JACKPOT: 10-1 WINNER IN DAQMAN’S WELSH-NATIONAL ONE-TWO: Daqman named the winner and second, Le Beau Bai (WON 10-1) and Giles Cross (2nd 17-2), 15 lengths clear of the rest in the Welsh National yesterday. In an earlier jackpot attempt, he had big-odds places with Chance Du Roy (2nd 8-1) and Consigliere (3rd 14-1).
TWO BEST BETS UP OUT OF TWO: After napping Deireadh Re (WON 6-4) on Boxing Day, Daqman moved all in on Finian’s Rainbow (WON 4-11) yesterday, with a maximum-stakes banker for a profit on the day yesterday of 26pts.
1.25 Leopardstown (Fort Leney Novice Chase): Three of the last four winners have been of the highest class: Bostons Angel, Pandorama and Notre Pere.
First Lieutenant looked as though he could join such a quality band: the horse that beat Rock On Ruby over hurdles had two novice-chase wins out of three.
But, blundering and breaking blood vessels, his street cred collapsed, when pulled-up beaten favourite behind Bog Warrior and today’s rival, Shinrock Paddy, in the Drinmore at Fairyhouse.
Shinrock Paddy was 31 lengths behind the winner and his 11.5 on Betdaq this morning is an indication of his overall merit though, in fact, he recorded the highest hurdles rating of any horse in today’s field, even over Neptune winner, First Lieutenant, and would be a force on better ground.
First Lieutenant is a first foal but won at 21 furlongs over hurdles and is suited by the ground today.
Favourite backers have to believe that the Drinmore was just a blip for Mouse Morris’s son of Presenting, who beat yesterday’s wide-margin big-race winner Cross Appeal at Cork and should make the step up in trip to 3m.
Such hopes are enhanced by dual winner Last Instalment, in the same Gigginstown ownership, being cast in the role of second favourite, but there’s not much between them in the market as I write and Gigginstown have just had another setback with Bog Warrior.
One of the few certainties in the race is that, as a 3m hurdle winner, the Mullins-Walsh runner, Allee Garde, should get today’s trip with ease, and I shall bet on the strong vibes from the yard.
2.00 Leopardstown (Christmas Hurdle) Mourad and Powerstation are set to dead-heat in this, if reproducing their one-two of last year’s result.
But Powerstation, the winner of this two years ago, is 12 in a few days’ time and has won only once in 18 months, when whipped home in very slow time at Navan.
Meanwhile Voler La Vedette disposed of Mourad in the Hattons Grace at Fairyhouse (2m 4f) at the beginning of the month and is weighted to come out on top again.
However, when the pair met over 3m, behind Quevega in the World Hurdle at Punchestown, Mourad was six lengths the better at today’s weights on good ground.
2.35 Leopardstown (Lexus Chase) Pandorama followed up his Fort Leney success in this, with Gold Cup winners Best Mate and Denman also on the roll of honour in the last eight years.
In its 24-season history, no horse of a double-figure age has scored but Paul Nicholls, who has bagged two of the last four winners, saddles 10-year-old Noland.
And, if British raiders are to continue their run of five out of eight, last year’s Welsh National winner, Synchronised, has to step up into Graded class.
He’s here because Jonjo O’Neill decided against giving away weight all round by attempting a repeat in yesterday’s Chepstow marathon: the result, with 10st 1lb beating 10st 6lb., suggests that he was right.
This morning’s betting is around 10-1 bar three: but Joncol, who won the Irish Hennessy over CD in the Spring of 2010, must have plenty of cut in the ground.
He has the beating of Cooldine and Roberto Goldback but was seen off at Punchestown recently by one of the new kids on the block, Rubi Light, who came to prominence when third in the Ryanair last March.
The stopper on the rise and rise of Rubi Light may be Quito De La Roque, more at home on today’s surface, and already a 3m winner six times, getting the better of Sizing Europe by a length and a quarter last time out, knuckling down to a stamina charge to catch the leader and put himself in the Gold Cup picture.
However, Rubi Light ran all over Sizing Europe in the Gowran Park Champion Chase in October, only to fall (remounted third) at the last on his first run back since the Ryanair.
The verdict has to be that, in a stamina race, ‘Quito’ would probably grind him down but, if the surface remains reasonable, ‘Rubi’ could be very hard to catch. Back and lay Rubi Light.
I shall put Quito De la Roque in doubles with Mourad and Voler La Vedette and give myself several answers to these puzzles, though reducing my margins slightly in doing so.
DAQMAN’S BETS
BET 4.1pts win (nap) ALLEE GARDE (1.25 Leopardstown)
BET 4.7pts win COOTEHILL (2.30 Leicester)
BET 8.3pts win RUBI LIGHT (2.35 Leopardstown)
BET 6.8pts win FLYING VIC (3.25 Catterick)
DAQ MULTIPLES: 2 x 1pt win doubles Mourad and Voler La Vedette (2.00 Leopardstown) with Quito De La Roque (2.35 Leopardstown
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