DEJA VIEW AS DAQMAN HAS TWO BIG HITS TO GO 16-6 IN FRONT: It was the Battle of Big-Race Sunday yesterday as Daqman faced Pricewise of the Racing Post in Classic confrontation. Pricewise took an early lead with the French Derby winner at 15-2 but it was quickly deja vu as Daqman hit back with two classics of his own at 81-10 and 5-1. They took him into a 16-6 lead, 123 points in profit against a Pricewise deficit of 121.50. So he’s 244 points clear to 10-point level stakes.
WON 81-10 FANCY BLUE (French Oaks from 10.0 on BETDAQ)
WON 5-1 DEJA (Old Newton Cup from 9.0 on BETDAQ)
JUST FANCY THAT! CAR-CRASH WEEKEND FOR THE STAR NAMES: Did you fancy the winners of the Epsom Derby, French Derby and Coral-Eclipse? Could you even name them NOW after the races have been run? All the old favourites have bitten the dust in a truncated season starring the new kids on the block. See below: Punters Hit By Great Unknowns.
PUNTERS HIT BY GREAT UNKNOWNS
Guy who? Mish what? Never heard of them! I warned when the season finally got under way that the Flat would bring shocks as last year’s form got overturned by the great unknowns. But the punishment has been severe! Here are my top four shocks..
🏇 FANCY BLUE Dam, a sister to High Chaparral. Trainer, a son of Aidan O’Brien. A rare Ballydoyle filly to win first time, she caught my eye when I reprised a Curragh Listed of last autumn.
Tempted me to try a big-odds win and place in the Irish 1,000 Guineas, where she was a bit unlucky, second 12-1. That in turn put me up to trying another BETDAQ bet at long odds (10.0) for the French Oaks yesterday, when I saw that Pierre-Charles Boudot was riding.
Pipped Alpine Star (Coronation Stakes winner) and Peaceful (her Irish 1,000 Guineas conqueror) in very fast time.
🏇 GHAIYYATH We had a bit more warning of this one: had captured the 1m 4f Coronation Cup, so no wonder he struck for home out in front in yesterday’s 1m 2f Coral-Eclipse and was able to hold Enable (not quite at her best) and Japan (back from running a stinker at Ascot).
William Buick’s ride was superb, but you can’t come without the horse and the Dubawi five-year-old stretched out, and stretched the field out more than two lengths behind him in fast time.
Another in the age of front-runners, but where to now? Wherever it is, it will be tough. Tattersalls Gold Cup, Irish Champion Stakes.. the Arc? ‘He’s only just become the finished article,’ claims trainer Charlie Appleby.
🏇 MISHRIFF Mish.. who? Broke his maiden on heavy ground in November and a Listed winner on firm at Newmarket 30 days, giving some indication of his versatility if nothing else, while trainer John Gosden might have recognised some of the traits and potential from his grandsire, Ravens Pass, whom he also trained.
Mishriff stepped up the grades yesterday and readily beat the French Guineas principals, The Summit and Victor Ludorum, over the extra two and a half furlongs of the French Derby. Where did that come from?
🏇 SERPENTINE Another Galileo, close relative of Dylan Thomas; another Aidan O’Brien, one of a huge block of Ballydoyle Epsom Derby entries.
Made all and mugged them behind closed doors on Saturday, with most of the top contenders hanging back with their stamina in doubt. As jockey Emmet McNamara put it: ‘I think I got a little bit of a freebie.’ You think!
However, the likes of Irish Derby runaway Sovereign spring to mind when considering the horse’s future. How much did it really take out of Serpentine fired from the starting cannon a few days after winning his maiden?
Running them into the ground is the American style and, as my Kentucky contact confirms: ‘Only two or three of our trainers can keep them going after expending such energy in a Group 1.
‘If you break clear in the London Marathon, you’ve got to carry on at pace, finish at pace! A major shock to the system.. Then they want you back to do it all over again.’
SUMMER CELEBRATIONS START HERE
⭕ 3.30 Uttoxeter (Summer Cup) Epsom Derby, French Derby, Coral-Eclipse and now the Summer Cup over fences at Uttoxeter to start the new week. The racing season really is in fast forward mode.
The ground is good at the Midlands venue with the 12 runners here headed in the BETDAQ market by Padleyourowncanoe who hasn’t been seen since disappointing at Exeter when sent off favourite but has been busy on the all-weather since winning at Lingfield and Southwell where he bolted home by 10 lengths in a 2m 2f handicap. The better ground should suit him here but I just worry about his lack of experience over fences against some more seasoned campaigners.
Bandsman is also strong in the market but trainer Dan Skelton is 0-11, including three beaten favourites. Again the ground should suit and he is well handicapped on his best form but in his case I don’t thing the wind surgery has been a positive as his form since has dropped off.
I’ll take a chance with Minellacelebration who ran well at Doncaster in February when a neck runner-up to Burtons Well. He’s got a perfect 2-2 record here at Uttoxeter and four of his five career wins have come on good ground. He’s not the force of old but could easily come back a fresh horse. This 138 day absence is nothing compared to the 171 and 405 day breaks he’s come back from to win earlier in his career.
MAMBA WAMBA NAP
⭕ 5.30 Thirsk Mamba Wamba stands out on the Thirsk card after her creditable eighth in the Queen Mary where she was only beaten six lengths by the American raider Campanelle.
It was a huge effort given she lost ground at the start and notably was staying on well in the closing stage suggesting tonight’s step-up in trip will be perfect.
Her trainer Adrian Nicholls has had a winner and a close second from two recent favourites and she should prove really hard to beat in this company.
I was happy to take evens, so the 2.2 on BETDAQ at the time of writing is very much a bonus for today’s nap.
Susucaru makes the price for us after she finished second on debut at Pontefract (when supported) but the form of that race hasn’t worked out well with the winner last of 13 in the Albany and the fourth beaten at Beverley subsequently.
DON’T LEAVE IT TO LUCK
⭕ 7.15 Windsor Fast ground at Windsor tonight and it looks a tricky card.
Itsallaboutluck should be suited by the step-up in trip but trainer Richard Hughes is 0-18 and Itsallaboutluck is having his first start on turf.
You may get lucky backing him as favourite but Talking About You has better credentials. Stable are in good form and this is a much easier task for her than she faced at Leicester last time out when fifth in a handicap.
DAQMAN’S BETS (staked to win 10 points including place bet)
BET 1.5pts win and 4.0pts place MINELLACELEBRATION (3.30 Uttoxeter)
BET 8.3pts win (nap) MAMBA WAMBA (5.30 Thirsk)
BET 2.3pts win TALKING ABOUT YOU (7.15 Windsor)
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