DAQMAN HEADLINES 9-1 CAMBRIDGESHIRE WINNER: Saturday-king Daqman wrote his own headlines yesterday, producing a brilliant big-race double of Bronze Angel (WON 9-1) in the Cambridgeshire and Local Hero (WON 9-2) at Market Rasen.
26-1 DOUBLE UP ON THE DAQ: ‘Angel watches over Cambridgeshire field’ and ‘Leap on the Local Hero’ was his headline double but he also named Local Hero and Rosdhu Queen (WON 4-1) in Daq Multiples for a 26.5-1 double and just missed a 135-1-plus treble when Caspaill Liath (2nd 4-1) failed narrowly at Chester.
HE STRUCK GOLD AT 16-1: Only last Saturday Daqman landed the Ayr Gold Cup with Captain Ramius (WON 16-1) and doubled it on Daq Multiples for a 101-1 return with Jack Dexter (WON 5-1).
2.40 The Curragh (Blenheim Stakes) Some 80% of winners of this have come from the first two in the betting but 66% have been shared by Aidan O’Brien (4) and David Wachman (2) since 2003.
Colts are 8-2 up over fillies in the decade but Viztoria’s seven-lengths drubbing of a Naas field in July has caught the eye of punters, though the runner-up has been beaten a total of nearly 50 lengths in five races since and fourth, fifth and sixth have also flopped.
Viztoria’s reputation depends on the third home, Magical Dream, since fourth in the Moyglare, when her stablemate, Snow Queen, a runner here, blew her chances with a very slow start. Magical Dream clearly had an off day against Viztoria so the form may amount to little or nothing.
Viztoria hasn’t run since and has changed stables, with her new yard splitting its resources by also running Boston Rocker, so my view was to grab a short-odds lay before the real money comes and changes the face of the market later on.
After Awakened Spirit won a nursery over CD last month, David Wachman said that she ‘could be quite good’ and she’s been solid at around 5.2, with Group performers Snow Queen and Tennessee Wildcat particularly weak in the BETDAQ market while I’ve been monitoring.
3.20 Epsom It may not be soft enough for Takeitfromalady; Campanology has to give weight all round and is stepping up a furlong; and Double Cee has never been placed going this way round.
Benzanno (5.6 on BETDAQ at the time of writing) returns to the CD of his handicap win on a similar surface in July and, ignoring his run on firm last time out, could be said to have put in an improved performance when, raised three grades and 7lb on that Epsom win, he was third, hampered, at Sandown recently.
3.35 Musselburgh Best race on the card and, though fillies are not always reliable, Miss Ellany sure is. She hasn’t been out of the frame this year, with Daniel Tudhope up for both her wins. Could make all.
3.40 The Curragh (Park Stakes) Two years ago, this race threw up the smart Chrysanthemum and last season the runner-up was subsequent Newmarket 1,000 Guineas winner, Ballydoyle’s Homecoming Queen.
There’s only a length or so between this year’s Ballydoyle runner, Magical Dream, and the mile winner on today’s course, Starbright, on their fourth and fifth in the Moyglare.
But both are easy to back this morning due to heavy support for Starbright’s stable companion, Spinacre. If Spinacre is indeed so far ahead of Starbright that she’s 2.96 to that one’s 7.1 on BETDAQ, then she’s very likely capable of beating Magical Dream.
4.15 The Curragh (Beresford Stakes) The last of three two-year-old tests in the pattern at The Curragh today is usually far and away the most significant.
It’s been won in the last four years by major recent figures of the turf, Sea The Stars and St Nicholas Abbey, and by the subsequent Racing Post trophy scorer, Casamento.
Railway Stakes winner Probably hasn’t been in the same form since and has a penalty to carry so the likely challenger for odds-on Battle Of Marengo may be the winning Galway debutant Muaanid.
With big doubts about the ground for the Ballydoyle favourite, I shall have my pound on Muaanid (5.6), who won on soft-heavy at Galway. His sire also produced my heavy-ground Ayr Gold Cup winner, Captain Ramius, last Saturday.
4.30 Epsom (Apprentices’ Derby) Let’s see a sponsor step forward and create an apprentice triple-crown with a boys’ and girls’ Guineas at Newmarket and St Leger at Doncaster.
Come on, it would be a great spotlight for the youngsters and a racing showcase that could be very encouraging for jockey-training academies.
Adam Beschizza won this Derby in 2010 but all eyes this year are on Michael Murphy, riding here for Mark Johnston, who gave Greg Fairley the leg up on a winner of this in 2005.
Michael has had a great season, losing some of his allowance, with 25 winners at a 23% strike rate. Though a couple of winners ahead of him, Harry Bentley is on 11%.
Numerically, Raul Da Silva is the leader on 45 with Sean Levey on 31, though again we are talking a modest 11-12% strike rate.
The big-four boys are taking on Epsom specialists Kings Troop, ridden by Willie Twiston-Davies, and Shesha Bear (Matthew Lawson), the runner-up last year.
But age and the draw are decisive in the stats: no winner, in fields large or small, has won this in a stall higher than 8 (in fact, 6, 7 and 8 have taken four out of six) and five of the six were aged three.
My verdict is to go for the pace horses that fit, or nearly fit, the stats: they are going to be hard for boy riders to catch on the sticky surface. The left-handed track suits Harry Buckle (Da Silva’s mount at 11.5 on BETDAQ this morning) and I shan’t desert Michael Murphy (saver Rythmic 4.1).
DAQMAN’S BETS
LAY 10pts VIZTORIA and BET 4.7pts win AWAKENED SPIRIT (2.40 The Curragh)
BET 4.3pts win BENZANNO (3.20 Epsom)
BRT 6.6pts win (nap) MISS ELLANY (3.35 Musselburgh)
BET 10pts win SPINACRE (3.40 The Curragh)
BET 4.3pts win MUAANID (4.15 The Curragh)
BET 1.9pts win HARRY BUCKLE and 0.6pts win (stakes saver) RYTHMIC (4.30 Epsom)
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