DAQMAN 268 POINTS CLEAR FOR THE FLAT FINALE The final fling of the Flat, featuring the November Handicap at Doncaster today, sees Daqman 268 points clear of Pricewise of the Racing Post in big races this season, with a score of 87-26 and returns to single-unit stakes of +106 to -162. Daqman put three on the board yesterday, so that his form is now: 22231222301031
WON 15-8 Island Of Life (nap)
WON 1-4 Kalashnikov (multiple bets)
WON (3rd 7-1 from 9.8 BETDAQ) Dartford Warbler
DAQMAN’S JUMPS HORSES TO FOLLOW NEXT WEEK Next week: Full results of the Pricewise challenge, plus Fortune Cookies review, horses to follow for the Jumps, a staking plan of action plus, of course, free tips every day.
Today’s headlines:
LUCKY 20.0 FAREWELL FOR LUCA?
THIS IS DONJUAN’S LOVE GAME
LAST CHANCE TO GET A BIG BUZZ
IT LOOKS A STEAL FOR FOOTPAD
LUCKY 20.0 FAREWELL FOR LUCA?
1.30 Doncaster With an eye to his new role in the breeding world, Luca Cumani would surely love to win a black-type Listed with Pacharana, his last runner on turf in England.
After two runs back from a lay-off, she might just be worth a pound at 20.0 in the BETDAQ orange if that’s brought her anywhere near her 2016-17 form of seven wins from 11 starts.
Company Asset, Crystal Hope, Empress Ali and Fondest all have form on the soft, but Frankel’s daughter Bona Fide is surely the intriguing runner, sole raider for Dermot Weld at offers of 8.2 as I write.
THIS IS DONJUAN’S LOVE GAME
2.05 Doncaster After Churchill Downs and Flemington, chasing pots worth millions, Aidan O’Brien keeps his passport hot for a £22,000 Listed at Doncaster this afternoon.
But it’s a cracker which has the added attractions of being the last black-type race in England and the chance to drop Could It Be Love back to a sprint trip after her narrow 6f defeat at Naas in July, when she was also only half a length down in the Brownstown Stakes (7f).
In the Spring, she seemed to be a 120 filly in the making, runner-up to Alpha Centauri in the Irish 1,000 Guineas and third to Expert Eye in the Jersey Stakes.
Alpha went on to reach 124 and Expert Eye has just won the Breeders Cup Turf, surely worth 121.
Could It Be Love has only ever won one race (of 13) and that was her maiden, which is always a bad sign, so this is a serious test of Mr O’Brien’s training ability and Seamie Heffernan’s persuasion and kidology.
Dean Ivory has two in the race that like soft ground: Eirene was second here at Doncaster in the Group-3 Sceptre Stakes in September, and now drops back to the Doncaster CD of her first success. Librisa Breeze is a Group-1 winner on soft but has shown moderate form this year.
Laugh A Minute, has scored twice in sprints at Doncaster on soft and on firm, but not been seen since runner-up in a Group 3 at Deauville.
The soft hugely helps 4.3 BETDAQ favourite Donjuan Triumphant (holds Downforce), fourth in the Haydock Sprint, third in the British Champions Sprint. I take Donjuan to win a Love game!
LAST CHANCE TO GET A BIG BUZZ
3.15 Doncaster (November Handicap) A double figure stall – no winners below gate 9 – and a weight of 9st 2lb or lower. That’s the stats buzz for the final big race of the Flat.
And overnight the betting interest, too, was for Buzz, who fits the stats nicely so was a good opening gambit in the BETDAQ orange at 9.8 offers.
The grey has returns of 111 up to 1m 4f since his seasonal debut, and has improved more than a stone since the Spring. The rain helps.
Revised terms are not enough for My Lord And Master to haul back the seven lengths Buzz beat him by at Newbury in September.
With the ground now in his favour, Birds Of Prey (15.5) should overturn a Kempton defeat by Buzz on 13lb better terms, particularly after a wind op, but he’s by no means a good thing to do so after another defeat when favourite at Haydock, and with Paul Nicholls still in moderate form.
Royal Line, Lorelina, Restorer and Temple Church like soft ground. Royal Line is 111 in class 3 but 03 from two races when raised to class 2. Now Children (13.0) has made that leap.
Iain Jardine thought he was ‘just about the best’ he’d trained and, since transferring to Clive Cox, he’s stepped up to win a Goodwood class 2 on the soft. Despite being disturbed in his stable routine, he’s four out of six since his debut.
Wolf Country was runner-up that day at Goodwood, well beaten in the end after trying to make all. If it comes to a bog, I remember Reshoun winning comfortably over 1m 6f on heavy at Haydock in September.
The ‘hidden horse’ is To Be Wild (18.5 on BETDAQ but 11-1 with Corals), unraced and gelded since running in a Group 3 in the Spring. Interesting that one of two wins (out of four since his debut) was here at Doncaster in a class 2.
Pundits and trainers alike seem to prefer low stalls in this and he has that ‘could be anything’ look about his form.
VERDICT: 1 To Be Wild, 2 Buzz, 3 Now Children, 4 Birds Of Prey
IT LOOKS A STEAL FOR FOOTPAD
12.30 Naas Ten-times-winner Footpad (five straight chases including the Arkle) sets out on the Cheltenham trail again. Hub for your Daq Multiples.
2.40 Aintree I can’t fancy Paul Nicholls (Romain De Senam) on his present form and I’m going for multi-placed King’s Odyssey to get into the frame at least: 7.8 win and 2.86 a place in the BETDAQ oranges.
3.00 Wincanton (Elite Hurdle) Nicky Henderson loads both barrels with Verdana Blue and We Have A Dream, and I’ll stick with Verdana Blue (3.45 offers).
I’ve always been a fan of Redicean and, after his fine start to the season, he should go well again but rain is no help as he tries to step up in grade.
3.35 Wincanton (Badger Ales Trophy) I wrote about this earlier in the week as the Battle Of Somerset.
Paul Nicholls, who has won it eight times since 1999, has last year’s winner, Present Man, and plenty of back up, notably El Bandit (7.0 for a perverse bet).
David Pipe, who has won it three times since 2005, is hopeful of Ramses De Teillee after a wind op.
DAQMAN’S BETS
1.30 Doncaster (win 30)
BET 4pts win (nap) BONA FIDE
BET 1.5pts win and place PACHARANA
2.05 Doncaster (win 30, win 20)
BET 8pts win DONJUAN TRIUMPHANT
BET 2pts win COULD IT BE LOVE
2.40 Aintree (win 10 both win and place)
BET 1.5pts win and 5.25pts place KING’S ODYSSEY
3.00 Wincanton (win 20)
BET 8pts win VERDANA BLUE
3.15 Doncaster NOVEMBER HANDICAP FINAL FLING
WIN 100: BET 5.75pts TO BE WILD
WIN 30: PLACE BET 10pts TO BE WILD
WIN 30: BET 3.5pts win BUZZ
WIN 30: BET 2.5pts win NOW CHILDREN
WIN 30: 2pts win BIRD OF PREY
3.35 Wincanton (win 20)
BET 3.25pts win EL BANDIT
DAQ MULTIPLES: 2pts win treble Footpad (12.30 Naas), Bona Fide (1.30 Doncaster) and Donjuan Triumphant (2.05 Doncaster)
Did you know that as well as checking the realtime prices on BETDAQ below – you can also log into your account and place your bets directly into BETDAQ from BETDAQ TIPS.
