MORE BETDAQ VALUE ABOUT 4-1 WINNER: The 6.7 value offers on BETDAQ yesterday about a horse lowered in class at Wolverhampton were ‘heaven sent’, said Daqman. So it proved when War Of Heaven (WON 4-1) ran away with his race, finishing clear. The Daqman staking plan meant that he finished in front on the day, too!
ASCOT’S SATURDAY MEETING ABANDONED: Ascot’s Clarence House meeting tomorrow has already been lost to the frost, while Taunton inspects later today for tomorrow and Haydock looks in the morning at 8am. Parts of the Navan track are ‘unraceable’ but Thurles on Sunday should get warmer weather.
* Daqman previews next week’s Thyestes Chase below.
WILLIE WON’T GIVE UP ON PORT
⭕ 3.25 Gowran Park, Thursday, January 26 (Thyestes Chase) Even Wilie Mullins can’t win with them all. And today I nominate his most frustrating horse: Franco De Port.
Willie is on 13-28 waiting for a break in the bad weather, which could come at Navan tomorrow or Thurles on Sunday. Or we may have to wait until Gowran Park next Thursday.
The Thyestes Chase was key to the Gold Cup – it was won by Arkle and Flyingbolt – but more recently the Grand National through Hedgehunter (2005) and Numbersixvalverde (2006).
There are 31 entries for next Thursday’s race, with Gordon Elliott (11) and Willie (8) able to choose from 19.
On His Own won it twice for Mullins in 2012 and 2014, showing massive progress, largely through those races, from a rating of 142 to the 161 of his short-head defeat by Lord Windermere and Davy Russell in the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
Last year’s winner, Longhouse Poet, seems to have switched to hurdles: won at Limerick on Boxing Day and entered for the Galmoy Hurdle on Thursday’s Gowran card.
Thyestes runner-up to him last year by only threeparts of a length, giving 8lb to the winner, was Franco de Port when unexposed at the 3m 1f trip.
Will he go for the Thyestes again or wait 10 days for the Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown?
Franco hasn’t won a race since back-to-back success at Thurles and Leopardstown late on in 2020 before running second in the 2021 Leopardstown Arkle to Energumene.
Since then he’s run in a host of top-class contests behind such as Shishkin, Janadil, Galvin and, on the last day, Conflated in the Grade-1 Savills Chase.
Franco De Port is not a big horse but his greatest asset is his jumping; his weakness is pulling too hard; as a Coastal Path, he needs heavy ground.
HERETIC LOOKS GOOD FOR HUGO
⭕ 4.15 Newcastle today: Follow the trainers who are farming the all-weather racing. Hugo Palmer (4-9, so 44%) has three runners at Newcastle this afternoon, two unraced.
But Heretic in this one, down a grade from four runs in class 5 and dropped a couple of pounds, looks poised in his first handicap.
Likely favourite End Zone, 0230034 at Newcastle, is also dropped a grade but the Roger Fell yard is currently lacking oomph with 0-17.
His recent runners have been very easy in the market as if not much hope: 11-1 (twice), 12-1 (twice) 18-1, 25-1, 40-1 and 50-1 (twice) over the last week.
There was a similar situation with Like A Lion. After starting 50-1, 100-1, 40-1 and 22-1, he won here out of the blue at 28-1 in early December, with the stable unable to offer any explanation as to his improvement.
Then, just after Christmas, they could offer no explanation when he flopped at 11-2 over the same CD.
Blinkers first time on Like A Lion could change things around again but the risk seems greater than the 6.6 offered this morning.
It’s fair warning that trainers as well as punters are themselves blinkered when dealing with poor-quality animals at this low level.
Betdaq Betting Exchange 6.8 Heretic
MARK THIS STABLE’S RUNNERS!
⭕ 6.45 Newcastle Mark Loughnane has trained 11 winners in the last fortnight (31% strike rate) and Billy Loughnane has ridden 12 (at 25%), including three for outside yards.
King Of Speed could be another for them as a team, dropped a stone in the handicap though three times beaten only a length or two. Today’s cheekpieces first time could make all the difference.
Likely favourite, Irish-raider Delta Romeo, remains a maiden after 12 attempts between 7f and 1m 4f, now trying his hand at 6f. Is this a long-term coup or pure desperation?
Seesawing stayed on well in two races over 7f last season but was sent to the front over the same trip at Newcastle on his return, fading late on as if he might be suited to today’s 6f.
He’s unexposed compared with most of these, and the different tactics the last day were employed by his new yard after a long break.
However that new yard – Ivan Furtado’s – has been missing strike (two favourites beaten in the last week) and is 0-18 after 31 days without a win.
Atholblair Boy won his last race here in November but has never put two runs together before, particularly after a break, and is 3-54, now aged 10.
Hijacked has been second here the last twice but is another hard to win with (0-9 on AW and without a turf success for nearly two years).
BETDAQ value 7.2 King Of Speed
TEDDY BANKER ON THE BARE FORM
⭕ TODAY’S NAP: 3.20 Southwell Karl Burke struck form with Run Teddy Run at the weekend, a very easy winner helped by a 5 draw round the Southwell turns.
The stable scored again on Wednesday, railing with a front-runner in a fast time. Now here’s ‘Teddy’ again with a 5lb penalty from stall 4.
Win Win Power was also successful here at the weekend, his second odds-on strike here this month. But he has a very wide 13 draw for the hat-trick bid.
BETDAQ value 3 Run Teddy Run
DAQMAN’S BETS
3.20 Southwell (win 20 nap)
BET 10pts win RUN TEDDY RUN
4.15 Newcastle (win 20)
BET 3.5pts win HERETIC
6.45 Newcastle (win 20)
BET 3.25pts win KING OF SPEED
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