DAQMAN VALUE STRIKE IS FUTURE GOLD CUP STAR: Technician (WON 12-5) was success number 81 in feature races for Daqman this season, as the three-year-old stormed into Gold Cup reckoning for 2020 by beating the best marathon stayers in Europe in the Prix Royal-Oak at Longchamp yesterday for Manton trainer Martyn Meade.
ACCOUNTS UPDATE:
Daqman 81, Pricewise 39 (Daqman + 313, Pricewise – 470 to 10pt stakes)
Bulls-eye naps (8-16) 50% (256pts profit to recommended stakes)
Supernaps (24-42) 57% (29pts profit to 20-point stake).
FRANKIE CRACKS O’BRIEN ARMOUR BY 20 LENGTHS: It’s Breeders Cup week and Daqman checks out the two-year-old entries, and assesses the pecking order of juvenile colts and fillies in the wake of yesterday’s Criterium, won 20 lengths by Frankie Dettori on Alson over Aidan O’Brien’s Armory.
FAB FABRE HUNTING PINATUBO
Andre Fabre the victor. The French ace trainer (aged 73) continued his phenomenal comeback yesterday, giving chase to Pinatubo for the 2020 Classics when his Victor Ludorum was boosted by yesterday’s winner of the Longchamp Criterium, Alson, who slammed Armory 20 lengths.
This is the very pair that Victor Ludorum had beaten into the places for the Lagardere at the Arc meeting earlier in the month.
It forces me to set ‘Victor’ alongside the same stable’s Earthlight, winner of the Prix Morny and the Middle Park. Only a fool would choose between them at this stage. Both are by Shamardal.
Aidan O’Brien failed for the 18th time this season to land a two-year-olds Group 1 when Armory (nine lengths off Pinatubo in the National Stakes) trailed in behind Alson yesterday.
While there were those who claimed that the heavy ground degraded the form, with just the two runners taking part, racereaders were stunned at the way Frankie Dettori was cantering throughout on Alson, who looked twice the animal that had won a Group 3 in Germany. My 2yo ratings are now:
122 Pinatubo (Charlie Appleby, colt by Shamardal)
118 Earthlight (Andre Fabre, colt by Shamardal)
118 Victor Ludorum (Andre Fabre, colt by Shamardal)
116 Alson (Jean-Pierre Carvalho, colt by Areion)
115 Millisle (Jessica Harrington, filly by Starspangledbanner)
114 Golden Horde (Clive Cox, colt by Lethal Force)
112 Siskin (Ger Lyons, colt by First Defence)
110 Raffle Prize (Mark Johnston, filly by Slade Power)
110 Summer Sands (Richard Fahey, colt by Coach House)
108 Kings Lynn (Andrew Balding, colt by Cable Bay)
107 Armory (Aidan O’Brien, colt by Galileo)
Something may emerge from the weekend’s two-year-old ‘classics’ at Santa Anita, with six English and Irish raiders on the Breeders Cup.
110 Albigna (Jessica Harrington) Breeders Cup Juvenile Fillies (Turf) Friday
108 Arizona (Aidan O’Brien) Breeders Cup Juvenile Turf, Santa Anita, Friday
108 Daahyeh (Roger Varian) Breeders Cup Juvenile Fillies (Turf) Friday
108 King Neptune (Aidan O’Brien) Breeders Cup Juvenile Sprint (Turf), Santa Anita, Friday
108 Mogul (Aidan O’Brien) Postponed Doncaster Futurity at Newcastle on Friday
106 A’Ali (Simon Crisford) Breeders Cup Juvenile Sprint (Turf), Santa Anita, Friday
104 Band Practice (Archie Watson) Breeders Cup Juvenile Sprint (Turf), Santa Anita, Friday
DU CONSIDER THE KEMPTON NAP
⚠️ HEADS UP: 4.55 Kempton No bet for me here but a race to watch as you can bet your bottom dollar there will be a horse that comes out of this that turns into much better machine than this class 5 starting point would indicate. Newcomers from Ralph Beckett, Sir Michael Stoute (x2), John Gosden and Roger Varian all do battle and they are just the ones at the top of the market. Stoute won it last year and he will be hoping that Almareekh ($950,000), in particular, can make a promising start.
5.30 Kempton Bryn Du stands out in this company off a mark of 59. His trainer William Haggas is running at a strike-rate of 18% over the last 14 days (6 winners from 33) and Bryn Du put a poor run in a nursery at Redcar behind him with a good effort at Newcastle last time out when third to Idoapologise over this seven furlong trip. Oisin Murphy rides.
Off the same mark he has been given a good chance of winning a race that, despite the big field, doesn’t look to contain much strength in depth.
Biggest danger may come from Kuwaity who is fitted with the first time blinkers. His Brighton run last time out looked too bad to be true and is probably better judged on promise shown in his first two starts at Epsom and Thirsk. On those two efforts he could be starting off life in nursery company off a good mark – particularly if the blinkers have a positive impact.
7.00 Kempton Oisin Murphy looks set for another winner on the floodlit card with Piece Of History who looked to be crying out for the extra furlong when seventh at Chelmsford last time out.
The Chelmsford form is misleading at face value. He would have finished a lot closer than seventh but was badly impeded twice which could even suggest he is the proverbial ‘winner without a penalty’ as was only beaten less than four lengths.
The Godolphin runner showed his best form last season over tonight’s trip – winning his first two starts at Leicester and Chelmsford – both over a mile.
Inevitably, when a horse starts his career so well, the handicapper often errs on the side of caution and he’s now slid back to a mark of 87 from a high of 94.
7.30 Kempton The Dalgleish yard continue on a high with 9 winners from 45 in the last 14 days and their Soldier’s Minute caught my eye here.
He’s down in class having competed in two huge handicaps on the turf and run creditably in both. Seventh in the Ayr Gold Cup and seventh in the Coral Sprint Trophy at York were both big efforts.
He’s effective on the all-weather too – a course and distance winner here, by four lengths, in March and although up in the weights now can make his class tell.
DAQMAN’S BETS (staked to win 10 points)
BET 5.8pts win (nap) BRYN DU (5.30 Kempton)
BET 5.0pts win PIECE OF HISTORY (7.00 Kempton)
BET 3.9pts win SOLDIER’S MINUTE (7.30 Kempton)
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