DAQMAN WINS 3-1 IN BIG-RACE BATTLE: Daqman followed up 5-1 and 11-2 winners on the first two days of Newmarket by napping runaway Middle Park hero, Vandeek, which was Daqman’s 80th winning nap of the year and his 50th Flat-season value hit against Pricewise of the Racing Post. Daqman had two more returns to beat Pricewise 3-1 on the day and set up a lead of 52-28.
WON 43-10 POKER FACE (Longchamp)
WON 5-4 VANDEEK (Newmarket nap)
WON (2nd 13-1) JACK DARCY (Longchamp w/p)
Vandeek Daqman markers
★ 80 NAPS up this year
★ 50 WINNERS against Pricewise
PLAYING HIS ACES ON ARC DAY: Daqman has two aces on Arc day at Longchamp today with win-50 bull’s-eye bets and a nap to pass the 80 mark!
ARC WILL HAVE A HUGE IMPACT
🇫🇷 3.05 Longchamp (Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe) ABC GUIDE: Wednesday.
FORTUNE COOKIES could get only one run (WON 1-8) out of Ace Impact 47 days ago before I closed them down for the season on 22 winners. I’d hoped for an Arc-trials hit at a better price. But I may be glad that didn’t happen.
Hukum has waited even longer to show his hand again (64 days) and the Japanese player, Through Seven Seas, has had a 98-day holiday.
‘A horse must be fresh for the Arc, on fast ground because he’s expected to show his very best speed and flair; on heavy, because he needs all his stamina to get into a striking position and then strength for the finishing burst.
It’s almost always won in the last 50 yards.’ That’s what my French connection told me ‘l’annee de l’ane’ (that’s donkeys years ago, to you). And I hope I’m not a donkey in predicting:
1 ACE IMPACT has it all, and his trainer, Jean-Claude Rouget is €4million up this season already and 35 winners clear after the unbeaten colt’s five in a row, which included two strikes on soft and the French Derby at Chantilly on good ground.
He’s the Aidan O’Brien of French racing – Andre Fabre runs second these days – and Aidan has Continuous (gate 7) next door in the stalls to Ace Impact (out of 8) only 15 days after his Doncaster St Leger triumph.
The ratings computer says that Continuous is only a 9lb better horse than when beaten more than 15 lengths by Ace Impact at Chantilly.
2 THROUGH SEVEN SEAS (stall 5) Fillies and mares do well in the Arc – think Enable and Found – and the Japanese often place without winning.
So it is that I have this big improver in second not first place, though strictly on world rankings she could win this.
Her claim to fame is a neck defeat by Equinox, top of the world rankings after four in a row including the Sheema Classic, when well clear of Westover, who was beaten a head by Hukum at Ascot in July.
3 FEED THE FLAME (stall 2) More than six lengths behind Ace Impact in the French Derby improved to take the Group-1 Grand Prix de Paris and was not fully wound up after a break when finishing late behind Fantastic Moon in the Prix Niel trial.
4 FANTASTIC MOON Germany does well in this – think Danedream and Torquator Tasso – and this Deutsches Derby winner readily beat a below-par Feed The Flame in the Niel trial but runs a bit free to be able to operate from stall 12.
5 PLACE DU CARROUSEL An improving filly, she beat Nashwa in the Opera at this meeting last year and avenged her Ganay defeat by Iresine and Simca Mille in April by turning around the form with Iresine in the Foy trial three weeks back. Jockey Mickael Barzalona is the Dettori of the Paris tracks.
6/7 Aidan O’Brien is a Continuous winner but that one beat Group-3 horses in the Voltigeur and the Leger, while Hukum (badly drawn in 14) pipped Westover (see above) in a sub-standard King George.
BETDAQ value 4 Ace Impact 12 Through Seven Seas, 13.5 Feed The Flame
BEAU IS MAKING GIANT STRIDES
🇫🇷 1.15 Longchamp (Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere, 7f 2yo, Group 1) With Aidan O’Brien looking strong in the Lagardere and the Boussac here today, Vandeek’s star performance at Newmarket yesterday was so essential or England might have faced the long months until Newmarket resumes next Spring with a Classic case of the winter blues.
Look out for my review of the two-year-olds, which already had Vandeek top of the list and will surely have a Ballydoyle name up there after the next 35 minutes in Paris. Unquestionable!
Unquestionable swerved the Morny to attempt this 7f but the Wootton Bassett colt is only the second foal of a Sea The Stars mare, who did not do much on the track.. and passed that on to her first foal!
Aidan O’Brien had a lot more to say about the ‘tough and speedy’ (quote unquote) No Nay Never colt Henry Adams, Christopher Soumillon up, to do battle with Ryan Moore.
But the leading French jockey, Maxime Guyon (on 199 winners), found Beauvatier just needed nursing into the lead in a Group 3 here at Longchamp, with his trainer, Yann Barberot, jubilant: ‘He won it in a few strides.. knocks me out every race and every morning’s work.”
Betdaq Betting Exchange 3.25 Beauvatier
SINGER TAKES GROUP-1 STAGE
🇫🇷 1.50 Longchamp (Prix Marcel Boussac, 1m 2yo fillies, Group 1) The fillies version of the Lagardere has the extra furlong.
Last year produced French Guineas and Oaks winner, Blue Rose Cen, for Christopher Head; now saddles Freville, who has followed the hoofprints of Blue Rose Cen in her preparation.
Aidan O’Brien won it with future Arc heroine Found (2014) and Opera Singer (pictured below) was brilliant in beating Brilliant in a Group 3 at the Curragh in August.
BETDAQ value 3.35 Opera Singer to beat Darnation, who completed the hat-trick when taking the May Hill in the mud at Doncaster. Drying ground a worry.
ROSE BACK IN BLOOM TODAY
🇫🇷 3.50 Longchamp (Prix de l’Opera, 1m 2f Group 1) Won by Place Du Carrousel last year, following Rhododendron (2017 Aidan O’Brien) and Tarnawa (2020 Dermot Weld) for Ireland.
Blue Rose Cen was my Fortune Cookie favourite, winning the French 1,000 Guineas and French Oaks (Jannah Rose 6th) for us but failing to get a clear run in the Nassau Stakes at Goodwood and failing (full stop) in the Vermeille Arc trial, stepped up to 1m 4f.
Al Husn, who first pipped Nashwa in June then won the Nassau, finished little more than length in front of the hampered Blue Rose Cen that day at Goodwood.
BETDAQ value 4.0 Blue Rose Cen (nap of the day at Longchamp)
DETTORI HAS BETDAQ 34.0 DATE
🇫🇷 4.25 Longchamp (Prix de l’Abbaye, 5f Group 1) STATS: Seven winners out of nine drawn no higher than 7, come rain or shine, and older horses haven’t scored for eight years. France has lost the £175k pot nine times out of 10.
England and Ireland combine for 68% of the field but it looks hard work for the darling of English sprinters, Highfield Princess, now aged 6 and drawn 14, and Ireland’s five-year-old Moss Tucker (stall 11).
Moss Tucker narrowly beat Get Ahead (in 9 today) in the Flying Five at the Curragh, with Equality third (also five and in stall 8 now).
White Lavender (in 6): Beaten a short-neck a year ago, giving a ton of weight to the two-year-old winner. Five now but cut in the ground and a handy draw should see the mare up with the leaders.
Ponntos (in gate 2 now) is another who will be up there from the start, beaten a head in the Petit Couvert trial for this by last year’s Abbaye third, Coeur de Pierre, with Asymmetric (7) third from a slow start.
Asymmetric, Group-2 winner for Alan King, was bought by sprints ace trainer Welsey Ward but the firm American surfaces didn’t work for him. Back to form in France and Frankie Dettori booked.
Three-year-olds have won five of the last seven Abbayes. Queen Mary winner, Dramatised, is lightly raced this season, getting no luck with the draw after taking the Temple Stakes at Haydock. In 12 today but classy filly with a big shout if things fall right for Danny Tudhope.
Kerdos (in 4) pulled hard when a big-field handicap runner-up at Royal Ascot but settled better when winning in the Pattern on the tough sprint track at Beverley but may need more time.
BETDAQ value short-list: 9.2 White Lavender, 14.0 Ponntos, 21.0 Dramatised, 34.0 Asymmetric
DAQMANS BETS
1.15 Longchamp (win 10)
BET 4pts win BEAUVATIER
1.50 Longchamp (win 12)
BET 5pts win OPERA SINGER
3.05 Longchamp (the Arc to win 30)
BET 10pts win ACE IMPACT
BET 2.75pts win and place THROUGH SEVEN SEAS
3.50 Longchamp (win 30 nap)
BET 10pts win BLUE ROSE CEN
4.25 Longchamp (win-50 bull’s-eye bets)
BET 5.25pts win WHITE LAVENDER
BET 2.5pts win and place DRAMATIST
BET 1.5pts win and place ASYMMETRIC
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.
WHERE THE BIG WINNERS COME FROM: Four days and seven races of top two-year-old tests are not to be missed, while you spend your time on the Cambridgeshire and Arc de Triomphe form. There could be a legend waiting somewhere among them. Daqman provides the clues in advance.
BOOST FOR NEWMARKET NURSERY BET: One of Daqman’s tips yesterday, Chic Columbine (WON 100-30), gave a big boost to offers of 8.6 on BETDAQ this morning. It’s in the nursery on the opening day of Newmarket this afternoon.
A LEGEND WAITING SOMEWHERE
Two-year-old racing preview
⭕ 3.35 Newmarket today (Somerville Tattersall Stakes, 2yo, 7f) STATS Five out of the last seven winners have been drawn in stall 2. Charlie Appleby and William Buick, who have combined for two of them, now run Legend Of Time.
Their 2021 winner Modern Games went on to win the Breeders Cup Juvenile Turf and – the following season – the French 2,000 Guineas.
⭕ 3.00 Newmarket tomorrow (Rockfel Stakes, 2yo, 7f) STATS Three of the last five winners were drawn 1 or 2. Team Gosden, winners of two of the last six, have Spiritual as a probable tomorrow.
Their 2022 winner Commissioning went on to take the Fillies Mile but did not run as a three-year-old.
And be warned that the race had been an absolute dead-end before that. The nine winners from 2013 To 2021 never scored again, losing a total of 39 times.
⭕ 1.50 Newmarket Saturday (Royal Lodge Stakes 2yo 1m) STATS: Aidan O’Brien 2, Team Gosden 2. Eight winners out of 10 were out of stalls 1, 2, 3, 4. O’Brien has six left in at this stage.
The Foxes (2022) went on to win the Dante as a 3yo but the race hero was Roaring Lion (2017), who also won the Dante, and made four consecutive Group 1 strikes.
⭕ 2.25 Newmarket, Saturday (Cheveley Park Stakes 2yo 6f) STATS Aidan O’Brien has landed four winners in the last seven seasons, but the best of a weaker bunch in the decade, compared with its old popularity, was Andrew Balding’s Alcohol Free (2020), subsequently winner of the Fred Darling, Coronation Stakes, Sussex Stakes and July Cup.
⭕ 3.00 Newmarket, Saturday (Middle Park Stakes 2yo, 6f) STATS Aidan O’Brien has won it three times in seven years but could have done without the first of them, US Navy Flag (2017),who was headlined for a plethora of races, including the Guineas, even the Derby at one stage after adding the Dewhrst to his bag!
But the War Front colt would lose eight times after, including six Group 1 and, brought back to sprinting, win only the 2018 July Cup.
⭕ 1.15 Longchamp, Sunday (Jean-Luc Lagardere 2yo colts 1m) STATS Eight out of 9 at Longchamp won from stalls 1, 2, 3, 4. Andre Fabre 3-8, winning the French 2,000 Guineas the following year with Victor Ludorum (2019).
Sealiway (2020) won the Champion Stakes and Angel Bleu (2021) the Celebration Mile but winners were not plentiful.
⭕ 1.50 Longchamp, Sunday (Marcel Bousac, 1m 2yo fillies) The only Group 1 in France for two-year-old fillies; best of all the trials this weekend, having produced Allez France (1972), Triptych (1984), Midway Lady (1985), Miesque (1986), Salsabil (1989), Finsceal Beo (2006), Zarkava (2007) Found (2014) and Blue Rose Cen (2022).
STATS: Aidan O’Brien (2), Charlie Appleby (2) in the decade; the favourites all blown out since Aidan O’Brien’s short-priced double with Ballydoyle and Found in 2014-15.
IMPROVING BUDGIE TO FLY HOME
⭕ 2.25 Newmarket today (1m nursery) Stormy Waves has just 4lb with which to turn around an easy defeat by Blown Away at Chelmsford so it doesn’t look likely.
Blown Away enjoyed the step up to a mile but the value today is Granny Budgie, who has improved with every race and is expected to stay.
She gave away 3lb at Doncaster when third to Chic Columbine, Daqman’s tip when scoring decisively yesterday.
Lambert had won three out of four at a low level when he tried class 2; he didn’t like it that the surface had turned soft and much will depend today on whether the forecast showers get into the ground.
Betdaq Betting Exchange 3.5 Blown Away, 8.6 Granny Budgie
⭕ 3.00 Newmarket (6f fillies handicap) Gale Force Maya won this in 2021, and landed five prizes, two of them for Listed races, last year but she hasn’t maintained that level of form this term, including when favourite at Pontefract in one of five losing starts.
‘Maya’ tries blinkers first time today, while Kinta – second in a Group 2 last year – adds a hood after wind surgery, highest rated of the three-year-olds.
Executive Decision has been on the premises at today’s level but had to resort to lower grades to get back to winning form on soft ground in August.
I prefer the Frankel filly Frankness who ran well in an Ascot handicap but showed the benefit of a rest when really getting hold of a race at Salisbury the last day and could go on from there. Betdaq Betting Exchange 4.0 taken.
THUNDERBOLT ON A NICE MARK
⭕ 3.35 Newmarket (Somerville Tattersall Stakes, 2yo, 7f) See above.
It’s not beyond belief that the outsider Victory Shout can give stall 2 a sixth victory in eight seasons at a huge 36.0 on BETDAQ this morning.
By Frankel out of a Shamardal mare, he could yet ‘be anything’ after storming clear by nine lengths the last day over a previous five-lengths winner.
Otherwise it’s Gosden v O’Brien v Appleby, the usual triple-header at Group level. Eben Shaddad, Military and Legend Of Time all won green; the market may help you, if you want to choose between them.
⭕ 5.18 Newmarket (1m handicap) Three-year-olds dominate (five out of seven) and a low stall seems essential (gates 1, 2, 3, 4 have together bagged seven of the last nine winners).
Ranger Thunderbolt (out of 4) is an improver who tried and failed over a longer trip; he’s back to his winning distance here off a nice mark in the handicap. BETDAQ 8.0 taken this morning.
DAQMAN’S BETS
2.25 Newmarket (win 20)
BET 2.5pts win and place GRANNY BUDGIE
BET 4pts to win 10 BLOWN AWAY
3.00 Newmarket (win 15 nap)
BET 5pts win FRANKNESS
3.35 Newmarket (win 40 total)
BET 1pt win and place VICTORY SHOUT
5.18 Newmarket (win 20 total)
BET 2.2pts win and place RANGER THUNDERBOLT
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.
