DAQMAN ART OF WINNER FINDING: Daqman dares to bet in the four biggest races of the day today spread across Fairyhouse, Kempton, Lingfield and Newcastle after landing one yesterday, the Devon National at Exeter, with an 8.1 bull’s-eye bet.
WON 11-2 ART DECCO (BETDAQ 8.1 taken)
FORTUNATE IS PREFERRED
⭕ 2.43 Newcastle (Eider Chase) The last winner of this to land the Aintree Grand National was Comply Or Die in 2008. Since then, Kittys Light (2023) has followed up in the Scottish National.
Anglers Craig, the Eider winner on heavy in 2024, was back to form first run for a new yard the last day but is 11 now.
Connections admit that last year’ winner, Knockanore, is ‘a bit of a rogue’: he has since been out of form and out of favour, pulled up twice among SPs of 40-1, 66-1 and 80-1. And he’s 10lb out of the handicap.
Livin On Luco won the Southern National at Fontwell in November (good to soft) but Mr Vango has won a string of these local Nationals – Devon, London, Midlands – though is high in the handicap now.
Val Dancer was 2024 winner of the Welsh National and Dom Of Mary has scored over 3m 6f on today’s course.
But they face a J P McManus young pretender alongside them at a low weight in Fortunate Man, who scored back-to-back on the Mildmay Course in December.
🟪 DAQMAN The J P McManus ante-post favourite, Aworkinprogress, dropped out in favour of Fortunate Man (BETDAQ 5.4) in the same ownership. Livin On Luco is another progressive young pretender, the pair worth mixing in forecasts with Mr Vango (BETDAQ 11.0).
ELLIOTT BEST WITH BRAG
⭕ 3.15 Fairyhouse (Bobbyjo Chase) Willie Mullins has won this 14 times, but with a long gap between subsequent Grand National winners after Hedghunter (2005).
Now the Bobbyjo goes for an Aintree treble this year following its Mullins winners at Liverpool in both 2024 (I Am Maximus) and 2025 (Nick Rockett), each one aged eight-year-old.
Third home that day was also a Mullins contender, Grangeclare West, who had run second in the Irish Gold Cup.
He was tailed off, a 25-1 outsider for the Irish gold at the beginning of this month (Monty’s Star beaten 25 lengths, 6th) but is likely to bounce back. Brown Advisory winner Lecky Watson also failed to finish.
So today, Willie adds to the line-up Spanish Harlem, who beat Gordon Elliott’s Three Card Brag in the Kerry National in the autumn but the handicapper’s 16lb punishment has prompted separate letters after his name (P and U).
It lets in Three Card Brag 6lb better off and a key Aintree pointer, after his Newbury Gold Cup second to Panic Attack, giving the winner 19lb.
Scottish Grand National winner, Captain Cody finished close up to Three Card Brag (Gordon Elliott) on these terms a year or so back but was a faller when favourite for the Thyestes Chase at Gowran (heavy) last month.
Elliott also saddles Gerri Colombe, the 2024 Cheltenham Gold Cup runner-up and Aintree Bowl winner, who has been quiet since.
🟪 DAQMAN Three Card Brag (Betdaq Betting Exchange 4.7) can turn around Kerry National form with Spanish Harlem, who would have gone close in the Thyestes but unseated at the last. Forecasts with Grangeclare West.
DUST RISES AGAINST DORI
⭕ 3.35 Kempton (Trophy Chase) LAYS LOGIC: Kdeux Saint Fray has won only a maiden hurdle and a novice chase, and is still only six.
Front-runner Lookaway steps up in trip, suggesting restraint for him today and a difficult task either way, giving weight to half a dozen strong contenders.
Last year’s runaway winner, Katate Dori, had the 2023 star of the race, Our Power, back in third.
Katate Dori is 11lb higher now and there are several others with Kempton credentials against him.
Ben Pauling books Harry Cobden for Leader In The Park, and claims that this winner on the course as a novice is ‘guaranteed’ to stay on his first time over 3m.
Chance Another One, raiding from Ireland for Emmet Mullins, won at Kempton before Christmas and returns to 3m, joining stablemate Rising Dust, an improving stayer with Sean Bowen booked the day after he hit 200 winners for the first time in a season.
Alan King has targeted today’s trophy with The Doyen Chief, a course winner twice, 3m winner three times on good ground.
Hoe Joly Smoke for leading trainer Dan Skelton has form with Panic Attack and Three Card Brag, so could get a boost at Fairyhouse 20 minutes before the trophy here. Cheekpieces might lift his form.
🟪 DAQMAN This race has seven course winners, including mainstay of your forecasts, Katate Dori. BETDAQ 7.4.
Hoe Joly Smoke has disappoined but has mixed it with the best and Dan Skelton keeps his weight down by running Boombawn. Rising Dust (BETDAQ 10.5) has climbed 39lb in three straight wins.
WINTER DERBY FOR MOORE
⭕ 2.00 Lingfield (Winter Derby) Ryan Moore has ridden four winners out of five in the opening shots of 2026 and trainer-team John and Thady Gosden are two out of three.
As the improving CD winner, Nebras can outpoint stablemate Chancellor at 5.0 on BETDAQ this morning. Nap.
DAQMAN’S BETS
on Betdaq Betting Exchange
★ 2.00 Lingfield (win 20 nap)
BET 5pts win NEBRAS
2.43 Newcastle (win 30)
BET 7pts win FORTUNATE MAN
BET 3pts win MR VANGO
3.15 Fairyhouse (win 35)
BET 11pts win THREE CARD BRAG
BET 3pts win saver GRANGECLARE WEST
3.35 Kempton (win-50 bull’s-eye bets)
BET 7.5pts win KATATE DORI
BET 5.2pts win RISING DUST
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