4-1 NATIONAL WINNER AS CLOUD SHINES: There was sunshine among the tipping clouds for Daqman yesterday when he named the North Yorkshire Grand National winner, Sun Cloud (WON 4-1), but picked the wrong one of Tony McCoy’s mounts after the champion landed the first two races on the card at Catterick.
TIME FOR CHANGE: Today DAQMAN adds his views to the sectional timing debate and is very much an advocate of more technology and stats to be at the disposal of the punter.
There’s plenty of debate about sectional timing flying around at the moment and DAQMAN’s view is bring it on.
The more stats, technology and angles that punters have at their disposal the better. To be better informed makes punters better judged – in theory at least.
Of course it’s all about interpretation, as ever, and for some punters they won’t want it or use it. That’s fair enough but at least let’s have the option.
It’s been stop / start (excuse the pun) with stopwatches so far in this country – there’s been trials at various courses but no long term commitment to providing a universal product across all races.
And that’s the issue. Sectional timing only starts to add value when there is a sufficient historic database to make sensible future predictions based around the historic records.
Critics argue that sectional timing in the UK and Ireland is not a natural fit as it is in the States (for example), where horses mainly run at the same tracks, the courses are consistent in terms of shape, surface and going and the punters there are totally speed-centric.
But there’s no reason why we can’t start learning more about the importance of speed, split times and throw it into the mix that is the punting jigsaw.
In 2014 it really isn’t rocket science.
If you’re planning on timing the 2.45 at Sedgefield this afternoon make sure you have Duracell Plus batteries in your timing machine because you won’t need sectional timing to tell you that 3m 3f 110 yards on heavy ground is going to be a slow slog.
Most of the seven runners arrive in form – but the key here will be filtering it down to those that can handle the ground and distance.
There was just half a length between Moscow Presents and American Life at Haydock last time when they were first and second but the way that American Life was finishing suggests he can turn that form around over the longer trip here and with a 5lb advantage in the weights.
I prefer his chances to the favourite The Young Master who is up 7lb in the weights for a runaway success at Fakenham but that’s a course which can often be misleading in terms of taking the form too seriously, and certainly at the respective prices here on BETDAQ 9.8 v 2.7 I can only be with American Life, my outsider of the day.
15 minutes later at Lingfield Clear Spell looks a solid favourite at around 1.9 for the 7f maiden.
He was an excellent course and distance second to the favourite The Third Man last month and the pair finished nicely clear. He is reported to have worked well since then.
DAQMAN’S BETS
BET 2.5pts win and place (Outsider Of The Day) AMERICAN LIFE (2.45 Sedgefield)
BET 10pts win (nap) CLEAR SPELL (3.00 Lingfield)
You can now follow BETDAQ updates on Google+
For further details – CLICK HERE
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.