DAQMAN GOLD CUP STRIKE AT 15-2: Daqman headlined Rock to Thunder home yesterday in the Premier Chase at Kelso, completing a big-race double after his outsider Heltenham landed the Greatwood Gold Cup at Newbury. In doing so, he shot 792.49 points clear of Pricewise: 29 winners to 10 and a profit of 446.66 to his rival’s loss of 345.83
Saturday: Profit on the day: 13.75pts
WON 15-2 HELTENHAM
WON 9-4 THUNDER ROCK
Friday: Profit on the day: 26.25pts
WON 3-1 SHADES OF SUMMER
WON 9-4 PENZANCE
CHELTENHAM HERE WE COME: Look out from Tuesday next week as Daqman presents facts and stats for Cheltenham every festival racing day a week in advance. There will be news stories and ante-post assessment starting today.
HENDERSON NEEDS A MIRACLE
Tomorrow is crucial. Monday blood tests will decide the fate of long–time odds-on Champion Hurdle favourite, Constitution Hill.
How the odds are now stacked against him is revealed in trainer Nicky Henderson’s comment: ‘There must be miraculous improvement.’
There has hardly been more tension at Seven Barrows since the assistant to the legendary Fred Winter started training there in 1978.
It was not helped yesterday by continuing poor results at Kelso and Newbury, with at best modest gains. The last 15 Henderson runners over 11 days have recorded: PPP3PPP00P02P1P. That’s nine pulled up.
A first there was a glimmer of stable form at Kelso yesterday, but only second place for Supreme Novices contender Jango Baire, a beaten favourite under Nico De Boinville, not punished close home as if some awareness of a possible problem.
Then James Bowen made the breakthrough the team had been hoping for when he scored on Spring Note at the Henderson home from home, Newbury.
But the only Henderson Sunday runner declared at Doncaster today, Floating Line, has been withdrawn.
LIZARD SLIPS TWO GRADES
⭕ 3.40 Huntingdon Lounge Lizard is much better class than these if he can put his best foot forward. He proved that when chasing home Ga Law in a class 1 handicap at Cheltenham on Trials Day at the end of January.
A 25/1 shot that day, he should find life a lot more comfortable two rungs down the class ladder despite being hiked 3lb. Trainer Henry Daly has got his string in good form with 4 winners from his last 13 runners.
Dibble Decker battled really well to win on heavy ground at Wincanton last time out but had a really tough race and now needs to do it all again from a higher handicap mark.
General Medrano is up in trip having finished last of four finishers at Sandown last time out – a lingering concern is that his winning form to date has come on slightly quicker ground.
LAST MAN STANDING
⭕ 4.25 Doncaster The ground has worsened to heavy at Doncaster and chewed up no doubt too after yesterday’s meeting.
This long distance handicap hurdle certainly looks easier to solve with seven (at the time of writing) non runners.
Ismael wasn’t stopping when winning over two and a half miles at Uttoxeter last time out on similar bottomless ground and could prove hard to beat off his new mark now stepped up in trip.
Velasco looks the likely front runner but the form of his Sedgefield win looks quite modest.
BANKING ON SOUTH
⭕ 8.00 Newcastle Sunday nights under the floodlights are still taking a little getting used to but I’ll certainly be praising the initiative if my nap is landed at Gosforth Park tonight.
Southbank should follow up on his Wolverhampton success last time out which was his first run since the dreaded cut of all.
He’s up 3lb but in a close finish the handicapper couldn’t really be more punitive and there’s every chance he remains remarkably well handicapoed as he failed to show much at all in his first four career starts.
The Stuart Williams yard remains in good form and he should prove too strong for chief Betdaq Betting Exchange market rival Piper’s Fort for whom it really is first day at school again. His first handicap start, first start since being gelded and first start with cheekpieces on for first time.
And there’s more ….. it’s also his first start for 208 days AND his first start on the all-weather !!!!
The market will probably prove the best guide (4.5 mid-morning if you want to compare later) but with so many variables at play I prefer to play percentages with the proven recent form of Southbank and we need Piper’s Fort in the race to help keep our price sensible.
DAQMAN’S BETS
3.40 Huntingdon (win 10)
BET 5.5pts win LOUNGE LIZARD
4.25 Doncaster (win 10)
BET 5.5pts win ISMAEL
8.00 Newcastle (win 10, nap)
BET 7.1pts win SOUTHBANK
PLUS
1 point win treble above three
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.
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