EIGHT WINNING DAYS OUT OF 11: A lays experiment which failed left Daqman a point down yesterday, with eight winning days in the last 11. Saving most of the bacon was Methayel (WON 3-1). Profits stand at 139 points in the 11 days.
12 WINNING LAYS OUT OF 14: His lays are now 12 out of 14, with the profit in that department 95.75 to 10-point level stakes.
John Gosden needs a lucky 13. Racing needs a John Gosden. The yard, which scored only 66 winners four seasons back, is currently on 94 at home, 13 behind last year’s impressive record 107.
As notable as the surge of success, has been the wisdom of the man, cutting to the chase whenever interviewed as a reluctant racing spokesman, speaking volumes – but in a few well chosen words – of something lacking in all walks of life these days: common sense.
Though the honours will be handed out for the season to the Hannons and the Hanagans, Gosden is not only my trainer of the year but also my racing personality of the year.
Racehorse owners, trainers and jockeys, with their respective – and respected – associations have been left with the whip hand over race tariffs and riding rules, after the sorry mess the authorities have made of it all this year.
We now need some public education of the reality of racing from a man like Gosden in a series of interviews on the controversial issues of whips and the like, putting terrestrial racing TV to good use for a change.
The truth is that these issues are only controversial because they are swamped in ignorance, misunderstood by the public. Surely, one purpose of Racing PR should be to educate on the issues; another to show the sport in its best light.
It has failed on both counts in the recent civil war. The new whips laws were put in place to placate a false public perception. How much better to modify the perception.
Gosden could start the Doncaster Racing Post Trophy meeting with a winner, Gregorian (1.30), who has looked the part and will be a short price, though at this time of the year something is likely to come out of the pack.
Choisan, a professional loser with four consecutive seconds, must be a lay. David Alan used the whip ‘with excessive frequency’ to achieve one of those seconds and received a one-day ban (which might have been a month off had it happened a couple of weeks later).
Enderby Spirit (3.45) has been out of form lately but usually runs well at Doncaster: third in this race last year, his Town Moor form is 20301, and he’s 9lb better for little more than two lengths with the 2010 winner, Macs Power. More than a squeak at 43.0 this morning, with Macs Power at 10.0.
Add the unexposed pair Seal Rock (stall 18) and Madany (in 2) and you have a spread right across the track; Enderby Spirit is in 13. Backing three makes for short odds, you say; not this time: Madany is 31.0, Seal Rock 10.0, as I write.
Newbury has fewer runners than Doncaster but is not much easier, with the first four races all maidens.
If the Gosden runner Main Focus (3.30) can translate Polytrack form to turf, he has a good chance at 8.4. His breeding suggests he’s adaptable, and his absence since the Spring may mean that he’s had to do some filling out.
Sir Michael Stoute (Mr Maynard) remains out of form – no winners for more than a month – so I prefer Red Quartet (8.2), a son of one of my favourites, Red Clubs.
Basically, I’m saving my ammunition for Saturday, but what I’ve done today is use one big gun (the 10-point lay) and, if it hits target, it pays for all the other pot shots at big prices.
DAQMAN’S BETS
LAY to win 10pts CHOISAN (1.30 Doncaster)
BET 2.7pts win on each MAIN FOCUS and RED QUARTET (3.30 Newbury)
BET 2.2pts win SEAL ROCK, 0.6pts win and place MADANY, 0.4pts win and place ENDERBY SPIRIT (3.45 Doncaster)
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