Last year’s report on this day
DAQMAN 220 POINTS UP ON PRICEWISE
2023: Daqman extended his winners total over Pricewise of the Racing Post to 18-12 when he landed the Imperial Cup with Iceo at Sandown yesterday and also named the third. He now leads on points by 219.70 to level stakes.
Today’s preview of the same day
DAQMAN 792 POINTS UP ON PRICEWISE
2024: Daqman leads Pricewise 29-10 going into Imperial Cup day at Sandown today and is in front by 792 points (Daqman +446.66 Pricewise -345.83).
TARGET A TREBLE OF BULL’S-EYES: Today’s bull’s-eye targets: three big races at Sandown and Wolverhampton with bets to win 50 points. Can they boost his points total and take the gap with Pricewise nearer 1,000 points.
CHELTENHAM STATS: Don’t forget to check out Daqman’s day by day, race by race stats pointers to Cheltenham (click below)
FAIVOIR THE MORNING GAMBLE
⭕ 2.25 Sandown (Imperial Cup) STATS: Ages five and six dominate (9 out of 11); only five winners have been older than seven since 1958.
Weights: 8 out of 11 on 10st 12lb or less (winners’ ratings 128, 130, 125, 131, 133, 128, 130, 136, 130, 135, 132). Only three winners in 19 years have carried 11st 1lb to 11st 3lb but those were in the last six seasons.
LAYS LOGIC: SP favourites nil in the last decade; they have finished 8th 3-1; PU 11-4; 3rd 3-1; PU 9-2; 4th 9-2; 2nd 5-1; 3rd 100-30; 3rd 3-1; 6th at 2-1; PU 9-2; and PU 9-2.
SPs of winners 5-1 (twice), 7-1 (twice) and 9-1 but also 10-1, 20-1 (twice) and 33-1).
CHELTENHAM entries: Bad, Go Dante, Making Headway, Sans Bruit, Faivoir, Knickerbocker Glory, Spirit D’Aunou, Shared.
Sans Bruit Paul Nicholls has won this twice in four years. Sans Bruit has a few pounds more than the expected weight of the winner, but has been well supported.
He was given his head first run for Ditcheat in January but that was on a soundish surface and all five wins for David Cottin in France were on very soft or heavy (usually hooded). Hood back on today.
Faivoir Dan Skelton, who won this with Langer Dan off 130 in 2021, has three runners, notably Faivoir (Harry Skelton) off 136.
Is this his Cheltenham? He was set to try for a repeat win in the County Hurdle there next Friday but has been the morning gamble with bookies for today, though still 12.0 in BETDAQ offers at time of writing.
Skelton also runs Knickerbocker Glory, set a pound lower with 11-10 and claimed off, but still has 3lb more than when a 25-1 runner-up in this race last year.
And, when at Ascot, he was 12 lengths in front of Bad, who doesn’t get the turn-around required here, had Faivoir pulled up after losing his action. However Faivoir is working well again at home.
Jipcot got in here with a penalty for winning just six days ago but, since the gelding is a bit of a hothead, Ben Pauling thinks he’ll be the better for having had the fizz taken out of him.
Go Dante, lightly raced for an eight-year-old, and winner at Cheltenham in December, comes here after third in the big Newbury hurdle a month back in early February. Sidesteps the festival.
Spirit D’Aunou was heavily penalised (10lb) for winning easily over the CD here in December, and has a claiming amateur on board today.
Georgi Girl won a class-4 over CD here at Sandown in January but the jockey reported that he had ‘loads of horse under him,’ and she’s scored again since, though that put the mare up a total of 15lb at the double!
Shared is three times a winner, since bought by Harry Derham to be a 2023 Fred Winter horse (had an off day in that). His sites are lowered somewhat to Martin Pipe level but he could be better than the bare form.
DAQMAN VERDICT and Betdaq Betting Exchange value: 7.7 Go Dante, 8.1 Sans Bruit, 12 Faivoir
NICHOLLS FOR ANOTHER NOVICES
⭕ 1.50 Sandown (NH Novices’ Handicap Hurdle Final) LAYS LOGIC STATS: Ages 5 and 6 only win this and favourites have a poor record (currently 1-10).
Also against Hasthing are the hazards of following Jonjo O’Neill. His connections are putting the money down right now (Hasthing is owned by J P McManus) but the results suggest he doesn’t bear following.
Record of short-priced runners in the last 12 days show he mostly misses strike: won 8-11 fav, 2nd 15-8 fav, 3rd 10-3 fav, 5th 5-2, F 11-4, 2nd 11-10 fav, 2nd 11-10, won 8-15f, 2nd 11-10, F 10-11 fav, 2nd 10-11 fav.
Trainers in form in a pinstickers’ race are Paul Nicholls (Fire Flyer on a hat-trick), and Ben Pauling with three:
Champagne Twist 7lb worse in with his Doncaster runner-up Taras Halls; then improver Pic Roc, a solid winner at Ascot despite some untidy jumping, and Awaythelad, another on a hat-trick.
Finally, Dan Skelton (Asta La Pasta was beaten in his only handicap to date), and Nigel Twiston-Davies, with High Treason and Tedley, who both have to improve.
BETDAQ value 7.1 Fire Flyer, 12.5 Pic Roc.
BUICK VOYAGE THROUGH THE GAPS
⭕ 3.15 Wolverhampton (Lincoln Trial) STATS: Some 64% of winners of this go on to the Lincoln Handicap at Doncaster but, in the last 11 years, the best that seven who went to Town Moor could do is finish 7th, 9th, 16th, 20th, 12th, 11th and 8th.
Andrew Balding has won the Trial twice in five seasons, including with Notre Belle Bete (2022), who finished four lengths off the Lincoln winner – Johan – that year at Doncaster after taking this among three AW strikes.
Both Balding winners of this were ridden by David Probert, and they team up again today with Sudden Ambush, whose Kempton win last month was success first time up after the break for the second year running.
Gets more than a stone from Kingdom Come, who has been placed three times in a row off 101, so seems held by the handicapper after shooting up a total of 21lb for a hat-trick last year at this time.
CD-winner Final Voyage is nicely in between the weight extremes with 9st, just 5lb higher than when he won the AW Vase at Lingfield last Easter.
He was held up at the back that day and came wide from stall 11. By coincidence William Buick’s ride has gate 11 again, this time at Wolver, and we rely on him finding the gaps.
BETDAQ value 8.1 Final Voyage, 19 Sudden Ambush
DAQMAN’S BULL’S-EYE BETS
A day Daqman traditionally tries to boost
the kitty for Cheltenham. He bets to win
50 points in each of three big races.
1.50 Sandown (win 50)
BET 8pts win FIRE FLYER
BET 4.25pts win PIC ROC
2.25 Sandown (win 50)
BET 7.5pt win GO DANTE
BET 7pts win SANS BRUIT
BET 4.5pts win FAIVOIR
3.15 Wolverhampton (win 50)
BET 7pts win FINAL VOYAGE
BET 3pts win SUDDEN AMBUSH
5.35 Wolverhampton (nap to win 10)
BET 12pts win QUIET RESOLVE
What are points? Points facilitate a staking plan, which is the secret to creating profit. One point is whatever you choose: a pound, a euro, or whatever ….
Start with a bank and decide how much you can afford to lose over a period of time, and determine the size of your bets accordingly. Daqman makes this variation every day.
Did you know? DAQMAN’s tips are posted each and every day so he’s always on hand to help with your horse racing betting.
