4-1 WINNER IN ONE-TWO, ONE-TWO: Daqman named first and second in two races yesterday: Next Sensation (WON 4-1) and God’s Own (2nd 8-1) at Doncaster for better than a 32-1 Ladbrokes forecast, and Hurricane Fly (WON 11-10) and Jezki (2nd 15-8) in the big race in Ireland.
Here’s a run to rival Hurricane Fly’s. The Champion Hurdler yesterday declared that he has no intention of giving up the crown, though he will be 10 years old, come the defence of his title in March.
If he can do it, he moves into the hallowed circles of Hatton’s Grace, who won aged 10 and 11 in 1950-1, and Sea Pigeon, who raised the Cheltenham roof with the same feat in 1980-81.
Hurricane Fly, who has now scored 20 times in 23 hurdle races, beat off the young pretenders, Jezki and Our Conor, at Leopardstown.
We don’t quite come down to earth with the proverbial bang today, thanks to the presence of Baby Run, himself placed 19 consecutive times under Rules, still standing.
In fact, only ‘UR’ twice stands between him and a 100% place sequence from 25 starts, yet he will be 14 years old on January 1.
Missing for 20 months with a leg injury, he came back, tough as ever, to get within a length of a sensational return in the Becher Chase three weeks ago.
Today’s Haydock fences should be test enough for Baby Run (12.50) and the trip is about the same as his Fox Hunter triumph at Aintree.
The bounce factor is a worry after the long lay-off before the Becher but he’s often put two races together (February 6 and 18 and May 2 and 23 in 2009; February 9 and 19 and April 7 and 23 in 2011).
He came back so impressively at Aintree that the handicapper has raised his rating for the first time since April, 2010! Yet he isn’t even topweight today, nor is he odds on in the BETDAQ orange this morning, despite the race being a veterans’ chase of lesser names from yesterday.
Desoto County (1.20) lost out last time under a penalty for his debut bumper win but he’s back to Haydock and over hurdles for the first time, so no penalty today.
Goohar and Highpower already have two hurdles starts each but seem to be heading for handicaps. Front-running Dibdabs should set a target for Desoto County, with trainer Donald McCain’s form in the race 101.
McCain runs Across The Bay in the Last Fling Chase (1.55). The long time leader in the Grand National is dropped in class from a sequence of six starts in Graded and Listed company, and also down 10lb on his chase rating at the start of the year. He loves the mud.
So does Pete The Feat, who returned to form at Fontwell over a furlong shorter than today, though was third in the Warwick Classic (3m 5f) at the start of the year.
But Pete has his biggest burden so far, now rated 139, a stone higher than when he won the Mandarin at this time a year ago.
As a Kayf Tara, out of a Buckskin mare, Ballyoliver should relish the trip and Venetia Williams hit winning form over Christmas (until I tipped her yesterday!)
I just worry about the soft ground for Ballyoliver. Venetia has said before that he likes a sounder surface. The same applies to Bob Ford.
But another mudlover expected to gallop all day is Herdsman, a Flemensfirth who is unexposed at the trip and highly regarded by Sue and Harvey Smith.
Hunters Lodge has won back-to-back amateur riders’ events at Cheltenham and this race is a different ball game but ‘all he does is stay’ (quote unquote Nigel Twiston-Davies).
Is there anything else in the race that likes the trip and loves soft ground? Answer: Monsieur Cadou, a Haydock winner twice at 3m 4f. But he’s back to the drawing board after tailing off, 56 lengths behind the winner in the Cumberland Chase on his reappearance. I took offers of 7.8 Herdsman and 7.0 Across The Bay on BETDAQ.
For my outsider of the day, I’ll have a pound on Kartanian (12.40 Taunton) at 13.5 on BETDAQ, though he looks set a difficult task with a big weight in the conditional jockeys’ hurdle.
In fact, Kartanian has been dropped 10lb since he was third in this race last year, has another 3lb claimed off him and is blinkered for the first time for the fourth best yard in the country on winnings for the season so far.
DAQMAN’S BETS
BET 1.6pts win and place KARTANIAN (12.40 Taunton)
BET 11.5pts win (nap) BABY RUN (12.50 Haydock)
BET 3pts win HERDSMAN and 2.8pts win ACROSS THE BAY (1.55 Haydock)
DAQ MULTIPLES: 3pts win double Baby Run (12.50 Haydock) and Desoto County (1.20 Haydock)
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