LOOK OUT FOR A BANKER TREBLE: There are three maximum-stakes bankers today and one has double stakes. But Daqman also takes up offers of 6.6 and 7.6, as he goes race-by-race through Doncaster and Newbury.
TOMORROW: IT’S A ‘GREAT’ DAY: The battle lines are drawn up again on Greatwood Hurdle and Gold Cup day at Newbury, with Daqman seeking value in his challenge to Pricewise of the Racing Post.
WERE YOU ON SATURDAY TRIO? Last Saturday, Daqman landed 88 points profit as he scored a hat-trick against Pricewise, with winners at 8-1 and 5-1 twice (See Archive). The scores are now Daqman 20, Pricewise 11.
IMPRESSIVE ROCCO THE NEWBURY BANKER
2.00 Newbury Only once in the decade has the winner carried more than 10st 12lb., and three of the last four were maidens overturning the exposed form.
When he ran up to Sebastian Beach at Chepstow – after that one had run third to subsequent Adonis winner, Beltor, at Ludlow – it was a big step up on his debut effort. There may not be much between them now at the weights.
2.30 Newbury This has thrown up a winner and placed horses in the Sefton Novices’ Hurdle at the Aintree Festival.
The £260,000 buy from winning an Irish Point, Minella Rocco is today’s double-banker after his impressive Kempton Park success earlier this month.
3.00 Newbury (Geoffrey Gilbey Trophy) Older horses have been stuffed nine years out of 10 and, in today’s conditions, they should be beaten for speed.
Marie Des Anges looked ready for a rise in class after winning at Exeter but fell when unable to cope with heavy ground at Uttoxeter. The drying surface today will be appreciated.
3.35 Newbury Again, the three nine-year-olds are at a disadvantage. None has won in the decade, and its more than three years since Valid Point was able to put two good runs together.
A Good Skin has to give weight all round, without having won bumper, hurdle or chase under Rules. This is Hellorboston’s chasing debut but he was a good hurdles winner last week and a Point winner before that.
Bandit Country, tongue-tied first time, is also first time chasing but is bred for the game. He needs a trip and is a big horse, definitely a fencing type. At around 6.6 each on BETDAQ, I dutched Bandit Country and Hellorboston.
4.10 Newbury Colin Tizzard’s stable has suddenly struck form, landing a double at Wincanton on Wednesday, and Fourth Act should come on for his two return runs so far.
Hindon Road is on an even longer run back: this will be only his third race since November 2012, and it’s hard to find positives.
My view is that Be Bop Borus is well handicapped. He won three races at a lower level and made a rock-solid return, third in a big field conditionals race at Cheltenham, picking up the threads a month later by landing a gamble at Fakenham, back at today’s level.
To say that he didn’t carry the penalty on returning to Cheltenham on New Year’s Day is churlish, since he was attempting class 2 for the first time.
CRAZY JACK TO STAR FOR IN-FORM BAILEY
2.10 Doncaster No outright favourite and plenty of big-odds outsiders in the winners’ enclosure forn this one, particularly unexposed novices with just a few runs behind them.
Norse Light is worth more than the bare form, and will be suited by the better ground, with headgear back on: 7.6 on BETDAQ this morning, and worth a pound for a place in his first handicap.
3.10 Doncaster Nicky Henderson goes for a hat-trick in this. His runner, Hunters Hoof, has not been seen since breaking his maiden at Aintree in the autumn, but second and third have won four races since.
Fontwell winner Rock Of Leon was overfaced on the last day and may have more to offer in this company. Hunters Hoof is heading for the Aintree Festival. Banker at around even money, but I will stick to the 10-point maximum, with the long absence a worry.
3.45 Doncaster Two of these are far too old to be running in novice chases. Vivaccio gets his ground, if he can cope with a 12lb rise since back-to-back wins at Ludlow in the autumn.
The dark horse is Pure Oxygen; in fact, the half-brother to Best Mate comes here heavily disguised. He needed his first run in November after 11 months off, then tackled Graded company in the Exeter race won by Saphir Du Rheu, who is one of the World Hurdle favourites.
4.20 Doncaster Full Day, who has already won a juvenile Listed and finished third in a Triumph Hurdle Trial, is in the Fred Winter at Cheltenham and Scotsbrook Legend misses tomorrow’s Greatwood for this.
Scotsbrook Legend and Favourite Girl are raised 15lb and 8lb respectively for winning class-4 races and, at seven, don’t appear to have much improvement in them.
The snag with all this form assessment is that Altesse De Guye (first-time hood) and Style Setter are handicap debutants who could blow the form horses out of the water. Four runners are separated by 2.5 points this morning. Tricky one.
4.50 Doncaster Kim Bailey is having a stunning run of form (1114411112, still standing, in the last 10 days), and has left in only Crazy Jack from three acceptors at this meeting.
Crazy Jack is not the easiest to keep at a peak but goes well fresh, has got his ground and came up the hill at Towcester last spring as if today’s extra distance would be within his compass.
Categorical and Quicuyo should run their races but both are 12 and may not have a finish. Free World is another one-paced sort, but Tiptoeaway is a worry in first-time headgear.
DAQMAN’S BETS (1 to 9, according to strength; banker 10)
BET 2pts win and 5pts place NORSE LIGHT (2.10 Doncaster)
DOUBLE-STAKES BANKER: BET 20pts win (nap) MINELLA ROCCO (2.30 Newbury)
BET 4.5pts win MARIE DES ANGES (3.00 Newbury)
BANKER: BET 10pts win HUNTERS HOOF (3.10 Doncaster)
BET 3.5pts win on each BANDIT COUNTRY and HELLORBOSTON (3.35 Newbury)
BET 7pts win PURE OXYGEN (3.45 Doncaster)
BET 5pts win BE BOP BORU (4.10 Newbury)
BANKER: BET 10pts win CRAZY JACK (4.50 Doncaster)
DAQ MULTIPLES: 3pts win treble MINELLA ROCCO (2.30 Newbury), HUNTERS HOOF (3.10 Doncaster) and CRAZY JACK (4.50 Doncaster)
NEW !!!
You can now follow BETDAQ updates on Google+
For further details – CLICK HERE
£30 FREE BET & 0% COMM MULTIPLES
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.
