5-1 DELIGHT AS DAQMAN DOES IT AGAIN: Daqman made it 18 wins in six days with a double across the Irish cards at Limerick and Navan yesterday, through Caoimhe’s Delight (WON 5-1) and Knock Beauty (WON 9-4).
FIVE WINNING DAYS OUT OF SIX: Despite defeat for his 20-point banker – it finished second – he ended Sunday 17 points in profit to recommended stakes, his fifth winning day out of six, including three in a row at Cheltenham.
WHAT KATIE DID WAS A LESSON AND WE’LL GET OUR MONEY BACK
You must never stop learning. That’s what all the best professional backers used to tell me about the racing game when I was a lad. And two things I should remember bear repeating here.
First of all, never listen to anyone else, not even a trainer or jockey. Only believe what you see with your own eyes. Mea culpa, I found Willie Mullins’ confidence in Urticaire infectious and I blew maximum stakes on her at Navan yesterday.
But, second of all, as the man said, I was always told to learn from my mistakes and try to turn bitter defeat into the blessing of profit.
The confidence in Urticaire and the way she was beaten by Katie T suggest that Katie is on the upgrade, one to follow, and will get us our money back, and more, maybe even at the Punchestown Festival.
Urticaire had beaten Katie T at Navan in December and was 3lb better off yesterday but Katie surged through smoothly and took the lead off Urticaire on the run-in. Improvement or what!
Whether Ruby Walsh would have made the difference – or Davy Russell, or Bryan Cooper, who’ve both ridden Urticaire before – we shall never know but, looking at the race several times, I don’t think so.
Two other horses to follow in my notebook – apart from obvious ones from Cheltenham – are Gabriel’s Lad and Fashion Line on the Flat, both intended to move up into the Pattern.
Gabriel’s Lad, placed in a European Champion Two-Year-Old handicap last Spring, is reckoned a Group performer by trainer Dennis Coakley and looked in need of his first run back at Wolverhampton nine days ago.
On the same day, at the same meeting, Fashion Line was fourth in the Ladbrokes Lincoln Trial, making her run on the wide outside.
I tipped her for the race, so I am not after-timing in any way when I agree with the comments in the on-line Racing Post form:
‘Had only four starts coming into this and her inexperience seemed to be telling in the last furlong.
‘She was running on at the end and connections will be trying to pick up some black type with this daughter of Cape Cross.’
If she’s targeting Listed level plus, and is rated only 88, Fashion Line ought to be able to pick up a decent handicap as the next step in her education.
I’M TIPPING TONER TO OURUN SEABASS IN DOWN ROYAL NATIONAL TRIAL
So near and yet so far. This column, which has 28.0 and 56.0 on BETDAQ Rocky Creek for the Grand National this April, had 60.0 Ted Walsh’s Seabass for Aintree two years ago.
Seabass ran a terrific race to finish third. He started 8-1 favourite and there was plenty of time in the run-up to the National to trade all sorts of ways to help make the race a winning one, or at least a no-lose contest.
As well as laying some off, I decided to spend some of the ‘overs’ on Sunnyhill Boy at 20.0. He finished second at 16-1. Somebody up there didn’t love me that day!
Seabass (3.15) trials for Aintree again at Down Royal this afternoon, after being the ‘moral’ at Fairyhouse in January, beaten little more than a length giving weight to the winner.
Those successful in today’s race in the last eight years, Treacle, Killyglen, Dun Doire and Jack High all impacted on the National market but, in the race itself at Liverpool, finished (or rather didn’t finish) UPUU. Oops!
This morning, BETDAQ layers would give you 22.0 Rocky Creek, 60.0 Seabass, 178.0 Raz De Maree and 280.0 Bog Warrior. So now I’m counting the ‘overs’ from Rocky Creek.
Seabass ran off 149 when he was third, was 13th from 5lb higher last year and is dropped a pound from that for his third attempt in April. Can’t be ruled out if he goes well this afternoon but I’m not tempted to another 60.0.
Raz De Maree, blinkered first time today, is one of the Aintree lightweights, 13lb lower, but has current form figures of P0P and will need to excel himself this afternoon.
Bog Warrior’s reappearance run in the Red Mills told us nothing much of his well-being after injury. The Drinmore Chase and Galmoy Hurdle winner needs to bounce back but is strongly fancied to do so.
Toner D’Oudairies, who’s been in the first two for nine races in a row still standing, is having his first run over a marathon trip but won’t go to Aintree whatever happens today; he’s only seven.
Toner D’Oudairies is trained by Gordon Elliott, who won the 2007 National with Silver Birch at 33-1. That was one that didn’t get away: I was on at 40-1.
Elliott implied in his pre-race comments to the Racing Post that Aintree will be the target for Toner another year, in which case this looks a fine qualifier to put on his CV.
DAQMAN’S BETS
BET 10pts win (nap) CARPINCHO (2.35 Southwell)
BET 8pts win TONER D’OUDAIRIES (3.15 Down Royal)
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