4-1 NAP WINS 50 POINTS AS A BULL’S-EYE BET: Back-to-back naps for Daqman! But not just naps: Friday’s was a supernap (20 points stake) and yesterday’s had bull’s-eye bet status (staked to win 50 points).
WON 10-11 REETH (supernap)
WON 4-1 TEDHAM (nap and bull’s-eye bet)
Tedham puts Daqman 14-7 in front of Pricewise of the Racing Post, with Daqman narrowly showing a profit (+2) and Pricewise down (-6). Daqman’s horses to follow are up 564 points.
A RACE TO WATCH AND A MARE TO REMEMBER: A race to watch (‘several times’), likely to have winners at the Cheltenham and Punchestown festivals. That’s Daqman’s verdict on the Grade-1 novice hurdle at Navan today (1.50). He has already posted the mare Laurina to his horses-to-follow list, so impressed as to rate her championship material despite the weakness of yesterday’s trial. Headlines:
LAURINA LOOKED A REAL CHAMPION
ALL CALL HOUSE IN THE MINI ARKLE
LONE 18.0 OFFER TO DEFY TORNADO
WEIGHT NOT A WORRY FOR AMIGOS
LAURINA LOOKED A REAL CHAMPION
Ruby’s riding it. That’s what woke the punters to Laurina’s improved Champion Hurdle chance at Sandown yesterday. They fell asleep during the race, which was no more than an exercise gallop.
But, for me, her looks and shape, her style and natural ability were far more important, and they really had trainer Willie Mullins eyes shining.
Yes, Ruby Walsh’s decision there and then, nine weeks before the race, was a strong affirmation but rarely has a horse, certainly not a mare, come out and ‘walked it’ yet looked a champion in doing so.
She is athletic, intelligent, powerful, a natural jumper and.. Well, having already dropped Buveur d’Air from my horses to follow, I now have Verdana Blue and Laurina vying for my Fortune Cookies final list for the festivals.
ALL CALL HOUSE IN THE MINI ARKLE
1.10 Plumpton A cracking contest, reckoned Plumpton’s Arkle. All those to finish behind Knocknanuss at Newbury have been beaten since and this keen sort has to step up in trip today.
Master Dino is on a six-timer but is used to hacking over small fields of nonentities in the Auteuil mud. Tunis, the horse he beat in the French Champion Hurdle, had already finished behind him five times and beaten him twice!
One chase, one win, and he gets a 157 chase rating. I’ll believe it when I see it. First-time tongue tied today.
The 3m hurdle winner Good Man Pat and unlucky Pertemps Final runner-up Glenloe both need a stamina trip.
So I’m taking a punt on Slate House, with the Tizzard stable banging in a big double yesterday, and this horse 2-2 when fresh.
He’s always had a tall reputation and has kept Grades 1 and 2 company all the way since winning his hurdles maiden at Cheltenham 14 months ago, when he was said to be ‘not a world beater.. yet!’ Huge at BETDAQ 9.2.
LONE 18.0 OFFER TO DEFY TORNADO
1.50 Naas This race is right up there as a trial and today’s field looks quality packed. A 2m 4f Grade-1 novice hurdle, it has gone to some useful sorts, but particularly future chasing stars like Bellshill, Death Duty, Rule The World.
It’s a particularly good guide to Punchestown, and another pathfinder for Willie Mullins, who has won seven of the last nine.
A 2m 4f winner already, Tornado Flyer, from the same family as Hurricane Fly, could make it eight from 10 for Willie, though I was impressed by Lone Wolf’s turn of foot at Fairyhouse, and Come To Me travelled really well in his Cork maiden success from a big field.
A 3m Point winner, Battleoverdoyen also faced a big field (21 ran) to break his maiden at Navan (2m) but was backed like a certainty and scored by 13 lengths.
Commander In Fleet lost his unbeaten record when last of four in the Royal Bond but the third horse has won a Grade 1 since.
It was neck and neck in the BETDAQ orange this morning between Battleoverdoyen and Tornado Flyer, and I shall probably be putting one of those two into my horses-to-follow list after the race.
But, at their short offers, I shall have an interest elsewhere – perhaps 18.0 Lone Wolf – just to make sure I watch the race (several times). It could easily have winners at Cheltenham and Punchestown.
WEIGHT NOT A WORRY FOR AMIGOS
2.40 Plumpton (Sussex National) Switching the Sussex National date back to early January has produced fields of 11 and 14 in the last two seasons.
But we’ll be struggling for three places in the betting returns today, just holding up this morning with the requisite eight ‘strong’ field.
We may not need it. We may be convinced that, unless an accident happens, there is a solid win hit in the race.
The Two Amigos was a prolific Points winner under welter weights before returning to conventional courses off a 109 rating and, after two wins from three starts, may be able to shake off the increased burden to 134 at around 2-1.
It does not take him above the class 3 of his all-the-way Exeter success a month ago over a quarter of a mile more than today. He remains within his comfort zone, and we know he usually keeps his form, no trouble at all.
I See You Well has won only over shorter and only at a grade lower level. He got tired and dived at the last when he beat The Tin Miner here just before Christmas.
DAQMAN’S BETS
1.10 Plumpton (win 20)
BET 2.5pts win SLATE HOUSE
1.50 Naas (win 30)
BET 1.75pts win and place LONE WOLF
2.40 Plumpton (win 20)
BET 10pts win (nap) THE TWO AMIGOS
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