IT’S THE LAST CHELTENHAM TEST! Final Trials day for the Cheltenham Festival and Daqman deserts his usual staking plan to have a flutter among the stars and future stars on show. But he still aims for a winner in each section of bull’s-eye bets, 10-pointers and 20-point bankers.
BARLOVENTO’S WELL IN
⭕ 12.05 Cheltenham Jagwar won the Plate at the Festival after taking this novices’ handicap chase last year for J P McManus and now goes for the premier chase today at 1.15 on his way to the Ryanair in March.
DAQMAN: Jordans Cross was threatening Kdeux Saint Fray when falling on the Old Course in the autumn.
Anthony Honeyball has the luxury of running both but, along with Califet En Vol, they all give lumps of weight to Barlovento (BETDAQ 4.5 taken).
⭕ 12.40 Cheltenham Defi Du Seuil – yes, also owned by J P McManus – was the last star turn at the Festival after winning this Triumph Trial in 2017.
DAQMAN: Maestro Conti is one of this year’s Triumph favourites, untroubled in France (heavy ground) and at Kempton (good) for the maestro himself, Dan Skelton. BETDAQ 4.0.
JAGWAR OVER THE MOON
⭕ 1.15 Cheltenham Jagwar (see 12.05 above) is favourite and the stats say that most of his opposition in this Grade-3 handicap are too old at aged nine and over, of which the best today is Uncle Bert.
John McConnell had a youngster win this last year, Moon d’Orange, who goes for a repeat, still the right age – only eight – and rated just a pound higher but claimed off. BETDAQ 15.0 this morning.
PLACENET PLUNGE HORSE
⭕ 1.50 Cheltenham (cross country) Gordon Elliott, currently leading Willie Mullins 136-122 for the trainers’ title in Ireland, has dominated the cross-country at the Festival, including back-to-back strikes with subsequent Grand National winner Tiger Roll.
One man who interrupted his sequence of five out of seven was David Cottin, who has booked Sam Twiston-Davies for Placenet, the plunge horse this morning.
Placenet was stepped up to today’s trip here at Cheltenham at the December meeting when fourth on good ground.
In fact, the first five home that day over the cross-country course saw Final Orders beat J’Arrive De L’Est, Iceo Madrik (also a Cottin), Placenet and Unanswered Prayers.
Final Orders is raised 6lb; Iceo Madrik and Placenet each dropped 3lb; Unanswered Prayers down 5lb.
But, perhaps more important is how they will act in today’s conditions: Final Orders was only third in a banks race at Punchestown and pulled up in the Irish Grand National, both on soft-heavy.
J’Arrive De L’Est won on heavy at Auteuil but over a mile shorter. Iceo Madrik and Placenet like the ground.
Don’t ignore the 2024 Rowland Meyrick winner Some Scope. He certainly has scope at age eight, jumps for fun and stays well, though I’m surprised he is without a visor.
Betdaq Betting Exchange 6.0 Placenet, 21.0 Some Scope.
DAWNING A BANKER BET
⭕ 2.25 Cheltenham (Cotswold Chase) Spillane’s Tower is back up in trip, Flooring Porter has been absent 486 days, and last year’s winner, L’Homme Presse (stable out of form), could not cope in Grade 3 the last day.
It all seems to suggest that Dan Skelton’s progressive Grey Dawning (10 wins from 18 starts) is a banker, yet better than evens as I write.
⭕ 3.00 Cheltenham (International Hurdle) Champions Constitution Hill (Nicky Henderson 4-7) and Lossiemouth have won this for the last two years and today’s winner will be a hot-pot for March.
The speedy Sir Gino and rising star The New Lion are only a pound apart but BETDAQ 3.5 offers The New Lion give you around double the return for Sir Gino.
⭕ 3.35 Cheltenham (Cleeve Hurdle) Trainer Henderson goes for a mighty double, Sir Gino (International) and Impose Toi (Cleeve), with this one the more imposing for me.
PICK DOC AGAIN AT 10.0
⭕ 2.05 Doncaster (Great Yorkshire Chase) Not since a 10st bottomweight won in 2016 has a seven-year-old taken this gruelling Town Moor test.
I shall also rule out the top-weights Deep Cave and King’s Threshold on today’s cloying ground.
Last year’s winner, Docpickedme, who returned to form over CD in December, is just 2lb higher to land a Great Yorkshire double at BETDAQ 10.0 this morning.
DAQMAN’S BETS
on Betdaq Betting Exchange
🟢 DAQMAN’S BULL’S-EYE BETS
1.15 Cheltenham
BET 3.5pts to win 50 MOON D’ORANGE
1.50 Cheltenham
BET 10pts win 50 PLACENET
BET 2.5pts win 50 SOME SCOPE
2.05 Doncaster
BET 5pts to win 50 DOCPICKEDME
🟢 DAQMAN’S 10-POINT BETS
12.05 Cheltenham
BET 10pts win to win 35 BARLOVENTO
12.40 Cheltenham
BET 10pts win to win 30 MAESTRO CONTI
1.15 Cheltenham
BET 10pts to win 20 JAGWAR
3.00 Cheltenham
BET 10pts win to win 25 THE NEW LION
🟢 DAQMAN’S 20-POINT BANKERS
★ 2.25 Cheltenham (nap)
BET 20pts win GREY DAWNING
3.35 Cheltenham
BET 20pts win IMPOSE TOI
What are points? Points facilitate a staking plan, which is the secret to creating profit. One point is whatever you choose: a pound, a euro, or whatever ….
Start with a bank and decide how much you can afford to lose over a period of time, and determine the size of your bets accordingly. Daqman makes this variation every day.
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