33-1 FORECAST SAVES THE DAY: Ar Mad overjumped and the nap, Oldgrangewood, was brought down. Not a good day for Daqman, though his Fortune Cookies finished in profit through Its’afreebee (WON 5-2), and his Nicky Henderson one-two at Sandown produced a 33-1 forecast with Ladbrokes: Brain Power (WON 9-2) with Consul de Thaix (2nd 13-2).
HATTON’S GRACE GOLD BANKER: For the second day running it was 0-0 in the Daqman v Pricewise challenge, so Daqman remains 3-2 up. Can they do better today in the 1.40 Fairyhouse and 2.00 Huntingdon?. It ‘s a big day at Fairyhouse with the Hattons Grace Hurdle, in which Daqman produces a gold banker. His current banker status is nine out of 10.
BEACH WHALE OF A BETDAQ BET AT 10.0
12.40 Fairyhouse Landofhopeandglory has won on two Irish championship courses, Fairyhouse and Punchestown, but there’s not much in it between Joseph O’Brien’s High Chaparral gelding and Mega Fortune on a line through Bobabout and Zig Zag in different races.
Glory’s owner, J P McManus, has a second string in Soir De Chantenay. You’d think he’d need to acclimatise, and you’d be worried about giving weight all round.
Another ex-French, Bapaume, for Willie Mullins, gets 7lb from Soir De Chantenay and 4lb from Landofhopeandglory. He is also in at the deepend but the weights are a lifeline, and you don’t get 7.8 (on BETDAQ) about many Mullins juveniles at any stage of the season.
1.10 Fairyhouse (Royal Bond Novice Hurdle) Istabraq, Jezki, Hurricane Fly and Nichols Canyon all won this as four-year-olds, and I put up Peace News for this as long ago as last Tuesday, as an additional Fortune Cookie.
Peace News won at Cork a fortnight back in what could turn out to be a formidable maiden hurdle, the first three coming more than eight lengths clear of a big field.
Second and third to Henry De Bromhead’s Cork winner were the highly regarded pair, Chirico Vallis (Gordon Elliott) and Timi Roli (Willie Mullins) but both Elliott (Labaik) and Mullins (with three) are otherwise represented today.
Though Ruby Walsh picks hat-trick horse, Penhill, the unbeaten Airlie Beach – six in a row – is 9lb clear on official ratings, including her 7lb mares’ allowance.
Penhill, Arlie Beach and Labaik bring 10 hurdles wins to the table, against just the one at Cork for Peace News.
If we assume that the handicapper has done his job, and if we believe Willie Mullins’ leaning towards her in the Racing Post this morning, then the 10.0 offers are a Beach whale of a bet on BETDAQ this morning.
VROUM VROUM! THE 8 FOR 10 IS A GIFT
1.40 Fairyhouse (Hatton’s Grace Hurdle) Istabraq and Hurricane Fly won this on the way to Champion Hurdle sequences.
And the BETDAQ 1.83 Vroum Vroum Mag, the Mares’ Hurdle winner at Cheltenham, who dropped back in trip to win the BETDAQ Punchestown Champion Hurdle, looks a gold banker, with only 11st 3lb. Eight for every 10 bet is an early Christmas gift.
2.00 Huntingdon (Peterborough Chase) Fortune Cookies, with More Of That and Dodging Bullets, have a vested interest in beating the favourite, Josses Hill.
Failure here would drop them from the list, which is revised after Christmas, with its main aim the festivals of Cheltenham, Aintree and Punchestown.
The way both are running and jumping – or rather NOT much in the way of running and jumping – Aintree or Punchestown is their best chance of bouncing back big time! So Hill could be jossing with them today.
2.10 Fairyhouse And what a bonus this is for owners, trainers.. and eagle-eyed punters! It’s a 100,000-euro handicap.
Not much point in checking any stats for a race that’s almost tripled in value to Grade A status, and which has a massive (these days) 37lb long handicap, with a 28lb range on the day.
It’s understandable if, as a routine, you zoom straight in on any Gordon Elliott and Tony Martin runners below the 11st mark, and you won’t be disappointed. But there are six of them, because Sempre Medici forces an 11lb gap at the top.
Willie Mullins has left that one in off 11st 10lb, the only Graded winner in the race, but in need of a sudden and unexpected downpour on public form.
His form on yielding or better is 04302, so not out of it but not offering any particular encouragement. Nor does Willie, who admits there is nowhere else to go with such a nearly horse.
Sempre Medici compresses the weight for stablemate Upazo, better known as a chaser. But it also allows Campeador to carry only 10st 13lb. Goes well fresh and might have won the Fred Winter but for a fall at the last.
In an ordinary race, Swamp Fox would be up with them. In a fast-run contest, rear runners, Sir Scorpion (trainer in hot form) and Solita (Bryan Cooper booked but easy to back) would be suited. I took 4.5 Campeador and 11.5 Sir Scorpion on BETDAQ.
2.40 Fairyhouse (Drinmore Novice Chase) Gordon Elliott spoils this for punting by running both A Toi Phil and Diamond King, making it a stable race, with nothing between them at shortish prices in the market.
Man-of-the-moment Elliott won it with Don Cossack (2013), who would grow up to take the Gold Cup at Cheltenham this year.
DAQMAN’S BETS (each single bet staked to win 20 points unless otherwise stated)
BET 3pts win on each BAPAUME and (stakes saver) LANDOFHOPEANDGLORY (12.40 Fairyhouse)
BET (to win 30) 3pts win and place AIRLIE BEACH, and 4pts win (stakes saver) PEACE NEWS (1.10 Fairyhouse)
GOLD BANKER: BET 30pts win (nap) VROUM VROUM MAG (1.40 Fairyhouse)
BET 8pts win JOSSES HILL (2.00 Huntingdon)
BET 5.5pts win CAMPEADOR, and 2pts win SIR SCORPION (2.10 Fairyhouse)
FORTUNE COOKIES: Peace News (1.10 Fairyhouse), Vroum Vroum Mag (1.40 Fairyhouse), Dodging Bullets and More Of That (2.00 Huntingdon)
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