FOUR WINNING NAPS OUT OF FIVE: Daqman is one away from his target 110 naps for the year, after Famous Bridge took the Tommy Whittle at Haydock on Saturday. He has now landed four odds-against naps from the last five.
WON 5-2 FAMOUS BRIDGE (Saturday nap, 109 this year)
WON 6-5 DJELO (Friday nap: 108)
WON 15-8 BRAVE KINGDOM (Wednesday nap: 107)
WON 6-4 ARCLIGHT (Tuesday nap: 106)
411 POINTS AHEAD OF PRICEWISE: Famous Bridge gave Daqman a 1-0 Saturday victory over Pricewise, taking the Jumps season score to Daqman 12, Pricewise 3, with the profit and loss: Daqman +221.50, Pricewise -190 to 10pt level stakes.
⭕ 2.30 Kempton (King George V1 Chase) BOXING DAY QUIZ: Name the 13 Paul Nicholls winners of the King George?
If you’ve only got six, you can stop there: See More Business (1997, 1999) won it twice; Kauto Star five times (2006-9 and 2011), Silviniaco Conti twice (2013-14) and Clan Des Obeaux twice (2018-19) and the lone stars were Frodon and last year, Bravemansgame.
1: BRAVEMANSGAME It was always going to be the case that Braveman would be best suited to this double bid of his own.
He likes the easier, pacier 3m of flat-track Kempton, while the big horse, Allaho, has enjoyed the hills and dales of Punchestown and stamina-testing Cheltenham.
Bravemansgame has failed to score since last year’s King George, but will have no excuses today with everything in his favour. Fortune Cookie.
2: ALLAHO Now rated 5lb clear of Braveman, tempting a flood of ante-post money to maintain his record of 11111, including the John Durkan and Ryanair on soft and the Punchestown Gold Cup.
He has a rating of 176, largely thanks to the Punchestown defeat of Clan Des Obeaux (172) and Al Boum Photo (165), but both hit the buffers that day, a dead-end of their careers: Clan hasn’t raced again; Al Boum Photo just the once, pulled up.
3: HEWICK was the new kid on the block in the staying league after winning the Sandown Gold Cup (2022) and the American Grand National.
His rating has slipped since then but he still targets Cheltenham gold rather than the Aintree Grand National. Has to bounce back but the ground will suit and he’s a big player at his best.
Frodon won this in 2020 but was only third last year and has been beaten 11 lengths or more in each of three consecutive Grade-3 this year. Ground has turned in his favour.
The Real Whacker completed a hat-trick when making all in the Brown Advisory. No point in giving the established stars a start, so he may try to shake off at least some of them and make this a true race of champions. Would prefer it soft.
❓ SHISHKIN The bold Henderson hero who won 12 in a row, still standing, has slipped in the ratings – now down to 173 – and faded in racing folklore, after an even-money defeat in the Ryanair and his refusal to race on today’s course the last day.
BOWEN BID FOR ELLIOTT GLORY
⭕ 1.05 Aintree (former Tolworth Hurdle at Sandown) Though it’s a tricky one to bet in, this revamped Tolworth is a ‘must see’, bringing together eight last-day winners and two seconds. The field shows off 27 strikes altogether.
🔺 FORTUNE COOKIE Farren Glory impressed me when winning the prestigious Royal Bond under Jack Kennedy, who is at Leopardstown.
Smart move to book leading jockey Sean Bowen, who is currently 10-31, with 21 of them in the first three. Farren Glory is solo here at Aintree among 28 Gordon Elliott plays on Boxing Day.
Here’s Fergal O’Brien again! His Kamsinas loves his racing: he is top-rated of the English runners, and has the will to win.
IT’S HERMES THE MESSENGER
⭕ 1.20 Kempton (Kauto Star Novices Chase) In recent years has thrown up Gold Cup winner Coneygree (2014) and King George star Bravemansgame (2021).
Braveman’s stable sends out Hermes Allen as the herald of their King George hopes. He has frightened off the Irish challenge but he’s locked on 151:151 ratings with Il Est Francais.
French ace rider James Reveley introduces this six-times Auteuil winner to the Kempton fences.
Il Est Francais, who landed a 2022 Auteuil hurdles four-timer for Tom George is now trained by his son, Noel, and Amanda Zetterholm near Chantilly. He has no form on good ground.
Il Est Francais is 2-2 over fences but steps up to 3m for the first time, as does Hermes Allen, who won the Berkshire Chase on debut over the bigger obstacles, after taking the autumn Ballymore at Cheltenham and the Challow a year earlier.
HOUSTON TEXAS AT THE DOUBLE
⭕ 1.35 Wetherby (Rowland Meyrick Chase) What was so impressive (again!) about Famous Bridge winning the Tommy Whittle on Saturday was that he needed another surge on the run-in, which he supplied no trouble at all.
Now here is the second leg of the planned Nicky Richards’ double which I told you about: FORTUNE COOKIE Houston Texas with a featherweight in this.
He’s getting a stone and more from the top-ratings, Does He Know and Into Overdrive, who have been absent a total of 605 days between them.
Fontaine Collonges is a November winner two years running and the mare’s trainer, Venetia Williams, remained in top form with Vicctorino in the Silver Cup on Saturday, while Fergal O’Brien (Karl Philippe here) bagged the Long Walk via Crambo.
Betdaq Betting Exchange 5.5 Fontaine Collonges, 7.5 Houston Texas
⭕ 1.55 Kempton (Christmas Hurdle) Looks one-sided: Supreme Novice star, then Champion Hurdler, Constitution Hill (six in a row) is 26lb clear of Rubaud (six out of eight).
THE VERY TRACK FOR GERYVILLE
⭕ 2.57 Market Rasen (Lincolnshire National) Gavin Sheehan swerves the ride on Animal here to take up a card full of mounts at Kempton, a popular guy after that December Gold Cup win on Fugitif.
Animal was impressive at Sandown for Suzy Smith the day before her near-namesake, Sue Smith, won easily on this course with O’Connell under Nick Scholfield.
Geryville has had this race as his target again ever since finishing second a year ago. Richie McLernon booked to go one better on the seven-year-old’s favourite surface a t 9.2 on BETDAQ.
Fergal O’Brien is at the forefront again – at a big price this time – with Londen Calling. Primed for this after a summer break and has won on the course.
Inis Oirr shows promise for the trip, and one-time Eider winner Crosspark is still winning just short of his 14th birthday.
PLACE FOR KITTY AT 33-1
⭕ 3.40 Kempton 🔺 FORTUNE COOKIE Kittys Light is known for his staying-chase hat–trick of Eider, Scottish National and Sandown Gold Cup; consequently he’s dismissed as a 130 rating over hurdles, compared to his chase high of 146.
He loves good ground and Gavin Sheehan rides for the first time. Gets weight from class-3 hurdles winners! Worth a pound at 26.0 and 4.3 to be second.
DAQMAN’S BETS
1.05 Aintree (win 20)
BET 6pts win FARREN GLORY
1.20 Kempton (win 12, nap)
BET 7pts win HERMES ALLEN
1.35 Wetherby (win 20 each)
BET 4.4pts win FONTAINE COLLONGES
BET 3pts win HOUSTON TEXAS
2.30 Kempton (win 12)
BET 4.75pts win BRAVEMANSGAME
BET 1pt win HEWICK
2.57 Market Rasen (win 10 total)
BET 1pt win and place GERYVILLE
3.40 Kempton (win 25)
BET 1pt win and place KITTYS LIGHT
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