DERBY WIN LANDS FIFTH CLASSIC: It’s that man Daqman again! He napped the Derby winner yesterday, Golden Horn (WON 13-8), bringing his Classic tally to an incredible FIVE Guineas and Derbys in England, Ireland and France this season:
WON 4-1 Gleneagles (2,000 Guineas)
WON 2-5 Gleneagles (Irish 2,000)
WON 11-2 Pleascach (Irish 1,000)
WON 3-1 New Bay (French Derby)
WON 13-8 Golden Horn (Derby)
SUPER-BANKERS FOUR IN A ROW: Daqman didn’t just tip the Derby winner; he didn’t just nap it; he named Golden Horn a 30-point gold banker. His higher-level bankers, gold and diamond (40 points), are now four from four since their inception:
WON 8-13 Romsdal (gold)
WON 8-13 Telescope (gold)
WON 2-5 Gleneagles (diamond)
WON 13-8 Golden Horn (gold)
DAQMAN 37, PRICEWISE 9: Golden Horn’s victory sent Daqman further ahead of Pricewise in their big-race value challenge. He is now 37-9 up this Flat season and 178-82 overall, well on schedule to go 100 wins clear of his Racing Post rival at Royal Ascot.
BET PIPE CHALLENGE TO FLY FOR FRENCH TITLE
Are you sitting comfortably. Once upon a time, not so very long ago, in a golden age of jumps racing, there were fabulous horses with names like Denman and Kauto Star. Among these amazing chasers was a star hurdler, Hurricane Fly.
But, while they all are gone, consigned to Google and sculptured statues, Hurricane Fly remains. No, not merely remains among us, but still flies, like some Pegasus; still wins races; is still defending champion in Ireland. Some even say ‘better than ever.’
2.08 Auteuil (French Champion Hurdle) Three-handed today, Willie Mullins has twice scored back-to-back wins in this Grande Course de Haies d’Auteuil, including with Thousand Stars (2011-12).
Not once in its recent history – since 1970 – has a horse over the age of eight won, and Thousand Stars’ chance of regaining the crown are very limited at the age of 11.
Not so those of stablemate Hurricane Fly, who joins in the assault on the French championship today, though he is the same age.
While Thousand Stars seems a light of yesterday, Hurricane Fly has matured and weathered like good wine or best oak, not just better for age but a priceless living feature of racing’s hall of fame.
A hat-trick for the Hurricane by name and by nature in the 2014-15 campaign included keeping a tight hold on the Irish Champion Hurdle, which he won for the fifth consecutive season.
A measure of the vintage nature of this amazing horse can be judged by his not having raced in France for seven years.
Checking out his past, you have to go back to, and beyond, the time of Kauto Star and Denman. Yet this remarkable hurdler is still with us, and still winning races.
Two years ago, French ace jumps rider, David Cottin rode Gemix to the first of a double in this race when the horse was only five.
He plans the same trick on Attila De Sivola, six years Hurricane Fly’s junior but, if the Racing Post Ratings are to be believed, currently somewhere around 30lb inferior to Hurricane Fly.
So what can stop him? Zarkandar, still only eight, was third in this last year and, though he’s plenty times seen the rear end of both Thousand Stars and Hurricane Fly, beat Gemix over today’s course in the same very soft conditions in November, turning round the form of this championship race.
Un Temps Pour Tout was a long way behind Cole Harden on a sound surface in the World Hurdle at Cheltenham but, in very soft conditions, had slammed the same horse at Ascot earlier.
And David Pipe’s six-year-old is returning to his home track, Auteuil, for the first time since he finished third in its 2013 four-year-old title, a kind of Triumph Hurdle on this card (run today at 3.45 today, and also featuring horses trained by Mullins).
Pipe’s other runner, Ballynagour, won the La Barka, a strong trial for this race, and he showed that today’s Anglo-Irish raiders should beat the French again.
At 9.8 each of two on BETDAQ this morning, I shall bet Ballynagour and Un Temps Pour Tout. There is a time for everything and one day Hurricane Fly may fail even to reach the frame.
But it hasn’t happened since July, 2007. That’s 31 races and 24 wins ago. And I may have to back a lot more Pipe challengers before it does. So, saver today? Hurricane Fly, of course.
WELD FILLY COULD STORM HOME IN THIS CLASS
3.40 The Curragh (Ballyogan Stakes) Four-year-olds 5, three-year-olds 4. That’s the score in the last decade, as the two generations do battle again today.
Such is the seeming strength of the Classic year this season that I shall strongly support the grey filly Stormfly (4.2 offers), seventh in the Irish 1,000 Guineas and dropped back in trip on a day which could belong to her trainer, Dermot Weld.
3.40 The Curragh (Silver Stakes) Jim Bolger has won this three times in the decade with three-year-olds and it’s probably a measure of what little slice he has of the Classic generation this time around that he saddles two aged six.
One of them Parish Hall, won the Alleged Stakes over CD in April and has a long history just short of top class. He drops in grade to a Listed here.
Sole representative of the three-year-olds, who’ve won this four times in the decade, is Dermot Weld’s Postulation (8.8 on BETDAQ). He hasn’t done an awful lot but it could be a shrewd move to prep him and drop him in here, getting around a stone from the principals.
Dark horses of the race are Chopin, because blinkered first time, and Manndawi, who hasn’t been seen since 2013, but was second to Flintshire in a Group 1 that summer and travels over from England for this return to action.
SIGNIFICANT HUGHES BOOKING FOR DRAMA
4.05 Goodwood In a race of hold-up horses, Chiberta King (13.5 early mouse) is likely to try to set a steady pace and, dropped in class, could last out until the business end. Trade horse.
If the pace is steady, it will count against Gavlar (5.8), who can get behind. Jim Crowley knows the beast now after they failed to get going in time to catch Fitzwilly over CD recently.
But, with these question marks over the shape of the race, I shall try Mystery Drama with Richard Hughes (2-2 for the yard) a significant booking for a progressive sort, unexposed at the trip: 8.2 looks wrong.
5.10 Goodwood The progressive Excilly has to overcome a wide stall, but these are much of a muchness and she is the danger to Nigel’s Destiny.
Jeremy Noseda knows the right time to apply the ‘blinds’ (30% record) but didn’t need much prompting after Destiny was just run out of it on the rail over CD recently. Last-chance saloon.
DAQMAN’S BETS (staked to win 20 points)
BET 2.25pts win on each BALLYNAGOUR and UN TEMPS POUR TOUT, plus 2.8pts win (stakes saver) HURRICANE FLY (2.08 Auteuil)
BET 6.25pts win (nap) STORMFLY (3.40 The Curragh)
BET 2.7pts win MYSTERY DRAMA (4.05 Goodwood)
BET 2.5pts POSTULATION and 1.8pts win (stakes saver) PARISH HALL (4.15 The Curragh)
BET 3.5pts win NIGEL’S DESTINY (5.10 Goodwood)
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