DREAM WEEKEND AT TOP VENUES: Winner-a-day Daqman kept the show on the road when Dream Shadow saved much of the outlay yesterday and the stage is set at Ascot today for a big weekend, also featuring Haydock and Punchestown.
WON 11-10 DREAM SHADOW (Thursday)
WON 11-10 CHUGGY (Wednesday nap)
WON 6-1 TWO TEMPTING (bull’s-eye bet, BETDAQ 8.5)
TODAY’S HEADLINES
BLUE PENCILS IN A FORTUNE
HE’S HELD IN HIGH REGARD
WEST GOES LIKE THE WIND
BLUE PENCILS IN A FORTUNE
⭕ 12.50 and 2.35 Ascot Though Nicky Henderson is back to some kind of form (3 wins out of 6 since Monday), he has swerved both the 12.50 Introductory Hurdle, in which he landed a hat-trick (2021-23), and the 2.35 two-miler, in which he was 1211 until recently.
Harry Fry has won the 12.50 twice but his Idaho Sun has to give weight to Doctor Blue, trained by Sam Thomas who won the race with Celtic Dino a year ago.
‘Dino’ continues to look progressive after beating Alexei in the Welsh Champion Hurdle last month and is due to run in the Ascot Hurdle tomorrow.
Fry has also won the 2.35 twice, and he has Trustintimes going for a four-timer, upwardly mobile after back-to-back wins in class-4 at Uttoxeter.
But Dan Skelton’s Fortune De Mer must be the bet. He moved into Grade-2 novice company the last day and pipped Doctor Blue a head.
Look at it this way: if Doctor Blue beats Idaho Sun in the 12.50, Fortune De Mer will be odds-on.
HE’S HELD IN HIGH REGARD
⭕ 3.10 Ascot Sandwiched between Fairyhouse today and Punchestown tomorrow, J P McManus is hoping to see his lone ranger Montregard respond a second time to the visor which helped him turn over a short priced favourite in the Spring.
That beaten favourite returned nearly six months on to win easily at Ffos Las last month.
So Montregard makes his reappearance with his form boosted and with his stable form getting a lift yesterday when Nocte Volatus scored at Warwick.
Vision De Maine still looks high in the handicap, with nearly a stone more than for a double at this time a year ago.
Safe Destination is ultra progressive, scoring off 89, 96, 100 and last month off 105, albeit the last three successes were all when claimed off.
Jubilant is consistent and All Authorized met a subsequent ‘monster’ when third to Kikijo in February but ‘Kiki’ was still on the way up at that time and was beaten at Newbury in March, giving weight to The Boola Boss.
The Boola Boss, who likes the going on top, had an outing at Chepstow recently (not punished by Sean Bowen), and is ridden today by a distinguished visitor to the weighing-room, Bryony ‘Frodon’ Frost.
Betdaq Betting Exchange 6.7 Montregard, 14 The Boola Boss (10 am)
WEST GOES LIKE THE WIND
⭕ 8.00 Southwell West Acre has won and been placed in Group 2 and 3, even tried his hand in a Group-1 sprint at Royal Ascot.
George Scott’s horses are in peak form and West Acre was a six-lengths winner in a novice sprint here at this time last season.
Another Baar’s four-timer ended when he was raised 10lb, taking him up 23lb since that run began.
Of the two CD winners, Sturlasson scored in class 5 and Rhythm N Hooves in class 4, though that one landed a grade higher at Newbury in August.
Rosario has placed at Ascot and Doncaster and won at Goodwood, all in today’s grade.
The snag – which is a big one if he is to get involved at Southwell – is his sometimes awkward start.
Air Force One has been placed twice at York in class 2 but is unraced on AW, so I take the three-year-old in this top-heavy handicap to outrun them all under reliable Rossa Ryan.
DAQMAN’S BETS
on Betdaq Betting Exchange
2.35 Ascot (win 20)
BET 10pts win FORTUNE DE MER
3.10 Ascot (win 40)
BET 7pts win MONTREGARD
BET 3pts win THE BOOLA BOSS
★★ 8.00 Southwell (supernap)
BET 20pts win WEST ACRE
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