DAQMAN STRIKES GOLD: 236 POINTS IN THREE DAYS: Daqman yesterday continued his Royal Ascot romp, with three more wins including the Gold Cup with one bet. That’s eight hits in all at the meeting, two at 16-1 and 10-1, for an overall profit of 236 points.
Royal Ascot Thursday
WON 5-1 SHANG SHANG SHANG (Norfolk Stakes)
WON 5-1 HUNTING HORN (Hampton Court Stakes)
WON 7-4 STRADIVARIUS (Ascot Gold Cup)
Royal Ascot Wednesday
WON 16-1 SETTLE FOR BAY (Hunt Cup, 18.0 BETDAQ)
WON 11-2 POET’S WORD (Prince Of Wales’s Stakes)
Royal Ascot Tuesday
WON 10-1 LAGOSTOVEGAS (Ascot Stakes at 12.0 BETDAQ)
WON 9-4 WITHOUT PAROLE (St James Palace Stakes, nap)
WON 2-1 CALYX (Coventry Stakes)
BIG-RACE LEVEL-STAKES PROFIT NOW ON 54 POINTS: With two days to go, Daqman leads 5-2 for the Ascot meeting over Pricewise of the Racing Post, with their totals now 36-11 for wins, with a 144-point gap between them. (Daqman +54 profit, Pricewise loss of -90). That’s a massive level-stakes profit to a point per bet on all feature races nominate by Pricewise himself.
WONDERFUL DAY FOR BALLYDOYLE
2.30 Royal Ascot (Albany Stakes) The draw has been to high numbers on the straight course all week and just look at this affirmation from the results by stall of the Albany in the last decade: 13, 13, 14, 14, 12, 20, 17, 13, 16, 13.
The hope for the low numbers is that another Wesley Ward flyer, Stillwater Cove from gate 4, will give them a good tow, and that may well happen.
But, as I said yesterday, my man in the long (prairie) grass wanted Shang Shang Shang, with the follow up Moonlight Romance in Saturday’s Windsor Castle, not Stillwater Cove, though Wesley Ward claims to be ‘excited’ about this one, too.
And it may all play into the hands of Aidan O’Brien, who has Fairyland to follow Stillwater Cove (drifted to 20.0 this mor ning), her reputation a little bit boosted by Land Force’s third to Shang Shang Shang yesterday after their first and third in the Marble Hill (the second horse home, Van Beethoven, also runs in the Windsor Castle tomorrow).
Drawn middle-to-high is Fairyland’s stablemate, Just Wonderful (in 10), related on the dam’s side to Sea The Stars and Galileo.
The market agrees with me that it’s between the O’Brienduo. I’ll assume that Fairyland gets a good tow and take the 4.5 (she beat seven colts in the Marble Hill) but it could just as easily be a Wonderful start to the day for Ballydoyle.
RAA RAA! DETTORI VALUE FOR 6.0
2.30 Royal Ascot (King Edward V11 Stakes) This Ascot Derby was won most conspicuously in recent years by Nathaniel, who went on to take the King George five weeks later.
His trainer, John Gosden, saddles Raa Atoll today, by Sea The Stars out of a Sadlers Wells mare. Could have run in the Queens Vase but this shorter trip is preferred.
Aidan O’Brien, who won the Vase, tries to get them off the bridle here, with Derby sixth Delano Roosevelt and Dee Stakes winner Rostropovich (French Derby also-ran) ready to pounce off a strong pace set for them by Giuseppe Garibaldi.
Old Persian is stepping into the unknown after racing over 1m 2f, so it’s down to 6.0 BETDAQ value offer Raa Atoll and Frankie Dettori to stop Ballydoyle. He doesn’t lack stamina; in fact, his dam is Rostropovich’s sister!
SIOUX NATION IS THE BRAVE NAP
3.40 Royal Ascot (Commonwealth Cup) Are we still looking for a high draw? It would seem that way. If so, it’s a worry for my ante-post bet Eqtidaar, as well as for the favourite Equilateral, who is getting rave notices from the Hills encampment. At least I’ve got some ‘overs’ Eqtidaar, in to 13.0 this morning.
But stall 15 is a boost for another O’Brien ‘monster’ today, Sioux Nation, reckoned good enough to run in the Kings Stand and, next, the Nunthorpe.
Then Aidan O’Brien decided to be kind to him, swerving the Kings Stand and keeping him in his own age group for now.
In the event, Blue Point won the Kings Stand off 115. Sioux Nation, 5.0 favourite this morning on BETDAQ, races off 114 today, which makes Sands Of Mali (116 ) the main danger. Both are drawn high.
CLEMMIE CAN GET HER REVENGE
4.20 Royal Ascot (Coronation Stakes)
It’s another ladies day! The Coronation Stakes has stolen the fourth-day limelight from the Commonwealth Cup, by bringing together the winners of the English, Irish and French 1,000 Guineas. My order in:
1 Clemmie Cheveley Park winner, not given a hard time in the Irish 1,000, as she was behind in her work. Aidan O’Brien has taken everything else out of this race. I got 7.0 on BETDAQ.
2 Alpha Centauri The runner-up to her in the Irish 1,000 was this week’s Jersey Stakes third Could It Be Love. In third place at the Curragh was Happily, beaten two and a half lengths, almost identical to her Newmarket 1,000 third to Billesden Brook.
3 Billesdon Brook Her Newmarket 1,000 Guineas win looks better as the weeks go buy, with runner-up Laurens winning the Prix de Diane and the fourth filly, Wild Illusion, second in yesterday’s Ribblesdale.
But, having had a run, Billesdon Brook was further forward than runner-up Laurens, who has now overtaken her in my opinion, and Clemmie, who was down the field.
What’s worrying about Billesden Brook today is the poor form of her stable (striking at 8%). Worse still, the Hannon horses have been any price you like in the last couple of days: 11-1, 12-1, 14-1, 22-1, 25-1, and 33-1 (twice); nothing expected from them at all!
4 Veracious Here’s yet another potential improver from Sir Michael Stoute, a daughter of Frankel not seen out yet this season. One of my Fortune Cookies, cited when she was reckoned the Guineas winner until a minor setback.
5 Coeur De Beaute Might have beaten Teppal in the French 1,000 Guineas but badly drawn and had to race in the rear, finishing strongly.
Teppal Winner of the French 1,000 Guineas (beating Coeur de Beaute a short-neck) but form let down by all, except the sixth filly home, Musis Amica, who stepped up to run second to Laurens in the Prix de Diane.
Threading Behind Clemmie last year but impressive in winning the Michael Seely at York in May by seven lengths.
Whitefountainfairy Second to Billesdon Brook last year and scored first run back. Big outsider.
Anna Nerium seventh in the Newmarket 1,000 but looking exposed
Aim of Artemis Related to Abingdon and going back to Islington. Easy win on the July Course a fortnight back.
Adorable Another nice sort who could improve for a stable in form.
HERE’S A DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH
5.00 Royal Ascot (Sandringham Stakes) The Britannia yesterday followed the trend all week against low numbers on the far side, with the first five home by stall 15, 33, 9, 19, 28. The winner came up the stands’ rail.
The last six Sandringhams are an affirmation of the high draw syndrome: stalls 18, 3, 22, 14, 17 and 11 have won it.
Desert Diamond, from 19, scored on the straight course at York and is on the upgrade for a stable in form at Ascot this week.
And the one Celidh’s Dream (22) beat first run back has scored twice in Listed events since (her Ralph Beckett stablemate Di Fede may be stretched by the mile, and is drawn 3).
Hence is in a tougher mile than when they worried about her getting it at the Curragh, and she’s drawn 7 but Broadway, rejected by Ryan More in favour of Hence, is by a half-sister to Arc and King George winner Danedream. Right next door in stall 8.
Ed Walker has dropped out of form in. the last fortnight (0-32) so I cant get enthusiastic about Agrotera, though she should reverse her defeat by Dathanna at the weights.
Roger Varian (Qazyna) has been scoring only at the lower-grade tracks this year. I took 11.5 Desert Diamond and 16.5 Celidh’s Dream
THUNDERING FINISH TO DAY FOUR
5.35 Royal Ascot (Duke Of Edinburgh Stakes) Horses over the age of five have won this only twice in 30 years, with four-year-olds winning 20 times.
And for nine consecutive years the winner has come from stalls 10 to 22, despite the usual bias cited for low numbers on the turn.
Yesterday’s King George V Handicap over CD went to stall 16 from stall 12
Dash of Spice (stall 14) won with authority at Epsom but is up 11lb, and Thundering Blue (an 8.2 BETDAQ offer) could overtake him on the revised weight since they both ran in the City And Suburban.
Sir Chauvelin is the wild card at 47.0. He will relish the fast pace. I doubt he’ll win at age six but he will be going on at the finish.
DAQMAN’S BETS
2.30 Royal Ascot (win 20)
BET 5.75pts win FAIRYLAND
BET 2.25pts win (stakes saver) JUST WONDERFUL
3.05 Royal Ascot (win 30)
BET 6pts win RAA ATOLL
BET 2.25pts win (stakes saver) DELANO ROOSEVELT
3.40 Royal Ascot (win 30)
BET 7.5pts win (nap) SIOUX NATION
BET 4.25pts place EQTIDAAR (saver to ante-post win bet*)
4.20 Royal Ascot (win 30)
BET 6pts win CLEMMIE
5.00 Royal Ascot (win 30)
BET 3pts win DESERT DIAMOND
BET 2pts win CEILIDH’S DREAM
5.35 Royal Ascot (win 50 and win 30)
BULL’S-EYE BET 1pt win and place SIR CHAUVELIN
BET 4pts win THUNDERING BLUE
ANTE-POST*
TON-UP BET 5.75pts win EQTIDAAR (3.40 Ascot 18.0 BETDAQ)
FORTUNE COOKIES
3.40 EQTIDAAR
4.20 VERACIOUS
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