SEVEN WINS FOR 90 POINTS PROFIT: Daqman landed a sensational seven winning bets from 11 hours racing on two continents yesterday, including a double of naps in England and Ireland, two lays out of two and an 8-1 victory at Santa Anita for a profit on a long day of more than 90 points. In time order:
WON 5-2 Frodon
WON 2-1 Valseur Lido (Irish Champion Chase, nap)
WON 4-1 Thomas Brown (English nap)
WON (lay) Southfield Theatre (fell, 11-8 favourite)
WON 8-1 Queen’s Trust (Breeders Cup Filly And Mare)
WON (lay) Flintshire (2nd 9-5 favourite)
WON 17/10 Arrogate (Breeders Cup Classic)
SO THAT’ MAKES 88 WINNING BETS: The seven successes included a 6-1 Saturday trouncing of Pricewise of the Racing Post in the feature-race value challenge, which ends the season: Daqman 88, Pricewise 40.
THEY COULDN’T REEL IN SUPER SEAMIE
Seamie Heffernan turned up the heat in America yesterday. In 85 degrees at Santa Anita, he sent Highland Reel into a clear lead for the 4m-dollar Breeders Cup Turf and they couldn’t get near him.
Highland Reel made it a sixth win in the race for Aidan O’Brien and was franking the form of his own King George success at Ascot which was scored in the same catch-me-if-you-can style.
Even so, Heffernan thought that, as ever, he was on the Ballydoyle No 2, as Ryan Moore loomed up in the straight on the Arc winner, Found, but she may have been feeling her long season and couldn’t go through with the effort.
It was a second feat of superb jockeyship by the raiders from the British Isles after Frankie Dettori nicked the Filly And Mare Turf.
A confident Dettori rode a daredevil finish between horses to land the prize by a nose on Queen’s Trust, a seventh Breeders Cup winner for Sir Michael Stoute.
And the difference between the trainers? O’Brien is the man who has it all; Stoute the man who knows what he’s got, and the potential of them.
So it’s all over for another year. Can’t wait until the next, when Almanzor, the winner of this season’s best race, the Irish Champion Stakes, wins the Arc.
IS IT THE NEW KID OR NATIONAL GOLD?
3.15 Cork Grand National: A tipster is as good as his last winner, and it’s straight in at the deep end of jumps racing, with a Grand National on day one. I love them.
The theory is that not many horses have the jumping ability and stamina, so the punter with half an eye is quickly into his stride. Snag is the so-varied jumping ground.
The marathon test this afternoon is quite different from the many Nationals we encounter throughout the year, which will often be run in a bog. The sun shines on Cork today; going good.
Rogue Angel, who launched my big hit of Nationals this year – the Fairyhouse and Aintree double for Mouse Morris – is still only eight and hardly punished by the handicapper (2lb higher than at Fairyhouse, rider’s allowance taken into consideration).
He normally needs some cut but, apart from Federici, he and stablemate Thunder And Roses are the only horses in the race to have won at around 3m 4f. Roses won the Irish Grand National the year before Rogue Angel, and is also claimed off.
Federico won the Ulster National in March but has failed to carry successfully the minor extra poundage imposed, out of the frame in the Killarney National and pulled up in the Ladbrokes Munster National at Limerick last month.
The eponymous New Kid In Town, is saddled by Willie Mullins so you know the price won’t be very tempting.
But he is two out of three in novice chases this autumn, and – apart from testing his stamina for the big three festivals next Spring – Willie wants to win more races with him before the winter, unsure whether he can cope with mud.
Wrath Of Titans, a Gigginstown runner for Gordon Elliott, has also been in form recently, taking the Kerry National on heavy ground, but he’d prepped in a staying hurdle on a sound surface (at Downpatrick; going good).
The trade-paper-forecast second and third favourites, A Decent Excuse and As De Pique were both too easy to back this morning at 11.5 and 13.5 respectively in the BETDAQ orange. Or maybe it’s a simpler story: the staff all went gadding to the races and the cleaner did the betting.
With one exception that proves the rule – Vics Canvas, aged 11 in 2014 – horses of a single-figure age off 10st 12lb or less (7 out of 8) win this.
VERDICT: If I were Mouse Morris, I’d want his pair to shed a few pounds with Aintree in mind next year, and the one I like off a featherweight is 9.2 BETDAQ offer Forever Gold, only 3lb higher than when just failing to land a gamble at the Punchestown Festival over 3m 6f (good to yielding), and brought back over hurdles recently.
New Kid In Town is from a family of stayers and ‘could be anything’, as they say. He has Ruby Walsh going without breakfast off 10st 3lb, and could well pass his stamina test with flying colours, so a saver is essential.
CHRISTMAS COMES EARLY FOR NICKY
1.05 and 2.15 Sandown The English racing today is less than appetising because of the ground but, with Paul Nicholls hitting five winners out of six at one stage yesterday, taking his top two at Sandown should trap at least one winner.
More Buck’s, out of a half sister to Big Buck’s, gets nigh on a stone from Sugar Brown in what appears to be a two-horse race for the novices chase (1.05).
And Vivaldi Collonges, who scored first run back last December, made it two out of three on all types of ground; officially 13lb better than Ballybolley today.
His nearest rival in the ratings, Voix d’Eau, is fancied and likes the going on top but his jumping has let him down since he won the Silver Trophy at Cheltenham in the Spring.
I can see him matching strides but getting bullied out of it over those tough fences in the back straight.
1.55 Ffos Las With a 41% strike rate at Ffos Las, Nicky Henderson should take this maiden hurdle via Christmas In April.
There’s a Christmas hurdle at Kempton lined up for this youngster and he’s expected to score twice before then. Has been given plenty of time because he was a big, green thing when he won his only start in a bumper.
DAQMAN’S BETS (staked 1 to 9 for strength, except the Cork National)
BET 9pts win MORE BUCK’S (1.05 Sandown)
BET 8pts win VIVALDI COLLONGES (2.15 Sandown)
BET 9pts win (nap) CHRISTMAS IN APRIL (1.55 Ffos Las)
DAQ MULTIPLES: 3 x 3pt win doubles and 1pt win treble the above three.
BET (to win 30 points): 8pts win NEW KID IN TOWN, and 3.5pts win FOREVER GOLD (3.15 Cork)
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