YOU HAVE TO HAND IT TO DAQMAN: More ‘certainties’ bit the dust yesterday but Daqman continued on target with his challenge to Pricewise, completing a 4-1 rout of the Racing Post tipster for the week with 7-2 Left Hand in the Prix Vermeille. Daqman’s four were all good prices, even better on BETDAQ (10.0 taken Captain Colby), sending him into a 75-32 lead for the season:
WON 6-1 Captain Colby
WON 7-2 Left Hand
WON 10-3 Sheikhzayedroad
WON 5-2 Wall Of Fire
VERDICT ON THE ARC TRIALS: So what did the Vermeille and the other Arc trials yesterday really mean for the big race in October? How did Daqman’s headlines fare? ‘No Arc hiccups on Makahiki debut’ and ‘Left Hand the right Vermeille bet.’ He looks at the autumn picture below.
ALMANZOR MUST GO FOR THE ARC
What a choice for the French O’Brien! Only Postponed seems to stand between Jean-Claude Rouget and an autumn bonanza with Almanzor and La Cressonierre. But which of his champions will go for the Arc?
Almanzor is favourite for the Champion Stakes and nudging Postponed at the front of the Arc market.
I would go for the Arc, even though the stable also has La Cressoniere close up in the betting, after her eight wins in a row including the Prix de Diane (French Oaks).
She looks good but yesterday’s form boost by Left Hand, the Oaks runner-up, has to be taken in context. The third in the Diane was rated only 113 and Left Hand’s Vermeille win yesterday was at the expense of the 110-rated Lancashire Oaks winner, Endless Time.
La Cressonniere has won at only 10 furlongs and it was Almanzor who raced as though he could tackle several furlongs further, when he swopped on the prestigious Irish Champion Stakes field on Saturday.
His defeat into third of Minding – Ireland’s own sequence filly – puts him on about 126, as he beat her more than three lengths, giving 3lb.
That has to be tempered to an overall rating but it certainly puts him ear to ear with Postponed (124), and Almanzor would be getting 8lb in the Arc.
Almanzor was from the first crop of two-year-olds of Wootton Bassett, who won the Grand Criterium (Lagardere), and is by 7f horse Iffraaj (also sire of the miler Ribchester).
But the dam’s side has plenty of stamina. And, for the winner of a race, Saturday’s Irish Champion, which was star-studded with Group-1 winners, he’s got to go for the big one. Seeing is believing.
The Japanese colt Makahiki beat Sir Michael Stoute’s Midterm in the Prix Niel, both having been absent from the racetrack for some time. I doubt if they will uphold the Niel’s record of producing Arc winners.
WORD HAS IT LUMINOUS CAN SHINE
KEMPTON It’s shocking stuff today but I’m paid to take a punt. Moon Arrow (2.00) is certainly that, with very little form shown so far, and is 12.0 on BETDAQ as I write.
But trainer Michael Blake, who has had four of his last five runners in a place (two home first) calls on Timmy Murphy to do the steering, as he did for a winner at Brighton a week ago.
Laura Mongan (3.10 Seaesta) is back in business after her St leger celebrations. The Racing Post politely says that the trainer ‘isn’t associated with two-year-old winners.’ She wasn’t associated with St Leger winners until Saturday!
But a better bet may be Luminous (7.8 offers in the 3.45) in the second division of this juvenile maiden for fillies.
This is a Cheveley Park animal who is reckoned to have a future and is in the care of a trainer, Roger Varian, striking at 35% with his juveniles. Ridden by jockey of the moment Andrea Atzeni.
Remember my headline of what ‘rubbish’ it was for the bookies to bait Silvestre De Sousa at 4-1 on to be champion jockey? You can get 11-4 this morning, with Jim Crowley the new blue-eyed boy. But Atzeni is really riding out of his breeches!
Race of the day is the class-4 mile handicap (4.45), in which both Michael Blake (Great Fun for Murphy again at 29.0 offers) and Roger Varian (Philadelphia for Atzeni) could go well.
But I fancy a bit of win and place Papou Tony (25.0 BETDAQ offers), winner of his maiden over CD and getting weight all round.
The 5.15 is tricky, with Della Vale and Stratum both front runners, or have been in the past. That might set up the race for Scattered Stars, who can step up on her recent Newbury maiden success: 4.5 in the BETDAQ orange.
BRIGHTON I haven’t had a winner at Brighton since I recognized Kolly Kibber in the crowd.
Buteo Bai (2.55) should go close, as the three-year-old most likely to. And I see they’ve punted Jim Crowley on Upstaging (4.30) but he’s still backable with two come out.
DAQMAN’S BETS
BET 2pts win and place MOON ARROW (2.00 Kempton)
BET 9pts win BUTEO BAI (2.55 Brighton)
BET 3pts win and place LUMINOUS (3.45 Kempton)
BET 7pts win UPSTAGING (4.30 Brighton)
BET 1pt win and place on each GREAT FUN and PAPOU TONY (4.45 Kempton)
BET 6pts win (nap) SCATTERED STARS (5.15 Kempton)
£25 IN FREE BETS
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