DOUBLE-FIGURE STRIKE FOR 43 POINTS PROFIT: Daqman had 10 points win on Khione (WON 15-8) last night to finish in front on the day, bringing his Monday-Tuesday profits to 43 points from three winners in five races, following Grey Seal (nap, WON 7-4) and Duke Of Firenze (WON 100-30). There is another double-figure points bet today.
The Classics are over but now for the craic. It’s a lean time in England, with only the Leger left, but the best Classic tests are still to come at The Curragh in Ireland.
I say ‘best’ for, if those clamouring for a later English Classics season are correct, then historically the Curragh results should show better quality winners than those earlier on at Epsom. They do.
In the 21st century, the Epsom Derby winners Motivator (2005) and then Sir Percy (2006) were certainly dwarfed by the Curragh heroes, Dylan Thomas and Hurricane Run, with Motivator only fourth to Hurricane Run in the Arc.
Of course, Sinndar, High Chaparral and Galileo won at both Epsom and The Curragh and it is perhaps this double-Derby banner which should be unfurled as the ultimate three-year-olds’ triumph over and above that long lost cause, the Triple Crown.
To win both races on totally different tracks just a few weeks apart, must surely be the highest accolade, and Galileo has proved the ultimate at stud.
Then again, his sire, Sadlers Wells, never even won one Derby. What father and son Galileo have in common is their descent from the incredible Northern Dancer, the mainspring of the most potent line in the bloodstock history of modern racing.
Camelot is odds on to take the dual-Derby accolade but what of the Oaks? How does that square between Epsom and The Curragh?
Alexandrova, Sariska, Snow Fairy and Ouija Board won both races this century. Blue Bunting, Moonstone and Peeping Fawn were all placed at Epsom before going on to Curragh success.
Blue Bunting turned around the Epsom form with Dancing Rain but neither Moonstone nor her Epsom conqueror Look Here could later hack it against the colts.
Peeping Fawn, beaten half a length by Light Shift at Epsom, went on to win the Pretty Polly and then to beat Light Shift in the Irish Oaks.
The 1-2-3 in the fillies’ Classic at Epsom on the first of this month (Was, Shirocco Star and The Fugue) will be uppermost in the minds of today’s trainers lining up for a Curragh attack by hoping to win today’s Naas Oaks Trial (8.00).
Four daughters of Galileo are in the line-up, two of them being saddled by Team Ballydoyle: Betterbetterbetter, only eighth to Was at Epsom, and Demurely.
Demurely is a late developer, as are Caponata, Dane Street and Shebella. If this trial is to have any say at The Curragh in a month’s time, one of them must win it, since I can’t see Betterbetterbetter bettering his Epsom form. Let’s check out the best races of the day.
3.30 Carlisle Bell: The improver Barwick has gone clear in the betting but is still backable on BETDAQ at 6.0 this morning.
Last year’s winner, Miami Gator (11.0), has struck form at the right time; with his penalty negated by a 7lb claimer, expect to see him try to make all. Karaka Jack must come into it on his Sandown third to the Royal Ascot winner, Fennel Bay, but is not always straightforward.
4.05 Carlisle (Cumberland Plate): Lexi’s Boy could make all here but I don’t think we’ve seen the best of Eltheeb (14.0 on BETDAQ as I write) since he changed stables.
Eltheeb is down a grade on his excellent York run, pipped by a horse who was previously less than four lengths off a Royal Ascot fancy.
4.25 Salisbury (Noel Cannon Memorial): Trade Commissioner drops back to a mile after failing to land the odds over further at Newmarket. Should make no mistake this time.
4.55 Salisbury (Bibury Cup) Sir Michael Stoute has suddenly stepped up a gear with eight winners in the last 11 days and form figures in the last fortnight for his runners at 3-1 SP or less show 1112021114.
I shall go nap on Rye House, related to a previous winner of this race who went on to Group success. For a potential Group horse in a handicap of only six runners, 2.6 is a gift from BETDAQ layers.
6.50 Kempton Park (Back Or Lay At betdaq.com Handicap): My first bet of the night will be Steady Gaze, down in grade and back to his favourite track and trip. The 6.4 on BETDAQ this morning was great value. I just gazed at it!
8.00 Naas Oaks Trial Of the four unexposed horses I listed earlier, Shebella ran fifth to the subsequent Ribblesdale winner, Princess Highway, in the Blue Wind, when Aaraas was second and Was third.
Demurely was a long way behind stablemate Betterbetterbetter at Cork and Dane Street has a mountain to climb on her maiden form.
So, for me, the improver, the ‘one most likely to’, is Caponata – sister to the very smart Group winner Emulous – who is so laid back at home she has that old ‘family pet’ tag.
The Weld stable won the race last year with Sapphire, who beat Betterbetterbetter earlier this month in that Cork race. Caponata is 4.7 on BETDAQ, as I write. Aaraas is the danger.
DAQMAN’S BETS:
BET 4pts win BARWICK, 2.8pts win KARAKA JACK and 2pts win MIAMI GATOR (3.30 Carlisle)
BET 5.8pts win LEXI’S BOY and 1.5pts win ELTHEEB (4.05 Carlisle)
BET 6.6pts win TRADE COMMISSIONER (4.25 Salisbury)
BET 12.5pts win (nap) RYE HOUSE (4.55 Salisbury)
BET 3.7pts win STEADY GAZE (6.50 Kempton Park)
BET 5.4pts win CAPONATA and 4.1pts win AARAAS (8.00 Naas)
* Daqman’s selections are backed to win 20 points so, if you divide 20 by his stake, you know the Betdaq offer taken at the time of writing.
* Points are what you make them: if you bet in tenners, then 4pts win is £40; 3.2pts win is £32 (in fivers, those stakes would be £20 and £16). Daqman bets to a level return so that you can easily assess his tipping ability.
Did you know that as well as checking the realtime prices on BETDAQ below – you can also log into your account and place your bets directly into BETDAQ from BETDAQ TIPS.
