DAQMAN’S CHELTENHAM BIG-RACE TREBLE AT 7-1, 13-2 AND 5-1: After a hat-trick of naps, Daqman landed a hat-trick of big races at Cheltenham yesterday. In each case, he named just one horse. The trio was:
Katenko (WON 5-1), one bet at Cheltenham.
Cape Tribulation (WON 7-1), one bet at Cheltenham at 9.3 on BETDAQ.
At Fishers Cross (WON 13-2), one bet at Cheltenham.
I was caught out by the Ditcheat doldrums yesterday. Listening to a bullish Paul Nicholls, I staked a double whammy on the Irish Saint race. His stable always has a quiet spell at this time but I listened to him instead of relying on the stats as a guide to his current form.
Those stats now reveal that Nicholls has had only one winner (none over hurdles and fences) from 16 starters in the last 11 days. Irish Saint tried to make all and faded at odds on at the business end of the race.
The same stable’s Sanactuaire weakened out of contention; Kauto Stone was beaten 48 lengths; Poquelin was never seen with a chance; and Pacha Du Polder pulled up.
An otherwise perfect day for me was blighted by the defeat of Irish Saint, who was gambled on like the good thing he should have been. I shall swerve Wolverhampton today, where Nicholls has seven runners.
Win or lose, Hinterland will not run with my money at odds on. Snag is I’m facing an array of odds-on shots at Leopardstown.
12.55 Leopardstown Annie Oakley will need to get her gun to stop Oscars Joy, who finished 14 lengths in front of her at Fairyhouse last month, though it may not be that simple.
Annie Oakley’s rear-running tactics were changed last time; she was always up with the leaders on the last day, the first of the month, returning to Fairyhouse in a lesser race.
But, for me, the Flemensfirth mare, Zuzka, is the bet. A winner over 2m 4f, she was by no means disgraced to get within a couple of lengths of Supreme Novices Hurdle favourite, Jezki, over 2m.
Stablemate Glens Melody has already beaten Annie Oakley and Zuzka looks most suited of anything in the field to this ‘in between’ trip of 2m 2f.
1.25 Leopardstown Last season’s winner, Boston Bob, went on to run second in the Albert Bartlett at Cheltenham. The previous year, Hidden Cyclone scored in five races of his next six. So there could be some hot property here.
It’s most likely to go by the name of Pont Alexandre, from the same yard as Boston Bob, and taking the same route after an easy success at Navan last time in the same race ‘Bob’ won in 2012.
Our Vinnie, by the great Vinnie Roe, out of an Old Vic mare, should make sure this is run at a decent race but Pont Alexandre can play it from the front or from behind. It all comes the same to him, and that’s often the mark of a good horse.
If the race runs to form, the logic goes like this: Pont Alexandre was nine lengths better at Navan than Busty Brown, beaten only two heads by Our Vinnie but more than two lengths in front of Seeford who, in turn, was nearly 10 lengths better than Sizing Gold in November.
1.55 Leopardstown (Irish Champion Hurdle) This is a shocking state of affairs: not one young horse within 30lb of them has come along to challenge a bunch of nine-year-olds and a 12-year-old in a champion hurdle.
It’s the same old story. If you are content to cheer a champion without being able to have a bet, then fair enough. But to tell the truth, I’m sick of champions (there have been a dozen of them recently) making a mockery of the markets.
I’m a punter. Not a cheerleader. I’m sure that for many, as with Sprincter Sacre yesterday, it’s uplifting to watch a great horse like Hurricane Fly demolish his opponents.
This Premier League of horses where the big fish swallow the minnows gets as boring for the punter as Man U and Man City. Sometimes pretty to watch but rarely, unless by accident, unexpected or a challenge to horse or punter.
Roll on Cheltenham where Hurricane Fly has to face Darlan, Grandouet and Zarkandar, all six-year-olds. The truth about this so-called Irish Champion Hurdle today is in the betting: Hurricane Fly 2-5 and Binocular 7-1. At Cheltenham, Binocular is a 20-1 no-hoper.
2.30 Leopardstown There’s one for the future here, a nugget to hide in your notebook. Talbot Road is a horse of great promise.
This massive stayer (by Old Vic out of a mare by the sire of Cool Ground) is one of few horses today that, at 10.0 on BETDAQ, gives us a sporting chance of winning a few bob, surrounded as he is on the card by odds-on favourites. He will be odds on himself one day soon. Ah well..
DAQMAN’S BETS
BET 2.2pts win and place TALBOT ROAD (2.30 Leopardstown)
DAQ MULTIPLES: 4 x 2pt win trebles and 1pt win acca Zuska (nap, 12.55 Leopardstown), Ponte Alexandre (1.25 Leopardstown), Hurricane Fly (1.55 Leopardstown) and Talbot Road (2.30 Leopardstown)
