ZAM! WINNER-A-DAY DAQMAN DOES THREE-CARD TRICK AGAIN: Daqman’s midweek staking ploy of three bets a day has scored three in a row with a winner a day since Tuesday at 11-2, 9-4 and 5-6 (nap). Today big-time racing and staking returns at Cheltenham.
Daqman Thursday
WON 9-4 ZAMBELA
Daqman Wednesday
WON 11-2 CASIMIR DU CLOS (from 9.8 BETDAQ)
Daqman Tuesday
WON 5-6 LORD OF KERAK (nap)
NECK AND NECK (ON THE LINE!) WITH DAQMAN 8, PRICEWISE 8: It’s quality stuff at Cheltenham today, with the winter Gold Cup tomorrow, alongside Triumph Hurdle and Albert Bartlett tests and the International Hurdle. Don’t miss BETDAQ Value Saturday. Today’s headlines, with Daqman 8, Pricewise 8, neck and neck in their big-race challenge:
🔹 COMBINED BID TO HIT A BULL’S-EYE
🔹 TOP-MAN SCU DOES IT FOR ADARE..
🔹 FANION FANS WORRY ABOUT NICKY
🔹 TACTICS FAVOUR MAID IN WAITING
🔹 BEAU MAY BE THE NEW BALTHAZAR
COMBINED BID TO HIT A BULL’S EYE
⭕ 12.40 Cheltenham Tegerek was winner and third over this course in the autumn but it’s cost him an 11lb rise.
He is weighted to run a dead-heat with his Taunton conqueror in March, Nordic Combined, but I thought the winner took it comfortably, and the form was boosted yesterday by the third horse home, Mount Windsor.
Benny’s Bridge was only sixth behind Tegerek when he won at Cheltenham but it was Benny’s first run back and he was hampered by a faller. He had won the race first time out the previous autumn.
Breffniboy is unbeaten in his last three starts at a handicapping cost of 23lb which has put him up a grade. Sarasota Star is in an almost identical situation.
There was plenty of room to spread my stake this morning, BETDAQ BETTING EXCHANGE. gave me 9.3 Bennys Bridge and 12.0 Nordic Combined for bull’s-eye bets.
TOP-MAN SCU DOES IT FOR ADARE..
⭕ 1.15 Cheltenham Agent Valdez was a 28-lengths winner at Leicester in a field of 13, but she is well flattered by that, her only success under Rules, because, in fact, Valdez beat only one other still standing; the rest of the field mainly pulled up. Yet the mare gets a 7lb penalty! All you can do is win, I suppose.
Arian goes for a hat-trick, up a stone, but with no wins before or after those strikes for any of the placed horses, including the second and third at Warwick, Nikap and Martila, who are back in contention today.
No reinforcement, too, for Black Tulip’s form and I’m not sure the step back in trip will suit; race readers report that she could get 3m.
Victor Dartnall’s only winner recently was ridden by Tom Scudamore, who rides the tough tracks with genius: witness his Ladbrokes Trophy success with Cloth Cap (Newbury), Aintree victory on Kateson at 11-1, and a battle won at Wincanton at 7-1.
I reckon there’s a ‘hidden horse’ in his mount, Sweet Adare, who has raced over the minimum trip since breaking her maiden over around 2m 4f. Her breeding all shouts that trip, and the BETDAQ 10.8 this morning was ‘big.’
FANION FANS WORRY ABOUT NICKY
⭕ 1.50 Cheltenham (Peterborough Chase) Top Notch goes for a hat-trick, after hop-scotching from 2017’s strike to 2019; he didn’t run in 2018.
In fact, one of those Peterboroughs was run at Taunton and one where it should be at Huntingdon; now it has been postponed again, this time to Cheltenham. So Top Notch could win the same race on three different tracks!
His trainer, tricky Nicky Henderson – a young man of 70 – also runs Mister Fisher, whom he’s quoted as saying ‘is in fabulous form,’ and is Nico De Boinville’s preferred.
Henderson said that the ‘soft’ ground didn’t suit him the last day, though he won on ‘soft’ at Cheltenham a year ago.
Snag is there are two courses at Cheltenham and, as I was saying the other day, several different ‘softs.’ The ‘good to soft’ forecast today could be to his advantage.
It will also suit Clondaw Castle, who is 2-3 this year, rated a 10lb better horse than last season, but never able to reach the frame in three tries at Cheltenham, old course and new.
Fanion d’Estruval was beaten only about two lengths trying to give weight to Magic Saint (2m) on a good-to-soft day which suited the Saint, a winner at Newbury in similar conditions. Up in trip today, but with a pedigree packed with stayers.
Kalashnikov seems to go on any ground, though his best form is at Newbury and Aintree, and he’s not easy to win with.
So, too, Dolos who has been disappointing, and is put back up to 2m 4f. His problem is revealed in the bridesmaid profile of FOURTEEN seconds and thirds against six wins.
I took 5.6 Fanion d’Estruval and 5.9 Mister Fisher on BETDAQ. I can’t face the Henderson grin if I miss Mister; but, equally, he could come out on Top and have the last laugh!
TACTICS FAVOUR MAID IN WAITING
⭕ 2.25 Cheltenham Black Corton’s brilliant novice career produced an autumn double at Cheltenham in 2017. That and top-handicap places last year has him giving away the weight, second at Kempton, fourth twice at Ascot since.
Court Maid ducks a portion of her 12lb rise for a marathon win at Fairyhouse recently and gets 12lb from Black Corton.
Commodore usually needs a break between races. West Approach and Potters Legend come close together on their first and third here over a furlong further a year or so back.
Storm Control’s win here last month hasn’t worked out but he’s likely to try to try to make all again, with the cheekpieces first time suggesting that Black Corton won’t be far behind.
That could set it up for a waiting game by Court Maid, who was heavily backed with bookmakers last night and 2.75 on BETDAQ this morning.
BEAU MAY BE THE NEW BALTHAZAR
⭕ 3.00 Cheltenham (Glenfarclas cross-country) When Easysland won this last year, on the way to beating Tiger Roll in March, Out Sam (3rd), Neverushacon (5th) and Kingswell Theatre (6th) finished behind.
Out Sam, who was also third the previous year, has the best of the weights but his 1-31 strike rate since success as a novice in 2016 suggests that he’s a plodder and you need a big price.
Neverushacon is 211 in banks races at Punchestown up to 3m 1f (holds Some Neck) but 00 over today’s marathon trip at Cheltenham.
Kingswell Theatre won the November Glenfarclas for the second time last month (made all). Good ground is the key to him, and doing the November-December Glenfarclas double is a tall order.
At 8.2 on BETDAQ this morning, Beau Du Brizais is from the Philip Hobbs’ stayers emporium which won this in the decade with Lacdoudal and Balthazar King (twice).
Beau’s second to Kingswell Theatre in the November leg of the marathon double (Vivas behind) was his first try in a cross-country.
He was a long way out of the weights that day but here is 5lb better off with Kingswell and jockey Michael Nolan is entitled to feel a lot more confident in his approach to the race.
Step Back gave Beau Du Brizais 2lb and a beating by three lengths in the Desert Orchid Silver Cup at Wincanton but is 8lb worse off today.
My Hometown (1-22 over fences) was second in this race in 2018 but his sole success came on firm ground over the Punchestown banks at 3m.
De Forgotten Man is a half-brother to Sussex National winner, The Two Amigos but, as a front-runner first time in a cross-country, hooded and tongue-tied, would be an unlikely winner.
Defi des Carres won on the minor cross-country circuit in France and is another who likes to be up there. Has joined Charlie Mann who is out of form: just one chase winner this season (1-29). So best watched.
DAQMAN’S BETS
12.40 Cheltenham (win 50)
BULL’S-EYE BET: 5.75pts win BENNY’S BRIDGE
BULL’S-EYE BET: 4.5pts win NORDIC COMBINED
1.15 Cheltenham (win 20)
BET 2pts win SWEET ADARE
1.50 Cheltenham (win 20 each)
BET 4.25pts win FANION D’ESTRUVAL
BET 4pts win MISTER FISHER
2.25 Cheltenham (win 10, nap)
BET 5.75pts win COURT MAID
3.00 Cheltenham (win 50)
BULL’S-EYE BET 7pts win BEAU DU BRIZAIS
What are points? Points facilitate a staking plan, which is the secret to creating profit. One point is whatever you choose: a pound, a euro, or whatever ….
Start with a bank and decide how much you can afford to lose over a period of time, and determine the size of your bets accordingly. Daqman makes this variation every day.
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