RACING CAN DO WITHOUT FLOPS LIKE THIS: The Gold Cup winner 31 lengths in rear, seventh of eight finishers. That was the big–race story in the mud at Leopardstown yesterday, hard on the heels of the Kempton demise of Bristol De Mai in the King George. It’s a year end racing could without, says Daqman.
THREE BETS AT LEOPARDSTOWN: DAQMAN has three Friday bets on the final day of the Leopardstown Christmas Festival.
OH NO, JOHN, NO! TWO STINKERS
One stinker, and we say ‘that’s racing.’ But TWO from TWO star horses in TWO major races in THREE days, and we need some official explanations.
BRISTOL DE MAI flopped in the King George. The form book will say: Should have been helped by the easing ground and didn’t have to work at all to lead. Therefore it was highly disappointing to see him finish the race the way he did, capitulating after a blunder three out.’
SIZING JOHN beaten more than 30 lengths, seventh of eight finishers in the Leopardstown Christmas Chase yesterday. Never really travelling, despite being firm in the market, closed in to a shade of odds on from around evens and better.
Bristol De Mai (winner of the Charlie Hall and the Lancashire Chase) appeared to have improved an official stone and will still be only seven years old on Monday.
Sizing John is just seven now, his rating hiked 20lb for five consecutive victories including, of course, the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
Horses are not machines and the ground has been bad but this big-race double is one you couldn’t write the script for.. You couldn’t bet on it.
I’m keeping an open mind and both remain in my Fortune Cookies and horses to follow lists, which have two runners at the turn of the year. Ainchea and Aristo de Plessis are both expected to race on Monday, which is New Year’s Day.
AINCHEA The 155,000euros buy has a potent blend of speed and stamina, and overcame an inexperienced jump or two at Sandown and kept to the far rail in the home straight. He pinged the last and kept responding to prevail. Due to run Cheltenham Monday.
ARISTO DE PLESSIS will be going for a hat-trick when he lines up at Musselburgh on Monday.
Fortune Cookies: Ainchea, Blaklion, Billionaire, Buveur d’Air, Bristol de Mai, Cracking Smart, Next Destination, Politologue, Sizing John
Horses To Follow: Al Boum Photo, Aristo De Plessis, Forest Bihan, Jers Girl, Lady Karina, Le Breuil, O O Seven, Ravenhill Road, Shoal Bay.
MAX PLACE BET
The final day of the Leopardstown Christmas Festival which has thrown up as many questions as it has answers so far.
There’s been rain overnight at Leopardstown with the ground now soft on the hurdles course. It could ride testing given it’s had a lot of racing this week and more rain is forecast throughout the afternoon.
12.50 Leopardstown Ballyward has been off the course for over a year but this is never usually a negative for the Willie Mullins stable.
He was such an impressive winner of a bumper at this meeting last year that his chance is hard to ignore on his hurdling debut. He started 9/10 favourite for his debut under Rules and stayed on well to win by 16 lengths on ground that was yielding to soft.
Mortal looks the danger – he is a Limerick bumper winner who made a promising jumping debut at Naas but then was subsequently a faller at Gowran Park. He set out to make the running that day and was just headed at the last by the favourite Carter Mckay but would have still finished well clear of the third horse. Similar front running tactics can be expected today.
The Jessica Harrington trained Someday is also on a recovery mission having fallen at Fairyhouse last time out when starting to get competitive three out in a big field maiden hurdle but this looks a much hotter contest with the winner likely to go on to much bigger and better things.
3.05 Leopardstown Joseph O’Brien can do little wrong and even spotted a winning opportunity in the final race at Lingfield yesterday! Mischievious Max has been well backed for the stable in this competitive two and a half mile handicap hurdle and he can gain a decent prize reward for his recent consistency.
Certainly a reproduction of his recent Cheltenham second should prove good enough for a place at worst off the same handicap mark with Shane Shortall taking off a valuable 3lb. He looks a solid win and place bet.
3.35 Leopardstown Joseph again! The Gunner Murphy stayed on well at Galway to make a winning debut on soft ground and should improve sufficiently to go in again.
Daly Tiger was a fair second to the odds on Real Steel last time out and looks the danger as the Willie Mullins trained Minella Encore made hard work of landing the odds on debut at Fairyhouse.
DAQMAN’S BETS (all staked to win 20 points including place bet):
BET 12.9pts win (nap) BALLYWARD (12.50 Leopardstown)
BET 3.5pts win and 13.3pts place MISCHIEVIOUS MAX (3.05 Leopardstown)
BET 10.0pts win THE GUNNER MURPHY (3.35 Leopardstown)
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