6-1 NAP AND BETDAQ HITS AT 15.0 & 8.0 FOR 11 WINNING DAYS IN 12: Daqman waved his winners’ wand and landed three beauties on the York card yesterday including a 6-1 nap to follow up his first-day strike at 18-1. That takes his amazing streak of form to ELEVEN winning days out of 12 for an overall 160-points profit, and six winning naps from 11 for 88 points profit. Daqman leads Pricewise 30-15, some 290 points in front.
York Wednesday
WON 18-1 SUMMER MOON (bull’s-eye bet)
York Thursday
WON 15-2 MISS AMULET (from 15.0 on BETDAQ)
WON 7-2 MONTATHAM (bull’s-eye bet from 8.0 on BETDAQ)
WON 6-1 GOLD WAND (nap)
DAQMAN’s NAP verdict yesterday
Today’s headlines
🔹 WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT, ALFIE?
🔹 HE’S BACK IN DASHING FORM
🔹 NO MYSTERY! SMILES AHEAD
🔹 ART POWER HEIR APPARENT
🔹 ‘SOUND’ CHANCE IN THE LAST
WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT, ALFIE?
Trainers William Haggas 21, John Gosden 13, Kevin Ryan 13, Richard Hannon 11, David O’Meara 10, Richard Fahey 9, Charlie Appleby 9, Aidan O’Brien 8, Sir Michael Stoute 8, Andrew Balding 7, Mark Johnston 7, Charles Hills 6, Tom Dascombe 4, Tim Easterby 4, Roger Varian 4.
Jockeys James Doyle 14, Jamie Spencer 12, William Buick 12, Daniel Tudhope 10, Jim Crowley 9, Ryan Moore 9, Paul Hanagan 8, Oison Murphy 8, Andrea Atzeni 7, Philip Makin 5, Silvestre De Sousa 5, Joe Fanning 4, Richard Kingscote 4, Harry Bentley 3, Ben Curtis 3.
⭕ 1.45 York (1m 4f handicap) In nine years, no outright favourite has won this; only one winner drawn lower than six; eight of them four-year-olds.
That’s three black marks against Zabeel Champion. As the old racecourse wags used to say, ‘the horse doesn’t know that.’
But there’s more: he’s never before raced beyond 1m 2f and, on his sole visit to York, was 10th of 12. Dark Jedi also debuts over 1m 4f.
Gelding could have improved Alfaatik. There’s no other reason to make ‘Alfie’ the plunge horse, though he certainly looks plotted for this.
In from 14-1 to 6-1 in places overnight but a more rational 8.9 in the BETDAQ orange as I write.
HE’S BACK IN DASHING FORM
⭕ 2.15 York (Lonsdale Cup) This is a gift from Stradivarius. He’s won it two years running but has bigger fish to fry than a Group 2, namely the Arc.
His stable hopes to see Enbihaar land her fifth Group 2 in this today and take over his mantle, but it’s her first try at 2m, and her Lancashire Oaks and Park Hill wins last year suggest that she prefers firm ground.
Though top rated and runner-up to Stradivarius the last twice, Nayef Road has run two stinkers at York. His particular commendation is the Goodwood Cup, in which he split Stradivarius and the Irish Derby winner, Santiago.
Dashing Willoughby failed to follow up on his Queens Vase win at Royal Ascot 2019 but, after being gelded, is unbeaten this summer, including a long way in front of Withhold at Sandown.
Eagles By Day won the John Smith’s Silver Cup here at York last month (1m 6f) and Stratum, who reappeared at the Galway festival, won last year’s Newmarkert Cesarewitch (Who Dares Wins seventh).
Verdict Firm-ground mare Enbihaar could open new doors but we know her for success against her own sex and over shorter distances. We know Nayef Road for two major letdowns at York.
That’s why, by restoring him to my Fortune Cookies list of horses to follow, I gave an early warning that Dashing Willoughby would be my selection for this race.
NO MYSTERY! SMILES AHEAD
⭕ 2.45 York (Gimcrack Stakes) Minzaal didn’t get a clear run but was still beaten less than two lengths by Mohawk King at Ascot before an impressive win at Salisbury.
Splitting them in the betting is the bridesmaid Yazaman, three times second, one of them with Lauded only a neck behind. More mystery in the comparative form.
But I have been impressed with the cruising speed of Mystery Smiles (or, as the clock watchers see it, ‘good fractions’), unbeaten at Windsor and Chester, and 8.9 in the BETDAQ orange looked far too big this morning.
ART POWER HEIR APPARENT
⭕ 3.15 York (Nunthorpe Stakes) Three-year-olds have won this just four times this century (A’Ali, Art Power today) and older horses of five and over do best (Battaash, Ornate).
Gates 7 to 11 have won nine out of 10; that didn’t stop Battaash winning from the one stall last year.
But he was beating the hot favourite, Ten Sovereigns, that day, and now steps into the jolly’s shoes himself, with just one favourite having scored in the entire decade.
126 BATTAASH (110-11 Charles Hills, Jim Crowley) Can be beaten, as in the Kings Stand and the Abbaye last year, but on his day looks invincible, his best calls when winning this last year and when getting his Kings Stand revenge this season. ‘He’s so fast, it’s ridiculous.’ Quote, unquote Charles Hills, trainer.
115 ART POWER (31-111 Tim Easterby, Silvestre De Sousa) The new kid on the block, unbeaten in four starts since his debut, winning a handicap at Royal Ascot but storming into the pattern with an easy win at Naas in July over Millisle, who impressed in the Ballyogan next time out. This time the trainer’s comment is: ‘A little machine! A lot of improvement to come’.
113 A’ALI (10-011 Simon and Ed Crisford, William Buick) Has stepped up from Group 3 (Coral Charge at Sandown) to Group 2 (Sapphire Stakes at the Curragh).
Colin Keane, who won on Art Power at Naas, was also the winning jockey on A’Ali at the Curragh. Which one would he want to be on today?
His Curragh comment: ‘A’Ali is smart, progressive and easy to ride.’
His Naas verdict: ‘Art Power picked up very sharp; he felt like a Group 1 horse.’
108 MOSS GILL (10-101 James Bethell, Daniel Tudhope) York form 2211, the last win a Listed in July, beating Al Raya, who was last of seven to Battaash at Goodwood. Que Amoro was third.
104 EMARAATY ANA (001-33 Kevin Ryan, Andrea Atzeni) Gimcrack winner at York as a juvenile but has slipped 10lb since and needs to bounce back on this track.
104 KURIOUS (2011-0 Henry Candy, Harry Bentley) Back-to-back successes at Sandown last summer. More than eight lengths behind Battaash in the Kings Stand, but that was her first run in almost a year.
104 QUE AMORO (112-13 Michael Dods, Paul Mulrennan) York form 2113, including two handicaps back to back there last summer, defeating Moss Gill in August, giving that one weight. But the tables were turned last month (see Moss Gill).
099 ORNATE (03003 David Griffiths, Oisin Murphy) Had to come here after running massively above his rating at 100-1, third to Battaash in the King George at Goodwood, despite his age of seven.
Verdict Let’s not get carried away on the ITV hayride. Battaash beat a 111-rated stablemate Equilateral to win the King Stand, with Glass Slippers in fifth. Then he beat Glass Slippers again at Goodwood, with the 100-1 shot Ornate in third.
They’ve taken their time with Art Power and he’s responded to their patience; not as the trail-blazing showman with the hype like Battaash but with instant acceleration, and literally the power of his athletic art.
At half the age of Battaash, he will improve past him, whether today or not we shall see. I took 4.8 on BETDAQ to say he will.
‘SOUND’ CHANCE IN THE LAST
⭕ 4.50 York Six of seven winners have been drawn in the low five stalls and no one has explained to me how front-runner Overwrite will get across from 16. I ‘won’ with him at Newbury last time but he was disqualified. So, all in all, he has that bogey horse look about him.
Stablemate Visinari (gate eight) is lumbered with a big weight for placing in Group 2 as a juvenile. Hartswood won here the last day but the Fahey stable has had a poor week.
So, too, William Haggas, with seconds and thirds apart from Montatham (thank you, Jim Crowley). Johan is best drawn of the three Haggas runners.
Second in the Britannia, and never out of the first three, Finest Sound (stall 4 today and around 7.0) can take a hold, and is better off with Eastern World (15) on their places at Newmarket last month.
Andrea Atzeni has had two winners at York this week. His last five rides at the front of the market (6-1 or shorter) have had returns of 1111, one of them for Finest Sound’s stable.
DAQMAN’S BETS
1.45 York (win 20)
BET 2.5pts win ALFAATIK
2.15 York
FORTUNE COOKIE
BET 20pts win DASHING WILLOUGHBY
2.45 York (win 50, nap)
BULL’S-EYE BET: 6.25pts win MYSTERY SMILES
3.15 York
FORTUNE COOKIE
BET 20pts win ART POWER
4.50 York (win 50)
BULL’S-EYE BET: 8pts win FINEST SOUND
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