PRINCE OF TIPSTERS’ SIX HIT: Six naps up in nine days and a Friday staking plan that meant nothing lost with his bull’s-eye flutters. Can he land a seventh best bet today?
WON 11-10 CHAMPAGNE PRINCE (Friday nap)
WON 4-5 THE OUTLAW (Wednesday nap)
WON 13-8 JAKANA (Sunday nap)
WON 4-5 L’HOMME PRESSE (Saturday supernap)
WON 7-2 SALT ROCK (Friday nap)
WON 9-2 NICK ROCKETT (Thursday nap)
DUBLIN RACING FESTIVAL: DAY 1: Festivals of racing today at Leopardstown and Musselburgh with a second day at Leopardstown tomorrow. Here’s Day 1 analysis.
JOYSTICK BIG ON BETDAQ
⭕ 1.15 Leopardstown (Grade-1 novice hurdle) Willie Mullins has won this with four favourites in the decade, two ridden by Paul Townend, but also two outsiders in the last three years (11-1 and 16-1), ridden by Danny Mullins.
Both Mullins winners were chasing types but won Grade-1 hurdles, too, and were placed at Cheltenham.
It seems highly likely, in fact 7-4 this morning, that Final Demand will score for Mullins-Townend after his canter at Limerick. He needs to if he is to handle The New Lion in the Turners.
Joystick (Danny for Willie at 30.0 on BETDAQ this morning) won at Naas; a chasing type, made all, reduced lead towards the finish.
But he will be well suited by the step up in trip and represents the prolific sire Coastal Path, who has Il Atlantique in the Arkle later on today.
Supersundae was hammered in the Lawlors at Naas by The Yellow Clay (Gordon Elliott), who goes straight to Cheltenham.
RACE POINTS UP A DOUBLE
⭕ 1.42 Musselburgh (Scottish Triumph Hurdle) and 1.50 Leopardstown I reported in yesterday’s column, Who Dares Wins, on English raiders in Ireland this weekend.
But my first bet at Musselburgh is an Irish raider in Scotland, rating Lukers Tipple the one to topple Maitre En Science at 4.5 Betdaq Betting Exchange offers.
Lukers Tipple was runner-up in a scintillating performance at Punchestown by Saint Lucie, who gets the fillies’ allowance in the juvenile hurdle (1.50 Leopardstown).
HE CAN NICK THE CHAMPION
⭕ 2.50 Musselburgh (Scottish Champion Chase) Another rising-star rider, Nick Slatter, has already won a Grade 2 this week. Now he tries to take this champion chase a year on from his success at this meeting with the same Marble Sands, Listed winner in November and third in the Rehearsal Chase next time. The ground is right.
Another CD winner here, Minella Drama won the Old Roan at Aintree (good) in October, having been second in the same race the previous year.
Nicky Richards launches The Kalooki Kid from novice chases into the big time. After a novice-hurdle double in 2023, he failed to make a similar transition.
Another who has promise at aged seven, Saint Segal made his jumps journey all right but had to be dropped back to class 3 to score at Newbury in December. He now has to improve again, 8lb higher.
Corrigeen Rock won this race last year at seven, but is held by Fidelio Vallis (one of three Harry Derham runners) on CD form a month earlier and jumped badly here, pulled up, on the first day of the year.
⭕ 2.55 Leopardstown (Irish Arkle Novice Chase, 2m 1f) Here’s Il Atlantique (Paul Townend), seemingly in a match with Mullins stablemate Majborough (Mark Walsh) in a race Willie has won four years running.
Ile Atlantique won the Racing Post at Naas by five easy lengths from Firefox and is top in my ratings.
NICHOLLS’ SECOND IS FIRST
⭕ 3.07 Sandown What we need is a horse who loves Sandown and revels in heavy going. Step forward Henri The Second, who gets top marks for both.
He’s won at the early-December meeting on the Esher track twice already. Particular reason? The heavy ground helped.
Red Dirt Road came back to form on Boxing Day but prefers a left-handed track, and winning a Grade 3 has sent Shoot First’s handicap mark into the stratosphere.
On the first day of the new year, Idefix De Ciergues (second) had What A Johnny (third) just behind him at Cheltenham (soft), with Deep Cave fifth. Not a lot between them now.
Paul Nicholls, who trains Henri The Second, can solve the problem of choosing between Handstands and the better-off Jango Baie. in the 2.35 Sandown.
The answer is Kalif Du Berlais, a price at 4.0 on BETDAQ, because he has not shown his stamina in public yet. He will.
GALOPIN TO GLORY AGAIN
⭕ 3.30 Leopardstown (Irish Gold Cup, 2m 1f) Galopin Des Champs has won two of these golds and two from Cheltenham and the last day slammed today’s second favourite, Fact To File, more than seven lengths when they clashed in the Savills at Leopardstown.
The only cloud over him is his form at Punchestown (2323) since his first gold at Cheltenham but that’s enough to make him comparatively easy to back, with SPs of 6-4, 10-11 and 5-6. with Deep Cave fifth. Not a lot between them now
DAQMAN’S BETS on Betdaq Betting Exchange
1.15 Leopardstown (win 10, win 30)
BET 10pts win FINAL DEMAND
BET 1pt win and place JOYSTICK
(place at 7.0 on BETDAQ)
1.42 Musselburgh (win 21)
BET 6pts win LUKERS TIPPLE
2.35 Sandown (win 12)
BET 4pts win KALIF DU BERLAIS
2.50 Musselburgh (win 10)
BET 3pts win MARBLE SANDS
2.55 Leopardstown (win 10)
BET 5pts win ILE ATLANTIQUE
3.07 Sandown (win 30, English nap)
BET 10pts HENRI THE SECOND
3.30 Leopardstown (Irish supernap)
BET 20pts win GALOPIN DES CHAMPS
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