37 POINTS PROFIT AS DAQMAN HITS TWO OUT OF THREE: Daqman won the only race run at Musselburgh before the abandonment yesterday, with Just Lille (WON 10-3), then scored again with Outlaw Torn (WON 4-1) at Kempton for two out of three on the day and 37.20 profit. The other bet was second. Today he looks at three races at Haydock Park.

2.30 Haydock (King’s Regiment Cup): Trip The Light: fantastic or what? He’s been thereabouts in much better races, up to two grades higher, and his form in class 4 since December is 132. There’s just a doubt about the going; his best results have been on firm ground.

The seven-year-olds will have to find some extra: Persian Peril (unplaced in this last year) is now 8lb higher than for class-4 victories and Red Fama 7lb for winning at this level at Newcastle.

Spirit Of A Nation (9.8 this morning) is better off with Red Fama though he beat that one at Newcastle; Red Fama is close to Persian Peril now on revised Thirsk terms. So it’s course winner Spirit Of A Nation – stays further – who is favoured all round today.

Alsahil is not penalized for winning an apprentice race last time out but there’s no evidence that he likes soft ground.

As for the three-year-olds, they’re reaching for the blinds for Bells O Peover; Lunar Phase has won only her maiden and the grey Snow Hill, though he likes it soft, made hard work of it in a class-5 handicap last time out and has won only in class-6.

Judicious is unexposed at this trip: though his success has been on right-handed tracks over 1m 2f on firm, he’s a Pivotal and they usually like it soft; secondly, he’s gone up only 7lb for the two wins.

4.00 Haydock (George Formby Society Golden Jubilee): I’ll be cleaning windows if I can’t get the winner of this. I’ll be as clever as the man who invented Windows if I can. It’s tough.

Of the four-year-olds, Field Of Dream has top weight but a touch of class, having won a Listed on the soft at Newmarket and not been entirely disgraced in Group company this summer.

But character flaws are revealed by his being in and out of blinkers. He should be thereabouts but will do well to win.

Rodrigo De Torres doesn’t seem to be the same horse that raced against Dick Turpin and Canford Cliffs last season albeit with a rear view, and is held by Field Of Dreams on past performance.

Normally you’d fancy a three-year-old at this time of year. It would be guesswork to choose Fugnina because he has no form over here, but equally a case of hope over head to choose Cape To Rio or Al Aasifh, since they look overfaced in the Pattern but have no success between them for at least a year, wherever they’ve raced.

In fact, they met at Newbury last July when Al Aasifh pipped Cape To Rio half a length. Firebeam is a handicapper but at least he’s won on the soft.

Toolain, a Group contender last season, has disappointed this term but is gelded now, comes out joint top-rating on official figures and is from a yard currently just short of a 50% win-and-place strike rate (8 out of 17).

4.30 Haydock (Betdaq The Betting Exchange Haydock Park Apprentice Training Series Handicap): Soft ground will really sort out the men from the boys in this apprentice series. It might even be a girl who sorts them out!

In the wake of Julie Krone’s stunning visit to these shores, how about Julie Burke on Jupiter Fidius? Well, the son of Haafhd has won only his maiden and a claimer and is on a long losing run.

Brouhaha was down 12lb on his decent form of last summer but a good second at Epsom has pushed him up the ratings again, though he has won off this mark on firm.

Sirgarfieldsobers hasn’t won for nearly three years; Gritstone’s scored only on the firm; Mighty Clarets best form is on AW; and Black Coffee’s last time win on the soft was in a ladies-only race.

Yes, you’ve guessed it, I’m keen on King Zeal, last year’s winner under the same rider, James Rogers. He’s up in the weights a bit but his Haydock record is 12103 and his soft-ground returns since last summer are 11212.

DAQMAN’S BETS
BET 7pts win (nap) ULTRASONIC (2.10 Yarmouth)
BET 2.2pts win and place SPIRIT OF A NATION (2.30 Haydock)
BET 3.3pts win ARKAIM (3.10 Yarmouth)
BET 5pts win ROGUE REPORTER (3.20 Folkestone)
BET 6pts win TOOLAIN (4.00 Haydock)
BET 4.5pts win KING ZEAL (4.30 Haydock)