BE WARNED OF A CHELTENHAM PLOT: Daqman previews a race on Saturday which will forever be linked with the same winner of a top hurdle, a Cheltenham Festival chase with a six-figure bonus and a hot Flat handicap. And it’s the same owner trying to do the trick all over again.
HOLLOW VICTORY AT NAAS: Daqman started out with a winner yesterday which covered all bar loose change of his Sunday outlay: Southern Sam (WON 13-8). Ferny Hollow returned to form at Naas after a two-year break but Willie Mullins won’t tempt the bounce factor for Cheltenham.
UNDER ORDERS AT THE DOUBLE
Has J P got it all under control? The 40-strong cavalry charge for the Morebattle Hurdle on Saturday has one only McManus runner, the mare of that name, Under Control, based with Nicky Henderson.
The leading GB jumps owner – just topped the million in prizemoney won – has 66 entries for the Cheltenham Festival but puts the Kelso race down as a perpetual marker on his calendar.
Ever since the day of The Shunter. Owned by J P and trained by Emmet Mullins, The Shunter won the 2020 Greatwood Hurdle at Cheltenham in the November, so what better contender for Kelso and a £100,000 bonus double in the Plate at the 2021 festival the following March.
Yes, Scotland’s leading hurdle race plus one of the top handicap chases 12 days later. Not an obvious double bid.
But Irish trainers generally don’t mind mixing it over jumps large and small and Emmet in particular sees no difference where a good horse is concerned.
The Shunter would prove him right twice over, not only landing the bonus double but, crowning the end of his career, with victory in the big end-of-season Flat handicap, the Cesarewitch at Newmarket. At the age of 10, the second oldest ever to win it.
Under Control is likely aimed at the County Hurdle on the Friday, which would give him the biggest break before Cheltenham, but is still in the Mares Hurdle and the Champion Hurdle, both earlier in the week on the opening day.
STREETS AHEAD
⭕ 3.35 Ayr Single digit field sizes in all the races at Ayr today on the prevailing heavy ground.
Eire Street is napped to follow up on his Carlisle runaway victory last week under the statutory 7lb penalty.
That win (his handicap debut) also came on heavy ground and he sauntered to a 25 length success suggesting he is remarkably well handicapped off his current mark and clearly trainer Jackie Stephen is keen to exploit that before the handicapper has his say.
Ordinarily I would be concerned about the short recovery period but that would apply more if he had endured a tougher race and he should prove too strong for chief Betdaq Betting Exchange market rival Duyfken who is consistent enough but the handicapper might well be on top of him.
NUMBERS POINT TO FIVEAFTERFOUR
⭕ 4.45 Ayr 40 minutes too late for Fiveafterfour to be the perfect co-incidence bet but the six-year-old should take some stopping on the form book too.
She is one of several strong chances for Lucinda Russell on today’s card and comes into this on the back of an easy win here last week when storming clear to win by six lengths.
The step-up to three miles looks well worth taking as she looked a stayer last time and she is also a previous point winner.
Her main rivals are all looking a little exposed including Joie De Vivre who was six and three quarter lengths back in third behind the selection last week and doesn’t look as obvious to be suited by the longer distance.
DOCTOR DOCTOR
⭕ 6.30 Wolverhampton A small field of four for the feature class 3 three-year-old handicap on the Dunstall Park card tonight.
Sennockian is bidding for a hat-trick after narrow wins at Newcastle and Lingfield but may find this tougher.
Mick Appleby hit the jackpot in Riyadh last week with bargain buy Annaf collecting the best part of £1 million first prize money and the trainer sets a puzzle here by saddling both Dr Foster and
Ippotheos.
Preference has to be for Dr Foster, especially if showing improvement for the first time blinkers. He was a class 2 winner at Kempton last time out and jockey bookings suggest he is the better fancied of the pair.
Love Yours completes the quartet but the maiden surely looks outclassed in this company on the back of a moderate effort in class 6 company at Newcastle last time.
DAQMAN’S BETS
3.35 Ayr (win 10, nap)
BET 7.5pts win EIRE STREET
4.45 Ayr (win 10)
BET 5.2pts win FIVEAFTERFOUR
6.30 Wolverhampton (win 10)
BET 5.8pts win DR FOSTER
PLUS
1 point win treble above three
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