DAQMAN’S 2025 NAPS OFF THE MARK: Daqman’s naps were back in the winner’s enclosure on Day 2 of the New Year with Alright Dai (WON 11-5 and 3.6 XSP on BETDAQ).
ALL ROADS MEET AT CHELTENHAM: This column will be following the big-time trainers in the weeks leading to Cheltenham, where all their aces will meet. Today he sets the scene.
DAQMAN GIVES UP: Enough is enough – I hoped to bring a bet or two from Musselburgh’s jumps card but the course have repeatedly called further inspections with the third one scheduled for just 27 minutes before the first race!
NOT SO NAAS NEWS: The big card at Naas on Sunday is subject to a 7.30am inspection on raceday. The card includes the Lawlor’s of Naas Novice Hurdle.
NOT SO EASY FOR MULLINS NOW
WILLIE, won’t he win again? It’s set to be the big debating point before the 2025 Cheltenham Festival, overshadowing all else.
And the Cheltenham title is likely to decide the favourite for overall champion on the British scene, won by Willie Mullins last season in a late run to the line, beating Dan Skelton and Paul Nicholls, the 10 times former champion.
This season, a month before Christmas, Mullins trained the favourites of 12 of the festival races for March 2025.
But Venetia Williams, Nicky Henderson and Joseph O’Brien in particular have captured the headlines since.
Mullins (7) still leads but only three clear now of Gordon Elliott (4), followed by Henderson (3), O’Brien (2), Williams (2), Gavin Cromwell (2) and Emmet Mullins (2).
At the same time, his challenge to the Champion Hurdle hot-pot Constitution Hill with Lossiemouth seems weakened by their Christmas Hurdle one-two in that order.
The obvious Mares Hurdle switch for Lossiemouth became an issue rather than a conclusion when Brighterdaysahead took over favouritism with her 30-lengths Leopardstown stroll following on defeat of State Man at Punchestown.
👀 Watch this space! Daqman unravels the Cheltenham form in Fortune Cookies and, in See How They Won, checks forward checks and back for the formulae for success.
HENDERSON’S FLAT STRIKE?
⭕ 1.15 Lingfield 18 races on the all-weather today in the UK – in the old days that would have been from three courses but not in 2025! We have bumper nine race cards from both Lingfield and Southwell.
I say ‘all-weather’ loosely as Lingfield needed to pass an inspection of its own but racing goes ahead with the feature being this one and a half mile mile class 4 handicap which presents an open Betdaq Betting Exchange market.
Therapist is Nicky Henderson’s first flat runner of the year and could well continue the jumps momentum of the trainer.
The mare, twice a winner over hurdles, certainly won’t lack any stamina and comes into this race on the back of a solid effort here last time out when third in Listed company to Charlotte’s Web over 1m 2f.
That trip is undoubtedly on the short side but quite why the handicapper has dropped her a pound for such a good effort is beyond me. A late Christmas present if ever I saw one!
She makes more appeal than Knockbrex (0 from 4 on all-weather) and Crystal Mariner who put in a good shift at Kempton last time out over this trip on his third start for Jamie Osborne since joining from Sir Michael Stoute. He looks the danger.
LATTAASH TO LASH HOME
⭕ 5.00 Southwell The action doesn’t rise above the the class 4 level at Southwell either on Friday but we have a competitive heat at this grade for this seven furlong handicap in which Lattaash might be progressive enough to follow up on his penalty kick win at Wolverhampton last time out.
Dropped back to novice company and sent off at 2/11 he made all to win by four and a quarter lengths.
It didn’t teach us much in form terms but he had previously run well in this grade at Newcastle and the Karl Burke yard are going strongly with four winners from their last nine runners.
DRIFTING OFF
⭕ 8.30 Southwell Hopefully no drifting off at the end of the 18 race all-weather bonanza! I’m not sure that Drifts Away can resume winning ways here.
After back to back wins at Chelmsford and Southwell he has struggled off his revised handicap mark when a beaten favourite in two starts since and looks opposable.
I prefer Tea Sea who came back to form at Wolverhampton last time out and should be, if anything, better suited by the step up from seven furlongs to a mile.
DAQMAN’S BETS on Betdaq Betting Exchange
★ 1.15 Lingfield (win 10, nap)
BET 3.3pts win THERAPIST
5.00 Southwell (win 10)
BET 2.5pts win LATTAASH
8.30 Southwell (win 10)
BET 2.5pts win TEA SEA
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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