DAQMAN’S 14-1 CUP WINNER WAS SUPER-VALUE 26.0 ON BETDAQ: The Daqman winner-a-day sequence continued yesterday, despite the early setback of places (2nd 8-1 and 3rd 12-1) in the same race, the Coral Charge. One winner from 12 (or 2-13, counting the place bet) was hardly a score to write home about for a Saturday, yet the hit of 60 points cut the day’s deficit to eight and wrote two big headlines: another huge mark-up of BETDAQ value and 566 points of clear water between Daqman and Pricewise.
WON 14-1 ALOUNAK (w/p Old Newton Cup) from 26.0 on BETDAQ
* Daqman 39, Pricewise 18 (+225.14 to -341.50)
THE CLASSIC MYSTERY AFTER A SENSATIONAL CORAL-ECLIPSE: Daqman takes a Sunday-smile look at the Sandown photo-finish controversy, wonders how Ballydoyle missed out on four Classics while the sensational Coral-Eclipse winner was around, and picks an 8.5 outsider for the big race in France, a strong field for the Grand Prix de Saint-cloud.
PHOTO-FINISHES TAKING A KNOCK
It’s all done by mirrors. Or it should be. But, after an obvious mistake in calling the photo-finish to the opening Coral contest at Sandown yesterday, it was replaced by a dead-heat which was equally obviously wrong.
The explanation of the amended ‘result’ was, said ITV Racing’s Oli Bell, ‘because the mirror was out.’
Where had the mirror gone? It was all very vernacular, not to say mysterious, particularly when the mirrored finish was shown in the programme with the proviso that it shouldn’t have been.
No wonder, when it contradicted the judge’s original decision, to award the race to Phoenix Star, even though Hurricane Ivor’s nose was clearly in front. In stepped the Stewards to determine that the mirror was ‘misaligned’, leaving ‘insufficient evidence’ to separate the two horses. So it was a dead-heat.
It wasn’t a dead-heat as the best way of wiping egg off several faces, it was a dead-heat because there was no reliable evidence.
However, the egg returned, totally scrambled by the photo-finish firm’s declaration that the mirror had been checked thoroughly before racing but might have been ‘knocked’.
Now there’ll be a Stewards’ inquiry into a Stewards’ inquiry (See what I did, then? I relied on a mirror image to stress the absurdity of the situation).
THE ARC IS THE DARE FOR JUSTICE
There are two new goals for every winner. Where do they go from here? Can they do even better?
Whatever England’s strikers do – and all credit to the Harry Kane revival – that they have not conceded in four games makes men of the matches so far, Jordan Pickford, the last line of defence, and manager Gareth Southgate, the first place where the buck stops.
But how come, in our own sport, the manager supreme and goalkeeper extraordinary, Aidan O’Brien, has fumbled and fumbled again, failing to block repeated Godolphin strikes?
He’s dropped the ball in both home Guineas and both home Derbys! Yet he had on the bench a dual Classic star who yesterday pulverised the winners of £13m in prizemoney from two generations his senior, Mishriff and Addeybb.
The Guineas and Derby double in France had St Mark’s Basilica on the rostrum twice but not on a pedestal; he’d seemingly beaten nothing well.
But, though there will be the knockers, about the pace and tactical problems of a small field, he totally eclipsed them at Sandown yesterday.
He emerges as the fireball where we have been looking to the Ballydoyle damp squibs: Arturo Toscanini, High Definition, Bolshoi Ballet, Van Gogh, Wembley, Wordsworth et al.
Perhaps St Mark’s Basilica was the hidden seam of gold. No, he was winner of the Dewhurst and European Two-Year-Old Champion in the 2020 classifications. The mystery deepens and his worth must be weighed in the scales of racing justice, if he is to be three-year-old champion as well.
We must hope to see St Mark’s Basilica against one or both of the Godolphin Derby heroes, Adayar and Hurricane Lane?
Not in the King George we won’t but they could still dare the Arc with him, after picking up the Irish Champion Stakes and the York International along the way.
BARON CAN BE GRAND PRIX KING
⭕ 2.50 Grand Prix Saint-Cloud Meanwhile, back where he gets his winners, Aidan O’Brien tries to grab another French prize, the £204,000-to-the-winner grand prix with Broome.
Purists turn up your nose: one of his main rivals, Baron Samedi (trained Joseph O’Brien), is a gelding, though a valuable one at that. Since his op, he has won seven consecutive races.
A fine field is completed by last year’s Arc runner-up, In Swoop, and the highly-progressive filly, Ebaiyra, whom we know from her third to Wonderful Tonight in the Royallieu at the Arc meeting, the filly who beat Broome in the Hardwicke last month.
We know Baron Samedi from his defeat of stablemate Master Of Reality in the Vintage Crop Stakes at Navan in April.
What could make the baron a king today is his stamina: his last strike was the Belmont Gold Cup in June over two miles, and Michael Barzalona ,who has won on him at Longchamp (1m 3f), clearly can adapt to whatever circumstances of speed and stamina are required today.
BETDAQ value 8.5 Baron Samedi
BACK IN TO BAT ON HEADINGLEY
⭕ 3.13 Ayr Just the one Flat meeting in England on a Sunday! And, having said after I backed him on the last day, ‘Headingley needs blinkers,’ I have to try to get my cash back now.
BETDAQ value 3.5 Headingley
⭕ 4.45 Market Rasen Nicky Henderson has been quietly lurking with his keep net, landing some sweet little fish (three winners out of five) at Worcester and Stratford at the end of June.
When Nico De Boinville rides, French Crusader gets in the money: 2122 last four starts together. The track should suit.
BETDAQ BETTING EXCHANGE VALUE 3.75 French Crusader
DAQMAN’S BETS
2.50 Saint-cloud (win 30)
BET 4pts win BARON SAMEDI
3.13 Ayr (win 10, nap)
BET 4pts win HEADINGLEY
4.45 Market Rasen (win 10)
BET 3.5pts win FRENCH CRUSADER
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.
