FINAL-DAY FLING AFTER 21 JACKPOT WINS: As the curtain comes down on the jumps season today, Daqman bids to improve on 21 jackpot wins for 201 points profit since his daunting price-wise run began on December 3 last year.
19.0, 14.0 AND 12.5 BETS: Fresh from success with Captain Bertie (WON 7-1) and Mayson (WON 4-1), his finale bets on Gold Cup day include 19.0, 14.0 and 12.5 offers on BETDAQ this morning.
SEVEN LAYS UP OUT OF EIGHT: He also ends the season on 19 successful lays from 22 over the winter months, with seven of the last eight successful.
You Wonka, Willie! It was a natural reaction as my Highland National bet, Rockabilly, came down yesterday, just when he’d taken the lead under the youngest Twiston-Davies, with three fences left.
Willie can redeem himself – he probably wasn’t to blame anyway – by landing the Sandown Gold Cup today on Viking Blond, 19.0 on BETDAQ as I write.
But that ‘s only if elder brother, Sam, lets him past Major Malarkey (12.5). Either way, their Dad, marathons-specialist Nigel Twiston-Davies, is back to form and overdue a big win.
2.00 Sandown: Team Pipe has won this three times in eight years; in the last four seasons, a sub-11st weight has won every time, and may well be essential in the current conditions.
That’s one reason why David Pipe is keen on The Pier; he also rates him at the trip and says he won’t mind what the ground is like.
He’s 6.8 as I write to turn around Wincanton form with stablemate Star Of Angels (out like a dog on a raft to 13.0).
Cedre Bleu has 11st 3lb and is better than the bare form; Paul Nicholls says he’s ‘not that well handicapped’ but he said that about Neptune Collonges.
Act Of Kalanisi won a big race at Ascot in this grade last year and ran a cracker in a Listed there in December. He’s got his ground again now: 14.0 on BETDAQ.
2.35 Sandown (Celebration Chase): Former Scottish Champion Hurdler Sanctuaire swerved Cheltenham and Aintree for this and would close another great championship season for Paul Nicholls.
I can see Sanctuaire, who is only six, going on to the Tingle Creek and Champion Chase next season. If only Ruby Walsh were here today.
While Wishfull Thinking is a heartbreak ‘nearly horse’ and Cornas may just be that year too old, Somersby will get on much better here than at his bogey course, Cheltenham.
3.10 Sandown (Gold Cup): There’s a show of desperation from out-of-form Dessie Hughes, reaching for the visors for both Rare Bob and Vic Venturi at the same time. Any Currency has disappointed and Martin Keighley tries eye-shields.
Dropping blinkers (and cheekpieces) has been a big help to Aldertune, and he has performed well on his last two runs, both at Sandown but you just feel he has to step up a lot for this.
Tullamore Dew hasn’t won beyond 2m 5f; Enter Paradise looks out of his depth; Galaxy Rock remains out of form and is without the McCoy drive; Dovers Hill and Ouzbeck prefer top of the ground.
Swing Bill ticks all the boxes (see my ABC guide earlier in the week) but is very easy to back this morning, and may well have ‘emptied out’ in the National.
Conditions could swing in favour of Le Beau Bai, winner of the Welsh National in the mud who missed Aintree because the ground wasn’t soft enough. But he’s higher in the handicap now and no horse in 40 years has done the double.
Viking Blond, favourite for the Welsh National, was never travelling, and only got as far as the first in the Grand National, but he’s clearly better than that.
Stablemate Major Malarkey was narrowly beaten in the Midlands Grand National (Roalco De Farges too keen; fifth; 27 lengths behind) and was fifth in this race last year when the firm ground was against him and he went to the front too soon.
Tidal Bay, Deep Purple and West End Rocker all have big weights for the conditions. Against the ‘Rocker’ is that his best form is on left-handed tracks and he’s 12lb higher than when winning the Bechers.
But he’s an all-or-nothing horse, and I would hate to miss his party if this is the day he’s dressed for the kill: 9.2 on BETDAQ this morning.
DAQMAN’S BETS
WIN-30 JACKPOT: 5.1pts win THE PIER and 2.3pts win ACT OF KALANISI (2.00 Sandown)
BET 6pts win O CROTAIGH (2.10 Market Rasen)
LAY to win 10pts WISHFULL THINKING, and BET 6.2pts win SOMERSBY and 3.5pts win SANCTUAIRE (2.35 Sandown)
WIN-30 JACKPOT: 3.6pts win WEST END ROCKER, 2.6pts win MAJOR MALARKEY, and 1.5pts win and place VIKING BLOND (3.10 Sandown)
BET 13pts win (nap) GULF OF NAPLES (3.30 Ripon)
BET 6.8pts win SMART STEP and 1.9pts win and place SSAFA (6.05 Doncaster)
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