DAQMAN PLAYS A NAPS ACE WITH NO TRUMPS: Daqman yesterday landed his nap, No Trumps (WON 11-8), back to back with his last supernap, Champ (WON 8-13). Today was intended as the final turf Flat day of the year, but the November Handicap meeting at Doncaster has already been abandoned. Headlines:
DREAM START AT BETDAQ 14.0
VOTE FOR REFERENDUM AT 9.2
DIOMEDE RATES THE DAY’S NAP
STING PLOT FOR THE TROPHY
LEADS PRICEWISE 87-40 INTO THE FINAL DAY: Terrestrial TV now covers Aintree (1.30, 2.05 and 2.40) and Wincanton (1.50, 2.25), 3.0 and 3.35). The final races of the 2019 Daqman v Pricewise challenge are 1.50 Wincanton, 2.05 Aintree, 2.40 Aintree, with the scores:
Daqman 87, Pricewise 40 (Daqman + 316, Pricewise – 615 to 10pt stakes)
DREAM START AT BETDAQ 14.0
12.20 Aintree The outpouring of talent from Seven Barrows continues, with the early focus on Follow The Bear, though stablemate Champagne Mystery seems to be the one chosen by Nico De Boinville and, by a long way, Nicky Henderson’s highest rated is Champion Hurdle hope Fusil Raffles (Daryl Jacob) at Wincanton later on.
Fergal O’Brien is in fantastic form (43% strike rate) and Paint The Dream – 14.0 BETDAQ when I nipped in – is better than his last run, while Warren Greatrex (Trio For Rio) produced a decent-looking novice at Cheltenham last month.
But maybe one for a place is Joueur Bresilien, who looked twice the horse he was last season when I saw him power home at ffos Las three weeks back. Wide open race.
1.30 Aintree Charmant has won on his last two autumn reappearance runs but has to give weight all round.
Baby King took this in 2017 but, in his two wins since, has beaten only five horses, and was a long way behind trying for this race again last season. The Last Day needs a bog to show his best.
Lillington improved 10lb in the Spring and might be ready now after a quiet run back last month: I took 12.0 on BETDAQ.
VOTE FOR REFERENDUM AT 9.2
1.50 Wincanton This mares-only handicap hurdle was earmarked for Danse Idol (BETDAQ 5.2 this morning) after she won over today’s trip at Fontwell in April, with a sequence of 12221, breaking her maiden over today’s Wincanton CD.
The forecast rain would help Alan King’s Midnightreferendum (9.2), who has won three times out of four after a break, and has a big weights swing with Organdi. Like Danse Idol, she has had a wind op.
Harry Fry, who has won this twice in six seasons, saddles two: Outofthisworld, well backed overnight, and last year’s runner-up, Litterale Ci, who is 4-7 under Aine O’Connor, her 5lb claim giving the pair a chance.
2.05 Aintree Cepage, runner-up to Frodon at Cheltenham, War Sound and The Russian Doyen are all winners when fresh.
Philip Hobbs has had six winners since the turn of the month, and War Sound won this a year ago first run back; just 2lb higher now.
Fourth in a handicap at the Cheltenham Festival, The Russian Doyen had also scored first time after the break.
Venetia Williams, who trains Cepage, won this with one off the same weight in 2015, and the 4.4 BETDAQ offer seems to be one of similar class.
DIOMEDE RATES THE DAY’S NAP
2.40 Aintree Potters Corner has taken a thumping from the handicapper. Though his last hurdles win was off 130 in a novice in April, 2016, he has 145 as punishment for winning the Midlands Grand National over fences in a Uttoxeter bog last March.
His Wincanton chase win last December was over trip and ground he’s more likely to tackle this afternoon. This and his next entry are over hurdles on 140 but, at his age nine, I shall be more interested when he returns to fences.
The handicapper cut Jacks Last Hope a bit of slack in the summer but back-to-back wins have returned him to a mark at which he’s struggled before, and Vive Le Roi is still suffering an 8lb Newbury rise from a year or so back.
Rosy World has to step up in trip from Plumpton-only form, and Skandiburg also makes the big leap to 3m with his stable out of form (1-24).
All look vulnerable to the improving novice Diomede Des Mottes (BETDAQ 4.0 nap), with the Skeltons having scored twice yesterday. Diomede is already a 3m winner on soft.
Fiddlerontheroof, who has a big chance earlier at Wincanton (12.40), was second when Diomede Des Mottes was fourth, both staying on over half a mile shorter in the Persian War Novices Hurdle (Grade 2) at Chepstow a month back.
3.00 Wincanton (Elite Hurdle) All eyes are on Champion Hurdle hope, Fusil Raffles, the Punchestown champion, who has been heavily backed to restore the reputation of four-year-olds in this.
They took the race three years running (2001-3) in the early part of the century but didn’t score again until 2016.
The winner that day was Sceau Royal, who was beaten in the Kingwell Hurdle over the same CD in February by Grand Sancy.
You could regard it as collateral form, though it’s a little bit dangerous, in that Beat The Judge was nine lengths down to Fusil Raffles in the Adonis Hurdle, whereas Grand Sancy was only narrowly up on Beat The Judge when a final-flight faller at Kempton.
STING PLOT FOR THE TROPHY
3.35 Wincanton (Badger Beers Silver Trophy Chase) Present Man and Bryony Frost go for a hat-trick in this for former chairman of the course, Mark Woodhouse, with trainer Paul Nicholls aiming for win number 10 in a race of long local tradition.
But Ditcheat has also saddled seven beaten favourites, and bigger-priced stablemate Give Me A Copper has all the right credentials under Harry Cobden. This is more his track than the undulations of Sandown and Cheltenham where he saw out last season.
Kim Muir third and Sandown Gold Cup scorer in the Spring, The Young Master is also a ‘winner’ of this trophy (2014) but was disqualified as ineligible. Had an outing on the Flat at Kempton to prep for his revenge today.
The money horse last night was Just A Sting (first-time cheekpieces), who was an improver at this time last year and can win when fresh. Likewise Rock The Kasbah, though he and Walk In The Mill are on the long road back to the Grand National.
White Moon was a big gamble for the Desert Orchid Silver Cup here 13 days back, but stumbled and, not for the first time, fell at the last. I’ll take Present Man (7.0) and Just A Sting (8.0).
DAQMAN’S BETS
12.20 Aintree (win 20)
BET 1.5pts win and place PAINT THE DREAM
1.30 Aintree (win 20)
BET 1.75pts win and place LILLINGTON
1.50 Wincanton (win 30)
BET 7pts win DANSE IDOL
BET 3.5pts win MIIDNIGHTREFERENDUM
2.05 Aintree (win 30)
BET 8.75pts win CEPAGE
2.40 Aintree (win 30)
BET 10pts win (nap) DIOMEDE DES MOTTES
3.35 Wincanton (win-50 bull’s-eye bets)
BET 8pts win PRESENT MAN
BET 7pts win JUST A STING
DAQ MULTIPLES
3 x 3pt win doubles
1pt win treble
FIDDLERONTHEROOF (12.40 Wincanton)
DIOMEDE DES MOTTES (2.40 Aintree)
FUSIL RAFFLES (3.00 Wincanton)
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