LUCKY SEVEN DAQMAN BETS: Seven of the best races come under the Daqman microscope today, six Cheltenham Trial heats plus the old Great Yorkshire at Doncaster. Saturday headlines:
DELTA BY A COUNTRY MILE
STICK WITH EDWARDSTONE
RIDOTO THE NEXT FRODON
YOUNG BLOODS DO BATTLE
BELLO BETTERS BARE FORM
IT’S RIGHT UP OUR ALLEY!
TOMORROW: What today’s results mean for the Cheltenham festival and the Grand National.
DELTA BY A COUNTRY MILE
⭕ 12.40 Cheltenham (cross-country) It’s nearly four years since Delta Work, who took the cross-country at the Cheltenham festival in a sensational finish with Tiger Roll, has won under any other jockey but Jack Kennedy, who is not replaced by Davy Russell here today.
Davy fills in for the injured Kennedy at Fairyhouse then at the Cheltenham trials meeting at Naas tomorrow, not in the Cheltenham Trials at the festival venue today.
Rob James, who takes over on Delta Work, is a top point-to-point rider, who is big value for his 7lb claim.
He still has to give around a stone to Snow Leopardess, trying this discipline for the first time, and the last winner of this, Back On The Lash.
Best on good ground, he is primed for the double in the hoofprints of Balthazar King, Kingswell Theatre and Josies Orders who all won this twice in the decade.
Singing Banjo was the neck runner-up to Back On The Lash that day but is aged 13 now.
Delta Work beat Singing Banjo a short-head in another desperate finish in a banks race at Punchestown in November, which points to Back The Lash.
Foxy Jacks stayed on to be third and, also claimed off for 7lb, and might just surprise his in-form trainer, Mouse Morris, who has always seen Foxy as a three-miler max.
Minella Times, the only one left on 12st, is not claimed off as the first of two Grand National winners to run today (Noble Yeats is in the 2.25).
The value, if there was any, will have gone for Easysland, well backed last night Runner-up in Tiger Roll’s 2021 festival cross-country but four times in a row pulled up last year. That’s hardly hiding ability; it’s burying it.
Betdaq Betting Exchange 3.9 Delta Work
STICK WITH EDWARDSTONE
⭕ 1.20 Cheltenham (Clarence House Chase) I previewed this race earlier in the week and the Press has written thousands of words of debate between Energumene and Edwardstone.
Energumene was runner-up to Shishkin in this a year ago; but then won the Champion Chases at Cheltenham (Old course) and Punchestown.
But I shall stick with my Fortune Cookie, Edwardstone, winner of five in a row including the Arkle, but blundered in the Desert Orchid Chase at Kempton.
BETDAQ value 3.15 Edwardstone
RIDOTO THE NEXT FRODON
⭕ 1.50 Cheltenham (2m 4f+ handicap chase) Ask Brave Seasca to carry 12st or so, and he can do it comfortably, but I’m talking a grade lower than this on a flat track, so one for Aintree.
Your Darling has also won well at this trip at Ascot, finding 3m too far the last day. He, too, was not fluent, tried at Cheltenham.
Paul Nicholls, who took this in 2018 with Frodon, when that one was only six, has another of that age likely to prove himself today, Il Ridoto, dropping down from Cheltenham Grade-3 chases.
Fugitif ran second here on the Old course in November to Amarillo Sky; now gives two years and 5lb to Il Ridoto, who wears cheekpieces for the first time.
BETDAQ value 6.2 Il Ridoto
YOUNG BLOODS DO BATTLE
⭕ 2.25 Cheltenham (Cotswold Chase) Frodon is having his fourth race in less than two months. He enjoyed Cheltenham in his younger days, winning five chases there including the Ryanair.
But he was left well behind by the young bloods, Protektorat and Bravemansgame in November and December.
Protektorat now takes on National winner Noble Yeats, both aged eight, the one Gold Cup bound and the other who could be living the dream with a Grand National double.
Fascinating stuff, with Noble Yeats having won around this trip the last twice. It’s a clash of FORTUNE COOKIES, so we won’t have much to celebrate whichever one wins.
BELLO BETTERS BARE FORM
⭕ 3.00 Cheltenham (Cleeve Hurdle) Remember Saphir Du Rheu., Listed level over hurdles, who didn’t quite cut the mustard over fences.
Paul Nicholls sent him back to hurdles and he picked up where he’d left off 11 months earlier.
Now here’s Gelino Bello, eight months on from his Sefton win at Aintree after Grade-2 seconds twice at Cheltenham.
In fact, he won two chases in the autumn before falling when trying to win a Grade 1 at Kempton on Boxing Day
Paisley Park was winning the the Long Walk at Kempton that very day and still could take a fourth Cleeve in a row, though not always on song and vulnerable to a rising player.
BETDAQ VALUE 5.9 Gelino Bello
⭕ 3.35 Cheltenham After Pembroke skated up 16 lengths clear in a 15-runner field, Dan Skelton said there was a lot more to come.
He rates 135, with his main rival, Henri The Second, on 133 but giving Pembroke 5lb.
BETDAQ VALUE 2.9 Pembroke
IT’S RIGHT UP OUR ALLEY!
⭕ 3.15 Doncaster (Great Yorkshire Chase) The early punt on Cloth Cap dried up and he eased in the market.
Dropped 18lb down the handicap since the year (2021) he was favourite for the Grand National, he may now be value at 12.0 on BETDAQ.
Winners in the last two years both started 40-1, including the 2022 scorer, Windsor Avenue, who will like the good ground this afternoon.
Maybe Grimthorpe scorer Undersupervision will have a going day, or Donny winner over the Grimthorpe 3m 2f, Shanty Alley, runner-up in the Mandarin last time.
Tea For Free (4-4 over fences) and Mister Coffey (four seconds out of five) should go well.
Ga Law is another 12st top-weight with a chance today, a staying-on winner of the Autumn Gold Cup at Cheltenham, with Il Ridoto fourth.
BETDAQ value 4.0 Ga Law, 13 Cloth Cap, 14 Shanty Alley.
DAQMAN’S BETS
12.40 Cheltenham (win 12)
BET 4pts win DELTA WORK
FORTUNE COOKIE
1.20 Cheltenham
EDWARDSTONE
1.50 Cheltenham (win 20)
BET 4pts win IL RIDOTO
FORTUNE COOKIES
2.25 Cheltenham
PROTEKTORAT
NOBLE YEATS
3.0 Cheltenham (win 20)
BET 4pts win GELINO BELLO
3.15 Doncaster (win-50 bulls’-eye bets)
BET 4.25pts win CLOTH CAP
BET 3.75pts win SHANTY ALLEY
BET (stakes saver) 3pts win GA LAW
3.35 Cheltenham (supernap)
BET 20pts win PEMBROKE
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