EIGHT NEEDED FOR DAQMAN TON: Daqman’s target of 100 winning bets in a season against Pricewise got a big boost today, with less than a month left, when the Racing Post man doubled his usual tips to take in four races on the opening day at Newmarket. Daqman responds, with the score Daqman 92, Pricewise 15.
IT’S TWO LAYS UP OUT OF TWO: Daqman’s big-odds Double Whammys of the last two days have produced two successful lays out of two. He laid Bathos (unplaced 4-1) on Wednesday and tipped Viren’s Army WON 5-2 (from 10.0 BETDAQ), then yesterday opposed Grendisar (4th 9-4 favourite) for Merritt Island (2nd 12-1).
14.0 TERESAR THE ALTERNATIVE TO QUIET START
1.35 Newmarket (Cornwallis Stakes) This Group 3 rarely goes to the big yards, and they seem to have shunned it altogether this time around.
One or all of front-runners Adham, Teresar and Willytheconqueror are expected to make it a fast-run race.
Strictly on form, there’s nothing between Quiet Reflection and Shadow Hunter, since both have finished around seven lengths behind Besharah.
Both have won only Listed races to date: Quiet Reflection beat Field Of Vision, Promised Money, Rosina and Willytheconqueror in the Harry Rosebery at Ayr; York winner Shadow Hunter holds Kurland, Adham and Calypso Choir.
Shadow Hunter flopped in a first-time hood, tackling Group 1 on the last day but that was 6f and she’s back to the minimum here without the hood.
VERDICT: Teresar will take some catching and, if the ground dries out, six-lengths firm-ground winner, Calypso Choir. But that’s an ‘if’, and there’s also a question-mark against Shadow Hunter who must bounce back.
So Quiet Reflection is the most likely winner, Teresar the best outsider at 14.0 on BETDAQ this morning. Teresar’s trainer, Henry Candy, won this with Amour Propre seven years ago after a similar low-level start, and favourites have failed to score since.
I’ll respond to the Pricewise attack by laying his tip, Zebstar,for a place, from a yard being over ambitious. making Quiet Reflection a banker (after all it’s 14.5 bar one this morning) and taking Teresar as my outsider.
TRUST IN STOUTE BUT NOT A HORSE TO FOLLOW
2.05 Newmarket (Oh So Sharp Stakes) Not normally anywhere near a Classic trial, but Andre Fabre used it as a stepping-stone for the 1,000 Guineas winner Miss France (2013) to see how she fared at HQ. She fared tres, tres bien!
Sir Michael Stoute took it back to back (2009-10) but neither filly was able to win another race – ditto Team Hannon’s scorer in 2008 – so don’t expect much of this lot, with none of them entered up.
Reading between the lines, therefore, I imagine Sir Michael will be very keen to land this Group race and get some black type for Queen’s Trust on behalf of Cheveley Park or Diploma for the Queen. Or both. Also from the top drawer are Alamode and First Victory.
VERDICT: Queen’s Trust (3.75 favourite on BETDAQ this morning) and Alamode (12.5 offers) stand out on breeding, and the fabulous 102% BETDAQ orange allows me to back both.
2.20 York The 9.2 the field (Quick Wit) on BETDAQ this morning tells it all, with eight runners separated by only 2.3 points in the orange! I am only getting involved to shadow Pricewise.
His selection, Gabrial’s Kaka, is down more than a stone after 18 consecutive defeats, but the same stable’s Imshivalla and Spirit The Law are the York CD winners.
I fancy the lightly raced Quick Wit for a yard that’s won this twice in recent years. They’re pulling out all the stops on him here, claimed off and visored first time.
MARKAZ MIGHT JUST FIND THE IMPROVEMENT
2.40 Newmarket (Challenge Stakes) After his successes on the stable’s Covert Love and Gifted Master last week, Pat Smullen is over to ride three for Hugo Palmer, starting here with Ascription, a bit unlucky at Goodwood at this level and on this ground behind Toormore.
Then he was the ‘moral’, beaten three parts of a length giving weight to the winner at Newbury on the last day.
Last year’s winner, Here Comes When (Breton Rock third) was also just pipped on the soft at Goodwood – ground he loves – and was fourth there in the Sussex Stakes.
Three-year-olds are five out of eight in this but it must be last-chance saloon for Belardo, the Dewhurst (soft) winner who has so disappointed this term, albeit getting less than two lengths off Gleneagles in the Irish 2,000 Guineas. Defeat here and it’s hurdling at Plumpton!
It may be last chance, too, for Markaz (6.0 offers), if he is to win for Barry Hills, as the trainer’s career comes close to its close. Markaz has been around three lengths off the winner in each of three Group 2s this season.
Last time he encountered some cut he was the leader on sufferance when beaten by Coulsty, Breton Rock and Cable Bay at Newbury. Coulsty is an in-and-out performer and was subsequently behind Markaz and Breton Rock at Doncaster.
VERDICT: Nine of the 10 runners are rated 110-112. We desperately need an improver and the three-year-old Markaz might score for Barry Hills, who has won this race six times, five of them with the Classic generation.
ROWLEY MILE WILL SUIT COOLMORE’S STRIDE
3.10 Newmarket (Fillies Mile) John Gosden has got the easy surface, which produced a seven-lengths demolition job from Nathra at Newbury.
But he hasn’t got the easy task he hoped, with Minding in the field, making this an early Classic-contenders clash between Ballydoyle and the Newmarket champion stable.
It’s 2-2 between them in this race since 2005, when Gosden’s Nannina beat Aidan O’Brien’s Alexandrova in a photo-finish.
However, as I understand it, Minding’s Curragh turning over of hot-pot Ballydoyle, who had beaten her earlier was down to ground preference, with Ballydoyle needing the going on top.
Both fillies have only really raced in a match of stablemates, so it’s hard to measure their merit.
O’Brien makes life more difficult for the punter, with Coolmore also in the field. When, on the last day at the Curragh, she reversed earlier form, her long, powerful stride was impressive.
The progressive Promising Run had Hawksmoorenearly five lengths behind when booking her place in today’s field.
VERDICT: It’s the 1,000 Guineas come early, with only Ballydoyle missing of what form we know so far.
You can only support what you see and, gun to my head, in this very competitive field, I think Coolmore – sister to Guineas winners Gleneagles and Marvellous – is on the right track to show that devouring stride of hers. I took 8.0.
BETDAQ BETS (staked to win 30 points, except the triple whammy)
TRIPLE WHAMMY: LAY 3pts for a place ZEBSTAR and BANKER BET 20pts win (nap) QUIET REFLECTION, plus 2pts win and place TERESAR (1.35 Newmarket)
BET 10pts win QUEEN’S TRUST and 2.6pts win and place ALAMODE (2.05 Newmarket)
BET 3.5pts win and place QUICK WIT (2.20 York)
BET 6pts win MARKAZ (2.40 Newmarket)
BET 4.2pts win COOLMORE (3.10 Newmarket)
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