14 WINNERS FOR DAQMAN’S HORSES TO FOLLOW: Toronado on Saturday gave Daqman yet another winner from his horses-to-follow lists, following success at 9-1 (twice) and 13-2, and 10 other winners, with Duntle unluckily disqualified earlier in the week. Now here’s his update.
GOLD CUPS ON A PLATE? Among them is an early fancy for Saturday’s Ayr Gold Cup and a long, long range forecast for next year’s Ascot Gold Cup.
TOMORROW: Daqman will complete his file tomorrow, with a look at the two-year-olds as we enter the season of their big tests at Ascot, Doncaster and Newmarket.
They’re at it again, hyping a ‘wonder horse’. At least the one they now want to ascend to legendary status has already won a Triple Crown. But in Japan.
Orfevre ‘stormed’ to the front of the Arc betting after a ‘decisive’ trial in Paris yesterday, according to the trade paper, but his trainer warned that a repeat of yesterday ‘s performance would ‘see him beaten’ at Longchamp.
In fact, Orfevre finished a length in front of Meandre in the Prix Foy, which puts him in the Arc picture, Meandre having beaten last year’s Arc runner-up, Shareta, when they met in the Grand Prix De saint-cloud recently.
But, as Shareta franked the form again yesterday with a quite scintillating performance in the Vermeille, it has to be remembered that she was five lengths adrift of Danedream in last year’s Arc, with Meandre only sixth.
BOOM AND BUST It was too firm for this Shergar Cup winner last time out at Haydock and the lightly-raced Marcus Tregoning gelding is still on course for the Cambridgeshire.
CARAVAN ROLLS ON Those who think Camelot was in a pocket in the St Leger should take another look at this one – hemmed in on the rails and switched – as the gaps closed for him in the Mallard Stakes the day before.
Caravan Rolls On, giving weight to the winner, one of the improvers of the season, Sir General Wade, finally finished fifth, a neck, nose, short-head, and head behind the General.
Caravan was gambled on to continue a hat-trick sequence, which could have been a six-timer, had he not tried a race too many in May last year, bidding for a treble too soon after landing another gamble at Leicester.
DANEDREAM So I must conclude at this stage that, having already shown Nathaniel who’s boss by storming home in our King George, Danedream is on course for back-to-back Arcs. That’s the way yesterday’s form of the triple trials at Longchamp stacks up, in my opinion.
After the hyped and historic record attempts this year, notably Camelot’s Triple Crown bid, and Frankel’s sequence, Danedream could become the first back-to-back winner at Longchamp since Alleged (1977-78) and, before that, Ribot (1955-56). That would cap them all.
DUBAWI SOUND David Brown’s four-year-old landed consecutive gambles once equipped with a tongue-tie in July but his last run was just as impressive, though he was only third.
Dubawi Sound, an Ayr Gold Cup entry but being quoted in the betting for Newbury’s early-October Challenge Cup, ran a cracker to be third at York to a big improver, Gordon Lord Byron, subsequently runner-up in the Haydock Sprint.
DUNTLE Unlucky not to complete a hat-trick in a Group 1 at Leopardstown last week when, veering slightly, she was disqualified after an inquiry lasting half and hour.
Since the promoted winner, Chachamaidee, had beaten Saturday’s Park Stakes winner, Libranno, at Goodwood in July, Duntle’s form is already looking solid, despite having had only six races in her life.
ENCKE It was also only Encke’s sixth appearance when he surged clear in the St Leger to hold off dual Classic winner Camelot, and I have him high on my list for next year, along with High Jinx. Let’s hope they don’t leave his European season behind at Meydan in the Spring.
HALLELUJAH Will be back in the autumn after missing the Portland on Saturday because the ground was too fast. Another with very few miles on the clock (five runs, never out of the first three), climbing straight from success in a class-3 handicap to Group 3 company at York last time.
HIGH JINX Here’s the stayer for me for next year’s Gold Cup. In his Cup runs recently he has done nothing but improve, coming out of a handicap success and his second to Geoffrey Freer winner Mount Athos in the John Smith’s Silver Cup.
With Graham Lee taking over, and stepped up in trip, High Jinx ran second to Times Up in the Lonsdale (2m and a bit) at York when they weren’t sure about his stamina.
Pitched back into the fray against Times Up in last week’s Doncaster Cup, he closed him down from the two-and-a-quarter lengths at York to just a neck, fast diminishing at that.
HIGHLAND COLORI This is what I wrote last time: ‘A tricky one. He’s up only 11lb for three fine straight-course wins (Ascot, Newmarket Rowley and July) but I’m worried that his next race may be round the bends at Goodwood. Doesn’t sound like him, does it.’
In fact, Highland Colori swerved Goodwood and ran a fine race at Doncaster. Knocking at the door.
SHOLAAN My early fancy for Saturday’s Ayr Gold Cup. He’s been put away for the race by William Haggas since following up an AW win with three runs in June.
What impressed the trainer was how much Sholaan loved the soft ground and blinkers when he skated up by five lengths at York in June from the ultra-consistent Gabrial’s Lad.
The ‘blinds’ had to be tried again to see if they would continue to work for him and, sure enough, he indeed ran a blinder, giving more than a stone to the winner at Windsor.
DAQMAN’S BETS
BET 2pts win and place KEEP CALM (3.00 Wolverhampton)
LAY 10pts IMPERIAL LEGEND and BET 4.2pts win LOVE YOU LOUIS (5.10 Musselburgh)
DAQ MULTIPLES: 10pts win on each and 10pt win double TROPICAL SONG (nap, 2.20 Brighton) and INDIANA GUEST (4.50 Brighton)
* Daqman’s selections are backed to win 20 points (unless otherwise stated in Daq Multiples) so, if you divide 20 by his stake, you know the Betdaq offer taken at the time of writing.
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