run at Haydock.
DAQMAN’S BETS
on Betdaq Betting Exchange
★★ 2.30 Haydock (supernap)
BET 20pts win SCARLET LEGEND
6.33 Longchamp (win 20)
BET 15pts win DARYZ
7.50 Longchamp (win 30)
BET 6pts win ASMARANI
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.
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