START THE WEEK WITH DAQMAN: Another week. Another chance to play on a site where everyone can win. BETDAQ markets are often even-steven, a fair deal for punters, with a transparent tipster in Daqman, who tells it how it is, free of charge. He starts the week:
BANKERS: Six out of Six
CHALLENGE: Daqman 40, Pricewise 15
LAYS: 13 out of 17
TODAY: DAQMAN takes on an odds-on shot at Taunton and has remaining bets at Kelso and Southwell.
IRISH NATIONAL: FESTIVAL LOSERS TICKET?
5.00 Fairyhouse, next Sunday (Irish Grand National) Time to get the form-book out for the next big punt, expected to be a race with a difference this year.
The stats tell you that 11 of the last 12 winners carried less than 10st 9lb, and 13 out of 18 were younger than nine, so – with 23 of the first 30 in the handicap all suspect – you can usually go on to the final guide: Cheltenham.
And that’s where there’s a big difference. With only 10 days between the last day of Cheltenham and Irish National day, races at the English festival – notably, the NH Chase – are too close to be any help this year. Or are they?
Even if we do see a Cheltenham horse in the Fairyhouse spectacle, we are inclined to worry about the hard race it might have had at Prestbury Park.
But connections of Beg To Differ may, indeed, beg to differ. The Sandown Staying Chase Final winner clipped heels in the Ultima at Cheltenham and unseated rider, so didn’t have the hard uphill finish that is such a lung-buster at Cheltenham.
Spring Heeled, an outsider in the same race also unseated rider. Whether Shantou Flyer, too, is fit to fight another day so soon, I’m not sure how much had been taken out of him before he fell in the NH Chase.
A bigger question-mark hangs over Noble Endeavour because his fall in the same race came when he was in contention three out.
The Job Is Right unseated in the Kim Muir, and McKinley in the novices’ handicap, though he was already under pressure at the time.
Jonjo O’Neill, who trains Beg To Differ, could also bring out Upswing again. He was not having a hard race before mistakes pushed him back in the Kim Muir field and he wasn’t punished after.
Cause Of Causes, the Kim Muir winner, would have been a snip in this Fairyhouse field – currently off 10st 2lb – but he will surely wait for the Aintree Grand National, in which he finished so well last year. More later on that one.
SPRING ARRIVED AT TAUNTON
At last !! We have going without soft or worse in the description !! It’s good at Taunton this afternoon for their six race card.
It all feels a little bit retro – a six race card on good ground !!
From a reduced team numerically as well as in quality Paul Nicholls must have been pleased to have come away from Cheltenham with three winners last week plus a good run from Pacha Du Polder with all eyes on Victoria Pendleton in the Foxhunter Chase.
For Nicholls it’s all about building a team for the future and Rock On Oscar may well be part of that team. He has a seemingly easy task in the opener at Taunton this afternoon to follow up on his easy Doncaster success last time out where he made all the running.
He picks up a penalty but should give Nicholls a follow-up win in the race after It’s A Close Call won last year. His price though is punitive. A £1 buys you £1.25 for the short odds players.
Nicholls also has chances in the second race on the card with All Set To Go who ran in Group races on the flat when trained in Ireland and has been highly tried over jumps in three starts for Paul Nicholls. He made a winning debut at Southwell before being an outclassed fourth of five behind Yanworth in a Grade 2 at Ascot. He was really disappointing at Wincanton last time out when 10th of 11 finishers on his handicap debut suggesting that his mark of 126 is optimistic. I don’t understand the handicapper at times as he has only put him down 1lb after that run so it’s no surprise to see him back in a novice hurdle.
Banyu is the odds-on favourite here at 1.79 but I’m not entirely sure why he is so much shorter than All Set To Go. He wasn’t as good on the flat and made a winning debut in what looked a fairly modest maiden hurdle at Ludlow. The form of that hasn’t worked out especially well.
Banyu was subsequently tailed off and pulled up in better company at Newbury and then ran much better when second to Bloody Mary here at Taunton.
A lot of people will point to the fact that Bloody Mary boosted the form when running third to Limini at Cheltenham last week but as good as that was, we also have to consider that the fourth in the Taunton race, Lou Vert, went on to be beaten 46 lengths at Doncaster !!
One thing I am certain on is that the price differential is ludicrous and I have to be with All Set To Go.
MORE LIKE BENNY HILL
I have to be against Benny’s Secret in the opener at Kelso at around 3.8 on BETDAQ.
His jumping is really letting him down with form figures of FFU in his last three starts including a race here at Kelso.
He might well get his jumping together but that’s no kind of price to want to find out. Preference is for Ryalex who makes his Rules debut but has been showing plenty of enthusiasm and talent between the flags.
DANTE TIME AT SOUTHWELL
Dante’s Way is my bet of the day at Southwell in the 3.50. He got bogged down on heavy ground at Carlisle last time out when a well beaten third but still finished 22,16 and 8 lengths clear of the 4th,5th and 6th. This is a really poor event and his task has been made easier by the morning withdrawal of Kalanisi Glen. He can make a winning hurdling debut.
DAQMAN’S BETS
BET 6pts win RYALEX (2.00 Kelso)
BET 6pts win ALL SET TO GO (2.40 Taunton)
BET 9pts win (nap) DANTE’S WAY (3.50 Southwell)
£25 IN FREE BETS
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