IT’S GOLD AT LAST FOR DAQMAN: After a difficult Cheltenham, Daqman focused on the two big talking points yesterday: what would win the Gold Cup and whether the huge gamble on Apple’s Shakira was justified in the Triumph Hurdle. His verdict had these results:
WON 5-1 NATIVE RIVER (Gold Cup)
WON (lay) APPLE’S SHAKIRA (Triumph Hurdle 6-5 fav, unplaced)
HE IS 27-13 UP ON PRICEWISE: A gruelling festival ends with the value-betting score Daqman 27 Pricewise 13, with much reduced profits on both sides (Daqman +13 to Pricewise on -34 to a single-unit stake). Today could be the final day of the Jumps challenge, unless Pricewise fancies the Navan card tomorrow.
GET ON! HE’S PRIMED FOR THIS
3.35 Uttoxeter (Midlands Grand National) So-unlucky Kerry Lee, second and third in the big-field Grand Annual yesterday, saddles three veterans in this.
They are Alfie Spinner (ninth last year), Krakatoa King, a 3m 2f winner on the course in November, and Russe Blanc, a course winner but way back in 2013.
But it’s 23 years since a horse of double-figure age won this. In that time only four have carried 11st or more.
And others with multiple entry seem more likely to win: Nigel Twiston-Davies (Ballymalin eased in the handicap) and Henry Daly both saddle horses of the right age and weight.
Henry’s six-year-old Back To The Thatch was cantering in the Eider Chase when he came down behind West of The Edge and Hainan.
Andrew Tinkler prefers Thatch’s grey stablemate The Artful Cobbler (only seven and creeps in off 10st 3lb), who has shot up 20lb from a hat-trick which included the Surrey National.
Still unexposed, and off a low weight, is Billy Bronco, second in the North Yorkshire National.
Get On The Yager beat the Great Yorkshire winner, Wakanda, in the Grade-3 Rowland Meyrick and clearly has a touch of class.
Could it be ladies’ day yet again! Bryony Frost who led the Me-Too riding rampage is on Silsol, who was fifth in the Welsh Grand National.
James Bowen can still claim, too, and he has a plum ride on Western Climate, who has won twice after a break, but went up 12lb for strolling home in the mud at Exeter in January.
VERDICT/BETDAQ VALUE: Do you take class of Silsol and Get On The Yager (big weights), the improving seven-year-olds Billy Bronco and The Artful Cobbler (lightweights) or the Eider Chase form mid-handicap, West of The Edge and Back To The Thatch.
In the end I chose one that has targeted this, as opposed to taking it in as part of a string of staying chases, which could have left their mark.
In fact, Get On The Yager (BETDAQ 8.8) was ‘hidden’ in a Southwell novice event last time out to give him a run for this. Progressive back-to-back wins late last year.
West of The Edge (8.6 offers) would go close if able to repeat the Eider form.
LORD A HORSE TO FOLLOW
1.30 Kempton Philip Hobbs didn’t have the ammunition at Cheltenham this year but has plenty progressing for the future.
It might be worth noting, with this race in mind, that his last two winners were novice hurdlers. Here’s a horse for the future to start backing now.
My man in the long grass tells me that Richard Johnson, who won the Gold Cup yesterday, was keen about the ride on Lord Duveen, closely related to the stable’s magnificent stayer, Balthazar King.
Lord Duveen, a 4.1 BETDAQ bet this morning, was fifth when yesterday’s Albert Bartlett winner, Kilbricken Storm, was third at Exeter in the autumn.
2.40 Kempton (Silver Plate) Might Bite won this in 2016 as part of a trend for young quality horses near the top of a short handicap.
And Azzerti, a 6.6 BETDAQ offer from the Alan King yard, also short of the best this year at Cheltenham, got a boost when the horse he beat at Huntingdon went on to win the Imperial Cup.
IN CLYNE TOWARDS 11.5 BET
3.00 Uttoxeter Evan Williams, whose hurdlers are in form – he was third in the Stable Plate at Cheltenham yesterday – drops Clyne down in class after racing him in Grade 2 against such as The New One and Old Guard, yet he was 11.5 on BETDAQ this morning.
3.15 Kempton (Silver Bowl) Tom George, who came out of a lean spell to land the Supreme Novices at Cheltenham and take second in a strong Ballymore, intends to hold on to this Bowl which he won last year.
He also fancied Bun Doran, who missed the cut in the Grand Annual, but now joins stablemate Brandon Hill in this.
With the usual punter-friendly (108% overround) big-race BETDAQ orange, I can back both at around 6.2.
DAQMAN’S BETS
1.30 Kempton (win 20)
BET 6.5pts win LORD DUVEEN
2.40 Kempton (win 20)
BET 3.5pts win (nap) AZZERTI
3.00 Uttoxeter (win 50)
BULL’S-EYE BET: 4.75pts win and place CLYNE
3.15 Kempton (win 30)
BET 5.75pts win BRANDON HILL
BET 5.75pts win BUN DORAN
3.35 Uttoxeter (win 50)
BULL’S-EYE BET 6.5pts win WEST OF THE EDGE
BULL’S-EYE BET 6.5pts win GET ON THE YAGER
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