HUGE BETDAQ OFFERS AT YORK: 40.0 and 19.0 Daqman completes his current Royal Ascot preview (more next week, of course) still ‘in the dark’ about many of the races. Where are the runners? He sides with Paul Kealy of the Racing Post on this issue, then takes him on with some huge BETDAQ offers (40.0 and 19.0) at York.
IT’S A BIG WEEKEND BEFORE ASCOT STARTS: Look out tomorrow for the Saturday king as Daqman searches out more big offers on terrestrial TV at Sandown and York. On Sunday it’s the French Oaks at Chantilly, the Cork Derby and Munster Oaks at Cork. Next week, the Big Betdaq Value Bet at Royal Ascot.
WHERE ARE THE RUNNERS, PLEASE
No one knows what’s running? Punters are still in the dark for some of the Royal Ascot races, and layers struggle for offers or to fix their odds.
One lone voice, Paul Kealy in the Racing Post, hits the nail on the head today when he writes: At the beginning of the week, there were still no entries for 17 of the 30 Royal Ascot races. ‘Plain daft!’
‘If all the Cheltenham Festival handicaps can have entries more than three weeks in advance, there’s no reason why Ascot can’t too. It would help the build-up no end.’ Good call, Paul (but see my tipping spot below).
ROYAL ASCOT: TEPID OVER TEPPAL
4.20 Royal Ascot (Coronation Stakes, Friday next) BETDAQ punters shunned the French 1,000 Guineas for next Friday’s Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot. Is that wise?
Here are the 1-2-3-4-5 at ParisLongchamp in their fillies’ Classic on good ground on May 13, with their odds for the Coronation race last night.
1 Teppal 5-1 average bookmakers, 7.8 on BETDAQ
2 Coeur De Beaute 9-1 average but 11.0 BETDAQ
3 Wind Chimes 7-1 bookies; 11.0 BETDAQ
4 Capla Temptress 12-1 bookies; offer needed BETDAQ
5 Barkaa 16.0 bookies, 47.0 BETDAQ
3.40 Royal Ascot (Hardwicke Stakes, Saturday next) Barsanti, Hawkbill, Idaho and Poets Word, all aged five, make up half the market leaders for this, if the bookies have got it right.
But those considering BETDAQ offers should bear in mind that four-year-olds have won every year – 10 times in a row – since 2007.
5.15 The Curragh (Irish Derby, Saturday June 30) So Masar and Roaring Lion are to run in the Eclipse; Dee Ex Bee has yet to be supplemented for the Irish Derby; and the odds-on favourite with the bookies, Saxon Warrior, failed behind them all in the Epsom version.
What can save the Irish Derby from becoming as big a flop as Saxon Warrior? Where’s the stuffing left in it? Not Hazapour who looked a non-stayer and was even further behind at Epsom.
The answer may be Delano Roosevelt, who didn’t act at Epsom and gave the others plenty of start before staying on in sixth, after finding the Derrinstown too short for him in his prep.
He is a big, strong beast who will enjoy a more conventional track at the Curragh and needs more conventional way Irish ground to go with it! There’s 10-1 about for a bull’s-eye bet.
ONE TO PUT ACROSS THE LAYERS
Only five days to go. I see the Racing Post has designated Paul Keally ‘top tipster.’ Let’s take him on today in the 2.20 and 3.30 York, and the 3.10 at Sandown.
If he keeps on winning, he might get the Pricewise slot from wonder boy for Royal Ascot next week. If he loses, that leaves me only 198 Post ‘experts’ left to beat!
2.20 York Four-year-olds with 9st 7lb win it year on year, which points up Across Dubai, gelded since his last run in September. Before that he’d tried Group 3 after scoring over today’s (precise) distance at Haydock.
Mafaaheem was a bridesmaid last season, second four times, winning only his maiden, which is always a bad sign.
Fayez is back to his winning trip but his form is mainly on AW. Cote d’Azur has won only the once in almost two years. I took 3.25 Across Dubai on BETDAQ.
2.55 York This is more like a Sales race than a seller! It’s all guesswork but maybe Jamie Osborne’s booking of Jamie Spencer for 40.0 BETDAQ outsider Socru is significant (they have a 36% strike rate with two-year-olds as a combo).
We need one drawn away from the old chocolate factory, on the other side to Socru’s 20 of 20, or in the middle of the cavalry charge.
Winners by stall in the decade have been 7 ,2, 9, 2, 11, 4, 14, 5, 5, 7, so I’m happy to try 3.0 offer Mr Buttons (in 11), a mature ride compared to most in this race.
SEA FOX 19.0 HUGE ON CUP FORM
3.30 York David O’Meara, who won this three years running (2013-2015), has three going for him today. Best of them may be Hajjam, though he’s up in the weights for winning a grade lower than today.
The same progress is needed by Kaeso, who moved to the front of the market this morning but it was 7.2 the field on BETDAQ, suggesting a wide-open race.
Seemingly laid out for it is Marjorie Fife’s 2016 winner, Classic Seniority, who is 12lb higher now but has won five races since then.
Lightly-raced The Great Wall looked unlucky on the last day (snatched up) and Juanito Chico, progressive last season, drops in class for the first time since beaten a neck at today’s level by Lincoln winner Addeybb at Ascot, when partnered by today’s jockey, Silvestre De Sousa.
Two more interesting jockey bookings are James Doyle for Sea Fox and Jamie Spencer for Truth Or Dare, who has a good chance on form but is notoriously difficult to win with (one success since 2013).
Magic City and Imperial State were one-two over CD here recently and, though the form of amateur-riders’ races is unreliable, Magic City put back-to-back wins together last year at this time.
VERDICT: Kealy goes for Kaeso, drawn wide and likely to be dropped in as one who has raced over 6f until the last day. In both races this season he has got himself squeezed for room; that seems certain today.
The Great Wall also has a problem (apart from racing with his head up!) in that his best work has been from the front but Silvestre has to get him across from a 14 draw.
Juanito Chico has a lot to find from the 11 gate as one who usually races well in rear. Classic Seniority has dwelt the last twice.
I’m going to assume that Sea Fox’s third in the Victoria Cup under a claimer was no flash in the pan (in fact, he’d done slightly better against the winner, Rip Orff at Kempton earlier in the year), and I’ll rely on James Doyle to get him an early position. If he does, 19.0 on BETDAQ will look far too big.
DAQMAN’S BETS
2.20 York (win 20)
BET 8.5pts win (nap) ACROSS DUBAI
2.55 York (win 50 and win 20)
BULL’S-EYE BET 1.25pts win and place SOCRU
BET 10pts win MR BUTTONS
3.10 Sandown (win 20)
BET 3pts win and place COSMOPOLITAN QUEEN
3.30 York (win 50)
BULL’S-EYE BET 4.5pts win and place CLASSIC SENIORITY
BULL’S-EYE BET 2.75pts win and place SEA FOX
4.40 York (each win 20)
BET 2.75pts win EXCELLENT TIMES
BET 2.5pts win CHARMING GUEST
8.45 Goodwood (win 20)
BET 2.5pts win and place BEER WITH THE BOYS
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