DAQMAN LEAVES THE LAYERS BLUE AT ASCOT: Daqman landed two more winners yesterday with Verdana Blue (WON 3-1 from 5.8 taken on BETDAQ) and Dolos (WON 11-4), both at Ascot, which continues today alongside the big meeting at Haydock, with Daqman already 16 points ahead of Pricewise (single-unit win stake on all selections). His current sequences are:
Daqman 2, Pricewise 0
Five naps up out of six
Four winning supernaps out of five
CUE FOR YOUNG BLOODS ON BOTH BIG CARDS: Former champions Cue Card and Sire De Grugy are old stars on parade today but there to be shot at, says Daqman, who banks on the emergence of two Paul Nicholls youngsters across the cards and rates a race at Gowran Park as one to watch for future top names. His nap is at Haydock.
THIS LOOKS SCRIPTED FOR OSCAR
12.40 Haydock Track officials are claiming that this won’t be a slog in the mud, which could be true of the early races, before they churn up the ground.
‘Heavy’ suits the 2015 winner, Emperor’s Choice, also successful in the 2014 Welsh Grand National but it may be too deep for Belmount, Buachaill Alainn, Hainan and Royale Knight.
The handicapper has given the Emperor a real chance, dropping him to his lowest mark since February, 2014. Trainer in form but horse has always needed a run back.
And young bloods – no older than eight – usually win this race: Dawson City and Courtown Oscar (BETDAQ 4.0) are both winners on heavy, with ‘Oscar’ seemingly approaching his career peak.
1.10 Gowran Park What a launchpad this race was in 2014! The winner, Douvan would take 13 more prizes, including the Supreme Novices and the Arkle, and runner-up Sizing John, though beaten seven times altogether by Douvan, would take this year’s Gold Cup.
Any one (or two!) of Roaring Bull, Shady Operator and Sharjah could be household names in the next couple of seasons.
Shady Operator’s brother won at 2m 4f over hurdles and his dam’s side is from the family of Grand National winner Corbiere.
Sharjah is Flat-bred and likely to win while precocious speed is the key to success, as he showed over the Gowran CD in September.
But the one I like on breeding is the Milan gelding Roaring Bull, out of a Presenting mare, related down the distaff side to Jessies Dream and Buck House.
His trainer, Gordon Elliott, is piling up a lead on Willie Mullins and, Flat apart, has current form-figures of 1011411, still standing.
NICHOLLS CLAN CAN HIT THE SIX
1.15 Haydock Paul Nicholls has won this five years running and his Clan Des Obeaux is a fair offer at 4.6 on BETDAQ because he has to overcome four last-day winners if he is to continue the stable run and hit six.
The handicapper has him on 148, with three on 145 and one on 144. Close or what! And the one ‘left out’ by the handicapper on 140, 3m 1f scorer Vintage Clouds, was runner-up in this last year, so is breathing down the necks of non-stayers in this ground.
The BETDAQ market was punter friendly at 107% this morning but you still had to take your pick, with four horses at the front of the betting separated by only one point!
1.50 Haydock El Terremoto – ‘earthquake’ – was the winner of this last year but off a 16lb lower mark, and the money this morning was for Clyne.
He beat El Terremoto over CD here and is better off at the weights today. But I doubt that either can cope with the lightweight Limited Reserve, who tries to follow up an excellent second to Elgin at Ascot. I took 5.0 in the BETDAQ orange.
2.25 Haydock At 9.0 on BETDAQ early mouse, Sam Spinner is bred for this step up in trip and is the right age judged on the race sequence of five out of six to five-year-olds (2010-15)
Minella Awards (a 7.8 offer) could be ‘anything’ if he can step up again on his Sandown-Punchestown handicap double in the Spring.
Albert Bartlett third, Champers On Ice, reverts to hurdles with blinkers first time but a newly-applied cheekpieces and tongue-tie combo didn’t help over fences on the last day.
The World’s End was 1111 still standing over last winter into Spring and success in the big novice hurdle at Aintree, but Tom George has been mainly missing strike in the last week with form figures of 222102.
OUTLANDER THE BIG-CHASE VALUE
3.00 Haydock (Lancashire Chase) Here you have a market – BETDAQ, of course – that is (literally) the best that money can buy: a 104% overround, as I write.
As I reported on Thursday, the main prizemoney has been largely shared by only three horses from two stables in the decade, the latest being Cue Card, with figures for the race of 1411.
Cue Card was 15 lengths in front of Shantou Flyer in the Ascot Chase in February, when Traffic Fluide finished in the rear.
In the Aintree Bowl, Tea For Two beat Cue Card a neck, with Bristol de Mai only fifth but that one was more shipshape and Bristol fashion in winning the Charlie Hall a neck, giving weight to Grand National fourth Blaklion.
But, though ‘Bristol’ is 2-2 at Haydock, winners of this at age six are as rare as winners aged 11.
And Outlander, the 2016 Lexus hero, won the Champion Chase at Down Royal on the same day as the Charlie Hall. His form in November-December is 11112112211. He looks value at 6.0.
3.15 Ascot Old favourite Sire De Grugy beat Quite By Chance and Vaniteux in this a year ago. Quite By Chance failed to capitalise on that form but did well again after a long absence when returned to Ascot on the last day.
Dandridge’s record in England is 12240, pretty good when you appreciate that a second and fourth in that sequence were both in the Grand Annual, so not out of it on this rare visit by Arthur Moore.
Four-time winner San Benedeto then failed against Altior at Sandown in April, which was no disgrace.
That could also be said of his recent second at Exeter to stable companion Politologue, who is only 11.5 behind Altior and Douvan in the BETDAQ ante-post orange for the Champion Chase at Cheltenham in March.
3.35 Haydock At this trip on this ground, and with his stable in flying form, Midlands National winner Chase The Spud could be a hot potato for the layers at 8.6 in the BETDAQ orange as I write.
DAQMAN’S BETS (staked to win 30 points)
12.40 Haydock
BET 10pts win COURTOWN OSCAR
12.55 Ascot
BET 10pts win LOUGH DERG FARMER
1.15 Haydock
BET 8pts win (nap) CLAN DES OBEAUX
1.50 Haydock
BET 7.5pts win LIMITED RESERVE
2.25 Haydock
BET 4.5pts win MINELLA AWARDS
BET 3.75pts win SAM SPINNER
3.00 Haydock
BET 6pts win OUTLANDER
3.15 Ascot
BET 9pts win SAN BENEDETO
3.35 Haydock
BET 4pts win and place CHASE THE SPUD
DAQ MULTIPLES: 4 x 1pt win trebles and 1pt acca CLONDAW CASTLE (1.05 Huntingdon), ROARING BULL (1.10 Gowran Park), CLAN DES OBEAUX (1.15 Haydock) and SAN BENEDETO (3.15 Ascot)
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