DAQMAN DETHRONES QUEEN QUEVEGA: Daqman is on another roll. After his nap was declared a non-runner yesterday, he completed six successive big-race lays with a daring tilt at Quevega, who finally lost her Punchestown throne. This is his record:
WON DYNASTE (2nd 13-8 favourite)
WON BURTON PORT (unseated rider 16-1)
WON MONBEG DUDE (unplaced 16-1)
WON MUTASHADED (unplaced 3-1)
WON MY TENT OR YOURS (3rd evens favourite)
WON QUEVEGA (2nd 9-10 favourite)
* Quevega was his second winning lay of the week after Magical Roundabout (last of four, 15-8 on Wednesday)
BID FOR NAP NUMBER 15 WITH A BANKER: Otherwise it wasn’t a day to write home about, with the best bet remaining on 14 out of 17 (seven bankers in a row) and his tally with Pricewise remaining at 24-4 in the current season (63-16 overall). Today they clash in the 4.20 Punchestown and the nap is a banker in the 6.40.
LOOK OUT FOR THE GOLDEN GUINEAS: Daqman is back tomorrow and Sunday with his ABC guides to the 2,000 and 1,000 Guineas at Newmarket.
Remember, Punchestown is Punchestown! The words of my old Dublin dentist pal, Paschal, as he gave me the drill on this very festival some years ago. Had he downed too many of his favourite brandy-and-benedictines (I never dared sit in his chair)?
‘We look back at the surprises as if they were expected, so why don’t we look forward to them?’ Too many B&Bs? No, Paschal had his teeth – his wisdom teeth – into the problem where it matters.
We know well enough that many horses at the meeting have had long seasons, and some are even trying to do four festivals, Fairyhouse, Cheltenham and Aintree already under their belts, or perm any two from three. Some come to Punchestown fresh.
No wonder there are shocks, like the 25-1 (twice) and 20-1 (twice) yesterday; Spring has sprung and it’s the Flat season and, jaded horses aside, there’s a massive going change for one thing; the bogs are a distant memory, yet we have to judge the form on soft-heavy for the most part.
Check out yesterday’s winners: Macnicholson (had already won on good ground), Mallowney (hooded first time, missed Cheltenham and Aintree), Gods Own (had won on good, missed Cheltenham and Aintree).
As for Jetson and Morga, I give you two words: Davy Russell. And he’s got a ticket to ride again today!
4.20 Punchestown Some Tikket for Davy and Ericht for Barry Geraghty – jockeys of the moment, bar none – should be among the finishers in this Grade A chase.
Despite its undulations, Punchestown is a galloping track, and Some Tikket will love it. He missed all the festivals, after disappointing because he ran ‘too free.’
But the bold B. Geraghty got him sorted at Fairyhouse on the last day and he could go on from there, though the handicapper noticed the transition and hiked him 11lb.
He’s also up in trip but that’s no problem: he won a hurdle over 20f on heavy, which would suggest he’s a three-miler when there are fences in the way.
The Way We Were is well better off with Some Tikket on the Fairyhouse form but is still 8lb higher than his winning mark and will miss the drive of McCoy.
Road To Riches is another just hit form. He beat Mallowney only 12 days ago, and is running off the same mark in this, unless you account Ger Fox’s 7lb claim. The way Ger won the banks race on Jack’s Island yesterday, you can count it double!
Though Ericht hadn’t much form in the book, he was made joint jolly at Cheltenham (pulled up but could bounce back today).
Sizing Gold beat Mullaghanoe River and Operating on this type of ground at Navan, but seems to be an in-between horse at this level, beaten in a Grade 2 over 3m at Naas but with not enough pace dropped back to 20f at Cheltenham in the JLT.
But the biggest threat to all must be the Kim Muir fourth (over a trip too far) Balnaslow, a winner on good ground, and yet another who hit winning form on the last day.
And the one who’s waited on this race and missed all the festivals is Ballinvarrig. He was second at Kempton to Present View, who won the novices’ handicap at Cheltenham, so would probably have been in the ‘three’ there.
VERDICT: I’m up against Pricewise here – I don’t look at his tips until I’ve made my own decision – and I think I need two against the field: Balnaslow (8.0 on BETDAQ this morning) and Ballinvarrig (11.5).
Balnaslow has a 50% win-and-place record going right-handed, four wins out of 12 (0-6 the other way round); Ballinvarrig is 2-3 (and 0-5).
4.55 Punchestown It looks a real pinstickers’ race; a new Grade C, so no stats. But there’s a Grade-A key to the form which points to a 10.0 shot on BETDAQ.
When She’s Got Grit won at Navan in January, the Flemensfirth mare beat Orpheus Valley (pair 24 lengths clear), who won the Guiness Chase on the opening day here on Wednesday.
The handicapper’s got her about right but the form is obviously working out well. There’s not much between Une Artiste, Nadiya De La Vega and Burn and Turn, 1-2-3 at Fairyhouse 11 days back, yet Barry Geraghty prefers the tiny mare, Utopie Des Bordes.
VERDICT: Utopie Des Bordes tried to outrun them all from the front at Aintree but didn’t last 3m 1f. Today’s trip suits and she is lightly raced. She’s Got Grit is the alternative.
5.30 Punchestown Champion Hurdle The king is dead (Hurricane Fly), long live the king (Jezki). That’s what Cheltenham suggests after their first and fourth in the Champion Hurdle in March.
But, because they have frightened off the opposition, today’s rematch is tactical, with the old monarch and the young pretender both rated 169. May the best man win.
6.05 Punchestown Champion Novice Hurdle Vautour’s wins have been lung-busters: he made all at both Fairyhouse and Cheltenham, so his having had a cold last weekend is worrying.
Lieutenant Colonel slaughtered first-day winner here, Le Vent D’Antan, when they met at Fairyhouse, and Lac Fontana followed up his County Hurdle success at Cheltenham by taking the Mersey Novices at Aintree.
Is this a festival too far for Lac Fontana? Is Vautuour 100% (he ‘seems to be over the cold’ says Willie Mullins, with ‘seems’ the operative word)? Maybe even the big horse, Noble Emperor, can bridge the ratings gap.
VERDICT: It’s one of those races where, when Vautour wins, well we all knew he would really, didn’t we! If anything else wins, Paschal would say: I told you, this is Punchestown!
I’ll have my pound on the one the stable that has no doubts, fitness wise: Lieutenant Colonel, value at 9.8 on BETDAQ.
6.40 Punchestown A good result for Lac Fontana would boost his County Hurdle runner-up, Arctic Fire, who must be a banker, back in novice company, 12lb and more better than the others on official ratings.
It will feel like toochache if he is beaten, so I’ll have a brandy-and-benedictine ready (chased to my Guinness). Good luck! I’m leaving for Newmarket tomorrow, so enjoy the rest of the real racing at Punchestown.
DAQMAN’S BETS
BET 7pts win OUR PHYLLI VERA (2.15 Chepstow)
BET 4pts win FLIPPANT (3.55 Chepstow)
BET 2.8pts win BALNASLOW and 2pts win BALLINVARRIG (4.20 Punchestown)
BET 6.5pts win UTOPIE DES BORDES and 2.2pts win SHE’S GOT GRIT (4.55 Punchestown)
BET 2.2pts win LIEUTENANT COLONEL (6.05 Punchestown)
BANKER: BET 20pts win (nap) ARCTIC FIRE (6.40 Punchestown)
BET 5.5pts win TOKYO JAVILEX (7.20 Bangor)
DAQ MULTIPLES: 4 x 1pt win trebles and 1pt win acca OUR PHYLLI VERA (2.15 Chepstow), ETAAB (3.45 Lingfield), ARTIC FIRE (6.40 Punchestown) and TOKYO JAVILEX (7.20 Bangor)
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.
