BIG-RACE DOUBLE FOR DAQMAN: Daqman galloped away with BOTH big-race winners, one at each major meeting yesterday, taking him into a 29-16 lead over Pricewise and making him a profit on the day of 6.25 with all selections covered:
WON 9-2 THE GALLOPING BEAR (Haydock Park Grand National Trial)
WON 9-4 FAKIR D’OUDAIRIES (Ascot Chase)
NAVAN NO GO: Navan’s good quality Sunday card was called off this morning due to waterlogging. Daqman was all set to preview the Grade 2 Boyne Hurdle and Ten Up Novice Chase but now relies on his Musselburgh nap at 4.30pm.
BRISTOL FANS CAN’T BEAR IT
Race of two heroes. Which do you want: a new rising star trainer with a courageous young stayer, or a fabulous old servant who nearly won it with top weight?
The Galloping Bear won the Grand National Trial at Haydock yesterday but runner-up Bristol de Mai won back the hearts of those who thought his day was done.
Winner of three Lancashire Chases there, Bristol de Mai showed why Haydock is his home, bounding across the big fences over 3m 4f on heavy ground despite the steadier of 11st 10lb.
Still six lengths ahead two out, he taught the others such a lesson that no fewer than eight of the 11 runners pulled up.
But, two years younger and carrying 22lb less, The Galloping Bear headed the leader just before the last and ran clear after the final fence.
The Galloping Bear was completing a hat-trick for Chard trainer Ben Clarke and his jockey, Ben Jones, which started with a double at Sandown on Thursday and comes only five months after their first ever winner with a full training licence.
‘I felt bad beating Bristol De Mai; he’s a racing legend but the weight made the difference,’ said the trainer.
Ben the boss and Ben the jockey are back together at Taunton on Tuesday with Castkitello and Exeter next Friday with Dr Kananga.
Dr Kananga was one of their winners at Sandown, another staying chaser who – like The Galloping Bear – also beat Nigel and San Twiston-Davies into second place that day.
The Twiston-Davies team was celebrating before the Grand National Trial yesterday when they also brought back Wholestone from obscurity and a long absence.
The one-time Relkeel winner, third in the Stayers Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, won the Rendlesham at Haydock by 13 lengths and 29, despite being off the track since November 2020.
ALL CLEAR: GET ON RUNWAY!
⭕ THE NAP: 4.30 Musselburgh I fear that Newbury in the mud will be tough for horses, jockeys.. and tipsters. So I’m going to Musselburgh where that sort of thing is normal.
Clear The Runway in first-time cheekpieces could be the winner that tags on to that Laura Morgan sequence I quoted yesterday: 101011 up to Saturday when my pick of her runners then, J’Ai Froid, downed tools at Ascot in the conditions.
Clear The Runway (BETDAQ BETTING EXCHANGE 3.25) should make a decent chaser. Out of a Yeats mare related to winners over fences from 2m 4f to 3m 2f, including a Cheltenham Festival scorer. Adam Wedge goes up for the ride.
DAQMAN’S BETS
4.30 Musselburgh (win 10, nap)
BET 4pts win CLEAR THE RUNWAY
What are points? Points facilitate a staking plan, which is the secret to creating profit. One point is whatever you choose: a pound, a euro, or whatever ….
Start with a bank and decide how much you can afford to lose over a period of time, and determine the size of your bets accordingly. Daqman makes this variation every day.
