DETTORI LIVES UP TO DAQMAN HYPE WITH A SUPER(NAP) RIDE: Daqman landed another supernap yesterday when he declared: Frankie fans are on (St) Cloud nine! They certainly were as John Gosden’s Mehdaayih (WON 4-5) took the Prix de Malleret at Saint-Cloud, making up for her luckless run in the Epsom Oaks. The Gosden-Dettori team then won the Grand Prix with Coronet, before victory for Daqman’s Fortune Cookies with Headman. More about Fortune Cookies today.
WON 9-4 HEADMAN (Fortune Cookies)
WON 4-5 MEHDAAYIH (supernap)
CATTERICK NAP: Two speedsters go head to head in the 7.30 at Catterick tonight over the fast five furlongs. DAQMAN has napped one of them to come out on top.
HOPING STOUTE WILL ELECT SANDOWN
FORTUNE COOKIES: Decisions; decisions! Sandown could see a notable Fortune Cookies double at the weekend.
Sir Michael Stoute’s Elector would be a good thing in a class-2 handicap there on Friday but is also engaged in the John Smith’s at York on Saturday week, which is a different game of soldiers altogether.
Elector, who ran some really good races last term, won the Suffolk Stakes at Newmarket in May but was not so effective at Epsom on the last day, so the weaker race at Sandown should see the royal runner step up his mark, as Stoute horses so often do.
Enable was the big Fortune Cookies success of 2017 when she won four Oaks, the King George and the Arc. Will she – can she? – drop back in trip to take the Eclipse on Saturday, for which she is currently favourite?
She’s already beaten the next two in the betting, Crystal Ocean and Magical. The Stoute-trained entire, Crystal Ocean, confirmed the pair’s dominance over Magical when beating her in the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Can Enable take the Eclipse and then clean up in the King George three weeks later, for which second favourite is – yes, you guessed it – Crystal Ocean?
The 2019 Classic results have done absolutely nothing so far to suggest that this year’s second-season animals are capable of winning anything against their elders, so a third Arc for Enable is very much on the cards.
➡️ Look out for Daqman’s ABC guide to the Eclipse later in the week.
KAPONO FOR QUICK FOLLOW UP
3.00 Pontefract Small fields are the order of the day at Pontefract and it is disappointing to see the feature Spindrifter Stakes (class 2) cut up to just three runners with the defection of Lord Of The Lodge.
Despite small fields the remaining races on the card do look at least look competitive. In this six furlong handicap Daffy Jane is opposable despite a big effort at York last time out when second in a fillies handicap at 25/1. That was a good run but it came on soft ground and it must be debatable whether she can repeat the form on this faster surface. She finished last of 10 at Doncaster over this trip when the ground was good to firm prior to her York run.
Preference today has to be for Kale Lane who is much more proven on the ground. She ran well over course and distance in May when second to Highly Sprung. She now races off a mark 2lb lower and deserves to win a prize like this.
Of the others Princes Des Sables was well beaten over course and distance last month when the ground was soft. That run came after a long break and she may be more effective on this faster ground.
5.45 Windsor Trainer Ralph Beckett has a good record in this, winning two of the last three runnings. His runner this year is Spice Of Life who has an eye-catching pedigree being by Sea The Stars and shouldn’t lack in the stamina departent.
It’s her handicap debut here and she should be seen to better effect off a starting mark of just 56. She hinted at promise last year, notably when fifth at Lingfield in a decent novice event.
There are a couple of in form horses that help make the market for us here including Cherry Cola who bids for a hat-trick after a course and distance win in June and a soft ground win at Yarmouth two weeks later. She is still improving and doesn’t look unduly punished with a 5lb rise for her latest success.
Miss M was an easy winner at Bath last time out but may find this tougher off a 7lb higher mark.
7.30 Catterick I was very taken by the way Kapono won at Newcastle last week when he stayed on strongly to win over six furlongs. It’s no surprise to see trainer Roger Fell sending the three-year-old out again so soon.
He should be seated by this fast five Furlong trip and although runs under a penalty is still preferred to The Defiant who is a speedy sort who likes to make the running and bids for a hat-trick after wins at Musselburgh and Thirsk but has shot up 8lb in the handicap which might well anchor his progress.
Tie A Yellowribbon has bits and pieces of form but probably needs to drop in the weights and remains a maiden after 11 starts.
DAQMAN’S BETS (staked to win 20 points, place bet as indicated)
BET 6.9pts win CALE LANE (3.00 Pontefract)
BET 4pts win, 4pts place (stakes saver) SPICE OF LIFE (5.45 Windsor)
BET 11.6pts win (nap) KAPONO (7.30 Catterick)
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