NOW A 4-1 BIG-RACE WINNER: Generally a weekend to kiss the cash goodbye but at least Daqman yet again won his head-to-head with Pricewise, of the Racing Post, courtesy of yesterday’s Curragh big-race winner Bocca Baciata (WON 4-1), meaning ‘kiss on the mouth’. Daqman now leads 56-25 this Flat turf season.
HORSES FOR COURSES: Today Daqman checks out horses and trainers with a bent for a particular track. He’s probably thinking of the big double bid being talked about for the weekend, Postponed in the King George. More of that later in the week.
THE SPIRIT OF DÉJÀ VU PAYS TO FOLLOW
King for a day.. or just for one race! Trainers are creatures of habit; they like certain tracks and certain races.
Horses, too, will do well on a particular conformation of racecourse; specific distances; right-hand, left-hand tracks; turning or straight.
Gordon Lord Byron was a big reminder yesterday. He’d previously been first and second in The Minstrel Stakes at The Curragh, but we let him go and win the race again at 16-1.
Previous form in the same event even gave us a 71-1 straight forecast when Sovereign Debt, second last year, was second again.
Bocca Baciata, who had been third in the Group-2 fillies’ and mares’ race, stepped up on that with, as I forecast, the second-season animals less formidable than in 2015.
Tonight at Beverley (8.10), Tim Easterby has managed to manoeuvre 16.0 offer King Of The Celts back on the same mark for the race he won last year. That’s despite his scoring over CD in May.
‘King’ also won the race way back in 2012, and his form at Beverley in the last 14 months is 11100010, every time ridden by Rachel Richardson, who knows he has to be held up until the very last stride.
I think she is the danger to Yorkindred Spirit (6.2 on BETDAQ), whose stable has won this race twice in the last six years, and Spirit himself won the opening race on today’s card a year ago.
That’s a two-miler but Yorkindred Spirit is very versatile, a 1m 4f winner on AW and 10f winner twice already this summer.
It’s a big week for déjà vu, with Postponed bidding for back-to-back King Georges at Ascot on Saturday
On the same card the 7f International Handicap could feature last year’s one-two, Heaven’s Guest and Balty Boys.
Well behind them in last year’s race, but now 9lb lower, is Mark Johnston’s Enlace. One to watch if he gets in; it could mean his missing Goodwood, Johnston’s favourite meeting.
CLASS WILL OUT AT 19.5 BETDAQ OFFERS
5.10 Ayr A class-2 race with only five previous winners at that level, one of them, Finn Class, a CD winner trained by Michael Dods who has won the last two runnings of this race, including with a Silver Cambridgeshire placer.
Finn Class took the Thirsk Hunt Cup off only a pound lower mark than today’s, and will enjoy the cut in the ground.
He has to bounce back from a poor run behind Pintura over CD earlier this month but doubtful Pintura can maintain his consistency at age nine.
That was his first win since May, 2013, and he was earlier this year well beaten – again over CD – by Dods’ other runner today, the year younger Le Chat d’Or.
Finn Class, 19.5 on BETDAQ this morning, had Keystroke behind him at Doncaster in the Spring, and Keystroke’s success this year has come only on AW, though last year’s form and his breeding (Pivotal out of a Selkirk mare) is turf soft.
Another Touch is also a class-2 scorer and a CD winner on today’s course, one of two starters for Richard Fahey, who is Mark Johnston’s sole northern rival for number of runners but rather enjoys the betting on TV.
7.50 Windsor Talk about a horse who likes a track! Ruth Carr has had only three starters at Windsor from her North Yorks yard: Foxtrot Knight three times! He’s always been placed, winning a BETDAQ race there in June of last year.
Ms Carr booked Ryan Moore to win that day, and she shrewdly calls up Jim Crowley now, knowing he is currently the winningmost jockey riding there tonight.
High numbers do best in Windsor sprints, and the pace is likely to come from stalls 6, 8 and 10, with Knight in 12.
One-time Windsor specialist Nocturn could bounce back. Go On Go On Go On is climbing the ladder. Oh So Sassy has got her ground but is high in the ratings; the score is 1-1 between the mare and Majestic Hero this year. I’ll go for the high stalls: 4.3 Foxtrot Knight and 14.5 Nocturn.
My own personal betting amid the weekend glut has been strong stakes for a place Architecture (as advised), then the same Bocca Baciata. I’m hoping I’ll get evens a place Foxtrot Knight.
DAQMAN’S BETS (to win 20)
BET 1pt win and place FINN CLASS (5.10 Ayr)
BET 6.5pts win (nap) FOXTROT KNIGHT, and 1.4pts win and place NOCTURN (7.50 Windsor)
BET 4pts win YORKINDRED SPIRIT, and 1.25pts win and place KING OF THE CELTS (8.10 Beverley)
BET 3.5pts win GREAT THOUGHTS (8.20 Windsor)
DAQ MULTIPLES: 3 x 1pt win doubles and 1pt win treble Finn Class (5.10 Ayr), Foxtrot Knight (7.50 Windsor) Yorkindred Spirit (8.10 Beverley)
£25 IN FREE BETS
Did you know that as well as checking the realtime prices on BETDAQ below – you can also log into your account and place your bets directly into BETDAQ from BETDAQ TIPS.
