THE CLASH OF THE CHAMPIONS: There’s the big clash today between Coneygree and Cue Card, or there’s the big clash between champion-tipsters Daqman and Pricewise (current score 1-1) in the 2.25 Haydock, and 2.40 and 3.15 Ascot. Which will win you more money?
BULL’S-EYE BET AT HAYDOCK: Daqman had two returns (one a double) from three that counted yesterday, winners at evens and 4-5 and a neck defeat for Favourite Girl (2nd 14-1). Better luck today maybe with a bull’s-eye bet at Haydock to win 50 points plus another banker in his sequence, which is currently 4-4.
LONGER TRIP SHOULD FIRE UP BULLETS
12.55 Ascot An intriguing clash of Royal Milan and Beware The Bear, who won two small-field hurdles by a total of 27 lengths and makes his chase debut the day after his stable’s Different Gravey did it here in style yesterday.
Royal Milan is a strong stayer who should be suited to fences; winners of 10 races were in front or behind him in his last Point in Ireland, and is big at 15.0, with Beware The Bear 5.7. Aurillac is the buzz this morning but I’ll stick to my assessment.
1.30 Ascot Only one winning favourite in the decade, your problem being that the market leaders are all prepping for the start of a chase career.
Lifeboat Mona has had her problems; she and Mia’s Storm are back after a long break. A mare can be galvanised by being in foal and that’s what happened with Miss Estela on the last day, and this is her final run.
I think the powerful surge of BETDAQ 7.0 offer Midnight Sapphire – receiving between 12lb and 16lb – could win the day. A place bet would just about get my win money back if she’s second.
2.05 Ascot Paul Nicholls usually brings his future star to this: Master Minded, Al Ferof both won it, and only Vautour got in the way of Ptit Zig last season.
But which one today? The revived Dodging Bullets or the disappointing Vibrato Valtat, who has twice been thumped by Third Intention (not suited by today’s race conditions) and had only a distant view of God’s Own at Aintree.
I put former champion chaser Dodging Bullets in my Fortune Cookies list on the strength of Nicholls’ wisdom that the eight-year-old needs this step up in trip. Getting 10lb from God’s Own means he has to win this to get back in the big time again.
2.40 Ascot Hurdle I didn’t put Yanworth in my Fortune Cookies because I’m standing by Yorkhill but, unlike his Willie Mullins stablemates Faugheen and Annie Power, who both won this Ascot Hurdle, Yorkhill’s route seems to be the Hattons Grace in two weeks’ time.
He is also entered for the Drinmore Novices’ Chase on the same Fairyhouse card, so there could be a parting of the ways altogether.
Zarkandar is a nearly horse and Garde La Victoire is better known over fences.
Court Minstrel was runner-up in this race last year and was a good second to Hargam on his return but, at nine, seems destined for bridesmaid again behind Yanworth.
3.15 Ascot Vaniteux, tasty at 3.5 on BETDAQ, has done enough – might have been Arkle runner-up but for unseating rider – to win a handicap like this.
Quite By Chance beat nothing well over CD three weeks ago, and Some Buckle has to bounce back from his Aintree fall, while a declining Sire De Grugy has to give weight all round.
But Cold March (7.4 best offer) jumped this course really well when winning first time up a year ago and is one of the few Venetia Williams’ horses to like a decent surface.
CHARM OFFENSIVE IN HAYDOCK HURDLE
1.15 Haydock Heavy ground makes life difficult for punters on this card, but somehow does not seem to worry the topweights for this marathon. It’s been soft for wins off 11st 12lb (twice) and 11st 11lb the last three years, and both Sun Cloud and Rigadin de Beauchene love the mud and the trip
Wood Yer’s career has been firmly fixed in class 4 but he stays well and goes well fresh. Fill The Power could bounce back but Mysteree has failed to score outside novice company.
Rigadin De Beauchene (7.0 in the BETDAQ orange early mouse) is 211, still standing, at Haydock; his yard is just now striking form and is hard to beat on winter ground.
2.25 Haydock Older horses (over six) haven’t won this in eight years; they need to be strong young stags over these fixed-brush hurdles, able to jump out of the mud.
One possibility is Theo’s Charm, who was 6-1 (lost all chance at start) when Matorico was the 20-1 winner at Cheltenham in April; 7lb better and cheekpieces applied by a stable which has just had a winner. I took 11.0.
The main threats may be Yala Enki (Venetia Williams again, saddling this winner first time out for the last two seasons) and Westren Warrior (7.4), with Richard Newland’s form 43212 from his five runners in the last fortnight.
If there’s a shock it would be 21.0 offer Rathpatrick, with Jonathan Moore booked for this heavy-ground Punchestown winner.
3.00 Haydock (Lancashire Chase) All eyes are on the return of Coneygree and we wish him well, but this looks like revenge day for Cue Card, meeting his Wetherby conqueror, Irish Cavalier, at level weights now, and the Cavalier is not wanted (17.0 this morning) on the ground.
Cue Card beat Silviniaco Conti several times last season and a bigger threat may be Seeyouatmidnight though, oddly enough, despite form figures of 11103-1, he is not progressive, as the papers would have it.
He’s only 3lb higher than for the first win in that six-race sequence, and his chase rating is still only 3lb in front of his hurdles level. So I won’t be up till midnight if this one wins. See you!
DAQMAN’S BETS (each staked to win 20 points, unless stated)
BET 4.2pts win BEWARE THE BEAR, and 1.4pts win and place ROYAL MILAN (12.55 Ascot)
BULL’S-EYE BET (win 50): 8.3pts win RIGADIN DE BEAUCHENE (1.15 Haydock)
BET 3.3pts win and place MIDNIGHT SAPPHIRE (1.30 Ascot)
BET (to win 30): 10pts win DODGING BULLETS (2.05 Ascot)
BET 3pts win WESTREN WARRIOR and 2pts win THEO’S CHARM (2.25 Haydock)
BANKER: BET 20pts win (nap) YANWORTH (2.40 Ascot)
BET 10pts win CUE CARD (3.00 Haydock)
BET 8.5pts win VANITEUX and 3pts win COLD MARCH (3.15 Ascot)
FORTUNE COOKIES: Dodging Bullets (2.05 Ascot)
DAQ MULTIPLES: 3 x 3pts win doubles and 1pt win treble Yanworth (2.40 Ascot), Cue Card (3.00 Haydock) and Vaniteux (3.15 Ascot)
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