DAQMAN GETS HIS GOLD AT 12-1: With the winner in his 1-2-3 for three consecutive Royal Ascot races yesterday, Daqman came good in no lesser contest than the Gold Cup, via Trip To Paris (WON 12-1), and scored again with a ton-up win and place on Marma’s Boy (3rd 16-1, taken at 18.0 on BETDAQ)
A 2-0 VICTORY OVER PRICEWISE: Both Trip To Paris and Marma’s Boy were tipped against Pricewise selections, giving him a 2-0 lead at the royal meeting and taking him 39-9 ahead (overall 180-82).
FIVE CHANCES FOR THE TON UP: Daqman pledged to go 100 clear of Pricewise at the royal meeting, He has two days left in which to score by another two clear wins. Today’s races in the challenge are 2.30, 3.05, 3.40, 5.0 and 5.35.
NO MOORE SO ROAD IS OPEN FOR FRANKIE
2.30 Royal Ascot (Albany Stakes) I dig and delve into the form, and write half the night, when all you needed for the first three days of Royal Ascot were two magic words. Ryan Moore.
And, when he finally hit some bad luck, hampered on Kingfisher in the Gold Cup, I got my first big winner, Trip To Paris.
Moore’s genius is that triple mix of clear thinking, attention to detail and dedication, plus a poker face the likes of which I haven’t seen since Lester Piggott.
Jockeys usually make space for a horse running through at the finish but, with a Gold Cup at stake, Pat Smullen went deaf on Forgotten Rules and Ryan had to run around for an opening which came too late.
The lesson all meeting is that they want to go up the far side. This gets worse as the week goes on, exacerbated by ‘a result’ on the rail, such as Graham Lee produced on Trip To Paris.
Moore is missing from this opener. Good luck to Graham on French, first runner at Royal Ascot for the late Mel Brittain’s son, Antony.
But I’m bound to pick for second-choice jockey of the moment, Frankie Dettori, with his mount, Laxfield Road, conveniently drawn five, her Wesley Ward stablemate Back At The Ranch middleish in 12.
Is one of them another Acapulco? I doubt that there is another Acapulco! Anywhere in the world.
And there are grounds, from Ward’s own comments in the trade paper, to believe that the wider draw might not hinder Back At The Ranch; that Laxfield Road is the pace horse and ‘Ranch’ is the one to slot across behind the leaders and come with a withering late run. That’s down to Joel Rosario.
Back At The Ranch races from next door to Illuminate, whose sire, Zoffany, has had two big-time two-year-old winners this week already.
In the low numbers, Fireglow is bred for the Triumph Hurdle but showed speed and courage on her debut over 5f and is sure to be in the firing line all the way, a trade horse at 32.0 on BETDAQ this morning.
Daqman’s verdict: Laxfield Road and Fireglow are likely to lead the far side, with Illuminate and Back At The Ranch needing to be tucked in for a late run. I’ll take the Wesley Ward duo, and have a tickle of the big offers surrounding Fireglow.
RIVER NAP AS RYAN KEEPS ROLLING ALONG
3.05 Royal Ascot (King Edward V11 Stakes) The ‘Ascot Derby’ has cut up badly in the firm ground, leaving a handicapper, Stravagante, as paper favourite.
That’s just like Sir Michael Stoute’s last success in this, Hillstar (2013), who didn’t even win his prep handicap.
But Stravagante’s Epsom form got a thumbs down when the third, Taper Tantrum, was only 14th of 17 in the King George V Stakes yesterday.
Stravagante and Ol’ Man River have both seen a distant view of Jack Hobbs this season but Ol’ Man River is a winner three grades higher in a Group 2, and that on firm ground.
Daqman’s verdict: Offers of around 5.0 Ol’ Man River looked tempting on BETDAQ early mouse, and again we are seeing level playing-fields for the punter, with an 103% and 101% orange in the first two races.
HOOT HOT BUT MUHAARAR HUGE ON BETDAQ
3.40 Royal Ascot (Commonwealth Cup) Since we saw Hootenanny do a roadrunner in the Windsor Castle Stakes a year ago, he’s shown his versatility by winning the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (Turf) over a mile at Santa Anita.
I think Ryan Moore will be happy to steam down the centre of the track from stall 14 and leave Limato in the adjacent gate with too much to do.
Adaay beat Jungle Cat and Salt Island at Newbury before turning around the Limato form – therefore, holds Tendu and Profitable – at Haydock. Nicely positioned in stall six.
We can only guess whether El Valle and Goken will act on the firm but another low-drawn, Salt Island’s stablemate, Muhaarar, should be in the van, and is my trade horse of the race at 14.5, since he gets further.
Hootenanny is likely to take the Hannon pair Kool Kompany and Tiggy Wiggy with him down the middle of the course. Tiggy Wiggy and Anthem Alexander are 1-1 in a private duel, which shared two Group-1 races last season.
Daqman’s verdict: Punters don’t give a Hoot for the rest of the field as they pile into the Wesley Ward favourite but Tiggy Wiggy (9.4 this morning in a 103% orange) has been placed in a Classic, Adaay (10.0) has been a grand improver on good ground, and Muhaarar is big at 14.5.
Greenham winner Muhaarar, who can win the far-side race, represents English and Irish Guineas third, Ivawood, on form in two races and, like Hootenanny, has won over further. This could be the key to a fast, fast race.
My order-in is, therefore, Muhaarar 1, Hootenanny 2, Tiggy Wiggy 3, Adaay 4.
FORM LINES INDICATE LUCIDA CORONATION
4.20 Royal Ascot (Coronation Stakes) Surprisingly, just two clear favourites have won in the decade. There were no surprises in that seven out of 10 winners had run in a Guineas, but those crowned queen for the day were mainly 9-2 to 8-1 (seven of them) at SP.
Irish Guineas runner-up Found meets French Guineas winner Ervedya whom she beat in the Marcel Boussac fillies’ championship at Longchamp last autumn.
But we are talking mainly soft ground here, and today’s fast surface points up Jim Bolger’s Lucida, so narrowly beaten by Legatissimo in the Newmarket 1,000.
Daqman’s verdict: Irish Rookie, who would be only three-parts of a length behind Ervedya, in the French 1,000, had been seven lengths or so off Lucida in the Newmarket version. So it’s Lucida for me in a 101% orange.
23.0 AZURITE A FRENCH-RAIDER IN DISGUISE
5.00 Royal Ascot (Duke Of Edinburgh Stakes) There’s not much between Arab dawn, Astronereus, Dashing Star and Watersmeet on two races at Newmarket in May, but Astronereus has the ‘coffin box’ stall one and, as a front runner, Dashing Star may be at a disadvantage from an outside draw.
Igider is lightly raced but has to leap two grades and carry 9lb more than when winning at Doncaster. Ajman Bridge is a regular bridesmaid.
Gold Trail’s close April third to Trip To Paris, giving the Gold Cup win 12lb, looks good now. The ‘disguised’ horse is Azurite, a very promising sort in Ireland before switching to France, where the easier surfaces have not helped his career.
Daqman’s verdict: Gold Trail (13.0) has had a break since an excellent Spring season on AW and can make the transition to turf today. Azurite is big at 23.0 in a 102% orange.
MOORE ALOFT BUT YARROW TOO BIG AT 10.0
5.35 Royal Ascot (Queen’s Vase) Incredible! Only four stables have won this in the century so far: Mark Johnston 7, Aidan O’Brien and Sir Michael Stoute 3 each, Saeed Bin Suroor 2.
That still leaves 40% of the field to sort but the stats say we can rely on the favourite (five out of seven) or nearly so (none in the decade bigger than 7-1 SP).
The race appears to be dominated by the Ballydoyle duo, Aloft and Bantry Bay, Aloft the one with Group-1 form and the choice of Ryan Moore.
But Yarrow is a big price at 10.0 offers as Golan’s half-sister attempts to follow the footsteps of Estimate.
Daqman’s verdict: Yarrow is capable of better than her 10.0 suggests but Aloft is the class horse. I’ve given myself three chances of a win and a place return here.
DAQMAN’S BETS (staked to win 30, unless otherwise stated)
BET 4.5pts win on each BACK AT THE RANCH and LAXFIELD ROAD, and 1pt win and place FIREGLOW (2.30 Royal Ascot)
BANKER BET 20pts win (nap) OL’ MAN RIVER (3.05 Royal Ascot)
BULL’S-EYE BET (to win 50): 3.7pts win and place MUHAARAR, and (win 30) 10pts win HOOTENANNY (3.40 Royal Ascot)
BULL’S-EYE BET (to win 50): 12pts win LUCIDA (4.20 Royal Ascot)
BET 2.5pts win GOLD TRAIL, and 1.35pts win and place AZURITE (5.00 Royal Ascot)
BET 3pts win and place YARROW and (win 20) 8pts win ALOFT (5.35 Royal Ascot)
DAQMAN DAY-FOUR YANKEE (1pt stakes): OL’ MAN RIVER (3.05 R oyal Ascot), MUHAARAR (3.40 Royal Ascot), LUCIDA (4.20 Royal Ascot) and YARROW (5.35 Royal Ascot)
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