FOUR BANKERS OUT OF FOUR AND NO LOSERS: Maximum-stakes banker naps have returned to the Daqman portfolio for the first time in two years. He’s now had four. All four have won, all 20 points win stakes, with yesterday’s described before the race as ‘a star is born’.. and winning 12 lengths.
A CERTAINTY BARRING ACCIDENT: Each one of the four was as near as possible a ‘certainty’, barring accident. He’s tipped Chatterbox (February 9, WON 5-4), Simonsig (March 12, WON 1-7), Sprinter Sacre (March 13, WON 1-4) and now Annie Power (WON 4-11). Prices are SP so look out for better offers during BETDAQ trading.
‘NATIONAL’ DREAM DOUBLE ON THE CARDS FOR KATIE: Katie Walsh, who rides Seabass in the Aintree Grand National, is one of three Daqman fancies for today’s Irish version at Fairyhouse. A woman to ride a National double inside a week? It’s the stuff of dreams and headlines.
BANK HOLIDAY YANKEE: Daqman also takes his pick of a lucky seven English Bank Holiday meetings, including a yankee.
2.40 Fairyhouse Willie Mullins won this four years running with horses aged five to 13. Zaidpour, winner of the Hattons Grace over CD at Christmas, is hot favourite to pick up where he left off in 2010, though not a horse I would put banker faith in.
The improver is Dressedtothenines, whose place odds are better than Zaidpour’s win offers. And he has two chances – first and second places – to collect. I’ll be greedy and put Zaidpour in my Daq Multiples, hoping for two returns from one race.
3.40 Fairyhouse Another Mullins’ hot-pot, Tennis Cap ran a blinder, runner-up in the County Hurdle, with drying conditions bringing today’s ground in line with that at Cheltenham. But did he leave today’s race behind with the hard race at the festival?
And, strictly on lines through Enchanted Forest and Beneficial Spirit, he can’t beat Mallowney. I’m talking separate, and telling, form lines.
The Oscar seven-year-old has all the potential for novice-chasing star of next season, but the big Fairyhouse and Punchestown novice hurdles today and at the end of the month are not out of reach.
His 5.0 value offers on BETDAQ this morning, against 2.5 Tennis Cap are not in line with the form and, with Sizing Rio likely to take Tennis Cap on for the lead, waiting tactics on Mallowney will be very dangerous and could pay off.
This is a nap containing some risk and not a ‘good thing’ banker but, on form, in the context of the race, and for value, Mallowney must be backed.
4.50 Fairyhouse (Ladbrokes Irish Grand National) Winners in the last nine years at 33-1 (four times!), 25-1 and 20-1 had this in common: none was saddled with more than 10st 5lb.
But more accurately – quite astonishly so, or an amazing coincidence – the last six winners were all rated in the narrow ratings parameter of 131 to 136.
It’s certainly no coincidence that Willie Mullins has withdrawn top contenders like Boston Bob and Back In Focus to run Marasonnien off 135.
Young horses, of six, seven and eight had won six in a row before an old-timer ploughed through a mudbath to score last year.
The ground is much better today and I think youth will have its way again. I’m taking the 14 older horses straight out of the equation.
Can anything beat Marasonnien? The form of his two-lengths second to RSA Chase winner, Lord Windermere, looks good: Lord Windermere was less than a length behind Boston Bob in his Cheltenham prep at Leopardstown, and Boston Bob would have been giving Marasonnien 19lb today.
That makes Marsonnien’s 11.5 on BETDAQ this morning terrific value, if only this wasn’t another mile further in a monster field of 30.
But Marasonnien has won a Grade-1 hurdle over 3m and will be particularly well suited to Fairyhouse (has a tendency to jump to the right).
In the ‘old firm’ clash of J P McManus and Gigginstown, Carlingford Lough for McManus is a 2m 6f hurdles winner and his chase form also suggests that he needs today’s long journey.
Katie Walsh, who rides Seabass at Aintree, will be hoping to land the first leg of a National double inside a week: her ride, the Gigginstown grey Panther Claw, has a stamina-packed pedigree, by Old Vic out of a Roselier mare.
Barry Geraghty, who can’t do the weight on Panther Claw, partners Jacksons Lady, whom he rode to be placed in a Graded hurdle last summer. But, until proved otherwise, his breeding is not for extreme distances.
Quietly Fancied (Presenting out of an Orchestra mare) is another obvious stayer, as a 3m hurdles winner: he’s been kept to hurdles ever since runner-up in the Munster National with the Kerry National second and third, Questions Answered and Start Me Up, in third and fourth.
But this form seems to be taken care of by Romanesco (Gigginstown), who had Questions Answered only sixth behind him when runner-up in the Paddy Power at Leopardstown.
Tony McCoy, on Competitive Edge (McManus), will keep one eye open for Romanesco, since the winner at Leopardstown that day was Colbert Station, who could yet be his choice over Sunnyhillboy for Saturday at Aintree.
In a private duel, Marasonnien and Home Farm are 1-1. Home Farm is another who seems bred for this trip (Presenting out of a Good Thyne mare).
My IRISH NATIONAL 1-2-3 then, with their BETDAQ offers at the time of writing: Marasonnien (11.5), Panther Claw (15.0) and Romanesco (14.0). Carlingford Lough and Home Farm were deleted, because they have not yet won over 3m, as had 11 of the last 12 winners of this race, and Quietly Fancied is ignored because he has had his chances at age nine.
FAKENHAM With the ground dried out, I can see Farewellatmidnight (3.45) attacking this field and going clear in a bid to repeat last year’s victory: 4.5 seemed a fair offer in the small field.
HUNTINGDON Victor Dartnall sends Regal Presence (1.40) on a 425-mile round trip from his Devon yard to Huntingdon and books Harry Derham to do the steering, head and shoulders the best young jock in this conditionals’ race.
Springinherstep (2.40) has been found a race where she gets all the allowances, a stone from her most menacing rival, Ubaldo Des Menhies.
NEWCASTLE The 5.8 McMurrough (4.25) on BETDAQ this morning was appealing, with the favourite, Wilde Pastures, upped to a trip he’s hated in the past and with No Planning from a yard out of form.
In fact, No Planning was Sue Smith’s last winner 30 days ago; she’s saddled 38 failures since then.
Storming Gale, whose jumping is decidedly dodgy, won at Ayr only because it was a race of fallers.
PLUMPTON A standing dish at Plumpton, Madame Jasmine (3.35) seems sure to be on the premises, which makes offers of 12.5 all wrong.
REDCAR David Tudhope, back from Penitent’s ride in Dubai for David O’Meara, partners lesser fry Morocco (4.30) for the rising-star trainer.
Morocco and Wyldfire (‘we like him a lot,’ quote unquote Richard Fahey) both come to this first time after being gelded, and are offered at prices which you can dutch. Both have vital low draws.
WARWICK Divine Call (2.50) has twice won after long absences, including this race last year, and will presumably be hard to catch again this time around.
DAQMAN’S BETS:
BET 4pts win REGAL PRESENCE (1.40 Huntingdon)
BET 1pt win and 4pts place DRESSEDTOTHENINES (2.40 Fairyhouse)
BET 3.8pts win DIVINE CALL (2.50 Warwick)
BET 1.7pts win and place MADAME JASMINE (3.35 Plumpton)
BET 5pts win (nap) MALLOWNEY (3.40 Fairyhouse)
BET 5.7pts win FAREWELLATMIDNIGHT (3.45 Fakenham)
BET 4pts win McMURROUGH (4.25 Newcastle)
BET 5pts win on each WYLDFIRE and MOROCCO (4.30 Redcar)
WIN-30 JACKPOT: BET 2.8pts win MARASONNIEN, 2.3pts win ROMANESCO and 2.1pts win PANTHER CLAW (4.50 Fairyhouse)
BANK HOLIDAY YANKEE: DAQ MULTIPLES: Springinherstep (2.40 Huntingdon), Zaidpour (2.40 Fairyhouse), Mallowney (3.40 Fairyhouse) and Farewellatmidnight (3.45 Fakenham)
* Daqman’s bets are staked to win 20 points, excepting the jackpot race, in which he tries to win 30.
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