NO DOUBTING ‘THOMAS’ AT HEREFORD: Daqman nails his nap to Santo Thomas for local trainer Venetia Wlliams at Hereford today.
NO DOUBTING DAQMAN ANTE-POST: Following Daqman’s Monday forecast that Planteur ‘looks an ideal candidate for the Tattersalls Gold Cup in May’, the venue was today confirmed by connections.
“Flat start to the Flat again!” That was Bill down the road with his annual greeting, noting that yesterday and today has completely blanked and tomorrow has a lowly card at Folkestone.
‘Wouldn’t they be better to start the whole thing at Easter?’ he said,’ expecting – and getting – the usual rejoinder from me: ’Nah, nothing happens till the Craven meeting anyway’.
With winners of the three big Saturday handicaps 50-1, 33-1 and 25-1, followed on Sunday by 33-1 and 16-1 (twice), Doncaster was a warning that, whenever the season actually happens, form doesn’t settle down until June.
Meanwhile, the bookies are at it again, raising hares to get us to back short-odds horses in the Classics (they’ve cut Much Improved to 9-2 in the Guineas).
So perhaps we should be grateful that we are jumping again today and the flat Flat relies on AW racing at Dundalk in Ireland, Lingfield and Wolverhampton in UK.
Have you noticed how much richer the Dundalk prizes are, how much more they are supported by top Irish trainers, and that the track’s attraction hasn’t been watered down by the addition of 13 new meetings in the first three months of this year.
The seven races there today are worth no less than 55,670 euros (or £46,278) against the £25,000 proliferated between the two English meetings (£11,000-odd at Lingfield and £14,000 at Wolverhampton)
I would understand it if a second AW track emerged in Ireland but my view is that, so successful has Dundalk become, it shouldn’t be watered down by spending prizemoney on another venue. It should go on to play a stronger and even more significant spring role (not intended to be Chinese).
The Irish should concentrate on the pulling power of Dundalk’s prizes to attract more English trainers, perhaps with travel concessions but definitely with sequence racing of heats that build to a grand final of qualifiers with a majestic bonus prize.
Make us an offer we can’t refuse. Maybe even link with Lingfield on a decent Anglo-Irish sponsored promotion.
When to hold the finals, perhaps adding some Classic trials to a top-notch Poly card? Why at this very time that English racing fails itself with a damp-squib start to the Flat, of course!
Meanwhile, the bet at Hereford could be Santo Thomas (3.40) for local trainer, Venetia Williams, whose last seven runners with an SP of 11-2 or less have finished 102341P.
Fidelor has failed to emerge from the novice stage; and Soleil d’Avril and Savant Bleu have yet to break their maidens, with the latter’s stable slipping out of form.
Santo Thomas could have waited for novice handicaps at Ludlow tomorrow and Carlisle on Saturday but Venetia feels he’s ready for this senior’s race.
The favourite for the 4.10, Drummers Drumming, is still a maiden and is with a yard high on the cold list, Alison Thorpe having failed to land a winner in the last 84 days from 36 starters.
Second favourite is the top weight, all of which adds to my notion that, despite his age, The Composer (12.0 this morning) can return to form, having had a run back from a three-month absence behind Drummers Drumming.
Kowloon (5.3) is a bigger danger today, back to a sharp track and with his trainer Warren Greatrex currently striking at 50%.
The Composer, who has ‘Choc’ Thornton booked, had form figures last Spring of 313123 and has been dropped to dead on his last winning mark, down 12lb since November.
At Wolver, Michael Wigham has an excellent record with winners reappearing after a short time: if he has kept his mare, The Blue Dog (6.30), sweet she can beat her main rival in the betting who has yet to race on AW.
They’ve gone overboard about Douze Points (7.30 Wolverhampton) after his CD win last month but that was in a no-no race called Class 7, and horses at this level are rarely capable of holding their form.
He’s been hit by a massive 13lb rise, raising him a grade, and at little better than evens this morning had to be a lay.
DAQMAN’S BETS
BET 8.1pts win (nap) SANTO THOMAS (3.40 Hereford)
LAY to win 10pts DRUMMERS DRUMMING, and BET 4.6pts win KOWLOON, plus 1.8pts win and place THE COMPOSER (4.10 Hereford)
BET 8.3pts win THE BLUE DOG (6.30 Wolverhampton)
LAY to win 10pts DOUZE POINTS (7.30 Wolverhampton)
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