HERE’S THE ‘DAQMAN DOZEN’ FOR 2013: Daqman’s National Hunt horses-to-follow have already landed 11 winners and need only four more to pass his Flat-2012 total, with most of the big-race season still to come.
NEXT STOP CHELTENHAM: Here’s his 12, which will next be revised at the end of February in time for Cheltenham, and an ante-post flutter or two.
The Irish Hennessy is D-Day for Flemenstar. He has been entered in the Gold Cup but also has alternative entries in the Queen Mother Champion Chase and the Ryanair, and his Cheltenham Festival fate hangs on February 9.
That’s the date of the Leopardstown Hennessy, which will decide his future target, though the Hennessy itself has not produced a Cheltenham Gold Cup winner since Imperial Call (1996). Florida Pearl was second in 2000.
ARVIKA LIGEONNIERE A potential new novice star after beating Oscars Well at Leopardstown. Oscars Well, a Graded-level hurdler, had won two out of his three previous chases, with no run in the other when falling at the second fence.
BOSTON BOB Second in the Albert Bartlett at Cheltenham, his only defeat since a heavy-ground bumper seven runs back. But it’s on the heavy that he’s won Grade 1 and 2 hurdles and made a winning, if hard-fought, debut over fences at Navan three weeks ago. RSA the target.
DYNASTE Winner of the Berkshire Novices’ Chase at Newbury and the Feltham at Kempton Park, a modern guide to future stars, recent winners having been Long Run (2009) and Grands Crus (2011).
EASTER DAY Back-to-back winner of novice hurdles, achieving a rating of 140. May not have enjoyed himself on heavy at Newbury stepped up to Grade-1 company (the winner had already scored on heavy). Worth another chance in an easier race on a better surface.
FLEMENSTAR After beating Sir Des Champs in a fascinating duel for the John Durkan, he was run out of the Lexus Chase in a late flourish by Tidal Bay, until that moment rated higher even than Long Run. Fascinating to see whether he drops back in trip to the Queen Mother Champion Chase or the Ryanair.
GEVREY CHAMBERTIN The full brother to Grands Crus became my 11th winner of the jumps-season horses-to-follow lists already, when he romped home at Wincanton on Saturday, landing a hat-trick since the end of October.
HIGHLAND LODGE Won over three miles in devastating fashion at Cheltenham (22 lengths and 21 lengths from an odds-on favourite Our Father), a race which has seen seven of the last eight winners contest the RSA Chase.
MONKSLAND The Neptune third at the Cheltenham Festival has run only three times since but has climbed 13lb up the ratings, after winning a Grade-2 at Down Royal and another one at Leopardstown. He’d lost a Grade 1 at Fairyhouse in between (2m 4f) but gained revenge on the winner, Zaidpour, over 3m in the Leopardstown race.
SILVINIACO CONTI Beat Gold Cup winner Long Run at Haydock and has never been out of the frame, winning nine of his 14 starts. Same sire as Al Ferof, Neptune Collonges and Grands Crus.
SIR DES CHAMPS Jumped badly in the Lexus but managed to rally and get within threeparts of a length of the winner. Only Flemenstar had beaten him in nine races before that.
SPRINTER SACRE An imposing individual, unbeaten in nine starts in two years, excepting his third to Al Ferof in the 2011 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, and won the Arkle last year. Strolled 15 lengths clear in December’s Tingle Creek.
WHISPER Won six lengths at Ffos Las on Boxing Day, and is now a Cheltenham prospect, having beaten – finished a stone in front – a 130 rated Oscar gelding who had been in the ‘threes’ four times out of five.
DAQMAN’S BETS
BET 5pts win GUESS AGAIN (1.40 Taunton)
BET 15pts win (nap) SAPHIR DU RHEU (2.10 Taunton)
DAQ MULTIPLES: 3pts win double Sound Investment (1.10 Taunton) and Cantlow (2.40 Taunton) and 1pt win treble the same two with Saphir Du Rheu (2.10 Taunton)
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