PRINCE OF TIPSTERS AT 25-1 TWICE: Who else had wings yesterday? Though he was touched off in the Derby at 10-1 ante-post, Daqman soared to his second 25-1 winner in two days when he named the hero of the Epsom Dash following on a sensational BETDAQ Oaks plot laid weeks ago. His big hitters were:
WON 25-1 ENABLE (Oaks ante-post, SP 6-1)
WON 25-1 CASPIAN PRINCE (Epsom Dash)
373 POINTS IN TWO DAYS’ BETTING: Daqman had three Saturday returns, making eight all told at the Epsom weekend, for a total profit of 373 points to recommended stakes. They were:
WON 25-1 CASPIAN PRINCE (Epsom Dash Saturday)
WON 25-1 ENABLE (SP 6-1, Oaks Friday, 25.0 BETDAQ)
WON 3-1 G K CHESTERTON (Friday doubles and treble)
WON 9-4 HIGHLAND REEL (Friday 30pt Gold Banker)
WON 13-8 DE BROYNE HORSE (Friday straight win)
WON 4-5 LAUGH ALOUD (Saturday)
3RD 14-1 HOME CUMMINS (Friday place)
4TH 8-1 MOMENTOFMADNESS (Saturday, 14.2 BETDAQ)
NOW HE’S 107 AHEAD OF PRICEWISE: Daqman challenges Pricewise of the Racing Post in the French Derby today with the score now 31-8 to Daqman, who is 107 points in front to one-point level stakes.
BUICK TO KEEP FRENCH AT BAY
The French have done their Derby down, remember. Down in trip to 1m 2f, the Prix Du Jockey Club has not produced a great stayer since the days of Montjeu (1999) and Dalakhani (2003) when it was run at the usual Derby distance of 1m 4f.
So don’t go looking for the Arc winner here. You are more likely to see the Champion Stakes winner, as last year with Almanzor, trained by Jean-Claude Rouget.
Andre Fabre has recently had two Arc placed (Intello 2013 and New Bay 2015) trying to follow on from this Derby but that’s what you’d expect. Intello, for instance, was never asked to race at 1m 4f until Arc day.
If you’re training them for one distance, it’s very hard, even for Fabre, to suddenly ask them to race at a different pace with a different shape to the race.
Fabre worked it better with New Bay, taking him to the Prix Niel Arc trial over 12 furlongs, which he won, but then coming up against a superstar in the Arc. Name of Golden Horn.
3.15 Chantilly (Prix Du Jockey Club) This time around Fabre has swerved the Epsom Derby with Waldgeist, who last year beat Best Solution, Capri and Douglas Macarthur in the juvenile championship, Criterium de Saint-Cloud. That doesn’t look so brilliant after the Epsom result yesterday.
But beaten a total of seven lengths in ninth that day at Saint-Cloud was 33-1 Wings Of Eagles, who sprouted wings and cost me the Derby after my 10-1 ante-post bet, Cliffs Of Mopher, had led until close home.
Waldgeist, who reappeared in the recognized French Derby trial, the Prix Greffulhe in early May, is a Galileo whose dam was half-sister to a St Leger winner.
So swerving Epsom was a bit of a surprise, though the ground was probably the major factor. But you do wonder if 1m 2f won’t be a bit short for him today.
He was run out of it in the Greffulhe by Recoletos. And it’s hard to find a reason why he can reverse the form at the same distance. Recoletos holds Soleil Marin on a line through the Greffulhe third, Akihiro.
Almanzor’s trainer, Rouget, saddles French 2,000 Guineas winner, Brametot, not so classically bred – the same could be said of Recoletos – but likely to come on again for today’s trip.
Shamardal (2005) and Lope De Vega (2010) both did the French-Guineas-and-Derby double
Can Brametot, Recoletos and Waldgeist resist the Anglo-Irish challengers, chief among them Rivet, if the market can be believed?
Rivet (William Haggas) ran up to yesterday’s Derby fourth Eminent in the Craven Stakes before leading two out in the French Guineas, giving way to Brametot in the final furlong.
Bay of Poets (William Buick for Charlie Appleby) was placed in the Epsom Derby Trial and the Dee Stakes in each case less than two lengths behind, respectively, Cracksman and Cliffs Of Moher, who were second and third at Epsom yesterday.
In both trials Bay of Poets didn’t have the best of runs and it would be a major blow to English Classic form if he is not involved in today’s finish.
Orderofthegarter (Aidan O’Brien) beat Taj Mahal (also O’Brien) in the Leopardstown 2,000 Guineas Trial prior to his fifth in the French Guineas.
Both are rejected by Ryan Moore in favour of War Decree, who flopped behind Eminent in the Craven but had beaten Irish 2,000 runner-up Thunder Snow as a juvenile
VERDICT: War Decree is huge on BETDAQ at 14.5 this morning but Aidan O’Brien has never won a French Derby and the form we know of (unless another one of his sprouts wings) has Bay of Poets (10.5 on BETDAQ) clear best with Brametot the pick of the French.
ORDER IN: After second, third and fourth in the Epsom Derby yesterday: 1 Bay of Poets, 2 Brametot, 3 War Decree
LIGHT YOUR LAMP FOR ALADINNE
4.40 Chantilly (Prix Du Gros-Chene) William Haggas won this with Muthmir (2015), who returned to form first run back this year but was swallowed up by Marsha in the Palace House Stakes.
Finsbury Square ran fourth, San Cesio fifth, two or three lengths off Marsha, in the Abbaye last backend, having to give her a three-year-olds allowance.
San Cesio won this Gros-Chene last year – Finsbury Park only third – but that was on soft ground. And the one I fancy here is Freddy Head’s 3.6 BETDAQ offer Aladdine who seems to be improving all the time.
She made all in a sprint at Maisons on the last day after running second on today’s course to Le Brivido, who was short-headed by Brametot in the French Guineas.
RIGHTDOWNTHEMIDDLE TEED UP
4.15 Perth (Gold Cup) The winner of this usually comes from the bottom half of the handicap, including when Tom George scored in 2015. Here he is with Roc d’Apsis also well placed by his shrewd trainer.
Nicky Richards won it last year but his Looking Well hasn’t in fact looked too well for a total of 15lb punishment by the handicapper since scoring at Kelso a year ago.
Lord Ballim is a promising novice but they don’t win this ands I reckon Richard Johnson for Gordon Elliott looks the best bet with Rightdownthemiddle, 5.0 early mouse on BETDAQ.
Probably ran too soon at Punchestown on the last day, after running second in a class-1 handicap at the Aintree Grand National meeting. Well beaten but the field was strung out and that could be good enough for this.
Volnay de Thaix has been worked on with the Nicky Henderson magic (the stable’s form figures are currently acey-deucey 2221121211) and 11.0 looks a fair win and place tilt at the layers.
DAQMAN’S BETS
3.15 Chantilly (French Derby)
BET (to win 50): 5pts win and place BAY OF POETS
STAKES SAVER (to win 10) 6pts win BRAMETOT
4.15 Perth (Gold Cup)
BET (to win 30) 7.5pts win RIGHTDOWNTHEMIDDLE
BET (to win 30) 3pts win and place VOLNAY DE THAIX
4.40 Chantilly
BET (to win 30) 11.5pts win (nap) ALADDINE
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