TEN WINNERS AND 80 POINTS PROFIT IN FOUR-DAY DAQMAN FEAST: Daqman paddles his own canoe and finds his own valid reasons for his picks. Four more winners yesterday for a total of 10 in four days amounted to 80 points profit overall, including a hat-trick of odds-against naps (Tuesday to Thursday), a 15-2 winner and a Daq Multiples treble up yesterday:
WON 5-4 PAPA POWER
WON 6-5 PADLEYOUROWNCANOE (treble)
WON 4-5 ANNIE Mc (treble)
WON 1-6 THE CASHEL MAN (treble)
DAQMAN NH ACCOUNTS UPDATE
📈 Daqman 29, Pricewise 13 (+253.40 to -151.00) 10pt stakes at SP
📈 Bull’s-eye bets: 34% (+187.00 from 10-29) staked to win 50
📈 Bulls-eye naps: 0% (-12.00 from 0-1) (2019: 47% +249 from 8-17)
📈 All Daily Naps 44% (+39.09 from 38-86) 10pt stakes at SP
📈 Supernaps 52% (+40.69 from 11-21) 20pt stakes at SP
📈 Fortune Cookies 50% (+31.88 from 4-8) 20pt stakes at SP
ALTIOR BACK WITH DAQMAN BET TO BREAK THE FAVOURITE’S HEART: It’s all about Altior today after a long-time prep for this redemption run after the red faces of his defeat by Cyrname and then avoiding a rematch. He’s back looking for a hat-trick over his optimum trip, with Daqman on something to finish second or break the favourite’s heart. The nap is at Warwick, where a 3.0 BETDAQ bet is better class than his rivals. Headlines:
🔹 ALTIOR UP FOR GAME SPIRIT HAT-TRICK
🔹 AINCHEA A HIDDEN HORSE AT THE 10-1
🔹 ALTIOR: BUN DORAN THE BIG IMPROVER
🔹 CLASSY TAFFS THE KING OF THE CASTLE
🔹 HUGHES LOOKING HOT ON 18.0 CHANCE
ALTIOR UP FOR GAME SPIRIT HAT-TRICK
He’s not invincible; he makes mistakes. And I’m talking about Nicky Henderson, not the horse, Altior, who slipped from his pedestal over a trip too far.
Since then Altior has had a double wind-op: so, despite today‘s headlines – ‘fallacy of the fallen champ’ – we have to conclude that there was something wrong when Altior was outgunned by Cyrname in November.
And that everything has been done during his 175-day holiday at Seven Barrows to restore the monarchy of Altior and prevent the crown from slipping again.
What was really fallacious was stepping him up to 2m 5f and not only expecting him to beat Cyrname but then announcing that he would get his revenge – later withdrawn – over a similar trip.
Altior is back in his supposed comfort zone today in the Game Spirit, a race he’s already won twice, preparing for the Champion Chase he’s already won twice. Must they now kneel to Henderson and proclaim victory today his greatest training feat?
You can’t have it both ways and say that fallen-champ headlines are a fallacy and then prepare to salute the trainer as a god for bringing him back, wind ops and all.
Altior didn’t go anywhere; he was sent down the wrong path, now aged 10.
It’s his age, the toll of 19 consecutive wins, and young pretenders growing in maturity that may stop him anytime soon.
AINCHEA A HIDDEN HORSE AT THE 10-1
1.50 Newbury They’ve punted One For The Team. He may be better than a bridesmaid after three placed efforts (223) in good company, including runner-up here in November.
But they have cost him a 9lb rise and he hasn’t won since his bumper maiden, which is always a bad sign.
Similarly, Acey Deucey hasn’t scored since novice success a year or so back; he, too, has run solid places since, first in a tongue-tie, then in cheekpieces, which worked well at Haydock but not so on the last day.
Anytime Will Do has also failed to step up from novice victory in the autumn of 2018, but Ainchea – dropping down the handicap but up in trip – is bred for the 3m.
When One For The Team, was runner-up in the Ladbrokes Hurdle here in November, Vive Le Roi was a neck third, giving him 15lb, and a well-in Dolphin Square was only fourth.
But Le Roi is giving two or three years away to the young pretenders. I think Ainchea at around 10-1 this morning is the hidden horse.
ALTIOR: BUN DORAN THE BIG IMPROVER
2.25 Newbury (Game Spirit Chase) There’s been only one win by a 10-year-old in 25 years, and the Cyrname lesson, though 175 days old, is fresh in our minds.
Cyrname himself has been beaten since, ironically over a trip too far in the King George. Clearly our champions are all a bit too precious!
Altior is priced as though sure to continue to dominate over two miles and make it 20 wins consecutive at that sort of trip. But you can’t continue expecting to ‘buy money’ once they show their age or their flaws.
It’s hard to choose between Dynamite Dollars and Kalashnikov for the young upstart who might put the champ’s nose out of joint again.
In his last serious race, more than two years ago, Dynamite Dollars beat Kalashnikov, giving him weight.
But, in the official scheme of things, Kalshnikov is ‘receiving’ weight today because they race at levels although Kalashnikov has advanced 4lb ahead of his rival in the ratings. The good ground doesn’t help a 2m 4f animal, though blinkers first time should sharpen him up.
Paul Nicholls no doubt remembers that he beat Sire De Grugy (fell) in this race with Mr Mole, racing off only 155 five years ago.
As trainer of the lean and hungry Cyrname, he should be cocky this morning but he’s worried that Dynamite Dollar, an altogether heavier, old-fashioned chaser, will need the run.
Sceau Royal’s been a bridesmaid to Altior four times but got closest to the champ – just two and a half lengths – at Sandown on a sound surface in the Spring.
Bun Doran had Sceau Royal behind in the Ladbrokes Desert Orchid Chase over Christmas and this slick jumper is the improver of the race, up 22lb over his last six starts. Worth a pound at 16.0 on BETDAQ to get us involved in the race.
CLASSY TAFFS IS KING OF THE CASTLE
3.15 Warwick (Warwick Castle Chase) Two Taffs (BETDAQ 4.0) has been running well after a long break. He doesn’t like it when the mud is flying and he hasn’t coped beyond 2m 4f (form figures at today’s trip 22312).
Has the class to beat Bellami Des Pictons, who was a fine fourth in the autumn cup at Cheltenham but hasn’t won a race for nearly three years.
King Of Realms took the prizemoney here over 3m last Spring, thanks to first-time visor. Switches to blinkers today to sharpen him up over the shorter trip.
They have persisted with Cheltenham for Clondaw Castle but he doesn’t like the hill. This is much more like it and Aintree should be the revised target.
I’d be excited by him today as the ‘hidden horse’ but trainer Tom George is missing strike badly (1-23) with figures of 3304444330.
A new trip today and still only five, Katpoli is on the upgrade but Dr Richard Newland is also missing strike (4042002320).
Consistency despite long breaks keeps Gala Ball’s rating on high and they’re hoping cheekpieces will squeeze a few more pounds out of him.
HUGHES LOOKING HOT ON 18.0 CHANCE
3.35 Newbury Grade-3 hurdle won for 15 years now by horses aged five or six, three out of six by Nigel Twiston-Davies (but Stolen Silver went for a walk this morning, with 20.0 offers on BETDAQ having no takers at time of writing).
Nicky Henderson has had an even bigger haul in the race – won it five times – and, though Never Adapt didn’t beat much at Kempton, they’ve straightened her out and she should go well despite a slapping from the handicapper (10lb rise).
Not So Sleepy is hiked 22lb for back-to-back autumn strikes in very soft ground, and Sir Valentine, another ‘Twiston’ runner, is now hugely better off and was not punished to catch the easy winner.
Mack The Man up 15lb in similar circumstances. Thebannerkingrebel has to emerge from the novice ranks. Ciel De Neige is unexposed and a good third in the Fred Winter, but also seemingly at his best in the mud.
Also unexposed is Quoi De Neuf, well backed for a similar big Grade 3 hurde in December, but brought down. Brian Hughes booked.
Quoi De Neuf is 3lb better with with the winner, Harambe, for less than two lengths defeat, fourth, in the Greatwood, when Gumball was runner-up.
Oakley is well in now with Never Adapt and Not So Sleepy, and my three against the field are Oakley (BETDAQ 25.0), Quoi De Neuf (18.0) and his stablemate Mack The Man (13.5), a big horse with a light weight, who has just got himself together mentally and has a high cruising speed.
DAQMAN’S BETS
1.50 Newbury (win 20, win 10 a place)
BET 2pts win and 5pts place AINCHEA
2.25 Newbury (win 20 plus stakes-saver place)
BET 1pt win and place BUN DORAN
3.15 Warwick (win 20)
BET 6.50pts win (nap) TWO TAFFS
3.35 Newbury (win 50 bull’s-eye bets, win 10 a place)
BET 4pts win MACK THE MAN
BET 2pts win and place OAKLEY
BET 2pts win and place QUOI DE NEUF
DAQ MULTIPLES
2 x 3pt win doubles
2.25 Newbury
ALTIOR and BUN DORAN
3.15 Warwick
TWO TAFFS
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