DAQMAN CRACKS BANKERS TREBLE: Daqman was adamant yesterday that Thistlecrack (WON 2-1) would stake his claim to the World Hurdle, and he duly landed the Long Walk at Ascot for our man’s third consecutive banker. That’s six winning bankers out of the last seven and 23 winning naps since the start of the jumps for 286 points profit to 20-points level stakes. The bankers hat-trick is:
WON 1-2 Bit Of A Puzzle
WON 2-1 Le Mercurey
WON 2-1 Thistlecrack
8-1 WINNER WAS 12.5 ON BETDAQ: Daqman beat Pricewise 2-0 to take the season’s tally to Daqman 14, Pricewise 4 (overall 260-99) with returns from Wakanda (WON 8-1 from 12.5 when selected on BETDAQ) in the Ascot Silver Cup and Renneti (win and place, 3rd 14-1) in The Ladbroke. Daqman now shows a profit to 20-point level stakes of 72 points in races which challenge Pricewise, who is 265 points down by the same token.
HE’S THE MAN WHO MAKES THE HEADLINES: We hope you have time to read Daqman’s insights into the day’s racing. But, if you’re in a hurry, just follow headlines like these of the last two days:
MINSTREL PLAY ON STAMINA GROUNDS (Minstrel Royal 3rd 20-1)
MERCUREY IS RISING FOR NICHOLLS (Le Mercurey Won 2-1)
CRACK WORLD HURDLE CLAIMANT (Thistlecrack Won 2-1)
WAKANDA A WILLING WESTERNER (Wakanda Won 8-1 from 12.5 on BETDAQ)
LOOK OUT FOR CHRISTMAS PREVIEWS
Christmas is coming. But, after normal racing today until Tuesday, there are three days off from the game. No meetings on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
December 26 Next Saturday is the big feast. Racing extraordinary at Kempton Park with the King George V1 Chase, and the start of a fabulous four-day festival at Leopardstown.
December 27 The Welsh Grand National at Chepstow.
December 28 The Lexus and the Christmas Hurdle in Ireland.
December 29 Leopardstown’s final day and a last BETDAQ sponsorship of the year at Doncaster.
On Monday and Tuesday, Daqman will be previewing the big meetings and he’ll also leave you something to think about on the three blank days.
THISTLECRACK ARRIVES RIGHT ON CUE
He’s the new Big Buck’s. But Thistlecrack’s win in the Long Walk yesterday was on his way to Cheltenham with just the potential of a first World Hurdle.
Big Buck’s didn’t win it until he was already world’s best hurdler. He then performed the hat-trick of Long Distance Hurdle, Long Walk and World Hurdle three times.
Thistlecrack has taken the first two legs just the once, and he still has to win at Cheltenham, so comparison is premature unless you watch the Ascot replay again.. and again. There’s that same surge and that same feeling of exhilaration mixed with relief as each majestic leap is executed.
Somehow it’s the right trip and the right speed to bring out the sheer exuberance and skills of rare athletes of their calibre. We used to will Big Buck’s over every obstacle.
For Thistlecrack’s trainer, Colin Tizzard, it is, finally, the affirmation he needed for the big adventure of extending his stables near Wincanton on the back of Cue Card’s career.
Another Cue Card – like another Big Buck’s – has been a long time coming. Colin had faith that a new star would turn up; he had faith that Cue Card – still only nine – was no back number. Now Thistlecrack seems here to stay, right on top of Cue Card’s revival. That’s fantastic for family Tizzard!
After winning the Charlie Hall and the Lancashire Chase, Cue Card is only 7-2 with Ladbrokes for the King George on Boxing Day. Thistlecrack, who will also be on a hat-trick when he goes for the Cleeve Hurdle, is now 3-1 favourite for the World title in March.
A SEASONAL GIFT IN THE OPENER..
12.50 Fakenham Colin Tizzard’s stable of the moment has two runners at Fakenham today as it begins life with a new future.
Intriguingly, Thistlecrack’s rider of yesterday, Tom Scudamore, partners Westend Prince in this opener. The form-book says that Prince has no chance, with defeat in three runs this autumn by a total of 124 lengths.
But the Kings Theatre grey is only four and takes a sudden step up by nearly a mile to a marathon trip this afternoon: 8-8 in the BETDAQ orange early mouse.
Bonnet’s Vino won at Leicester after 624 days off in such a slow time they kept being overtaken by the ambulance. The bounce factor is a worry, though she was second in this race two years ago.
Houston Dynimo has had 10 straight chases and hasn’t won over hurdles since August, 2014, but will carry 15lb lower than his chase mark. Storm Alert shows no improvement, stuck on the same or a similar rating since April.
Shaky Gift (offered at 6.4) has stuck to mares-only races but forged clear by 14 lengths over todays’s course and distance in November, giving 10lb to the winner, and is still unexposed after only five races under Rules.
1.20 Fakenham With the defection of Hollies Pearl and two others, you are left choosing from the well-bred Mystic Sky, Shanandoa – a half-sister to The Giant Bolster – and Savingforvegas, an interesting Point winner who has shown resolution but not much pace.
Four-year-olds do best in the race, and Richard Johnson’s strength could see Mystic Sky through: 3.45 on BETDAQ, as I write.
1.50 Fakenham John Ferguson (Cayman Islands) landed a double at Catterick last week but there wasn’t a penny for his horses on Saturday: they started 20-1, 25-1 (twice) and 33-1.
Minella Forfitness, a Listed-level hurdles winner, landed a chase in this class 3 in March but has disappointed since.
Here’s Herbie fell on his first attempt over fences and was beaten favourite over hurdles on the last day in November.
Wings Attract, on the other hand, won well on his chase debut in a BETDAQ-sponsored novices’ handicap at Doncaster.
He has to give 8lb to Fakenham hat-trick seeker, Emerald Rose, who has the experience of six chases on her CV, winning a novice event in May and coming straight back into the winner’s enclosure on her reappearance in November.
As the two years younger horse, Wings Attract, who won a hurdle here at Fakenham, is the one in the race open to improvement: 3.5 offers on BETDAQ.
TONIC TO LAND FOURTH BANKER BET
2.20 Fakenham Gin and Tonic looks out on his own here against a maiden (Neworld), a novice winner (Ogaritmo), and a bridesmaid (Sacred Square: 23333 under NH Rules).
A CD winner here at Fakenham, Gin And Tonic was raised in grade under a girl claimer on the last day though, in fact, there was no disgrace in finishing runner-up to a subsequent 12-lengths winner.
I took 2.58 to continue my hat-trick sequence of banker naps and add to the Christmas shopping fund. No dear, I’m not talking about Harrods (or even Tescos) but my betting wallet for the King George and Welsh Grand National!
2.50 Fakenham Here’s Tizzard again, stepping up another horse in distance: Bears Rails making his steeplechase debut has cracking credentials, by Flemensfirth out of a Saddlers Hall mare. That’s the proverbial ‘could be anything’ breeding profile.
Bredon Hill Lad has the experience of three chases but failed to step up to today’s grade at Lingfield on the last day, after scoring in a small-field class 5 at Uttoxeter, albeit the Lingfield ground was a bog.
Jumpandtravel (5.3 offers) also makes his chase debut but was an impressive winner of an Irish Point over 3m. I also took 4.3 on BETDAQ about Bears Rails, who was well backed this morning.
DAQMAN’S BETS (staked 1 to 9; a banker would be 10)
BET 4pts win SHAKY GIFT and 2.5pts win WESTEND PRINCE (12.50 Fakenham)
BET 7pts win MYSTIC SKY (1.20 Fakenham)
BET 7pts win WINGS ATTRACT (1.50 Fakenham)
BANKER: BET 20pts win (nap) GIN AND TONIC (2.20 Fakenham)
BET 5pts win BEARS RAILS and 4pts win JUMPANDTRAVEL (2.50 Fakenham)
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