BIG-RACE DOUBLE FOR DAQMAN: Daqman was L’Homme Presse (‘man in a hurry’) again yesterday: the king of the tipsters won three times in two big Kempton races, with 7-1 winner and 14-1 third in the King George and one bet, one winner, in the Christmas Hurdle.
WON 5-6 CONSTITUTION HILL (Christmas Hurdle)
WON 7-1 BANBRIDGE (King George Chase)
WON (3rd 14-1) L’HOMME PRESSE (w/p same race)
HAT-TRICK OF NAPS: Constitution Hill made it a hat-trick of naps for Daqman and six out of the last eight (see yesterday’s list).
WON 5-6 CONSTITUTION HILL (Boxing Day supernap)
WON 8-11 ZHANG FEI (Sunday nap)
WON 5-2 VICTTORINO (Saturday nap)
NICHOLLS HAS THE LIKELY LASS
⭕ 1.20 Kempton It’s hard to fault Nicky Henderson after yesterday’s return of Constitution Hill but Nico De Boinville gets my accolade for a stealthy ride against an over-exuberant four-year-old rival, Burdett Road, while Lossiemouth looked badly in need of the 2m 4f+ that has given her a hat-trick.
Today’s task for Nicky and Nico with Pawapuri (best form on soft-heavy) is to give 13lb to a Paul Nicholls’ rival, Larchmont Lass. Nether has won over 3m.
But Nicholls was surprised how well Larchmont Lass did on a sound surface over 2m 5f at Wincanton and and was adamant that ‘she’s got loads of stamina.’
The three below her are effectively given overweight, pushed out of the handicap by West Balboa, ridden by an inexperienced amateur who must keep front-runner Della Casa Lunga in her sights. It’s a fascinating race.
18.0 RUBAUD UNDERESTIMATED
⭕ 1.55 Kempton (Wayward Lad Novices’ Chase) Willie Mullins wanted to see whether Lossiemouth should switch to the Mares Hurdle or could handle Constitution Hill a Cheltenham, which she may well do on a tougher track with an uphill finish.
Today he has Ballyburn take a look at another Henderson star (Sir Gino), this time in the two-mile novice-chase division.
But Nicholls insists that Rubaud (‘a fantastic horse, brilliant jumper’) is a contender despite lagging behind in the ratings, and he likes good ground.
Coming here with Ballyburn is a change of heart by Mullins: the 162-rated has won most of his races at half a mile further.
Sir Gino whe beat Lump Sum in the Fighting Fifth didn’t get much of a boost from that one yesterday and must return to the form of his 10-lengths defeat of Burdett Road at Cheltenham but that’s almost a year back.
I can’t find an edge between the favourites, or in backing both, so I’ll have a little flutter at 18.0 Rubaud on BETDAQ, value in a four-horse race.
At 3.5 in the BETDAQ place market, I could get better odds Rubaud for two places than either of the two main protagonists for a win.
MARTATOR CAN MASTER THEM
⭕ 2.30 Kempton (Desert Orchid Chase) Editeur du Gite goes for a hat-trick in this but, apart from another 10-year-old, Edwardstone, has to beat a young set today.
They were all aged eight or nine last year but this time around Paul Nicholls and Lucinda Russell are saddling six-year-olds, Sans Bruit and Traprain Law; and Venetia Williams has a young five-time winner who hasn’t been out of the frame in his last 10 starts.
That’s Martator (pictured below), aged seven, who has in his favour success over 2m 4f twice. He was able to make all dropped back to 2m 1f at Ascot three times but was equally effective held up there the last twice on good ground.
Sans Bruit was 11 lengths behind Martator the last day, while Boothill (favourite when fell last year) and Edwardstone – both stepping out of the shadow of Jonbon – have to concede 9lb and 12lb respectively to the selection.
WHERE IS THE WELSH EXPRESS
🏴 2.50 Chepstow (Welsh Grand National): ‘Local’ stables win this: previous winning trainers with runners today include Kerry Lee, Jonjo O’Neill, Colin Tizzard, Venetia Williams and Sam Thomas, who saddles two today including his 2021 star Iwilldo.
My Christmas Eve survey revealed that 16 winners of today’s National this century were trained between 25 and 78 miles of the Chepstow racecourse.
The nine trainers to qualify today on distance traveled are (morning prices on Betdaq Betting Exchange):
9.90 JUBILEE EXPRESS (Sam Thomas, Lisvane 29 miles)
16.6 IWILLDOIT (Sam Thomas, Lisvane 29 miles)
16.0 FONTAINE COLLONGES (Venetia Wiliams, Kings Caple 30 miles)
9.90 IRON BRIDGE (Jonjo O’Neill; Cheltenham 43 miles)
11.5 MONBEG GENIUS (Jonjo O’Neill; Cheltenham 43 miles)
134. CLASSIC CONCORDE (David Brace, Bridgend 47 miles)
240. AMATEUR (John and Rhys Flint, Bridgend 47 miles)
9.90 ATLANTA BRAVE (Kerry Lee, Byton Presteigne 55 miles)
19.5 THE NEWEST ONE (Nigel Twiston-Davies, Naunton 66 miles)
10.0 GALIA DES LITEAUX (Dan Skelton, Alcester 70 miles)
26.0 NO HUBS NO HOOBS (Joe Tizzard, 78 miles)
FORM: The mare Fontaine Collonges won the Rowland Meyrick and the London Grand National but faded at the finish over further in the Warwick Classic (3m 5f in January) when Galia Des Liteaux was runner-up.
She won at Haydock in November (soft) from long-time-absent Monbeg Genius, third in the Ultima and December Gold Cup of 2023.
Stablemate of previous winner Iwilldoit, Jubilee Express won (3m 4f+) at Haydock in March.
Though off 282 days since, Jubilee Express was the morning punt, now ridden by the smart claimer Dylan Johnson who was last year aboard runner-up Iron Bridge.
Irish challenger Where It All Began has been absent 270 days but went 16 lengths clear on the run-in at Punchestown to take the 3m 3f Grand National Trial.
VERDICT: There’s a strong squad of young lightweights: Jubilee Express, Iron Bridge and Where It All Began, gifted by BETDAQ layers at 15.0 BETDAQ.
DAQMAN’S BETS
1.20 Kempton (win 20)
BET 5pts win LARCHMONT LASS
1.55 Kempton (win 17, place win 10)
BET 1pt win 4pts place RUBAUD
2.30 Kempton (win 20, nap)
BET 10pts win MARTATOR
2.50 Chepstow (win-50 bull’s-eye bets)
BET 5pts win IRON BRIDGE
BET 5pts win JUBILEE EXPRESS
BET 3.3pts win and place WHERE IT ALL BEGAN
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