SNOW PROMPTS INSPECTION AT HAYDOCK TOMORROW: Musselburgh has been lost to frozen ground today and the threat of snow has prompted an inspection at Haydock tomorrow morning. Track officials are optimistic but will look at 7.30 a.m. to be sure.
LINGFIELD SUPERNAP IN ANOTHER AW WINNERS RACE: Daqman feels justified in putting more emphasis on AW racing with the start earlier this week of special horses to follow, and today he takes a close look at a race at Lingfield which could supply winners. He thinks it contains a supernap at today’s weights.
HE’S MOVING UP IN THE WORLD
1.05 Chepstow Moving In Style, an 8.0 BETDAQ offer as I write, has landed three out of four but only the last one was a chase, which he won well, looking a different horse after a wind op.
That success in December coincided with a return to form for his trainer, Neil Mulholland, who won the Warwick Classic last weekend with Impulsive Star.
Dontminddboys, who completed three wins out of five last Spring, came back to something like his old form when third to The Oglegogleman at Uttoxeter on the last day of the year, yet is 32.0 offered.
He’s weighted for revenge but it could be close between them, as ‘Google’ (his nickname in the yard) has been progressive.
Heluvagood has to operate off a high mark and his stable is not firing at the moment, while Barbrook Star remains a maiden, hurdles and fences.
CUNNING TO TAKE ‘FOX’ EARLY
2.10 Chepstow Nicky Henderson, whose Foxworthy could crash from the BETDAQ morning 5.4, has an 80% record with newcomers at Chepstow but has never had a runner in this maiden hurdle!
The Yeats gelding Foxworthy can put the record straight in style, as a 12-lengths Point winner switched from Ed Walker’s yard.
The same owners switched Santini from Ed to Nicky a year or so ago in similar circumstances and Santini followed up a runaway Point win by scoring over hurdles first time and going on to beat Black Op at Cheltenham, run third in the Albert Bartlett there and, recently over fences, take a Grade-2 novices’ chase at Newbury, putting him in the ‘possibles’ list for the RSA.
GORGEOUS THE PLUNGE HORSE
2.30 Lingfield I started an AW horses-to=follow list at the beginning of this week, after finding a race that looked odds on to produce several winners.
The next race I expected to target was this one, because it has a good record. Last year at this time I put up Kachy, who won this Class-2 sprint off 105 as part of three wins out of four.
Spring Loaded (then rated 89) had won it as one leg of a hat-trick in 2016 and would go on to take the Portland Handicap later in the year.
We certainly have a pair which match the 105 and 89 winners. Giogiobbo (103) and Gorgeous Noora (91) are the right age and rating today.
Tan has to take a big leap in class, and his trainer, Michael Appleby (2-46), is out of form, while others in the race are already well known to us at seven, eight and nine years old.
Success for one of the trio, Teruntum Star (never won on AW and best in big fields), Shamshon (exposed and not won this high on AW) and Watchable (AW maiden at age nine!) would lower the tone.
Giogiobbo had back-to-back success on the Deauville Polytrack in the summer, and has now joined Nick Littmoden, who himself had back-to-back success (with Fearsome) in December.
Gorgeous Noora is five times in the frame (two wins including over today’s CD) out of seven on AW and looks well placed here for the burgeoning stable of Archie Watson, getting 12lb from 12.0 shot Giogiobbo, and was the medium of a gamble in the orange this morning, in to just better than even money
I fully expect these to be the one-two and to add more success in the weeks before the Flat turf season.
DIOCLETIAN CAN GET REVENGE
6.45 Kempton Given Choice is one that made me wish I’d started my AW horses-to-follow list in the autumn. Her three out of five have included 6-1 and 8-1 wins.
She has done everything asked of her at 1m 2f, 1m 4f and on the last day 1m 6f (including landing a Daqman nap) but is this further step up in trip to 2m the end of her tether?
Diocletian finished less than two lengths behind her on his last start in December, giving 8lb over an inadequate trip; 7lb better off now and at last getting the 2m I’ve always thought he needed.
Given Choice was little better than even money this money, with Diocletian 4.5 in the BETDAQ orange, which doesn‘t equate with the form.
DAQMAN’S BETS
1.05 Chepstow (win 30 and outsider)
BET 4.25pts win MOVING IN STYLE
BER 1pt win and place DONTMINDDBOYS
2.10 Chepstow (win 20)
BET 4.5pts win FOXWORTHY
2.30 Lingfield (supernap and outsider)
BET 20pts win GORGEOUS NOORA
BET 1.5pts win and place GIOGIOBBO
6.45 Kempton (win 20)
BET 5.75pts win DIOCLETIAN
Did you know that as well as checking the realtime prices on BETDAQ below – you can also log into your account and place your bets directly into BETDAQ from BETDAQ TIPS.
