DAQMAN BIG-VALUE DERBY DAY HAT-TRICK: Daqman made 100 points profit from just three of his bets from four consecutive Epsom races yesterday, including the Derby winner, but his value strike was the 7.6 on BETDAQ about Megallan which he described as ‘far too big’:
WON 5-2 DESERT CROWN (Derby Fortune Cookie) wins 50
WON 9-2 MEGALLAN (from 7.6 on BETDAQ) wins 30
WON 3-1 MIDNIGHTS LEGACY wins 20
NOW HE GOES FOR A WEEKEND DERBY DOUBLE: TODAY: Daqman leads Pricewise (28-18 the score) into another Derby day, this one for the Prix Du Jockey Club at Chantilly. TOMORROW: Fortune Cookies and the countdown to Royal Ascot.
COLTS TRIPLE CROWN IS NEXT
Desert Crown a great Derby winner. A trainer capping a brilliant Classic career and a jockey just starting one with the perfect ride. May the new team of Sir Michael Stoute (six Derbys now) and Richard Kingscote (it’s his first) put a Classic sequence together.
The race was not without drama as Westover was blocked in his run but that was nowhere near the trip-up (literally) by Emily Upjohn which stopped me having the Derby-Oaks double.
Frankie Dettori, who lost the fillies’ Classic on the line, made up for it with a superb front-running ride on Megallan in the Diomed, before William Buick drove Midnights Legacy home by a nose, after earlier being headbutted in the stalls by the horse next door!
No apologies for celebrating Daqman’s success – three winners in four races – because that’s the part of the scene I prefer (picking winners) and I’m still hungry.
I followed Enable through her 16-wins career. Now I hope to follow Desert Crown (revised Fortune Cookies tomorrow).
Stoute says Desert Crown still has potential and he must choose between the Derby double at The Curragh or the King George. Why not choose the treble?
With the fading of the St Leger, this became the colts’ triple crown, and a galaxy of stars who landed the hat-trick: Nijinsky (1970), Grundy (1975), The Minstrel (1977), Troy (1979), Generous (1991) and Galileo (2001). Come on, Sir Michael, history calls again!
AL HAKEEM WISE DERBY CHOICE
⭕ 3.00 Chantilly (Prix du Jockey Club) STATS: DRAW: in recent years, low numbers have been best; winners by stall 16, 10, 6, 13, 7, 1, 6, 5, 3, 2.
TRAINERS (with runners today): Andre Fabre 4, Jean-Claude Rouget 4. JOCKEYS (with rides): Frankie Dettori 3, Ioritz Mendizabal 3, Christophe Soumillon 3, Cristian Demuro 2, Olivier Peslier 2.
FORM: Al Hakeem, Lassaut, Vadeni and Welwal are all saddled by Jean-Claude Rouget. Al Hakeem (‘The All-Wise’) has landed a Chantilly hat-trick up to Listed level, and may be able to defy stall 11.
The draw is the only question mark, according to trainer Rouget, who sees the colt as the next Sottsass, who won this race (2019) before taking the Arc.
His other three are close together: Vadeni was beaten first time back by Welwal in the Fontainebleau at Longchamp but readily beat Machete over a furlong further in the Prix De Guiche at Chantilly (Mister Saint Paul behind).
Lassaut was a short-neck in front of Welwal when they were fifth and sixth in the French 2,000 Guineas. Modern Games and Ancient Rome were winner and fourth (The Acropolis behind).
Imperial Fighter, second to Coroebus and fifth to Luxembourg last year, was running-on third to Native Trail in the Irish 2,000 Guineas (Ivy League 7th).
His trainer, Andrew Balding, got 150-1 shot Hoo Ya Mal into a place at Epsom yesterday but Indian Fighter also has to defy a wide draw in 12.
Right out in 14 is Onesto, who finished behind in the Fontainebleau (Group 3) first run back but then won a grade higher in a Group 2 when stepped up in trip for one of the most prestigious of the trials, the Greffulhe.
That day he ran right away from his field, with a hat-trick winner as the runner-up, yet he looks one of the least exposed in the race after just four runs.
But it’s Al Hakeem for Rouget, who has already trained 115 winners this season. His arch-rival Andre Fabre employs Tom Marquand for Ancient Rome out of gate 5.
French Guineas fourth, his dam was second to the mighty Zarkava in the Diane so he has the class and the trip will suit.
BETDAQ BETTING EXCHANGE : 5.5 Al Hakeem, 9 Ancient Rome
PURPLEPAY ALL SET TO FLY HOME
⭕ 4.20 Chantilly (Prix de Sandringham) I tipped Purplepay for the Irish 1,000 Guineas but she didn’t have the best of runs.
The race has been franked by the runner-up, Tuesday, who just got the better of Emily Upjohn in Friday’s Oaks.
William Haggas wastes no time in taking Purplepay (Tom Marquand) back to France, where she was three from five for Cedric Rossi as a juvenile. The easier surface will be in her favour. So, too, her low draw. BETDAQ 2.62.
Fonteyn was to have traveled over from England, after beating Coronation Stakes hope Grande Dame at the Dante meeting at York. She’s out; I hope not more travel problems.
Not discounted is Sicilian Defense, who couldnt get a clear run behind Mangoustine and Cachet in the French 1,000 Guineas.
HAPPY TO TAKE THE BETDAQ 16.0
⭕ 5.45 Musselburgh I notice that Southern raiders anxious for some black type for their fillies and mares have won this Listed every time.
Pearl Glory (BETDAQ 3.3), placed twice in Group 3 holds solid claims for the burgeoning Newmarket string of Kevin Philipport De Foy, who won the Victoria Cup at Ascot earlier this month.
Happy Craf is five out of six, but we’re talking Bahrain results, though that may yet be as useful as the low-level form of the rest of the runners, and the 16.0 won’t last.
Official ratings are: 104 Happy Craf, 103 Pearl Glory, 96 Clitheroe, 93 and less for the others.
DAQMAN’S BETS
3.00 Chantilly (win-20, French Derby)
BET 4.4pts win AL HAKEEM
BET 2.5pts win ANCIENT ROME
4.20 Chantilly (win 16, nap)
BET 10pts win PURPLEPAY
5.45 Musselburgh (win 20, win 10)
BET 1.3pts win HAPPY CRAF
BET 4.25pts win PEARL GLORY
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.
