DAQMAN SOARS TO 500 OVER PRICEWISE: He promised it by Christmas but Daqman’s 7-2 lead over Pricewise means he has already landed a total of 500 wins against his arch rival on the Racing Post, thanks to Mengli Khan yesterday. With Daqman currently in profit by 19.50, and Pricewise down 15.50, there is a 35-point gap between the two.
SUPERNAP IN BIG-RACE-WINNING STREAK: Daqman landed at least two big-meeting winners for the third day in succession at the Ladbrokes Newbury festival followed by Fairyhouse yesterday, including a Sunday supernap:
WON 1-1 APPLE’S JADE (Sunday, supernap, Hattons Grace Hurdle)
WON 1-1 MENGLI KHAN (Sunday, Royal Bond)
WON 9-2 TOTAL RECALL (Saturday, Ladbrokes Trophy)
WON 11-4 BEWARE THE BEAR (Saturday, Rehearsal Chase)
WON 1-6 BUVEUR D’AIR (Saturday, Fighting Fifth)
WON 9-4 LOSTINTRANSLATION (Friday)
WON 4-1 BIGMARTRE (Friday, Ladbrokes Chase)
MARK YOUR CARD WITH A DOUBLE DOZEN: Today and tomorrow, Daqman takes some of those winners on board as he frames his final horses-to-follow list for Christmas and the New Year: 12 today, 12 tomorrow.
STARS OF DAQMAN HORSES TO FOLLOW
AINCHEA (Colin Tizzard) We should see the latest Tizzard talking horse at Haydock on Wednesday. Bred in the NH purple, by Flemensfirth out of a Beneficial mare, made an impressive start, second in a big-field bumper in October.
ALTIOR (Nicky Henderson) Unbeaten in hurdles and chasers for 11 consecutive races since October 2015.
The Arkle winner in March seems likely to step into the illustrious Seven Barrows horseshoes of Sprinter Sacre in the Champion Chase and should land some supernaps along the way!
APPLES JADE (Gordon Elliott) Though Stayers Hurdle winner, Nichols Canyon, had opened three consecutive seasons with a win, the two-years-younger mare Apple’s Jade strode right away from him in the Hatton’s Grace at Fairyhouse yesterday.
The Mares Hurdle winner in March also has the Stayers Hurdle and the Champion Hurdle as her possible targets at Cheltenham 2018.
BEER GOGGLES (Richard Wollacott) Though Thistlecrack wasn’t at his best, there was no fluke in the all-the-way Ladbrokes Long Distance Hurdle win by this six-year-old, racing off 152 but clear of 167 and 157 rated horses at the finish. Has improved at least 50lb since taking a class 4 at Southwell in February.
BEWARE THE BEAR (Nicky Henderson) With his saddle slipped around his rear, made mistakes and seemed to get much too far behind, but galloped relentlessly to just get home in the Rehearsal Chase at Newcastle, won this century by Gold Cup and Grand National winners.
BLAKLION (Nigel Twiston-Davies) The Grand National fourth seems nailed on for Saturday’s Becher Chase over the big Aintree obstacles, after running Bristol De Mai to half a length in the Charlie Hall.
BRISTOL DE MAI (Nigel Twiston-Davies) I asked what the handicapper would do after this one finished 57 lengths clear in the Lancashire Chase of Cue Card (168 rated), Outlander (166) and Tea For Two (164). The answer, a 13lb hike to 173, looks inadequate.
BUVEUR D’AIR (Nicky Henderson) The Champion Hurdler made it eight in a row in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle on Saturday, quickening clear on the bit.
CAUSE OF CAUSES (Gordon Elliott) One of the great finds for this column, winning for us three times at Cheltenham in the NH Chase at 44.0 ante-post, the Kim Muir at 11.0 and the Cross Country at 5.0.
CHARLI PARCS (Nicky Henderson) Put a disappointing Triumph Hurdle behind him when the ‘moral’, giving weight all round but beaten only by a mistake at the last in the old Gerry Feilden at Newbury last week. Should improve again after just five starts.
DON’T TELL NO ONE (John Kiely) Marked our card for big staying chases – maybe even the Grand National – when jumping well and staying on well, just unable to catch the winner, who had first run, in the Troytown Chase at Leopardstown last week.
DOUVAN (Willie Mullins) Finished lame in the Champion Chase at Cheltenham in March after 14 consecutive victories, including the Supreme Novices Hurdle and the Arkle. Back for the King George on Boxing Day.
FAUGHEEN (Willie Mullins) Despite missing out on most of the year, but still with only 13 races on his CV at age nine, he moved sweetly through the gears to pull right away in the Morgiana Hurdle as if his Champion Hurdle victory was only yesterday.
TOP YARD RUNS A TALKING HORSE
12.50 Southwell What a way to celebrate! You’ve just had a record-busting three Grade-1 winners at Fairyhouse, and what do you do?
You send one to Rolleston Junction for your first-ever runner at Southwell, which used to be ‘Suthle’ in my day but is now pronounced ‘South-well.’
Gordon Elliott may have problems pronouncing the ‘the’ whether in the local vernacular or the official version.
But they should certainly roll out the red carpet for Ireland’s (and England’s) new supremo trainer. And ‘winner trained G Elliott’ trips off the tongue nicely in any language.
The horse is appropriately named for semantics about the language, Jock Talk (5.9 BETDAQ offers), owned by the Ballygowan Ramblers (a bit off the beaten track, aren’t you, lads!). Appropriate, too, that the obvious danger may be Cockney Boy. Gercha!
1.10 Plumpton We’ve seen the mares’ allowance plundering prizes, and Shaama Grise comes out 8lb in front of Optimus Prime on hurdles ratings. If that is translated to fences, the 3.95 offer is value.
1.50 Southwell Good form, a visor fitted and with a run under his belt after a lay-off. Boost, at 6.8 on BETDAQ, seems like an even better bet when you check out the stable form 3220102102010.
DAQMAN’S BETS (each staked to win 20 points)
BET 4pts win (nap) JOCK TALK (12.,50 Southwell)
BET 6.5pts win SHAAMA GRISE (1.10 Plumpton)
BET 3.5pts win BOOST (1.50 Southwell)
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