HE’S THE REAL CHAMPION OF EUROPE: With the Dewhurst and the Cesarewitch on Saturday, and British Champions Day the week after, the Flat season is winding down. Daqman nominates his champion so far. And he’s a horse with a date at Ascot.
PONTEFRACT BANKER: Today DAQMAN takes aim at meetings on both sides of the Irish Sea and has a confident banker on the flat at Pontefract that made giant strides over hurdles last season.
ALMANZOR IS THE UNCROWNED KING
I tipped the champion of Europe. But he didn’t even run. And I believe that connections of Almanzor (right) will forever regret missing out on the prestigious Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe prize yesterday.
Found and Highland Reel, the Irish Champion Stakes second and seventh behind Almanzor, were one-two in yesterday’s Arc, and Almanzor now looks a formality for the Ascot Champion Stakes on October 15.
Found rates 123 after the Arc, which puts Almanzor on 124, king of Europe in terms of his rating; he must now be odds on for Ascot.
Found produced 192 points profit for the horses-to-follow list, which has now had 14 winners in the season. The top earners with wins and those still to run are:
-––-301 Awtaad (Kevin Prendergast) Queen Elizabeth 11 Stakes or Champion Stakes, Ascot, October 15
220010 Cotai Glory (Charles Hills) That’s probably it for the season
–——-1 Dannyday (Sir Michael Stoute) No specific entries
-—-030 Exosphere (Sir Michael Stoute) Champion Stakes; Melbourne Cup, Flemington November 1.
–22221 Found (Aidan O’Brien) That’s probably it for the season
-21113 Minding (Aidan O’Brien) British Champions Day (three entries).
—1113 So Mi Dar (John Gosden) British Champions Fillies’ And Mares’.
-11400 Profitable (Clive Cox) No specific entries
–––22 US Army Ranger (Aidan O’Brien) British Champion Stakes.
––-10 Usherette (Andre Fabre) No entries
ADAMANT THAT THIS CAN GET OFF THE MARK
2.50 Windsor – Adamant was as green as the grass he was galloping on at Leicester on his debut last time, breaking slowly and taking time to pick up once pressure was applied. However, the penny did seem to drop late on and with the benefit of that experience he should be up to winning this.
4.20 Windsor – While Calibration brings some good form to the table he may find Geneva Convention tough to deal with. A winner of his maiden at Ascot, he could only manage a midfield finish in a nursery at Glorious Goodwood but should find this an easier task.
TRUST THIS HURDLER TO TRIUMPH
3.30 Pontefract Leoncavallo made a nice career for himself as a hurdler last season, winning five times before finishing a respectable fifth in the Triumph Hurdle. He returned to the flat in July when he was a winner on his first try at a staying trip and now he appears to be very unexposed in this discipline. He runs here off a mark of 71, a long way below the class of his jumps form and rates a confident selection.
UTILITY TO MARK HIS MARK OVER HURDLES
3.10 Southwell Utility was a good winner of his bumper on debut and was well supported when disappointing in a Grade 2 bumper at Aintree afterwards. He has been given a summer break and can be expected to go very well now tackling hurdles. Jonjo O’Neill has 21% strike rate with Aidan Coleman and a +19.93 LSP over the last five seasons and they can enhance that record here.
APACHE TO STRIKE GOLD AT LIMERICK
2.35 Limerick This does not look the strongest of contests and as we all know there is always improvement likely from Ballydoyle two-year-olds on their second start so a chance is taken at the prices on Sao Paulo. His sire Power has had a good first season with smart performers like Peace Envoy and Pleaseletmewin so there are reasons to be positive on pedigree at least. His debut performance was underwhelming but an early mark of 8.2 looks fair about his chances now.
3.35 Limerick Apache Gold seems to have a definite preference for soft ground and has been slowly returning to form on his favoured surface of late. He has some good runs at this track to his name and represents a bit of value at an early 7.2. The draw has been reasonably kind to him and the three pound claim of Donnacha O’Brien is a positive.
DAQMAN’S BETS
BET 2pts win SAO PAULO (2.35 Limerick)
BET 8pts win ADAMANT (2.50 Windsor)
BET 7pts win UTILITY (3.10 Southwell)
BANKER: BET 10pts win (nap) LEONCAVALLO (3.30 Pontefract)
BET 4pts win APACHE GOLD (3.35 Lmerick)
BET 6pts win GENEVA CONVENTION (4.20 Windsor)
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