COCO WINS TWOMEY FIRST GROUP 1: A change of going after rain at the Curragh combined with the burgeoning yard of Paddy Twomey to spring a surprise in yesterday’s Pretty Polly Stakes with 9-1 La Petite Coco, ably ridden by Billy Lee, pipping My Astra half a length. It was the trainer’s first Group-1 winner.
FOUR LEADING STABLES IN A SLUMP: Talking of the changing fortunes in the stables, Daqman reveals the shocking records of four top trainers and three former champion jockeys.
⭕ Tomorrow: Fortune Cookies Update
⭕ Wednesday: Guide to Saturday’s Eclipse Stakes
TRAINERS DOWN IN THE DUMPS
The best is yet to come. In the case of the four popular trainers listed here, we certainly hope so, or their punters will talk of them in the same breath as jockeys Frankie Dettori, Paul Hanagan and Jamie Spencer, all former champions with only 17 or 18 winners each this year.
Mark Johnston has had 520-odd runners in 2022 with just 40 winners on turf; Tim Easterby 583 with the same 40 winners on turf.
We know that Johnston fires at Goodwood and Easterby at York so maybe August will be their wicked month.
But Richard Hannon’s usual Spring spurt hasn’t saved him; his strike-rate has dipped to 8%, and I’m particularly perturbed to see that his ‘good’ winners don’t repeat – or even get near – the same performance.
A case in point is Minnetonka, winner at Salisbury in a good time with dramatic fractions, and backed in to 7-4 favourite in a strong field of fillies on Saturday. Fifth; no impression.
📉 8% Richard Hannon 6-75: June 13th to 25th (season so far 12%)
📉 8% Tim Easterby 9-103: June 13th to 25th (season so far 7%)
📉 8% Richard Fahey 3-34: June 17th to 25th (season so far 12%)
📉 0% Brian Ellison 0-20: June 16th to 25th (season so far 4%)
Every time Brian Ellison has a seeming good chance in a handicap, there are noises from the usual suspects among ‘top’ tipsters, but he has just a 4% strike rate this year and is currently blanking altogether.
DREAM IS ON
⭕ 5.45 Windsor Rattling quick ground at Windsor tonight and this maiden should be fought out between Safari Dream and Swift Asset who both showed promise on their debuts.
Preference is for Safari Dream whose Sandown form looks the strongest. Despite being slowly away the penny dropped and he only went down by a neck to Conquest Of Power. It certainly wasn’t the strongest of races by Sandown stands but the form is solid enough in the context of this race.
Swift Asset is trained by Richard Hannon and I’ve covered his recent dip in form above. He ran well enough on debut here over six furlongs finishing fifth but at a well held 7 1/4 lengths. Ordinarily the drop back in trip on just his second start would be a little alarming but given the way he ran last time it looks a sensible call.
Hannon also saddles debutant Galore who has a speedy pedigree and her price was quite solid in the early Betdaq Betting Exchange market.
Both Erosion Risk and Espirito have a little more experience but look to be playing for places.
POET AND YOU KNOW IT
⭕ 7.45 Windsor Devoted Poet should finally lose his maiden tag after three respectable runs at Newmarket (twice) and Nottingham last time out where he went down by a neck to Moon Watch in a race where the pair pulled seven lengths clear of the third.
Several of the top yards are represented but don’t look to be running their strongest candidates.
Operating (Gosdens), State Event (Charlie Apppleby) and Morning Sun (Sir Michael Stoute) have all hinted at form but look to have plenty to find against the selection – notably Morning Sun who was fourth in the Nottingham race mentioned above and now needs to find eight lengths!
AND THE AWARD GOES TO ….
⭕ 9.00 Musselburgh Award Dancer defied a break of 198 days to win at Newcastle last year and has now been off the course for a further 245 days but still could take some beating in this final race at Musselburgh.
He’s only 2lb higher in the weights and is preferred to Diamond Haze who was a winner at Thirsk last time out but I’m slightly concerned about the current form of the Dods yard (1 winner from last 30).
DAQMAN’S BETS:
5.45 Windsor (win 10)
BET 3.1pts win SAFARI DREAM
7.45 Windsor (win 10, nap)
BET 12.3pts win DEVOTED POET
9.00 Musselburgh (win 10)
BET 4.2pts win AWARD DANCER
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