DAQMAN’S FIVE GRADE-1 WINNERS: Daqman yesterday nominated his ace, king and joker of the Christmas crackers, then proceeded to land his own five-card trick of Grade-1 winners in the three days with a 5-2 hit at Leopardstown. Brighterdaysahead is now a Champion Hurdle contender.
Sunday
WON 5-2 BRGHTERDAYSAHEAD (Grade 1 Hurdle)
Saturday
WON 5-6 GALOPIN DES CHAMPS (Savills Chase)
WON 9-4 THE NEW LION (Challow Hurdle)
Boxing Day
WON 5-6 CONSTITUTION HILL (Christmas Hurdle)
WON 7-1 BANBRIDGE (King George Chase)
TODAY & TOMORROW: FINAL FLINGS: Today Daqman checks out a novices’ chase at Haydock plus the Last Fling Handicap there. Then, as usual, tomorrow he has his own final fling of the year before more Grade-1 racing on New Year’s Day.
STAY WITH THE HOT STABLES
⭕ 2.00 Haydock A stable in the top six, famous for stayers; a stable back to big-time form that’s won most of the top jumps races; a brand-new stable, just struck gold.
That’s the line-up in this novices’ chase of trainers who have thrilled the big tracks in the dying weeks of 2024:
VENETIA WILLIAMS won the Lancashire Chase here at Haydock in early November with Royal Pagaille. Her runner here: Ottoline.
KIM BAILEY, having his best season for some years, won the November Gold Cup at Ascot with Chianti Classico. His runner here: Broomfield Present.
MEL ROWLEY came from the point-to-point field in 2021 and is currently two out of three, giving her a total of 61 winners.
Hit the top spot with Val Dancer in the Welsh Grand National. Her runner here, Galassian, is her last over jumps in 2024.
Wal Buck’s is favourite. Only five and without a win but owned J P McManus and beaten just a neck stepped up to 3m on the soft the last day at a tough jumping track, Wetherby.
He gets 15lb from top-weight Broomfield Present, a Haydock winner at this trip over hurdles on the soft but seemed to squander his good start over fences; beaten favourite twice.
Got round at Uttoxeter after a year off 20 days ago but more wind surgery and the application of cheekpieces today suggest that things are far from going to plan.
Galassian scored over hurdles recently and the Points winner should be suited by fences over this longer trip. Charlie Hammond is looking for a hat-trick, after backing up the Welsh National with a win at Doncaster yesterday.
The mare Ottoline has jumped well and, by Kayf Tara, should stay well, but having her first chase. Good Work is 0-23 over fences but has been second 11 times.
Cream Of The West made mistakes on chase debut and was not fluent even when winning in low class over hurdles.
Betdaq Betting Exchange 5.0 Galassian was the early value.
.. AND STICK WITH GABORIOT
⭕ 3.10 Haydock (Last Fling Handicap Chase) Venetia Williams, who won this last year for the third time in seven seasons, has two runners today, both struggling for form.
Valleres has pulled up twice since scoring at Bangor last March and the race favourite this morning, Montgomery, has flopped twice since a hat-trick in the Spring lofted his weight an overall 22lb.
Fantastikas was third last year and is 2-17 in his chasing career, his last success two years ago.
Expect to see Saint Xavier and The Two Amigos in veterans’ races after this; both will be 13 in two days’ time. The Big Breakaway is 1-17 and that win was on good ground.
Five out of six still, standing, until the summer break, Gaboriot was third in the Grand Sefton in November but made a rare mistake at Doncaster when favourite a fortnight back. Give him another chance.
FINE PACE FOR THE MAESTRO
NAP OF THE DAY: Classic Maestro (⭕ 1.30 Haydock) had a canter round here at Haydock, long odds on, just nine days ago.
That completed the hat-trick over 2m, impressive for one bred to do much better at trips up to 3m and more.
With his form figures now 11210111 and the Jennie Candlish yard on four wins and five places (so 9-13 in the frame, still standing), he could get a lead from Happy And Fine.
Happy And Fine won this race last year, backing up success at Leicester, and took his first two handicap hurdles the year before but finished the season out of sorts.
His trainer, Alex Hales, has won a bumper in the last two weeks; but his jumpers are starting at huge prices and have registered a sequence of defeats in the last 12 days of (in lengths) 23, 18, 20, 38, 64, 11, 89, 68 and 67.
DAQMAN’S BETS on Betdaq Betting Exchange
1.30 Haydock (win 20, nap)
BET 11pts win CLASSIC MAESTRO
2.00 Haydock (win 20)
BET 5pts win GALASSIAN
BET (stakes saver) 2.75pts win WAL BUCKS
3.10 Haydock (win 20)
BET 5.7pts win GABORIOT
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.
Did you know? DAQMAN’s tips are posted each and every day so he’s always on hand to help with your horse racing betting.
