NICE ONE, DAQMAN! 9-2 NAP AND HAT-TRICK OF WINNERS: Daqman continued in peak form yesterday with a winning nap, Niceonefrankie (WON 9-2), for form figures over the weekend of 12131111, counting only his best result in each race, and including three from three in his Sunday Daq Multiples.
62 POINTS PROFIT IN TWO DAYS: Only on Saturday, Hold Fast (WON 7-2) followed Le Beau Bai (WON 10-1) and Unaccompanied (WON 10-3) to give him three jackpot bets up from four races. He made 62 points profit on the weekend.
THREE DOUBLES AND A TREBLE UP: As well as Niceonefrankie yesterday, he named three winners out of three for Daq Multiples doubles and a treble: all were successful, including Up To Something (WON 7-4).
Ruby must get at least one. The stats say that Rupert Walsh has a phenomenal 51% riding record at Taunton but which one of his three today is the safest bet.
Rangitoto (2.10) has seen his rating revised upward as his Wincanton Boxing Day win has been franked by the runner-up.
Vino Griego is too much of a bridesmaid for me, giving weight all round here; Balzaccio tries a new trip; Made In Time has never performed well going right-handed, and the race looks too strong for Time For Spring.
So we’re down to the old firm, Walsh v Geraghty, with Barry getting the weight on Master Fiddle, who tries to emulate Nicky Henderson’s winner of the race last year.
The money was down at Newbury when Master Fiddle blundered and unseated rider, handing the race to Roalco De Farges.
The winner was then beaten 40 lengths by Webberys Dream, the very horse Rangitoto stopped on Boxing Day.
It may not be as easy as that, since we can’t be sure where Master Fiddle might have finished had he stood up at Newbury, and we can be pretty sure that Roalco De Farges put in a below-par performance on Boxing Day, to be beaten so far.
But, when all is said and done, form is the only way to bet, and The Good Book says Rangitoto, with Walsh and Geraghty clear of the rest in the market.
The exact same thing (I enjoy tautology and ‘doubles’) applies in the novices’ hurdle at 2.40, with 10.5 bar two, Darlan (Barry) and Jump City (Ruby).
Both seem favoured by the drying ground but, though he looks mighty impressive on the bridle, there is no substance to the Darlan form.
The horse he beat only a nose at Cheltenham, High Storm, was a 40-1 PU at Sandown on Saturday; the runner-up by six lengths to Darlan at Kempton had been hammered 19 lengths when favourite in his finale bumper. Darlan is no odds-on shot today.
Jump City returns to 17f after failing over further, and his last run over today’s trip, when he won at Exeter in November, has had the form boosted by the runner-up.
Giordano Bruno has drifted like a lonely dog on a raft to 11.0, as I write, and there’s no money elsewhere.
For the purposes of this column, I’m going for a double-dare lay on the favourite and win on Walsh but – and this is why Betdaq is the only way to bet – you can’t go wrong on a bridle horse like Darlan; odds on or not, he’s sure to be much lower come the business end of the race.
It’s a good day to test all the possibilities on the exchange. In fact, I’m juggling all day: I’ve got two Walsh balls in the air (sorry Ruby) to try to trap his winner (ouch!).
The Ruby Walsh contender for the handicap hurdle (3.10) is Tigre d’Aron for Graham Wylie. The grey keeps stepping up in trip, though he has won at the minimum.
My own view is that his mark is too high and they are opening all options; as a drifter to 6.6, as I write, he’s out from potential favourite to third in the market.
Betdaq backers want Carrickmines, who tries to repeat his CD win of a month ago. Philadelphus may improve, first time in a handicap for an in-form stable with a massive level-stakes profit on this course and Denis O’Regan, second only to Ruby as the jockey to follow here.
DAQMAN’S BETS
BET 11pts win RANGITOTO (2.10 Taunton)
DOUBLE WHAMMY: LAY to win 10pts DARLAN and 8.8pts win (nap) JUMP CITY (2.40 Taunton)
BET 2pts win PHILADELPHUS (3.10 Taunton)
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