FOUR WINNING NAPS IN A ROW: Daqman delivered big time on his world tour of tipping yesterday, including his fourth consecutive winning nap, all at odds against SP. His Sunday best bet, Cliffs Of Dover (WON 11-8) was selected at 3.8 on BETDAQ. The four naps were:
WON 7-4 Sadlers Risk
WON 6-5 Cliffs Of Dover
WON 11-8 Almanzor (gold banker)
WON 11-8 Cliffs Of Dover
FOUR WINNERS AND TWO SECONDS: His bets in England, Ireland, Italy, France and Canada were all first or second, with form figures on the day of 111122, four wins in a row including a near 15-2 shot as follows:
WON 74-10 Rostova
WON 11-8 Cliffs Of Dover (nap)
WON 6-5 Ventura Storm
WON 8-11 Panova
CATCH UP ON THE (VERY) LATE STORIES: The Racing Post today asks in hindsight: How baffled are you that Almanzor did not run in the Arc? Daqman posed the question in the present tense BEFORE the Arc; in fact, even BEFORE the Irish Champion Stakes.
O’BRIEN SET TO RECLAIM THE TROPHY
It’s last-chance saloon for the two-year-olds. They call it the Racing Post Trophy but punters have called it other names, with the last two renewals at Doncaster on Saturday producing not a lot, including the last horse home in the 2,000 Guineas in May this year.
But, though he already appears to have the juvenile superstar in Churchill, Aidan O’Brien unfurls the Ballydoyle banner with no fewer than a dozen potential contenders on Saturday.
He has already won the race seven times, among them Guineas and Derby winner Camelot (2011) and High Chaparral, dual Derby winner (2002) – Epsom and The Curragh – and then Breeders Cup star a year on.
It’s also obligatory these days to mention that he won the Irish Champion Stakes, which this century has become one of the world’s best, a springboard for superstars. Just look at this who’s-who of the race’s big winners:
High Chaparral (2003), Dylan Thomas (2006-7), New Approach (2008), Sea The Stars (2009), So You Think (2011), Golden Horn (2015), Almanzor (2016), to name but a few as they say.
At last, in his post-race ecstasy after Almanzor’s Ascot Champion Stakes on Saturday, trainer Jean-Claude Rouget finally mentioned the Arc.
Ecstasy? It was actually only a few Gallic grunts and phrases from a man more articulate when dealing with horses; incredibly so. At 63, he should have a few more years at the top of the French trainers’ tree.
And, at four next year, Almanzor has as his target (in the words of M Rouget, pieced together as best I can) ‘more Champions Stakeses and ze Arc’.
Tipping him now for 2017 for the race I thought he could have won this year would be to deny my own rules: that ante-post betting on or against the Classics generation a year ahead is foolish; we simply don’t know what three-year-olds will emerge from among Churchill and Co.
I can give you another recent quote from the racing Press, that few of Almanzor’s stature seem to come around very often. Take a look, why don’t you, at the Irish Champion Stakes results!
You can see how legitimate it was to train Almanzor for Ireland: let’s see if the Post will pose this question weeks after I do now: Is 10 furlongs the new benchmark high, in a year when – not for the first time it seems – the Irish Champion Stakes has eclipsed the Derby and the Arc?
So what can join – or overtake – Churchill as Almanzor’s great rival next year? Well, any amount we, as yet, have never heard of.
But some of the formidable O’Brien dozen in the Racing Post Trophy have already revealed themselves as not half bad!
Capri has climbed the grades from maiden to Listed to Group 2 Beresford winner (stablemate Exemplar third); Douglas Macarthur has been only a couple of lengths off the winner of the Leopardstown Champion Juvenile and the Royal Lodge.
Finn McCool has finally responded, though overfaced at first, when he was green as grass; The Anvil has been placed in Group 2 and Group 3; and Yucatan was second to Capri in the Beresford.
Other O’Brien entries for Saturday are unexposed. My horse of the future from the 12-pack? As Donnacha O’Brien said after Finn McCool won at Navan earlier in the month: He’s still very babyish but, boy, he’s got some engine!
Finn McCool was last of seven, beaten 18 lengths by Churchill six weeks back in the National Stakes, with Alan Sweetman of the Racing Post reporting that he was ‘out of his depth.’ I say he’s only now learning to emerge from the Ballydoyle swim and could yet make a big splash next year.
PLUMPTON: STAMINA TO WIN THE DAY FOR GRAASTEN
2.30 Plumpton: A useful race for this time of year, Blue Surf brings a lofty flat rating to the table and did little wrong on his hurdles debut last time. However he looked to have every chance that day before faltering late on and there now must be a concern about his stamina. There should be no concerns about Graasten’s stamina and he can hit the mark here after finishing well down the field in the Cesarewitch last time. He has previously shown a good aptitude for hurdling and can run the finish out of Blue Surf.
5.30 Plumpton: Oskar’s Eva showed the benefit of a summer break when routing the field on return at Uttoxeter last week and looks tough to oppose under a mandatory 7lb penalty. George Blackwell already has three wins under his belt and his 10lb claim could prove very useful here.
WINDSOR: DURKIN TO CONTINUE DASCOMBE RUN
2.50 Windsor: Tom Dascombe has his yard in good order of late with four winners last week and he can make it another here with Muirsheen Durkin. She is already twice a winner over an extended seven furlongs and the step up in trip looks sure to suit being by Fastnet Rock out of a Sadler’s Wells mare.
ROSCOMMON: MONDAY MAGIC AT ROSCOMMON
2.05 Roscommon: Theatre Wine is a very warm order here for Gordon Elliott and Ruby Walsh at 1.57 but there was nothing spectacularly impressive about her bumper win at Wexford and it may pay to take her on. Golden Flowerpower was also a winner of a bumper at Wexford and has some jumping experience having won a point-to-point. She has race fitness on her side and should give the favourite plenty to think about.
4.35 Roscommon: Space Cadet was a frustrating figure over hurdles last season finishing second on five occasions and despite always looking a chaser in the making, he may have to settle for second again behind Call It Magic. A very impressive winner of his only point-to-point start he also remains a maiden over hurdles but will be much more at home over the larger obstacles and can get off the mark over regulation fences here.
DAQMAN’S BETS:
BET 5pts win GOLDEN FLOWERPOWER (2.05 Roscommon)
LAY 5pts to lose THEATRE WINE (2.05 Roscommon)
BET 5pts win GRAASTEN (2.30 Plumpton)
LAY 5pts to lose BLUE SURF (2.30 Plumpton)
BET 7pts win MUIRSHEEN DURKIN (2.50 Windsor)
BANKER: BET 10pts win CALL IT MAGIC (nap) (4.35 Roscommon)
BET 9pts win OSKAR’S EVA (5.30 Plumpton)
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