100-1 SHOCK AS MULLINS HITS 10: Ireland made a clean sweep of the final day at Cheltenham with all seven winners, the first four for Willie Mullins, including a 100-1 shot. Mullins was champion trainer at the meeting, with 10 winners, as Ireland beat England 20-8. J P McManus owned six winners. Paul Townend and Mark Walsh rode four each.
ODDS-ON ‘CHAMPIONS’ ALL FLOP: Daqman urged BETDAQ punters to lay the festival favourites but no one could have forecast that all four odds-on shots in the championship races would flop: Jonbon, Constitution Hill, Teahupoo and Gallopin Des Champs.
🏅 Best performances: Marine Nationale, Fact Or File.
🏅 England’s best: The New Lion, Myretown.
🏅 New to the limelight: Teenager Danny Gilligan rode a double.
TODAY: The Midlands Grand National.
TOMORROW: The Irish Lincoln launches the Flat.
DON’T KNOCK THE EIDER WINNER
⭕ 3.00 Uttoxeter (Midlands Grand National): It’s been a tough week for punters and this race is another handicap trap added on to Cheltenham carnage.
Top trainers of stayers win this, almost all at rewarding odds, but you have to find them.
I would put Gordon Elliott, Lucinda Russell, Venetia Williams, Paul Nicholls and Alan King in that category.
But an unsurprising stat for a marathon is that there’s been no recent winner carrying more than 11st 5lb, and Apple Away may have a bit too much, though ran a cracker for Lucinda, second in the Haydock Grand National trial.
Only Mr Vango is above her mare in the handicap. Winner of the Devon National, London National and the Peter Marsh but I know connections were hoping for plenty of rain.
Tanganyika has climbed nearly a stone in two 3-mile strikes for Venetia Williams but stable form has dropped right away and she is 0-27 going into this.
Gordon Elliott’s pair, Forunedefortunata (won over 3m 3f at Punchestown) and Where It All Began, have been successful only in deep ground.
Paul Nicholls has a strong and intelligent seven-year-old, Ioupy Collonges, on a nice mark. Shook off Eider third Passing Well in a gruelling test at Wincanton on Boxing Day. BETDAQ value: 21.0.
Alan King’s Egbert was weakening out of it when he fell at the last in the Eider and he’s hoping first-time cheekpieces will help today. Anglers Crag, who won the Newcastle marathon in 2024, got loose at the start this time around and so is fresh for this (but is he by nature too fresh!)
The Eider winner, Knockanore, went clear as if today’s 10lb punishment from the handicapper may not stop his progress. He was only class 4 in the autumn!
Welsh Grand National winner Val Dancer was thumped 12lb but, after his weakening third in the Aintree National Trial at Haydock (10 lengths behind Apple Away), half of that was dropped. He needs it soft.
My Silver Lining, 7lb lower than when third in this last year, tries to bounce back after poor recent form.
Iron Bridge – second in the 2023 Welsh National – pulled up in today’s race last year, but now wears blinkers, as does Saint Davy who has only just qualified for handicaps.
Galia Des Liteaux, who led two out in the Grand National, needs first-time tongue-tie to transform her today after modest form since.
FOLLOW THE FORTUNATE MAN
⭕ 2.25 Uttoxeter Though he’s eight years old, Guard Duty is recently progressive. His dam is related to a runner-up in the Grand National and he could step up again, raised in trip. BETDAQ value 8.7 taken.
After Cheltenham, punters suddenly ‘discover’ the Irish, so not great on value but Blaze The Way is another improver for a trip. BETDAQ 5.8.
⭕ 3.35 Uttoxeter Fortunate Man, with his eponymous owner J P McManus playing up the festival winnings, needs a longer trip on all known form but blinkers first time could sharpen him up. BETDAQ value 9.5 taken.
⭕ 3.20 Kempton Paul Nicholls goes for a hat-trick in this with last year’s winner, Outlaw Peter (Betdaq Betting Exchange 8.8 ), and another CD winner, Bad (4.3 offers), a winner on heavy in France, revealed a turn of foot on better ground the last day.
40-1 FOR STABLE THAT’S HOT
⭕ 6.45 Southwell: Julie Camacho’s runners since the first day of March have form figures of 313111, yet The Actor is 41.0 on BETDAQ (6.0 for a place), super outsider of the day.
First start after a wind op, he is again taking on the hotpot Humam. The Actor is better off at the weights now after missing the break against that one the last day.
DAQMAN’S BETS on Betdaq Betting Exchange
2.25 Uttoxeter (win-50 bull’s-eye bet and win 25)
BET 6.75pts win GUARD DUTY
BET 5pts win BLAZE THE WAY
3.00 Uttoxeter (win-50 bull’s-eye bet and win 30)
BET 5pts win IOUPY COLLONGES
BET 6pts win KNOCKANORE
3.20 Kempton (win 25, win 10)
BET 3pts win OUTLAW PETER
BET 3pts win BAD
★ 3.35 Uttoxeter (win 25, nap)
BET 3pts win FORTUNATE MAN
6.45 Southwell (win 40)
BET 1pt win and place (6.0) THE ACTOR
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