NAP MAKES IT FOUR WINNING DAYS IN A WEEK: Daqman, who during the week won between 22 and 29 points for three days in succession, was back on track with 11 points yesterday, thanks to another winning nap, Ballyward (WON 9-10, nap). His week included:
WON 12-1 LORD COUNTY
WON 13-2 FRODON
WON 5-1 BASSARABAD
WON 4-1 FIRST ASSIGNMENT
WON 11-4 BRISCOLA
WON 5-4 KING OF NEPAL (supernap)
DUBLIN FESTIVAL: DAY-TWO FACTS AND STATS: Now Daqman is gearing up for the Dublin Festival next weekend. He previewed the Saturday card yesterday, so here’s his second-day stats guide.
DELOITTE SIX HIT FOR MULLINS?
12.40 Leopardstown, Sunday (Paddy Mullins Mares Handicap Hurdle) A Grade B without history but soon, no doubt, to be ‘owned’ by Willie Mullins, for whom it already has history, as a race named after his father.
Paddy was the 10 times Irish champion trainer, who saddled Dawn Run to win both Champion Hurdle and Gold Cup at Cheltenham. A legend and founder of a dynasty.
1.15 Leopardstown, Sunday (Spring Juvenile Hurdle) You want to be betting near the front of the market. Seven winners in the last nine were between 4-6 and 6-1 SP, with Willie Mullins 2, Gordon Elliott 1 the recent score.
In the last seven seasons, winners of this have produced a Triumph Hurdle winner, Our Conor (2013), two runners-up in Unaccompanied (2011) and Hisaabaat (2013), and two thirds, Guitar Pete (2014) and Footpad (2016).
1.50 Leopardstown, Sunday (Deloitte Novice Hurdle) Willie Mullins tries to hit six winners in a row in this one, his potential ammunition including Getabird and Sharjah.
Champagne Fever (2013) and Vautour (2014) both went on to win the Supreme Novice Hurdle. But Willie’s on a hat-trick nobody wants: his last two Deloitte scorers both failed to finish at Cheltenham
2.25 Leopardstown, Sunday Is it too much to expect Dortmund Park to try for his third hurdles win in 2018 already. Or will he wait for a handicap at Cheltenham?
Gordon Elliott’s five-year-old certainly looks tempting off 142, wherever he goes (that would put him on 10-13 here).
3.00 Leopardstown, Sunday Willie Mullins again, with six winners of this novice chase since 2008. Cooldine went on to win the RSA; otherwise no results at Cheltenham.
3.35 Leopardstown, Sunday (Irish Gold Cup) Before the gold double last year by Sizing John, only Sir Des Champs (second in 2013) made any impression in the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
4.10 Leopardstown, Sunday Willie Mullins and Gordon Elliott have the first 16 entries of 67 for this Grade A handicap chase, and share 35 all told. The race is now an alternative start for Cause Of Causes.
TODAY: A SAUCY COMEBACK
3.25 Plumpton Saucysioux is up 24lb on the mark with which she started an autumn hat-trick. That means the mare has to leap two grades but she’s had a holiday and her yard could not be in better form.
The middle one of the three was a conditionals race (under 5lb claimer Jonjo O’Neill), as is this one, in which Fergus Gregory takes off 6lb.
But all get some concession, barring Ciaran Gethings (on Tambura) and the boy star, James Bowen (Jully Les Buxy). Tambura has won twice here, including all the way over today’s CD at this level.
Jully Les Buxy sprang a surprise on the course over more than half a mile shorter three weeks back after 603 days off. The bounce factor is a worry, and you take her stamina on trust.
Similarly, Sandhurst Lad won here at Plumpton over shorter but showed nothing either side of that. Cheekpieces might concentrate his mind.
A breathing op could improve Clondaw Bisto but it’s two years since his bumper success over the minimum on today’s course and a tongue-tie didn’t help three starts ago at Fontwell.
No Buts has only winning chase form. Plantagenet’s best performances have been on a sound surface. Ballyheigue Bay is 11 now. So I took a bit of 4.6 Saucysioux on BETDAQ, thinking this is class 3 in name only.
‘PROMISE’ OF MARKET MOVER
3.40 Hereford Goodtoknow won this last year but has failed to complete in five races since unless you count his 50-lengths 13 out of 40 in the Grand National.
But he’s in there pitching among six of the eight runners separated by only five points. Tight or what!
Another Venture was back to form in the mud at Chepstow. He and Scotchtown have youth on their side, whereas the old boy Houblin des Obeaux will be hoping to grind this out.
I’ll try following the money. It came overnight for a return to form by Streets Of Promise (10-1 to 9-2 with bookmakers), 7.0 in the BETDAQ orange, as I write.
3.55 Plumpton Act Now has a high chase mark for one who hasn’t won over fences, and the handicapper thinks Leo Luna has ‘gone.’
After consecutive 17-lengths defeats at Fontwell and here at Plumpton, the handicapper has dropped him 7lb. Conversely, Clondaw Rigger beat nothing well at Hereford but has been hiked 15lb.
It suggests to me that Frank N Fair, third here at Plumpton in the Sussex National, could resume winning ways, having landed a double in the autumn over today’s CD. I took 4.7 on BETDAQ.
DAQMAN BETS (staked to win 20)
BET 5.5pts win (nap) SAUCYSIOUX (3.25 Plumpton)
BET 3.3pts win STREETS OF PROMISE (3.40 Hereford)
BET 5.5pts win FRANK N FAIR (3.55 Plumpton)
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