LIGHTNING STRIKES 10-1 JACKPOT WIN FOR DAQMAN: Daqman has hit the turf running with winning Flat-season starts on both sides of the Irish Sea, culminating in a 30-point jackpot bet in the Irish Lincolnshire on Sweet Lightning (WON 10-1) at The Curragh yesterday.
5-1 AND 4-1 AT THE BIG KICK-OFF: Daqman had made a similar kick-start to the English Flat season, with a 33-point profit on turf at Doncaster on Friday, with three winners, including 5-1 and 4-1 at SP. The weather has intervened but he’s clearly in top form for the Doncaster Lincoln on Saturday.
Never say ‘never’ with Willie Mullins. But the record-breaking champion Irish trainer has yet to win the Irish Grand National, due to be run at Fairyhouse next Monday.
This year he has quality horses in pivotal positions, with Boston Bob and Back In Focus both among the top-weights which are keeping his own lightweights in the picture.
A telling 11 of the last 12 winners carried 10st 8lb or less, and Willie’s horses currently below that ceiling include Marasonnien (10st 2lb) and Vesper Bell (10st 5lb).
Marasonnien is a market order, currently within a couple of points of Back In Focus, Boston Bob and Jonjo O’Neill’s likely favourite, Alfie Sherrin, which carries 10st 2lb.
Marasonnien and Vesper Bell were first and second in the War Of Attrition Novice Hurdle, the three-miler at Punchestown last April, which throws up staying types.
When Vesper Bell was seventh in the Kim Muir at Cheltenham, one of my current fancies for Fairyhouse, Romanesco, finished third, just in front of Alfie Sherrin.
Marasonnien was third, when White Star Line was runner-up in the beginners’ chase at Fairyhouse in February, White Star Line franking the form with his third in the Speciality Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.
White Star Line has now finished in the frame 11 times out of 12, still standing, and his breeding shouts stamina, by Saddlers Hall out of a Deep Run mare.
The Irish National is part of a hot weekend, if racing can at last beat the cold on both sides of the Irish Sea:
Saturday: The Lincoln Handicap at Doncaster, with its tail-end, the Spring Mile, are rescheduled for Saturday on the same day that Kempton has the Rosebery Handicap and Haydock the Grassroots Chase Final. The Dubai World Cup is run in the evening, our time.
Sunday: Features of the first day at Fairyhouse are the Powers Gold Cup and the Mares’ Novice Hurdle Championship, all the more welcome because we lost the Newbury version on Saturday.
Monday: The Irish Grand National, only six days before Saturday week’s Aintree Grand National, when that man Mullins has the favourite, On His Own, and third favourite Prince Du Beauchene.
I cannot recall a trainer having two of the three Fairyhouse market leaders and two of the first three in the Aintree betting in the same year.
A National double is, literally, on the cards, but the way I see the big three Nationals right now is:
IRISH NATIONAL (Fairyhouse, April 1): White Star Line and Romanesco, trained by Gordon Elliott, who won the Aintree version with Silver Birch (2007).
AINTREE GRAND NATIONAL (Liverpool, April 6): Seabass and Cappa Bleu, third and fourth in last year’s race. My doubles on these two with Captain Bertie in the Lincoln became void when the Lincoln was postponed last week.
SCOTTISH NATIONAL (Ayr, April 20): Nuts N Bolts, a dual winner at Ayr, sixth in the Speciality Chase at Cheltenham, when White Star Line was third. It all hangs together, doesn’t it.
DAQMAN’S BETS
BET 3.4pts win (nap) WEST LEAKE (3.10 Lingfield)
BET 3.8pts win IRENE KENNET (4.40 Lingfield)
BET 2.2pts win and place OGARITMO (5.10 Lingfield)
Daqman’s bets are each staked to win 20 points. To calculate the BETDAQ offer taken at the time the selection was made, divide 20 by the stake.
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