DAQMAN’S SURE TOUCH AT 16.0: Daqman’s Irish Oaks 1-2-3 named winner and second, You Got Me (15-2) and Content (2nd 3-1), with You Got Me marked each-way bet of the race at 10.0 on BETDAQ. He also landed the Summer Plate over fences at Market Rasen with a bull’s-eye bet to win 50 points on Sure Touch for a 17th winner in 13 days.
WON 14-1 SURE TOUCH (BETDAQ 16.0 taken)
BACK TO THE CURRAGH: Daqman returns to the Curragh for two bets on Sunday – both in Group races on the card.
ITV FULL GALLOP: Daqman’s verdict on the first episode of ITV’s Champions: Full Gallop.
NEEDS ANOTHER GALLOP
It’s all about getting new eyes on the sport. The marketing men will tell you that so the launch of a new Friday night ‘primetime’ documentary on behind the scenes in horse racing should be applauded – at face value.
The reaction to Friday’s ITV premiere of Champions: Full Gallop though, like many innovations, was mixed – good to soft or good to firm if you like but one thing it didn’t do for me was what it set out to.
That was to mirror the format that’s been used successfully in the other sports – notably Formula One with their Netflix multi-series Drive To Survive which gets over the cut-throat nature of the sport and is very much access all areas for the viewer.
Instead, we got quite a heavily scripted, over-choreographed and sanitised version that left Daqman thinking who is this actually aimed at?
There were far too many cutaways to ITV Racing output whether it be presenters or output (and no, the sport isn’t about them) and we missed the warts and all factor that surely goes on behind the scenes not to mention some swearing and bad tempers (it’s the real world – it happens).
Showing too much racing, oddly, won’t engage a Holy Grail new audience who have already made their mind up they don’t like racing – it will turn them off.
Conversely, showing authentic behind the scenes footage of what really happens might trigger interest though passion and education.
We were left with the same old faces telling us how wonderful everything is.
The viewer has to believe that the camera is secretly hidden and we get a real world insight. Instead it felt a bit – “cut that – let’s record it again”.
Only episode 1, so in fairness it might get better but for me it lost several lengths at the start and is in need of another gallop.
BEAR TO BE TAMED
⭕ 3.15 Curragh (Minstrel Stakes, Group 2) Incredibly competitive race with just 9lb between the whole field on official ratings.
I have to start with Aidan O’Brien/Ryan Moore’s Mountain Bear who was heading the morning Betdaq Betting Exchange market.
He belied his 50/1 price tag when a staying on fourth in the Jersey Stakes behind Haatem and had his two better fancied stable companions well behind including the 13/8 fav River Tiber – one of the few from the yard that failed to give his running in Berkshire this year.
Mountain Bear has an impressive CV – including a notable payday when runner-up to to stablemate Unquestionable at Santa Anita in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile but the nagging doubt for me is that he has come up short a few times when tried at this kind of level and his only win in nine starts on the turf came in a maiden.
Obviously he is priced as much on the connections as anything else but that makes the market for others in the race and I am thinking Mutasarref now looks a little big.
Distance and ground look ideal for Ger Lyon’s hat-trick seeker who got the better of a sustained battle with Special Wan to win a Group 3 at Leopardstown last time out and is definitely of interest in this grade higher contest.
Lord Massusus took a step forward to win a Listed race over a mile last time out but the drop back in trip, not to mention tougher race are obvious concerns.
⭕ 3.52 Redcar This field has cut up with the defection of Cerulean Bay and Magico who were both prominent in the overnight betting.
I like the chances of the lightly raced Coppull Hall Lane who has placed in her three starts to date and looks on a workable starting handicap mark of 83.
Bubbles Wonky was a winner at Catterick in heavy ground last October but hasn’t really progressed since.
OH, IT HAS TO BE JACKIE
⭕ 4.20 Curragh (Meadow Court Stakes, Group 3) Whatever the fate of Mountain Bear – I am sure AOB won’t leave today empty handed in terms of Group races as his Jackie Oh looks to have an outstanding chance here.
Her delayed reappearance shouldn’t be a concern as she won on racecourse debut last year and went on to win a Group 3 at Gowran Park and record several impressive placed efforts including a neck second to Blue Rose Cen in the Group 1 Prix de l’Opera at Longchamp.
A little bit of rain is forecast before racing and every drop will help but she should in any event outclass this field.
DAQMAN’S BETS
3.15 Curragh (both win 10)
BET 2.5pts win MUTASARREF
3.52 Redcar (win 10)
BET 5.0pts win COPPULL HALL LANE
4.20 Curragh (win 10, nap)
BET 10.0pts win JACKIE OH
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