DAQMAN CONVEYS AW BANKER HIT: Daqman’s confidence in Convey (WON 11-10) paid off handsomely in the AW Championships when Ryan Moore’s mount surged clear to land a 20-point banker. Daqman stood alone in standing by Nimr (2nd 14-1) who was beaten just a neck. Says Daqman: ‘That’s a disappointing defeat because the cat’s out of the bag now.’
NO HOLIDAY: WE’RE JUMPING TO IT: Today and all this weekend, it’s back to the jumpers for finals in another series at Haydock, and tomorrow and Monday an Easter parade at the Fairyhouse Festival, which features the Irish Grand National.
PLANNING TO SET THEM A TARGET
2.05 Haydock (Middle-Distance Chase Series Final) Though worse off with all those behind him in winning last year, Ballybolley was hardly off the bit and scored easily.
Punished 10lb but back to only a 4lb higher rating now, despite scoring twice since. All three wins were on good ground and, as this is a class 3 posing as a class-2 chase, I take him to bounce back, well supported at 5.5 on BETDAQ this morning.
Since short-odds defeats at Aintree, runners for David Pipe (Monetaire) have drifted alarmingly to 10-1, 14-1 (twice), 50-1, even 66-1.
But an in-form Tom George gangs up on the field with three runners, trying to gee up Cerunnos with a first-time combination of hood and tongue-strap. Ballinvarrig and Some Buckle are weighted above any previous winning form.
Easy Street, at only seven, has his future before him as they say, but I can see No Planning setting a target and is the trade horse at 12.0.
2.40 Haydock (Staying Chase Series Final) Tom George, who won this last year with No Duffer, relies on 8.4 BETDAQ offer Behind The Wire and just such a young improver could win it since, again, we have class 3 and 4 winners contesting a class-2 race.
Fort Worth is the danger on his earlier one-two over Behind The Wire at Doncaster, and he was the ‘moral’ over Huff And Puff at Taunton, giving weight to the winner, beaten only a head.
Another improver is 8.2 offer Shanroe Santos (holds Muckle Roe and Willoughby Hedge who in turn has beaten Regal Flow)
Six horses are separated by two points at the front end of the BETDAQ orange. I’ll delete Fort Worth from my three, as a winner only once since 2014.
3.15 Haydock (Two-Mile Hurdle Series Final) Alan King’s pair are on the upgrade, though Midnight Maestro (beat Brotherly Company at Stratford) may want it softer.
Paddys Runner has won twice won good ground and holds Unison, Floresco (third last year) and St Saviour on Wincanton running but was very easy to back at 20.0 this morning.
Valhalla could win it, despite top weight, though has won only right-handed. So, in the end, I fancied progressive lightweight Limited Reserve (BETDAQ 10.0), Christian Williams first runner as a trainer.
3.50 Haydock (Mares’ Handicap Hurdle Series Final) The favourite, Secret Door, third in this last year when only five, has been seen just the once since, when reappearing for her qualifier for this at Ludlow last month.
She won well and should again beat Midtech Valentine but that was her first success from six under Rules, albeit she’d been finishing them all in the frame.
Dan Skelton is currently 4-6 still standing and his Late Night Lily is the stayer of the race and deserves top weight: the better value at 8.6
LAUGH ALOUD AT THE LAYERS..
3.00 Musselburgh (Royal Mile) The past results of the runners read more like the form for a sprint! Only Mailshot, Novoman and Rashford’s Double have won over a mile though, remember, you are dealing largely with two-year-old form.
Every professional punter knows that it’s a difficult transition from two to three and he works from the standpoint: last year is last year, this year is thisl.
William Haggas (47% strike rate at this venue), who has won one of the two previous runnings of this race, will be hoping for a kick start to the ‘real start of the Flat’ next week: Novoman would be a nice confidence booster after he nervously declared yesterday: ‘I’m firing all my bullets at Newmarket next week!’
3.35 Musselburgh (Queen’s Cup) Another Balding opportunity if the ground is decent after watering. Montaly was beaten a head over CD in September, beating Sueigoo, My Reward, Angel Gabrial, Shrewd and Gabrial The Hero.
Montaly is 14.0 this morning on BETDAQ and Isharah switched from the AW championships, lured by this bigger prize, also looks tasty at 9.2.
3.45 Kempton (Snowdrop Stakes) Remember Ribbons? Winner of this in 2014, she went on to dominate Group races at Deauville and The Curragh. Same stable as Zest today.
Marco Botti has won it two years running and the hat-trick seeker for him is Aljaazi who, along with Laugh Aloud, has already won at this Listed level.
But the morning BETDAQ market suggest that Group-2 entered Laugh Aloud will be doing just that over this field for John Gosden, who has been placing them so well that he’s had 14 out of his last 18 runners in the frame, five of them winners.
5.25 Kempton (Queen’s Prize) Memories of the good old bad old days when the Queens Prize and the Rosebery Stakes were as rewarding a Spring Double as the Lincoln and the National for me.
Magic Circle is too easy to back this morning, as a gamble on Endless Acres pushed him to the front of the BETDAQ orange. I can’t see it myself and I hope it’s set up a price for Higher Power (tasty 4.0)
DAQMAN’S BETS (staked to win 20 points, except where stated)
BET 4.4pts win BALLYBOLLEY, 2pts win and place NO PLANNING (trade horse) and 1.5pts win (stakes saver) CERNUNNOS (2.05 Haydock)
BET 2.8pts win on each SHANROE SANTOS and BEHIND THE WIRE (2.40 Haydock)
BET 5pts win NOVOMAN (3.00 Musselburgh)
BULL’S-EYE BET (win 50): 5pts win and place LIMITED RESERVE (3.15 Haydock)
BULL’S-EYE BETS: 6.25pts win ISHARAH, and 3.8pts win and place MONTALY (3.35 Musselburgh)
BANKER BET: 20pts win (nap) LAUGH ALOUD (3.45 Kempton)
BET 2.5pts win and place LATE NIGHT LILY (3.50 Haydock)
BET 6.6pts win HIGHER POWER (5.25 Kempton)
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.
