SCEPTRE STARS ON FINAL DAY AT DONNY: Daqman’s 1-2-3 for the St Leger finished 2-1-4 yesterday, with the successful Continuous (WON 3-1) staked to cover his main bets. Not a lot to shout about but today is a new day, the final one at Doncaster, featuring the Sceptre Stakes.
Daqman 46, Pricewise 26
Naps: 78 up this year
CONTINUOUS COULD GO TO THE ARC: It was Ballydoyle yet again in a Classic, when Continuous potentially booked his place in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. ‘He has all the credentials but it’s a question of whether a two-week turn-around is enough,’ said Aidan O’Brien.
MASTER TRAINING BY THE APPLEBYS
WINNER trained by Appleby. We’re used to seeing the blue flags fly for Godolphin, trained by Newmarket’s Charlie Appleby, but Michael Appleby is man of the moment from his small yard in Rutland.
His 3-3 at Doncaster in the first two days mark his stable with a red flag where top trainers in the Pattern and handicap operators alike are concerned.
He had four winners in the week from class 5 to Group 2, with his Doncaster hat-trick starring two-year-old Big Evs in a truly-Flying Childers victory and Annaf winning the Portland as the colt’s first-ever turf success.
Michael Appleby has four runners at Doncaster today, for one of them using jockey William Buick who has won 382 races and £17m for Charlie Appleby in the last five years.
In fact, Buick rides Dream of Love (3.35) for Charlie before Raasel (4.10) for Michael, after flying back from Canada last night following a £368k Godolphin hit in the Woodbine Mile, easy for the gelding Master Of The Seas at 2-5 favourite.
REMINDER TO BET WIN AND PLACE
⭕ 2.25 Doncaster (City Of Doncaster Handicap, 7f): The progress of Executive Decision is tested today in two ways, which would open new avenues for the filly.
After back-to-back success dropped down to class 3 and 4, which has raised her rating 10lb, can she now make the grade in class 2.
It could be argued that firm ground and huge fields at Ascot and Newmarket were against the lightly-raced three-year-old.
Her wins have come on good to soft at the lower levels but another challenge today is the step up to 7f.
It’s all down to the ‘angry ant’ as trainer Jamie Osborne calls daughter Saffie, who has ridden Executive Decision ever since she moved from Jessica Harrington’s Kildare stables.
Nine Tenths of the problem she faces today is the eponymous William Haggas’ Kodiac filly, who has also scored back to back.
But those strikes were 195 days apart, both at class–5 level, both in novice events; again progressive at 6f, trying the extra furlong today.
Zouky struck form when she tried 7f at Newbury but that, too, was at a lower level, after poor efforts in today’s grade and higher.
Reminder in the royal colours tries for some small compensation after the defeat of Desert Hero in the St Leger. All her form is on firm ground but most Dubawis like give and the dam produced Recorder, a soft-ground winner siring soft-ground winners.
Betdaq Betting Exchange value In the hope we have a straight-eight each-way situation, I shall back Reminder win and place at 8.3.
NIGIRI BY A NECK FROM CACHET..
⭕ 3.35 Doncaster (Sceptre Fillies and Mares Stakes, 7f, Group 3): Andrew Balding 3, Roger Varian 2 from the last eight Sceptres, only one a three-year-old.
The Classic generation packs the field today, with all bar three of the runners, whereas they were thin on the ground last year, when William Buick won on a five-year-old mare who relished the soft ground after 11 defeats mainly on sound surfaces.
His mount here, Dream of Love, is also on a long losing run after breaking her maiden last October, always a bad sign.
I ignored my own rule on that yesterday when I just couldn’t believe that maiden-only winner, Bluestocking, could be beaten after high-class performances in the Pattern. But she managed it!
Matilda Picotte is another who has ducked out of the winner’s enclosure since last October. The Hannon hopefuls (Magical Sunset) are just not holding their form, and I’ve tried several raiders for Johnny Murtagh (Clounmacon) recently and failed to get any fun or funds out of them.
Of the top three in the market this morning, Vetiver, 3-3 for P J Macdonald, has more aids (hood and tongue-tie) than I like to see at Group level and is behind Clounmacon on collateral form.
|Nigiri has raised her rating 23lb with an ultra-progressive hat-trick on ground from firm to heavy, and may have the edge on last year’s 1,000 Guineas winner, Cachet, who has been absent 457 days.
The 105% BETDAQ market has them neck and neck; sobeit for an exciting finish.
DAQMAN’S BETS
2.25 Doncaster (win 20)
BET 2.75pts win and place REMINDER
3.35 Doncaster (each to win 12)
BET 4pts win CACHET
BET 4pts win NIGIRI
4.10 Doncaster (win 10 nap)
BET 6pts win RAASEL
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