DAQMAN DELIVERS IN THE DERBY: Daqman pounced on yesterday’s 7-4 German Derby favourite, Brown Panther, to land yet another winning big-race lay. He claimed that the colt was a ‘class-4 handicapper’. Brown Panther finished fifth so Daqman is having a day off to spend his winnings at the seaside.

CAN HE NOW LAY HIS BRIGHTON BOGEY? Says Daqman: ‘I was damning about Brown Panther because that’s how you have to be when you bet: you have to be really confident, for or against. I wish I could say the same at Brighton today. It’s a bogey track for me but there’s good news that will keep me among its fans.’

Brighton rarely rocks for me. Land of Pinkie and Perky, the absolute opposites. Pinkie was the psychopathic gangster in the Brighton-races film recently revived. Perky was afraid of the Big Bad Wolf.

My Big Bad Wolf over the years was the Brighton bookie. I could never fathom the Brighton form, standing on that rock, blasted like a Liver Bird drying in the wind as it bellied out my broadsheet Sporting Life, though less so in later years the tabloid Racing Post.

But you had to go to Brighton. It was always the place to take a new girlfriend, rattling down the London line on the Brighton Belle with its Pullman cars and superb lunches en train.

First stop the shooting range, where I once had my collar felt by a menacing Pinkie. What you did in those good old bad old days was shoot off your first allocation of pellets solely to test the bend in the barrel. There was always a bend in the barrel.

On this occasion, I rashly announced – for all to hear but particularly the girlfriend – that I had found the bend in the barrel and would now bag the Giant Teddy Bear. I did. One shot. Bulls-eye.

But a rather large and unfriendly ‘Big Bad Wolf’ cut off my departure and told me I didn’t really mean that about the bend in the barrel, did I? I should leave the Giant Teddy Bear on the stall.

’You don’t want to carry that cumbersome thing around the fairground, do you sir. You can collect it later.. if you fancy your chances!’ My grasp of his meaning was as strong as his grasp on my shoulder.

I fancied my chances even less that afternoon on a six-race Brighton card (they hadn’t thought of skinning you further with seven races in those days). Now here am I tipping at the blasted track.

I’m not going for the Giant Teddy Bear. I’m taking two pot shots in the same race. The Racing Post tells me that one horse I’ve picked is ‘a reliable type’ and the trainer, Jo Crowley, has recently had a winner. It also tells me the other one I’ve chosen is ‘a course specialist who registered a sixth win over CD.’

I can put my Racing Post away. No flapping on top of that rock. Just need somewhere to plug in the laptop and find Betdaq offers for Patavium Prince and Mandhooma.

Patavium Prince’s Brighton form is 2212140022 and Mandhooma’s 140111043021412.

Incredible servants to the Brighton scene, aren’t they. I shall get around 10-1 and 4-1, respectively, according to indications on the Daq before I catch the ‘rattler’ from Victoria.

And the news of the day is that the Brighton Belle, once the only all-electric intercity, withdrawn from service in 1972, is to be restored to the main-line service.

The Pullman carriages have long since been dispersed to the Orient Express or as private restaurants, but a ‘proper Brighton Belle’ is promised. That’s another maiden outing I need to book in advance. All I need now is a winner to pay the fare.

DAQMAN’S BETS
BET 5pts win MANHOOMA and 2pts win, 1pt place PATAVIUM PRINCE (3.00 Brighton)
BET 7.5pts win CAPDALIGHT (4.15 Newton Abbot)
BET 9pts win KINGS RICHES (5.15 Newton Abbot)
BET 4.4pts win (nap) RED SENOR (7.10 Windsor)
BET 0.7pts win and place DIAMOND CHARLIE (7.40 Windsor)
BET 9pts win LADY AMAKHALA (7.50 Ripon)