DAQMAN LANDS AN 11-4 NAP: Daqman, who had a big-hitting day with 13 winning bets on Friday, had three more yesterday including his nap at 11-4. He opened his score at Meydan with an 11-2 winner and 14-1 runner-up which paid 74-1 for a straight forecast with Ladbrokes.
ONE MORE NEEDED TO HIT 50: He is 9-3 up on Pricewise over the Easter weekend, taking his lead to 49-18 (needing one more for his 50 for the season). These successes at Haydock, Kempton and Meydan, included two Pricewise races:
WON 11-2 One Man Band 2nd 14-1 Faulkner
WON 4-1 Ballybolley
WON 11-4 Our Channel (nap)
FAIRYHOUSE TWO-DAY FESTIVAL: Probably the last arena for the NH value challenge will be the two-day Fairyhouse meeting today and tomorrow, which is Irish Grand National day. The new Flat (turf) season then takes over at Doncaster next weekend. The races to watch today are the 3.40, 4.15 and 4.50 Fairyhouse.
JESSBER’S DREAM CAN FRY MULLINS QUARTET
2.35 Fairyhouse This is a race to back a price, and it seemed as simple as taking the unexpected value of 13.5 Next Bend on BETDAQ early mouse. Looked sure to shorten for a trade.
Next Bend gave notice of improvement when unseating as he became competitive at Leopardstown over Christmas and, sure enough, beat a big field to break his maiden on the last day, bolting up 12 lengths.
Tom Gibney and Mark Flanagan have a good strike rate at Fairyhouse, which cannot be said of Karl Thornton, whose Hatch Hall makes his handicap debut with Adrian Heskin in the plate.
However, Thornton’s yard is generally in good form and the drying ground will help this summer sort.
The ‘hidden horse’ may be The Brock Inn, another to break her maiden in the last three months and try handicapping here. ‘Hidden’ because she’s taken in two Graded races and finished down the field, though the handicapper has eased her only a pound from his original thought.
Galway winner Dollar And A Dream has dropped a few pounds since being hiked more than a stone but this is hardly Tony Martin’s favourite venue, though there’s been something of a stable revival with three winners in the last week.
The bridesmaid Mighty Concorde doesn’t appeal and, though the sounder surface will help Le Vagabond, Edward O’Grady, like Jim Culloty, has a poor strike rate here.
3.05 Fairyhouse (Mares Novice Hurdle Championship Final) Harry Fry spoiled a treble bid by Willie Mullins in this race last year: Mullins finished second, third and fourth!
Willie tries to park the bus again, fielding four against Fry, but the market says it could be a fruitless defence since Fry brings over the eight-lengths Sandown Grade-2 winner, Jessber’s Dream from a race of winners.
The Milan mare beat a hat-trick seeker into second with a hat-trick winner in third! The fourth horse, 20 lengths off Jessbers Dream, won either side of the race.
This is a Grade 2 masquerading as a Grade 1 and most winners of the race show poor results after. The exception is the 2013 heroine, something called Annie Power.
One of the Mullins quartet today, Myska, actually beat Jessber’s Dreeam over the minimum in December and was found to have been coughing next time at Punchestown.
But Ruby Walsh seems to prefer Asthiuria, a French import making her debut. So, with the Myska line to Jessber’s Dream, and Asthuria a hidden horse, plus the ground drying out on heavy-going form, the suggestion is that stakes on the favourite be reduced.
But there was a move for Jer’s Girl early mouse. She has form with Apple’s Jade and Ivanovich Gorbatov but is a front-runner who was swallowed up on the last day, and her trainer, Gavin Cromwell, is 0-21 at Fairyhouse.
That she is second favourite in front of the Mullins mob strengthens Jessber’s Dream for me, so the bet is back on.
3.40 Fairyhouse A Grade 2 with even less to go on. No wonder the bookies advertise the race, and Pricewise obliges with a tip.
In fact, he’s hyping another Fry animal called American, returning after an absence, and up against the unbeaten Lift the Latch.
Lift The Latch is an imposing animal who beat winners at Gowran eight days ago and may be the one to save Tony Martin’s season.
Acapella Bourgeois looks exposed but the three to have raced and won just the once – Alto Esqua, Crest and Fire In Soul – may be short on experience, though the Alto Esqua form has been franked by the runner-up.
OUTLANDER BANKER TO OUTGALLOP THEM
4.15 Fairyhouse (Ryanair Gold Cup) Just two to choose from (13.0 bar), says the BETDAQ market: the maestro W illie Mullins with Outlander or the newly graduated to the big race scene, Kerry Lee with Kylemore Lough.
Kylemore Lough, who runs here instead of in the Manifesto at Aintree, is obviously a very good horse but I’m not sure he deserves a 155 rating (5lb more than Outlander).
In his last three starts, he has beaten into second the small-field winner Dormello Mio, a 128-rated chase maiden, and Dunraven Storm, who hasn’t scored since 2014.
He’s been setting the pace but might be asked to settle (behind Sizing Platinum and Otago Trail) but Outlander is a hold-up horse and a galloper, who will be suited by this stamina track (has won here twice before) and has beaten horses which have been been in the main arena of novice chases, right up to Cheltenham.
4.50 Fairyhouse Paul Nolan has a modest single-figure strike-rate here, and his pair, the quirky bridesmaid I’m All You Need and huidles winner, Solita, don’t appeal, albeit Soloita has won at Fairyhouse over fences.
But it was a much better race when Guitar Pete (6.4 offers) was third over the course and distance in January.
OLD MOORE MAGIC FOR SUSSEX NATIONAL
5.10 Plumpton (Sussex National) Southern National third, Don’t Do Mondays, has defected, leaving Welsh National fourth Saroque to try to give the pounds away to Blameitonmyroots (should do) and Coolking, who gets weight all round.
Krakatoa King may not have recovered from his last-day struggle at Warwick, and Tour Des Champs has to bounce back from poor jumping rounds.
So I’ll have a punt that the king of Sussex, Gary Moore, can conjure something from Golanova (11.0) for the occasion. Still enough runners left in to hope for a place, with three chances from eight runners.
DAQMAN’S BETS (staked to win 20 points)
BET 1.6pts win and place NEXT BEND (2.35 Fairyhouse)
BET 7pts win JESSBER’S DREAM (3.05 Fairyhouse)
BET 7.5pts win LIFT THE LATCH (3.40 Fairyhouse)
BANKER: BET 20pts win (nap) OUTLANDER (4.15 Fairyhouse)
BET 3.7pts win GUITAR PETE (4.50 Fairyhouse)
BET 2pts win and place GOLANOVA (5.10 Plumpton)
£25 IN FREE BETS
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