DOUBLE WHAMMY ROCKS AT 9-2: Saturday was only a breakeven day for Daqman’s singles, despite starting well with a double whammy of a win bet on Rock The Kasbah (WON 9-2) and a lay on the market leader in the same race, Gunner Fifteen (unplaced, 13-8 favourite). He leads Pricewise 8-1 before the Troytown Chase today.
HE LANDS 11 LAYS ON THE TROT: With Gunner Fifteen, Daqman was shooting down his third favourite in succession and his seventh in 11 consecutive winning lays. Only one of the 11 reached the first three.
WIN Bathos (unplaced 4-1)
WIN Grendisar (4th 9-4 favourite)
WIN Zebstar, place lay (unplaced 12-1)
WIN Cameraman (2nd 9-4 favourite)
WIN Gleneagles (unplaced 9-4)
WIN Wild Storm (unplaced 5-2 favourite)
WIN Fame Game (unplaced 4-1 favourite)
WIN Alfie Spinner (unplaced 14-1)
WIN Kings Palace, place lay (unplaced 13-2 favourite)
WIN Mick Jazz, place lay (pulled up 6-1 jt favourite)
WIN Gunner Fifteen (unplaced 13-8 favourite)
DON’T TAKE YOUR BETTING CUE FROM VETERANS
They are a yankee of lays. Stars reborn Rock On Ruby, Cue Card, Bobs Worth and Sprinter Sacre will not be winning at the Cheltenham Festival.
Sharpened for early prizes, and the more impressive as the new kids have seemingly faltered, the return to the big time of this quartet has given us a lot of pleasure and shown us training skills and jockeyship of a high order.
They may be your favourites; mine, too, if you look at the Daqman Library, which lists my 2012 Champion Hurdle win at 17.0 Rock On Ruby (WON 11-1).
But I’d rather be with the likes of Faugheen (beaten first run back) and Vautour (not a pretty winner on his return), who have not been 100% on their reappearance, and have the festivals as their long-term targets.
There’s a lot of it about: training the nearly horses and the older horses to win races now, because they won’t be up to the task in March and April at Cheltenham, Aintree and Punchestown.
No Cheltenham Gold Cup winner this century has been of a double-figure age; 14 of the 15 Champion Chase winners have been nine or younger; 10 of the 15 Champion Hurdlers 7 or less.
Cue Card and Sprinter Sacre will be 10 in six weeks’ time; Bobs Worth and Rock On Ruby will be 11. It’s great to see them back, but not a great idea to back them for the championships.
There are bookmaker prices about them as low as 3-1 Sprinter Sacre and 8-1 Cue Card. That’s how they make their money.
I’M A ROGUE TRADER AT 9.8 IN THE DOUVAN RACE
12.40 Navan This maiden hurdle has helped launch Mikael d’Haguenet, Bostons Angel and, three years ago, Don Cossack.
Today’s favourite, Potters Point, is Flat-bred, with an Oaks and Chester Cup winner on the dam’s side.
His trainer, Willie Mullins, has won this race four times in seven seasons.
But I don’t fancy taking even money, since Woodland Opera and Coney Island have each run well in a race of winners.
Coney Island’s breeding catches my eye; a Flemensfirth out of a Milan mare, related on the dam’s side to Wichita Lineman and Rhinestone Cowboy. I took 7.2 in the BETDAQ orange, early mouse.
1.10 Navan (Monksfield Novice Hurdle) Gordon Elliott is 131 in this, and has top jockeys on two last-time winners for Gigginstown this afternoon. Arch-rival J P McManus counters with three.
In this season’s successes, those filling the frame behind Falcon Crest, Cogryhill and Dallas Cowboy have all failed to score, but Ten Times Better (a 4.3 offer getting weight all round under Ruby Walsh) has beaten three that have scored since. That’s three times better..
2.10 Navan Following on some pretty decent types, like Flemenstar, Vautour won this beginners’ chase last year, and Arkle-favourite Douvan seems to have it in the bag.
Vautour, himself, didn’t get all his own way at Ascot yesterday but managed to win first time back, and now stablemate Douvan is unbackable to score in this.
It’s 22.0 bar two in the BETDAQ orange, so consistent Rogue Trader at 9.8 is worth a bit of win and place at 9.8, bearing in mind the intake of breath at the finish in the Faugheen and Vautour trials.
CONSISTENT DROMNEA CAN LAND THE TROYTOWN
2.40 Navan (Ladbrokes Troytown Chase) Eight times out of 10 you’ll find the winner in the bottom half dozen in the handicap, and I put up Knockanarrigan as my Hot Spot for this earlier in the week, though the worry now is that the ground is too testing.
I had a big bet in this when Notre Pere scored for Jim Dreaper off 11st 7lb in 2008 before he won me the Welsh National.
The 2012 winner, Tofino Bay, the only other in the decade to win with more than 10st 7lb., was also a stayer, subsequently second in the 4m NH Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.
Of today ‘s field, Riverside City has already won the Ulster National but Tulsa Jack beat him in the Cork G and National (Kylecrue third), both over 3m 4f.
It will be testing today and previous winners in heavy ground are Azorian, Dromnea, Empire Of Dirt, Georges Conn, Kylecrue and Mullaghanoe River, who was 18-1 when Empire Of Dirt was only 9-1 for the Irish Grand National.
The National pair are coming back from long breaks and may be beaten for fitness by Dromnea, a 10.5 on BETDAQ, consistent and with a run back recently.
DAQMAN’S BETS (staked to win 20 points)
BET 3.2pts win CONEY ISLAND (12.40 Navan)
BET 6pts win (nap) TEN TIMES BETTER (1.10 Navan)
BET 2.2pts win and place ROGUE TRADER (2.10 Navan)
BET 2pts win and place DROMNEA (2.40 Navan)
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