THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY: Daqman was seething as the jockeys at Navan allowed Acapella Bourgeois an unassailable lead in the Ten Up Novice Chase. His selection, gambled-on Road To Respect, finally got going and finished 11 lengths clear of the remainder, earning a point against Pricewise as a place bet on a bigger-than-10-1 outsider. His three returns yesterday:
WON 5-2 Pearl Swan
WON 4-6 Sutton Place
2nd 6-1 Road To Respect (from 11.0 BETDAQ)
He now leads Pricewise 16-8 with 39 points the gap between them (+25 to -14).
CHELTENHAM CAVALRY: Today Daqman continues to develop his horses-to-follow list, with his main target the Cheltenham Festival
DAQMAN MONDAY: Daqman sets his sights on two English meetings this afternoon with a NAP at Lingfield and a short-priced lay at Carlisle.
HORSES THAT WILL HIT PAYDIRT
HORSES TO FOLLOW: Already given the big tick: Altior, Ballyandy, Blaklion, Brain Power, Cue Card (for one race), Defi Du Seuil, Douvan, Movewiththetimes, Wholestone, William H Bonney, Yorkhill.
RESULTS SO FAR: Blaklion (2nd 7-2), Cue Card (WON 4-9 and deleted).
ANTE-POST on BETDAQ (to win 100 each): Ballyandy (Supreme Novice Hurdle at 12.0), Brain Power (Champion Hurdle at 8.8).
EMPIRE OF DIRT
After his Irish Gold Cup defeat by Sizing John, I don’t think he can win ‘gold’ at Cheltenham, but he is one of the biggest improvers (20lb since the end of last season) and wherever he goes he has to be considered.
He won at Cheltenham last March and was very impressive in the Ladbrokes Troytown Chase in November. I would like to see him pop over hurdles somewhere for a pipe-opener and then head straight for the Aintree Grand National.
What is Empire Of Dirt? Hear Johnny Cash sing Hurt, and learn something about the human condition. For me, it’s a version of Ozymandias.
FINIAN’S OSCAR
A winner impressively from 2m to 2m 5f+ and prince of the Colin Tizzard young bloods to follow Thistlecrack, Native River, Cue Card, it is still not certain whether he will go for the Supreme Novice Hurdle or the Neptune.
He’s shortest for the Neptune, in which horses have a better chance of settling down and avoiding any cavalry charge, and the Supreme looks a bit intense, with a ‘monster’ at the front of the betting in Melon and hard nuts like never-give-in Ballyandy.
FOX NORTON
I followed this one when he was with Neil Mulholland and then early in his switch to Colin Tizzard, landing a couple of decent wins for this column for the old Fortune Cookies.
It’s hard to find his place for Cheltenham, since he’s unlikely to be as good as Douvan or Altior (Champion Chase) and is not tested over the Ryanair trip.
But there is a difference that cries out ‘don’t let him go altogether’. It is his form on surfaces which do not have ‘soft’ in the going return. Since he moved from Nick William to Mulholland and then to Tizzard, his figures in such conditions have been: 11311 (two of them at Cheltenham), which augurs well for the festivals at Prestbury Park and Aintree.
FRODON
Landed a hat-trick on good ground, a 14-1 winner for the Fortune Cookie column, then scored on soft at Cheltenham and finally was Scottish Future Champion Novice.
I picked him as a raw four-year-old (on a strong whisper as to his brilliant jumping ability at home) and I’ve watched him improve a stone in the ratings. More to come.
GOOD THYNE TARA
They’re in no hurry with this Good Thyne mare, who is big enough to make her mark chasing and highly regarded by Willie Mullins.
She’s been a sloppy hurdler at the minimum but, if she can crack it at 2m over hurdles, what can a daughter of Kayf Tara do stepped up in trip over fences? We’ll see. It’s definitely worth keeping her on the list.
JEZKI
I think Jezki’s career is behind him at the age of nine. He’s been virtually static in the ratings now for nearly three years since his Cheltenham Champion Hurdle.
The horse he beat at Navan in January, Renneti, flopped on the same track in the Boyne Hurdle yesterday, and the third horse home, Tombstone, turned round the January form at Gowran on Saturday, beating Jezki in the Red Mills Trial.
YANWORTH
Another weekend runner, Yanworth, can be dealt with here. He’s just short of the top, with nowhere to go to redeem himself: I think he falls between the Champion Hurdle (not got the class) and the Stayers Hurdle (might win again at 2m 4f but not at 3m).
KING COULD MAKE A COOL MONDAY
3.25 Lingfield Much better was expected of Carnspindle on her hurdles debut as she was sent off a 6/4 shot on the back of a bumper win. She jumped very poorly that day however giving her little chance. With the benefit of that experience now she can reward her followers and is a massive player. Warren Greatrex has an excellent record at Lingfield with a staggering 53% strike rate over the last five seasons and at the 4.3 available on BETDAQ she looks a good bet.
4.00 Lingfield This is going to be a real test of stamina with 3 miles 4 furlongs to cover on heavy ground and a nice racing weight would seem like a must. With that in mind Coolking catches the eye towards the bottom of the handicap. A proven stayer, he has hit a vein of form lately after sliding down the handicap. He won at Lingfield last time out so will have no problem with the course and Tom Cannon gets on well with him winning aboard him twice.
Cannon and trainer Gary Moore have a good partnership together too with a +8.30 LSP over the last 5 seasons. Coolking will be ridden aggressively and if he gets into a good rhythm early he could prove very hard to peg back. The 10 available on BETDAQ looks attractive with a place saver at 3.45.
2.00 Carlisle Catamaran De Seuil is a long way clear here on ratings and looked impressive making a winning British debut but is opposed here after a very disappointing display last time. He was reported to have an abnormally high heart rate after finishing a poor 6th last time which would have to be very worrying if you were a backer today. He has blinkers applied for the first time today which could be a help but will not give any assistance should he not be over his physical issue. At 1.52 he has far too big of a question mark over him and he is a recommended lay on BETDAQ.
DAQMAN’S BETS
LAY 5.5pts (to win 10) CATAMARAN DE SEUIL (2.00 Carlisle)
BACK 6pts win CARNSPINDLE (3.25 Lingfield)
BACK 5pts win and place COOLKING (nap) (4.00 Lingfield)
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