ANOTHER NATIONAL FOR DAQMAN Daqman’s only bull’s-eye bet, Martator, finished second at Ascot at 11-1 yesterday but he won the Berkshire National there and landed his nap at Haydock for four big-race winners in four days.
WON 10-3 ROCK MY WAY (win 20, Berkshire National)
WON 6-5 KABRAL DU MATHAN (win 20, Saturday nap)
WON 4-1 MONTREGARD (win-40 Friday, BETDAQ 6.7)
WON 6-1 TWO TEMPTING (win-50 Wednesday, BETDAQ 8.5)
BIG-RACE FORM AND RATINGS: Daqman’s 33-1 Grand National winner, Nick Rockett, is among the runners for a star-studded John Durkan at Punchestown. What is his pick from the form in ratings order?
JOHN DURKAN SUPER SEVEN
⭕ 3.00 Punchestown (John Durkan Memorial) Young horses to have come to the fore in this include Djakadam (back-to-back wins) and Min (a hat-trick) but most notably in recent years Gallopin Des Champs, who won it in 2022 when only six.
Every one of the three I have mentioned was trained by Willie Mullins, who won the Morgiana Hurdle here yesterday with Lossiemouth.
Mullins is going for John Durkan number 10 today with last year’s winner, Fact Or File, among seven players from the stable, including his Grand National winner, Nick Rockett.
176 Inothewayurthinkin Twice in rear of Galopin des Champs last winter and well behind Fact or File in this race last year but the handicapper had no option but to hike him 16lb when he won the Cheltenham Gold Cup, taking Galopin’s crown.
173 Fact To File In the same ownership as the top-rated, which is saddled by Gavin Cromwell, he won this for Willie Mullins last year on his return since his success at Cheltenham 2024 in the Brown Advisory (3m).
But Galopin des Champs had the measure of him twice over 3m, before he was dropped back half a mile to win the Ryanair.
170 Gaelic Warrior Yesterday’s Lancashire Chase win by Grey Dawning at Haydock was a form boost for another Mullins contender, Gaelic Warrior, who beat that one in the Aintree Bowl and is the choice of Paul Townend.. and Daqman.
170 I Am Maximus Flopped in the big Grade-1 contests but won the 2024 Aintree Grand National and was second in the same race this year to Nick Rockett.
169 Nick Rockett Took the Thyestes, then the Bobbyjo, yet was allowed to start 33-1 for the Aintree Grand National and was my first nomination in a successful Daqman 1-2-3.
168 Fastorslow was Gold Cup favourite after bagging Punchestown gold then the John Durkan of 2023.
Lost his way until returning to form for a second Punchestown Gold Cup – beating Galopin des Champs – only to flop again; 6-4 favourite back here for today’s race but finished fourth to Fact or File.
166 Grangeclare West This year’s second to Galopin des Champs in the Irish Gold Cup and third to Nick Rockett in the Grand National may still have a Graded chase in him at the age of nine but unlikely to be this one.
ALSO: 160 Heart Wood, 159 James Du Berlais, 159 Lecky Watson, 149 Senecia.
FIBRE HAS AIMED HIGH..
⭕ 2.18 Windsor The Hardest Geezer has won only his maiden but the Philip Hobbs stable is in form and he did well on his reappearance, first run since February.
He has to give 6lb to High Fibre, another maiden-only winner but not entirely disgraced behind Alexei in a £32k class 2 at Ascot on the first of the month.
Little Ledgend is yet to win a race and unlikely to, until he goes up in trip. Meanwhile, he’s getting his jumping technique together.
Aggagio and Casa Loupi are both capable of winning this on their day but I’ll follow Harry Fry’s stable in form and assume that High Fibre showed him something that made the Ascot entry worth a go.
WOOD LOOKED WAY TOO BIG
⭕ 2.36 Exeter Joe Tizzard and Brendan Powell won the Berkshire National with Rock My Way yesterday, and the stable sure is rocking with 12 winners in nine days at the races for a 43% strike rate.
Pedley Wood landed back-to-back strikes at Wincanton last winter, after also scoring twice on his first runs back the previous November and over Christmas. The 8.4 Betdaq Betting Exchange offers this morning looked too big.
The grey Good Friday Fairy has started slowly in the last two seasons and first-time cheekpieces in February were the key to a stone improvement in the Spring.
Clotilda, King Califet and Dartmoor Pirate have won only their maiden, and Hystery Bere has won just the one chase in 12 attempts.
DAQMAN’S BETS
on Betdaq Betting Exchange
2.18 Windsor (win 20)
BET 4pts win HIGH FIBRE
★ 2.36 Exeter (win 30, nap)
BET 4pts win PEDLEY WOOD
3.00 Punchestown (win 20)
BET 10pts win GAELIC WARRIOR
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