FOUR BEST BETS UP OUT OF FIVE: Daqman placed maximum stakes on Speed Master (banker, WON 1-3) yesterday. His only loser in the last five naps and bankers was a faller.
He’s the hero of the hour. And I can’t remember ever before writing about the clash of Mattie Batchelor and Tony McCoy, certainly not in a race at Folkestone.
But the novices’ handicap chase is probably the centrepiece of a meet of modest fare, with fewer than 50 coming to the table because of the firm conditions.
Hennessy-winner Batchelor, journeyman jockey, weighing-room comedian, might have the laugh on McCoy with Maderson Blue (2.00) but A P’s ride, Free Speech, has won a Point, already has chasing experience and could be a better animal in blinkers (first time).
Beau Colonel and Alldunnanddusted have also been placed over fences and it looks tight at the front of the market, with only 2.7 points separating four of the six runners, as I write, but there’s a fair-enough overround.
As well as the jockey attractions, the trainers of Free Speech and Maderson Blue, Jim Best and Roger Curtis, are in far and away better form than any others in the race.
I can see McCoy allowing Free Speech some free rein in the blinkers and, on this ground, he may be able to see them off, as he did when making all in a Point.
Strictly, the handicap hurdle (2.35) is the better race – class 4 – but only Frameit has won at this level over hurdles, though Elegant Olive, Just Benny and Spaceman have been placed.
McCoy’s mount, Storm Survivor, a failure on good, good to soft and heavy ground in his last three runs, looks a false favourite but a lay at this level is like betting which donkey will lose a sands ‘derby’ across the Folkestone strand. But there is a quirky bet in the race.
The tearaway Frame It can’t even win a seller these days but he’s likely to take them on for most – or all? – of this contest and, at 48.0 this morning, you can get a bit of sport with a back-and-lay bet. I have to declare him on the account as an each-way wager.
Golden Firebird (3.40), looks the knocking bet of the meeting for a filly that has won at Cheltenham, been placed at Punchestown, and rates a decent ‘mench’ in Alan King’s horses to follow.
Where the Folkestone equivalent was a sham, the class-4 handicap hurdle at Ffos Las (2.55) actually has class-4 winners in it (six of them).
There’s another back-and-lay bet here, with front-runner Lightening Fire a massive 23.0 this morning when you consider that the Bernard Llewellyn yard is striking at around 50% win and place.
When Lightening Fire met Azione at Chepstow, he allowed Azione to lead for seven flights of hurdles, then kicked him into touch (beaten 32 lengths).
Granted this is a drop back to 2m, which will suit Azione, but the offers are still a degree of madness with Azione 2.18 and Lightening Fire just gone 24.0, as I rattle the keyboard.
Lucy Wadham is also 50% but hers is a win-only strike rate, and I’m putting her Super Directa (1.15) in with Golden Firebird for a Daq Multiples double. Might even win money on a Folkestone-Ffos-Las day, would you believe. Super!
DAQMAN’S BETS
BET 7.2pts win FREE SPEECH (2.00 Folkestone)
BET 0.4pts win and place FRAME IT (2.35 Folkestone)
BANKER NAP: BET 20pts win GOLDEN FIREBIRD (3.40 Folkestone)
BET 0.8pts win and place LIGHTENING FIRE and 1.45pts win (stakes saver) AZIONE (2.55 Ffos Las).
DAQ MULTIPLES: 3pt win double Super Directa (1.15 Ffos Las) and Golden Firebird (3.40 Folkestone)
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