9-2 WINNER AS DAQMAN PORTFOLIO HAS 9.2 SATURDAY NAP: Daqman yesterday continued his winner-a-day sequence with Portfolio (WON 9-2), following Japan (15-8, Thursday), Yesyes nap (4-6 Wednesday), Thomas Lanfiere (6-4 Tuesday) and Kayfast Warrior (5-4 Monday). Today’s Daqman portfolio contains bets at BETDAQ value 9.2 (nap) plus 26.0 and 47.0, and a 200-1 double.
Current standings
DAQMAN 40, PRICEWISE 20 (Daqman + 75.14, Pricewise – 266.50)
SUPERNAPS 8-11 (72%)
LAYS LOGIC 10-14 (71%)
SNOWFALL WINS THE SUNSHINE OAKS
⭕ 3.25 The Curragh (Irish Oaks) STATS: Take out long-odds-on Enable, majestic winner in 2017, and only ONE favourite in ELEVEN years has won this race, which has gone to Aidan O’Brien five times but only once in the last six seasons.
1 SNOWFALL Will we see Snowfall in the sunshine? Her three wins from nine starts have all come with cut in the ground, either yielding or good to soft.
But the handicapper was stunned by her runaway Epsom Oaks, hiking her to 120, level with Irish Derby winner Hurricane Lane and within a pound of Epsom Derby hero, Adayar.
In today’s race, the 120 puts her more than a stone in front of the Ribblesdale third and fourth, Nicest and Divinely, who was a distant third in that Epsom Oaks procession (Lo Joconde 11th, Willow last of 14).
It’s more or less any price the remainder, and hard to see the favourite diminished by the ground; it’s certainly not a singularity moment (Aidan O’Brien).
2 NICEST Not have the best of runs in the Ribblesdale (lost shoe; rider dropped reins), third to 110-rated Loving Dream, and might be worth marking up a bit, though still with around 10lb to find (Donnacha O’Brien).
3 WILLOW Despite her finishing last at Epsom, and drifting right at the finish when she won the Irish Oaks Trial at Naas, Willow might be Aidan’s second best, having progressed since third to Nicest as a juvenile, though having to be snatched up (Aidan O’Brien).
4 DIVINELY Loved the heavy ground when scoring over a mile at The Curragh (Group 3) last term and, though not clear run in the Epsom Oaks, the winner was in another county.
Made no impression in the Ribblesdale, run on firm ground; finishing fourth, just behind Nicest (Aidan O’Brien).
5 PARTY HOUSE Six lengths off Willow in the Naas Oaks Trial but tenderly handled after a near-fall on the turn (Ger Lyons)
LO JOCONDE Frankel half-sister to Irish Derby winner Santiago, she did not break her maiden until after the Epsom Oaks (Aidan O’Brien)
MARIESQUE Fifth in Willow’s Oaks Trial, she hung left but it was only her third ever race (Joseph O’Brien).
AHANDFULOFSUMMERS Close second to Divinely (1m, heavy) here 11 months back, but still a maiden after seven starts (Fozzy Stack).
200-1 SPRINT AND JUMPING DOUBLE
⭕ 2.05 Market Rasen (Summer Hurdle) David O’Meara, who won this with Viva Colonia (14-1 in 2011), has booked Tom Scudamore for Stonific, first leg of a 200-1 stable double bid to be completed by a champion apprentice on Gulliver in the Scurry at the Curragh.
Nicky Henderson’s Hooper – five in a row – was a beaten odds-on favourite on this track last year, getting to the front too soon in the straight, always a problem on this course.
Wicked West is likely to take them along and Hooper’s connections will be hoping that one lasts out to the second last at least.
BETDAQ value 7.8 Hooper, 26.0 Stonific
⭕ 2.40 Market Rasen (Summer Plate) Captain Tom Cat (BETDAQ 5.3) has climbed 22lb in the chase ratings with three out of three, starting in the Spring and is now a stone higher than his hurdles mark.
SCARAMANGA MUST BE THROWN IN
⭕ 2.25 Newbury When Withhold won this 2m handicap in 2019, last year’s winner, Reshoun, was seventh. And, when Reshoun won, Just Hubert was seventh! Could Hubert continue the sequence in first-time cheekpieces?
Cheekpieces have certainly worked for Call My Bluff (he’s 5-7 in them) but he’s plied his trade in lower grades. So, too, Rodrigo Diaz.
For Zeeband, it was the application of a first-time visor that did the trick; he won the Northumberland Vase three weeks back, but it’s cost him a hike in the weights, and runner-up Margaret Dumont gets a chance of revenge.
Scaramanga’s hurdles form (311) translates to the Flat as ‘absolutely thrown in,’ and he looks a solid win-and-place bet with Paul Nicholls currently 1142, still standing.
BETDAQ value 9.2 Scaramanga
⭕ 3.00 Newbury A 6f Group 3 sprint, with a royal weekend double on the cards, King’s Lynn following on Portfolio at Nottingham last night.
King’s Lynn (BETDAQ 4.0) won a big-field Sales race on firm as a juvenile and last month finished third in the Wokingham to Rohaan on the soft.
Tabdeed won this race last year but a bigger danger may be well-drawn Diligent Harry, who just failed by a short-head to catch Rohaan at Lingfield, though he has to translate that form from AW to turf.
A PERFECT PUNT TO WIN 50 POINTS
⭕ 3.40 Newbury (Super Sprint) STATS: Not one winner in the decade from a single-figure stall and only two in eight years not trained Richard Hannon or Richard Fahey (three wins each).
Chipotle’s Windsor Castle win has been let down by the runner-up but the Coventry, in which Vintage Clarets was third, has fared no better in subsequent results for the placed horses.
Fahey, usually a man to make several decs, relies solely on Vintage Clarets, but Hannon gives himself six chances, one of them, Symphony Perfect (14), drawn high and likely to tow them along.
BETDAQ BETTING EXCHANGE VALUE back and lay 47.0 Symphony Perfect
⭕ 4.00 The Curragh (Scurry) David O’Meara, who won this with Intisaab (2018) got within a short-head last year when he saddled Gulliver, who is 4lb lower in the ratings this afternoon.
Though Gavin Ryan has lost his allowance since then, the trainer gives the Tipperary champion apprentice (2020) a chance for redemption in this race.
Gavin, who also won Ride Of The Year after taking the big mile handicap at the Galway Festival, is also associated with Laugh A Minute but Ado McGuinness claims off that one for a much-needed 7lb.
Ger Lyons drops ex-French Marbling back half a furlong and down from Gr oup 3, with Colin Keane surely set for a good ride.
BETDAQ value 6.6 Marbling, 7.8 Gulliver
DAQMAN’S BETS
2.05 Market Rasen (win 50 bull’s-eye and win 20)
BET 2pts win STONIFIC
BET 3pts win HOOPER
2.25 Newbury (win 50 bull’s-eye, nap)
BET 6.25pts win SCARAMANGA
2.40 Market Rasen (win 20)
BET 4.5pts win CAPTAIN TOM CAT
3.00 Newbury (win 20)
BET 6pts win KING’S LYNN
3.25 The Curragh
FORTUNE COOKIE / SUPERNAP
BET 20pts win SNOWFALL
3.40 Newbury (win 50 bull’s-eye)
BET 1.25pts win SYMPHONY PERFECT
4.00 The Curragh (win 30)
BET 5pts win MARBLING
BET 4.5pts win GULLIVER
