8-1 JACKPOT WINNER ANOTHER STAR FOR DAQMAN: Saturday-king Daqman did it again yesterday. He earned yet another gold star as Raya Star (WON 8-1) courageously took the big hurdle at Ascot.
CHAMPION AT 4-1 FOR BIG DOUBLE IN 10 MINUTES: Some 10 minutes earlier, he watched a great performance from his sole selection for the Champion Stakes at Down Royal, Kauto Stone (WON 4-1), to make it a big-race double on the day. His current naps sequence is 31121013
MARK CORK NATIONAL WITH A CROSS: Today he analyses the Cork Grand National horse by horse – rating Cross Appeal as his main bet – and the Carlisle stamina test, the Cumberland Chase, putting a banker in the middle for some Daq Multiples trebles.
It’s a better race and better ground this time around. But at least last year’s winner of the Cork Grand National over the steadier of 3m 4f won’t have to carry any more weight.
Though mudloving The Bishop Looney is up from 121 to 127, he still carries the same 10st 12lb. because of the higher quality of the race. But is it so much higher; is it hot at the top?
This year’s top weight, Tharawaat, is running off 139, a 6lb higher rating than the 2011 number-one on the card, but is he that good a horse? He’s won only one handicap chase – at Galway a year ago – and is another who must have heavy ground.
Tharawaat was left well short of the required pace on the fabulous good-ground turf at Aintree in the Grand National proper in April, staying on through tired horses to finish eighth.
Berties Dream is even shorter on chasing experience: at nine years old, he has just a Thurles beginners’ chase on his CV. And I can’t have Golden Kite, even older at 10: horses of a double-figure age don’t win this. That also takes out A New Story, Droim Toll and Givus A Hand.
Cross Appeal took advantage of a featherweight to win the Paddy Power Chase at Leopardstown last Christmas. He carried the penalty well in the Galway Plate despite the soft ground and seems to have his ideal conditions this afternoon.
Raz De Maree was expected to wait for the Troytown but comes out quickly after winning the Munster National three weeks ago, rising almost a stone for his autumn exploits. Seems to act on any ground.
For A Finish was a good fifth in that Limerick National but filled the same position in this Cork equivalent a year ago, and the implication is that he lacks a finish, with stamina limitations, at these longer trips.
Total Submission is one who could enjoy the 28 furlongs. He perked up in cheekpieces for Condicote trainer Martin Keighley, winning a big-field 2m 6f hurdle at Wetherby, a stamina display that augured well for today’s chase.
He’s another with limited chasing experience but ran a blinder when runner-up for his new trainer, Jim Culloty, to the 144-rated Sea Of Thunder on a sound surface over 3m at Clonmel. Strictly interpreted at the time, that puts him 11lb well in here.
Total Submission’s sire is responsible for winners of the Hennessy Gold Cup and the Punchestown Gold Cup but he would be the first to shine for his dam, though she is by the stamina-laden Ardross.
Bundle Of Fun is hot right now, and the Mullins-Walsh team formidable, but this one took 19 tries to get off the mark over fences and, at the age of nine, his new lease of life may be shortened by his 13lb leap in the handicap this autumn for success up to 2m 6f.
Bundle Of Fun beat Givus A Hand at Gowran and that one had scored only once since 2008. Bangonform is just that but his sire gets three-milers and his one full brother in training was a two-miler. The rest of the runners look mediocre.
My short list is Cross Appeal (11.0 on BETDAQ), Raz De Maree (5.9), The Bishop Looney (11.5), Total Submission (21.0), with ‘Looney’ left out because of the ground. My order in corresponds to my bets list below . I’ll stick my neck out and lay Bundle Of Fun for a place (2.55 this morning).
In the marathon at Carlisle, the Cumberland Chase (3.10), Etxaler at 9.8 on BETDAQ is worth a pound, win and place. The winner in 2010 after eight months off is here 7lb lower, this time after a six-month break.
Valley View is entitled to improve at the age of six but is suspect, with only one run in 11 months, and has yet to step up from class 4, though he, too, has won fresh. This could be the rim of African Broadway’s stamina, and Rebel Swing is quirky, though when he condescended to jump off last time, he scored over a furlong shorter on today’s track.
Beamazed has My Boy Paddy breathing down his neck on revised weights since they met before on today’s course, and this is just the sort of race the Twiston-Davies stable likes to win. I shall try my big-race bets in trebles with McVicar at Huntingdon (2.15) as the banker. I have had a good run with Daq Multiples lately and, if you are not in it, you can’t win it. Not much will spoil with six points staked.
DAQMAN’S BETS
WIN-30 JACKPOT: BET 3pts win CROSS APPEAL, 1.5pts win and place TOTAL SUBMISSION and 1.2pts win (stakes saver) RAZ DE MAREE, plus PLACE LAY 5pts BUNDLE OF FUN (2.15 Cork)
BET 4pts win MY BOY PADDY and 2.2pts win and place ETXALAR (3.10 Carlisle)
DAQ MULTIPLES: McVicar (nap, 12.45 Huntingdon) as the banker in 6 x 1pt win trebles Cross Appeal, Total Submission and Raz De Maree (2.15 Cork) with My Boy Paddy and Etxaler (3.10 Carlisle)
* Daqman’s bets are staked at morning offers taken to win 20 points but 30 points for a jackpot bet. Daq Multiples are at SP. Stakes for lays are specified.
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