TWO WINNERS FROM THREE: ARIEL FLIES HIGH FOR 18 POINTS PROFIT: Two races at Sandown and two at York have BETDAQ Exchange offers at 6.2, 9.8, 10.5 and 11.5, all reckoned great value to add to a DAQMAN nap at 2.44 today. His naps are currently three from six (50%) after two winners yesterday for 18.1 points profit on the day:
✔️ WON 100-30 HI HO SILVER
✔️ WON 6-4 ARIEL (nap)
Best bets: three out of six
✔️ WON 7-4 EAST ASIA (Sunday, nap)
✔️ WON 7-4 YAGAN (Monday supernap)
✔️ WON 6-4 ARIEL (Thursday nap)
ASCOT COUNTDOWN: TWO 9.0 SHOTS FROM THE BETDAQ SPORTSBOOK: Can Battleground get his revenge on Guineas winner Poetic Flare when they meet at Royal Ascot on Tuesday? Aidan O’Brien says yes; BETDAQ Sportsbook 9.0 says it’s worth a try. Daqman also finds value ante-post at 9.0 in the Wednesday Group 1.
ASCOT THE O’BRIEN BATTLEGROUND
St James’s Palace 8, Prince of Wales 3. Not the result of a polo match among the popinjays of British aristocracy but Aidan O’Brien’s score in the Tuesday-Wednesday Group-1 features at Royal Ascot. And they are war fronts again.
The St James Palace (4.20 Tuesday) was last won by Ballydoyle with a forgotten horse among the Ascot squad: Circus Maximus, well beaten in the Derby, was 10-1 returned to the mile.
Battleground is 9.0 in the BETDAQ Sportsbook for Tuesday in similar circumstances: down the field in a Classic – the 2,000 Guineas – yet regarded by the trainer as one of his main hopes for the royal meeting.
That’s despite the War Front colt having 20 lengths to make up on Poetic Flare, first of two Guineas in the Spring for Jim Bolger.
But O’Brien believes that Battleground could not use his ammunition on the undulating Newmarket course and points to his strong-traveling victory in the Chesham at Ascot a year ago as evidence for potential revenge.
Love is not all he needs in the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes. O’Brien has decided that he also runs Chester winner, Armory, so he has 25% of the eight acceptors.
The big money this week has been for the favourite, Lord North, who won it last year when O’Brien’s favourite, Japan, was only fourth.
Runner-up Addeybb is back for more, bringing to the table a career tally at Ascot of 101221. He’s best priced of the front quartet.
BETDAQ value 9.0 Battleground (4.20 Tuesday) 9.0 Addeybb (4.20 Wednesday)
IF NOT TODAY, IT’S A MONDAY DATE
⭕ 2.10 Sandown You made a note of something on a soggy racecard weeks back on a wet October night at Kempton Park, and you can’t remember what you saw or who told you?
It’s even trickier if the horse’s name looks and sounds like half a dozen others. But Mutaraafeq was definitely with Charles Hills, and here he is after a long break and a gelding op.
Mutaraafeq is also engaged next Monday at Lingfield over 6f, so today’s 7f reappearance has to be approached at half-stake, in case the plan is Monday!
BETDAQ BETTING EXCHANGE VALUE 9.8 Mutaraafeq
GROVE IN THE GROOVE OF THE DRAW
⭕ 3.20 Sandown Mascat was fancied in two consecutive handicaps after starting out in the Spring Mile at Doncaster.
Beaten less than a length in the Ripon Silver Bowl (1m 2f), he stepped up a grade and down a furlong, sixth in the Suffolk Stakes at Newmarket last month.
He’s back to 10 furlongs today; has dropped his claimer and tries instead to get an edge with first-time blinkers.
Six of the last nine winners have been drawn 1 to 4, and five of the last seven have been four-year-olds. Mascat ticks both boxes!
All bar Andaleep, You’re Hired, Duckett’s Grove and Mostawaa of the rest of the field have been taking part in lower class races – some of them much lower class – of very little distinction.
Of these Duckett’s Grove is from a stable in form and, believe it, is right next door in the gates from the one stall which houses Moscat.
His last win was at Ascot on the only occasion Hector Crouch was in the saddle. But Hector is hired today for Mascat, with Oisin Murphy on Duckett’s Grove. It all works out at a tasty one-two for me, I reckon!
BETDAQ value 6.2 Mascat, 10.5 Duckett’s Grove
NO DETTORI HAZZARD FOR DUKE NOW
⭕ 4.00 York Just less than two years ago, before joining Paul and Oliver Cole, Duke Of Hazzard landed a hat-trick, including two Group races.
His return to the Pattern after two wind ops was much heralded by the Press at the Epsom Derby meeting but – where were you Mr Dettori? – he could not get a clear run off the far rail and finished fourth.
The top of the ground suits him better today and P J Macdonald will be anxious to succeed where Frankie failed. I took 2.44.
The obvious danger is Space Traveller, with cheekpieces first time. He’s won Group 2 and Group 3 (Jersey Stakes) but you would have to trust that he is back to form after two long breaks.
BETDAQ 11.5 LOOKS ‘FIRM’ VALUE
⭕ 4.35 York David O’Meara once won this with Smarty Socks, the first of the trainer’s hat-trick in the race (2013-15) when aged nine, third run back after a break.
Now he tries the trick with Firmament, third run back after a break, and with York form since his debut and up to last July of 1233214201. Can he bounce back?
Paxos, Northernpowerhouse, Illusionist and Gabrial The Wire are much better placed to win; ages four and five have scored every time in the decade, barring the Smarty Socks coup.
But Paxos, up in grade, has never raced on turf. Northernpowerhouse ran well at Doncaster in early May but, though third, was disappointing, as he had won each time immediately after his two previous breaks.
Illusionist is up in trip and it looks a very speculative play after 18 races at sprint trips.
Gabriel The Wire has dropped 8lb since he lost form after winning a class 3 almost a year ago. Danielsflyer is up in grade yet top-weight.
BETDAQ value 11.5 Firmament
DAQMAN’S BETS
2.10 Sandown (win 10)
BET 1.25pts win MUTARAAFEQ
3.20 Sandown (win 30)
BET 6pts win MASCAT
BET 3pts win DUCKETT’S GROVE
4.00 York (nap to win 15)
BET 10pts win DUKE OF HAZZARD
4.35 York (win 30)
BET 3pts win FIRMAMENT
What are points? Points facilitate a staking plan, which is the secret to creating profit. One point is whatever you choose: a pound, a euro, or whatever ….
Start with a bank and decide how much you can afford to lose over a period of time, and determine the size of your bets accordingly. Daqman makes this variation every day.
