FOUR DAQMAN NAPS UP OUT OF FIVE: Though the racing’s been hard to come by, Daqman landed two bets out of three yesterday for 17 points profit, leading the layers a dance and naming a winning nap for the fourth time in five days (one blank day in the week with no racing, one with a nap abandoned).
Two winners out of three yesterday
WON 6-5 SERGEANT PEP (nap)
WON 6-5 LIBERTY DANCE
Four naps up from five runners in a week
WON 6-5 SERGEANT PEP (Sunday nap)
WON 6-5 POLITICS (Thursday nap)
WON 11-8 MASO BASTIE (Wednesday nap)
WON 6-4 VITESSE DU SON (Monday nap)
TODAY: Galopin Des Champs looks a good thing at Punchestown but has tipped up before, so what’s the best outsider: Is 21.0 the bet of a Lifetime?
GALOPIN 7LB CLEAR OF THE FIELD
⭕ 2.10 Punchestown (John Durkan Memorial Chase) The John Durkan saved – we hope! – after last Sunday’s Punchestown card had to be abandoned.
The two most celebrated winners of this 2m 4f chase were Don Cossack, the 2014 winner, and Djakadam (2015 and 16 double), who famously finished first and second in the 2016 Cheltenham Gold Cup.
Min landed a hat-trick (2018-20) among Willie Mullins’ seven strikes since 2013, with Allaho taking over the crown a year back.
Allaho broke the mould in that he was the only one of the seven not to start favourite (Envoi Allen was 7-4 market leader that day).
172 GALOPIN DES CHAMPS The Willie Mullins talking horse this time is Galopin Des Champs, five wins out of six and a Daqman Fortune Cookie.
Novice-hurdle champion here at Punchestown in April, might have been unbeaten (4-4) in novice chases but fell when clear in the Golden Miller at Cheltenham, which went by default to Bob Olinger.
165 FAKIR D’OUDAIRIES (Joseph O’Brien) Much more experienced (6-18), placed 13 times over fences but Punchestown form poor (340). Won the Ascot Chase and Melling Chase (beating Hitman at Aintree) in the Spring.
155 FURY ROAD (Gordon Elliott) Winning form last month at Down Royal. More on his plate but has match fitness in hand of the two favourites, who are making their seasonal reappearance.
Runner-up in the Mildmay at Aintree and third in the champion novice here at Punchestown – both a little further than 3m – but 55 lengths behind Galopin Des Champs at Leopardstown in February.
155 LIFETIME AMBITION (Jessica Harrington) Split Capodanno and Fury Road when six-lengths runner-up for the Punchestown Champion Novice (3m) in April. Said to be the stable’s Grand National player.
149 HAUT EN COULEURS (Willie Mullins) Kept to around 2m but related to winners over further. Won when fresh last December.
147 VANILLIER (Gavin Cromwell) Surprise Albert Bartlett winner (3m) at the 2021 Cheltenham Festival but next time out here at Punchestown 15 lengths behind Galopin Des Champs in Grade-1 novice hurdle.
Third to Lifetime Ambition over fences before winning the Florida Pearl (2m 6f) here at Punchestown a year ago but twice well held by Fury Road since.
138 FASTORSLOW (Martin Brassil) Chase winner at Auteuil three years back but hurdles form only since moving to Martin Brassil, including runner-up twice in quality handicaps at Cheltenham (Coral Cup) and here at Punchestown in the Spring.
FORTUNE COOKIE Galopin Des Champs. LONG SHOT 21.0 Lifetime Ambition.
BRAINS HAS GOOD CLAIMS
⭕ 2.50 Kempton A rare handicap in which six of the eight runners carry an identical weight.
Three of the field are claimed off which could make a difference of a length or two over Kempton’s mile, particularly as two of the three are CD winners.
Brains (3lb claimer) has won three times over this Sunbury trip, up to a mark of 80, drawn 2 and 3 (twice). He has 71 today (carries 68) and is again drawn 2.
Also a CD winner, Havana Goldrush (5lb claim) is 4143 at Kempton, down 10lb on the mark he was given after taking a big-field novice here a year or so back.
Wholelotafun (5lb claim) has failed three times to reach the frame at Kempton; seems much better going left-handed.
George Boughey takes over Exciting News from Dan Skelton; well backed last night with bookies. See how it fares in exchanges.
BETDAQ BETTING EXCHANGE 2.8 Brains
EXPRESS LOOKS THE TICKET
⭕ 5.30 Chelmsford I’m usually wary of following horses with penalties in novice events, as to put it simply ‘they take some defying’ but there might be an exception to the rule here.
I was quite taken by Maharajas Express when he made a winning debut at Kempton. He was nibbled at in the market and won with a lot more in hand than the official three quarters of a length margin suggested. Further improvement looks more than likely.
The Betdaq Betting Exchange morning market was favouring Galaxy Gazer but with form figures of 823362 she wouldn’t be one I would fancy taking too short odds about. Her Kempton second last time out looked about the same level of form that Maharajas Express achieved, so it comes down to whether he will improve sufficiently to defy the penalty and I think that’s likely.
EASY AS 1,2,THREE?
⭕ 8.30 Chelmsford Three Dragons looked good when springing a 16/1 surprise at Wolverhampton last time out on his first start for trainer Matt Crawley. The resulting 3lb hike up the handicap doesn’t look overly onerous and he can strike again over the same trip.
Capricorn Prince has excuses for his Lingfield defeat last time out and could go better over this shorter trip whilst Red Derek at bigger odds looks interesting if handling the Polytrack surface which he tackles for the first time. I’ll go for a WIN 10 return on the BETDAQ place market on him too.
DAQMAN’S BETS
2.10 Punchestown
FORTUNE COOKIE
BET 20pts win GALOPIN DES CHAMPS
BET 1pt win and 2pts place LIFETIME AMBITION
2.50 Kempton (win 12)
BET 6pts win BRAINS
5.30 Chelmsford (win 10, nap)
BET 5.0pts win MAHARAJAS EXPRESS
8.30 Chelmsford (win 10 from each bet)
BET 3.7pts win THREE DRAGONS
BET 2.5pts place RED DEREK
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