DAQMAN ON FIRE FOR ANOTHER LINCOLN: Fire Fighting (WON 4-1) kept Daqman on an even keel yesterday, thanks to clever staking. Now he wants to hit bull’s-eye in the Lincoln Handicap, which he won last year with Bravery (WON 20-1). His main bet in the race today was in from 24.0 to 18.5 overnight.
10-SEASON TARGET AGAINST PRICEWISE: It’s back to square one in the value challenge to Pricewise, which Daqman has won for nine consecutive seasons; never beaten. Today’s clashes are in the 2.25, 3.00 and 3.35 Doncaster, and in the 2.05 Newbury.
24.0 LINCOLN DARK HORSE PUNT
3.35 Doncaster (Lincoln Handicap) ABC
BIG-RACE STATS The last four winners had all raced at Group level. The last five had tried trips beyond the mile.
Five out of seven were trained in Yorkshire, and stalls 1 to 3 and 20–22 took four out of the last five renewals.
A RACED BEYOND A MILE: Fire Brigade, Addeybb, Lord Glitters, Big Country, Chelsea Lad, Donncha, Grey Britain, Repercussion, Dolphin Vista, Kings Gift, Dark Red, Gabrial, Not So Sleepy
B GROUP LEVEL: Leader Writer, Mitchum Swagger, Grey Britain, Kings Gift, Gabrial, Hayadh, Not So Sleepy
C TRAINERS IN FORM William Haggas (Addeybb), Michael Bell (Fire Brigade), Michael Appleby (Big Country), William Knight (Ballard Down), Henry Spiller (Leader Writer), Ralph Beckett (Mitchum Swagger), Richard Fahey (Gabrial, Stamp Hill, Withernsea), James Tate (Via Via), Ed Dunlop (Dark Red), Karl Burke (London Protocol), Rebecca Bastiman (Hayadh) and Hughie Morrison (Not So Sleepy) have all had winners in the last fortnight.
D YORKSHIRE BASED Lord Glitters, Stamp Hill, Withernsea, Gabrial, London Protocol and Hayadh are trained in Yorkshire
E EARLY BIRDS Winners or big runs in February, March or April: Lord Glitters, Big Country, Dolphin Vista, Leader Writer, Donncha, Stamp Hill, Via Via, Gabrial, Not So Sleepy
X DRAW Leader Writer, King’s Gift, Dolphin Vista, Stamp Hill, Dark Red, Not So Sleepy
ABCDE Gabrial
Won this in 2015; down 4lb from last year’s fourth
ABCEX Not So Sleepy
Drop back in trip for tearaway gelding. Drawn to charge
ABX King’s Gift
Gets draw break now that Bravery is out, but not won since September 2016
ACX Dark Red
Third to Lord Glitters, Balmoral Handicap, Ascot (1m straight soft)
ACE Big Country
John Smith’s Cup third; winning turf form over further on firm
ADE Lord Glitters
Won Balmoral Handicap, Ascot (1m straight, soft)
AEX Dolphin Vista
Cambridgeshire winner after fifth in the Lincoln
AB Grey Britain
Fit from Meydan; won 1m 2f Newmarket; Gerald Mosse rides
AC Addeybb
Progressive Silver Cambridgeshire winner. Trainer won this three times. Goes well fresh.
AC Fire Brigade
Improved a stone since midsummer but work to do to catch Addeybb
BCEX Leader Writer
Won straight mile at Ascot on the soft
CDEX Stamp Hill
Won the International at Ascot (7f straight)
ALSO RUN: Donncha AE, Chelsea Lad A, Hayadh BCD, Via Via CE, Withernsea CD, Mitchum Swagger BC and Ballard Down C.
DAQMAN’S VERDICT: Blinkers which brought Dark Red instant success at York last October are back on today. He might have won the Balmoral Handicap but returning to the track only seven days after York, with a penalty at that, just found him out.
He’s now 5lb better with the winner, Lord Glitters, and fit from a pipe-opener at Kempton earlier in the month. Well drawn and stable has had a recent AW winner.
Previous winner Gabrial (Jamie Spencer booked) will have been primed for a repeat. Leader Writer has cheekpieces back on and has won over the straight mile at Ascot on soft.
Cambridgeshire winner, Dolphin Vista, was fifth in the Lincoln last year from a middle draw. Now well installed in 2 and with a claimer negating the weights rise.
Lightly-raced Addeybb can again beat Fire Brigade on first and third in the Silver Cambridgeshire. The dark horse is Ballard Down, not seen since trotting up on the soft in July.
DAQMAN’S 1-2-3-4 DARK RED (24.0 BETDAQ offers last night, in to 18.5 this morning) to beat Ballard Down (12.5), Addeybb (7.4) and Leader Writer (12.0). Dark Red charged to the account at 18.5.
TAQDEER MISSION BY GOSDEN
2.05 Newbury Wotzizname and Amore Alato (4.6 BETDAQ offers) are stepping up from novice company, with Amore dropping down from Grade 1 on his first appearance for Dan Skelton.
Thomas Patrick has to recover from being pitched into the Devon National on only his second chase start.
The winner that day, Dawson City, is sure to stay the trip here but this is a new departure late in life for Lower Hope Dandy.
2.25 Doncaster (Spring Mile) When a trainer of the stature of John Gosden keeps the faith, you sit up and take notice. Not raced since back-to-back success in the Spring of 2016, Taqdeer was very highly regarded.
After being gelded, ‘he’ can leapfrog the missing season. I took 6.0 on BETDAQ this morning, and 9.4 the main danger, Kynren.
The handicapper thinks that this lightly-raced four-year-old improved a stone in 30 days last autumn, and likely soft ground could quickly help him climb even higher. His yard has had 3-11 in a hot spell this month.
3.00 Doncaster (Doncaster Mile) Winner twice after a long break, the lightly raced Zabeel Prince (BETDAQ 2.62) beat last year’s Lincoln Handicap winner, Bravery, at York, having won on the soft at Yarmouth.
ROK SOLID FORM IN THE FINAL
3.15 Newbury (Mares’ NH Novices Hurdle Final) Nine times out of 10 the winner is five or six years old, coming from the bottom half of the handicap.
The bridesmaid Just A Thought (form figures 22232) is a benchmark, from which collateral form spreads far and wide in this race.
Another line to form is through the winner (disqualified) two years ago, Lady of Lamanvar, who is 10lb higher now.
Consistent and the right age is Sensulano (BETDAQ 16.0), who has improved past Black Tulip, and is better off with Midnight Tune and If You Say Run on February form at Sandown. Trainer Nick Williams does well in this category.
Similarly, Roksana (10.5 offers) may well have overtaken If You Say Run and Just A Thought since they filled the first three places at Chepstow in October.
DAQMAN’S BETS
2.05 Newbury (to win 20)
BET 5.5pts win AMORE ALATO
2.25 Doncaster (to win 20)
BET 4pts win TAQDEER
BET 2.25pts win KYNREN
3.00 Doncaster (to win 20)
BET 12pts win (NAP) ZABEEL PRINCE
3.15 Newbury (to win 30)
BET 3pts win and place ROKSANA
BET 2pts win and place SENSULANO
3.35 Doncaster (win 50)
BULL’S-EYE BET: 4.25pts win BALLARD DOWN
BULL’S-EYE BET: 2.75pts win and place DARK RED
BET (stakes saver) 2pts win ADDEYBB
4.00 Bangor (to win 10)
BET 4pts win BALLYMOY
4.35 Bangor (to win 10)
BET 6pts win AL DANCER
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