BACK-TO-BACK NAPS UP WITH BIG-HITTER STAKES: Daqman has scored with two 13-point naps in two days this week, following up Leviathan (WON 9-4) on Monday with Howard’s Legacy (WON 2-1) yesterday, in each case honouring his pledge not to nap at odds on.
BETDAQ OUTSIDERS FANCIED AT KEMPTON: While today’s best bet is at Bangor, Daqman ‘reckons’ Monsieur Cadou is value in the Surrey National at Lingfield and fancies three outsiders on the BETDAQ-sponsored card at Kempton Park this evening.
Just when you thought the Cheltenham trials were over. There are eight horses up for festival glory if they can prove themselves today across the cards at Bangor, Fairyhouse, Lingfield and Wincanton.
Feature race of the day is the Surrey National (4.10) at Lingfield, in which Venetia Williams, who won with Cheltenham hope Howard’s Legacy yesterday, has Emperor’s Choice bidding for a place in the 4m NH Chase at the festival.
She also saddles Sustainability (3.00 Wincanton) who, like Howard’s Legacy, has three engagements at Cheltenham. I say ‘saddles’ because she can’t be in two places at once; correction, three. She runs Ciceron (2.20) at Bangor.
Having an absolute stunner of a season with 85 winners to date, the Herefordshire yard has just saddled three successful from its last five starters in two days. Here are the eight Cheltenham candidates running today:
Waaheb (1.55 Fairyhouse) Supreme Novice Hurdle, Cheltenham Tuesday; Neptune Novices’ Hurdle, Cheltenham Wednesday
Midnight Oil (1.55 Fairyhouse) Coral Cup, Cheltenham Wednesday; Martin Pipe Conditionals Hurdle, Cheltenham Friday.
Sustainability (3.00 Lingfield) Pulteney Novices’ Chase, Cheltenham Tuesday; Byrne Group Plate, Cheltenham Thursday; and Grand Annual, Cheltenham Friday
Ivan Vasilevich (3.30 Wincanton) County Hurdle, Cheltenham Thursday;’ and Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Hurdle, both Cheltenham Friday
Xaarcet (3.30 Wincanton) Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Hurdle, Cheltenham Friday.
Storm Survivor (3.50 Bangor) Pertemps Hurdle Final, Cheltenham Thursday; Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Hurdle, Cheltenham Friday
Camden (4.10 Lingfield) Kim Muir Chase, Cheltenham Thursday
Emperor’s Choice (4.10 Lingfield) National Hunt Chase, Cheltenham Wednesday
Emperor’s Choice is bidding for a hat-trick of wins when he runs in the Surrey National (4.10 Lingfield) and is penalized 7lb for scoring eight days ago. He’s been lucky to get his heavy ground again, as Lingfield remains a bog despite the drying surfaces elsewhere. They might even have some rain today.
Camden is engaged at Cheltenham but connections are having second thoughts, even before today’s race, and it looks a tough mark for this novice in today’s handicap.
Bigger threats to Emperor’s Choice may be Big Occasion and Monsieur Cadou, who both come on to this from the abandoned Eider Chase.
I like it when trainers follow up quickly when a race is lost: it suggests they felt their runner was at peak for the intended target and they don’t want to waste that.
Big Occasion ran at Wincanton as if he needed today’s trip. His sire got a Gold Cup winner but his full sister was a 10-furlong Flat horse.
Monsieur Cadou has always wanted further and, when he got his wish, he first of all had an unlucky fall when racing like the winner, and then, at Haydock in November, he scored off a decent gallop from a fair-sized field over 3m 4f.
Emperor’s Choice may still need a bit more weight to get in at Cheltenham but I never like the expedience of running with a penalty, and 6.0 Monsieur Cadou appeals more on BETDAQ this morning.
I toyed between Monsieur Cadou and Corrin Wood (3.20 Bangor) for the nap: Corrin Wood got the vote for showing so much more class than any of his rivals here, yet is dropped a grade.
5.30 Kempton (Free Entry Every Wednesday for Betdaq Members Handicap) Yesterday I tried two big offers in the same race at Leicester: 19.0 Coolbeg (2nd gambled down to 7-1) and 34.0 Tempting Paradise (4th 33-1). I’m trying more win and place bets here at Kempton tonight.
There is a quiet word for the mare Jewelled in this opener: it could be a Chinese whisper but she did run a good second at a huge price (33-1) last time seen on Polytrack.
And it’s the first runner of the year on the Flat for Sussex veteran trainer Lady Herries: 16.0 on BETDAQ this morning.
6.00 Kempton (Win Big With Betdaq Multiples Handicap) Claude Greenwood is from the stable in form in this race, David Simcock’s (currently striking at 43%). He is also 16.0 on BETDAQ. Well, who wants to be on that Donkey of a favourite?
6.30 Kempton (Back And Lay At betdaq.com Handicap) Keith Dalgleish often attacks Southwell and Wolverhampton but tonight has a deep-South raid from his Lanarkshire base.
Bassett Road, who used to be able to win off 80, scored first time when switched to his new yard in January, and this track should suit him, despite the drop in trip, as a horse who likes a helter-skelter pace: 12.5 on BETDAQ at the time of writing.
DAQMAN’S BETS
BET 9pts win (nap) CORRIN WOOD (3.20 Bangor)
BET 4pts win MONSIEUR CADOU (4.10 Lingfield)
BET 1.3pts win and place JEWELLED (5.30 Kempton)
BET 1.3pts win and place CLAUDE GREENWOOD (6.00 Kempton)
BET 1.7pts win and place BASSETT ROAD (6.30 Kempton)
• Daqman’s bets are each staked to win 20 points.
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