DAQMAN IN THE MIX AGAIN WITH 17.5 BETDAQ HIT: Winners were hard to come by as the ground turned heavy yesterday but Daqman just about wiped the slate clean when Alsa Mix (WON 12-1) romped home in the mud at Sandown, adding to his three on Thursday:
WON 12-1 ALSA MIX (17.5 taken on BETDAQ)
13.5 OR 30.0, THERE’S MORE BIG VALUE ON BETDAQ: During the week Daqman warned of a deluge of big races this weekend, including the Tingle Creek and the Becher Chase today. He checks them all out but, with continued bad weather, reins in some of his stakes and hopes for returns from outsiders as high as 13.5 and 30.0 on BETDAQ.
THE BETDAQ VALUE APPROACH AT 13.5
LALOR MAY HAVE TO CATCH DIAKALI
DUKE DES CHAMPS IN THE RIGHT MOLD
ALTIOR SCARES THEM OFF FOR 10 UP
THE TALE OF AN AINTREE WARRIOR
THE BETDAQ VALUE APPROACH AT 13.5
12.25 Aintree (Grand National Festival Handicap Chase) Katachenko, beaten a nose in this race on heavy ground a year ago, is 6lb lower and blinkered first time, with trainer Donald McCain hitting a seam of form in the last few days (3-7). BETDAQ 6.0 taken.
1.30 Aintree (Becher Chase) Clash of the last three winners, Blaklion, Vieux Lion Rouge and Highland Lodge who, in fact, was also third to Blaklion last year in receipt of 15lb.
Vieux Lion Rouge is hugely better off though he beat Blaklion in the Haydock Grand National Trial 22 months ago but, despite wind op or tongue-tie, cheekpieces or blinkers, he has failed to find his form again after sixth in the National of 2017.
Ballyoptic is real mud-lover who lost the Scottish National by a nose. He’s in the right hands and today will tell whether he is another Grand National horse for Nigel Twiston-Davies, though Sam prefers Blaklion.
That also applies to Present Man, who gets the trip all right, third in the Sandown Gold Cup, but can he jump the big fences out of the mud? His best form is all right-handed.
Crosshue Boy is related to an Irish National winner on the dam’s side and looks unexposed. Another intriguing Irish runner is Don Poli, who would go close at his best but has had 664 days off injured, has not won for nearly three years and gives weight away all round over an obstacle course in the mud.
Stablemate Noble Endeavour is also capable but he, too, has 600 days’ absence against him.
If Missed Approach reproduced his 2017 NH Chase second to Tiger Roll, or his 2018 Kim Muir success, the prize would be his.
His strike rate suggests he’s not one to rely on but he’s won five times when fresh and has the ideal partner in Sam Waley-Cohen, the only amateur ever to have won the Becher: 13.5 on BETDAQ as I write.
LALOR MAY HAVE TO CATCH DIAKALI
1.50 Sandown (Henry V111 Novices Chase) Gary Moore’s grey, Diakali, tries to ‘do an Ar Mad’, from the same stable, who set up an unassailable lead over Bristol De Mai in this race in 2015.
Diakali at 7.4 acts as the stakes saver (and forecast) to my supernap, Lalor, who begged to be followed until beaten when always travelling strongly to score first time over fences at Cheltenham. He was paying 8.5 to 10 this morning.
2.05 Aintree (Many Clouds Chase) The 2017 Grand National winner, One For Arthur, returns on the Mildmay Course against last year’s winner of this, Definitly Red, in the race named after the 2016 hero, Many Clouds.
Definitly Red likes the ground and is one for the Daq Multiples. Earlier in the week, I warned what has been happening to Grand National winners, so One For Arthur was short this morning at 9.0!
DUKE DES CHAMPS IN THE RIGHT MOLD
2.30 Chepstow (Coral Welsh Grand National Trial) A 12.0 offer on BETDAQ, Duke Des Champs, whose sire was responsible for the winner of this race two years ago, is related on the dam’s side to one of my Grand National heroes, Monty’s Pass.
The Duke’s stable, that of in-form Philip Hobbs, has taken this test twice in the last five years.
2.40 Aintree A fascinating contest won twice in three seasons by Gavin Cromwell (Lady Camelot) and twice in six by Alan King (Giving Glances), who saddled Alsa Mix for a big Daqman win yesterday.
In between is the Gordon Elliott raider, Smiling Eliza ,but there’s a doubt about the ground. Lady Camelot loved the mud on the Flat and Giving Glances is out of a Generous mare, so should enjoy plenty of give.
ALTIOR SCARES THEM OFF FOR 10 UP
2.45 Navan (Foxrock Chase) Interesting to see what a change of stables can do for Gordon Elliott’s Lamb Or Cod, who won the Coral Welsh National Trial (see above) for Philip Hobbs in 2016.
Since he was assessed on that success, he’s done not a lot but has been dropped more than a stone.
Half his age and more is Landofhopeandglory. Bought from The Lads, he left behind a Group-race Flat career for Ballydoyle to Graded races over Jumps for J P McManus.
Absent since April he’s won three times after a break, and 30.00 on BETDAQ to small stakes might yield a bit of cash, of which The Lads and J P are always badly in need.
3.00 Sandown (Tingle Creek Chase) Champion Chaser Altior – nine straight chase wins in a row – has frightened off all bar the 2016 winner of this, Un De Sceaux – successful in 12 chases – and a brace of Grade-2 youngsters who are 9lb-10lb behind on the ratings.
Harry Whittington reports Saint Calvados a much stronger horse this year, albeit lucky to score at Naas in November when Footpad was injured.
Sceau Royal won the Henry V111 Chase (see 1.50 today) on this card last year as one of four wins in a row, five out of six over fences in all.
THE TALE OF AN AINTREE WARRIOR
3.15 Aintree (Grand Sefton Chase) Invariably won by strong handicap yards with jumpers rated 137-142, stats which tip Catamaran Du Seuil and More Buck’s (yard badly out of form, 0-15).
Though only six, Catamaran has jumped Auteuil, Wetherby and Haydock well. His stable is 2-3 in the last fortnight, and does well on this course.
The consistent Crievehill looks the right type for Aintree and is with the right trainer, while Warriors Tale jumped well until his stamina failed him in the Grand National (Captain Redbeard unseated rider early): 8.0 taken on BETDAQ.
Shanahan’s Turn (6.2 offers) comes into big time, since he was third in the Topham here on heavy ground in April (Kilcrea Vale fourth).
Forest Des Aigles has improved 22lb in the last year with four wins out of five but has so far been seen only once on the major tracks, fading out of the Peter Marsh at Haydock.
DAQMAN’S BETS
12.25 Aintree (win 10)
BET 2pts win KATACHENKO
1.30 Aintree (win 50 and win 20)
BULL’S-EYE BET: 4pts win and place MISSED APPROACH
BET 2pts win and place CROSSHUE BOY
1.50 Sandown (supernap)
BET 20pts win LALOR
BET 3pts win (stakes saver) DIAKALI
2.30 Chepstow (win 20)
BET 1.5pts win and place DUKE DES CHAMPS
2.40 Aintree (win 10)
BET 5.25pts win GIVING GLANCES
2.45 Navan (win 30)
BET 1pt win and place LANDOFHOPEANDGLORY
3.15 Aintree (win 30)
BET 5.75pts win SHANAHAN’S TURN
BET 4.25pts win WARRIOR’S TALE
DAQ MULTIPLES (3pts win treble)
1.50 Sandown: LALOR
2.05 Aintree: DEFINITLY RED
3.00 Sandown: ALTIOR
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