DAQMAN LANDS SUPER-SATURDAY NAP AT 4-1: Daqman landed a 4-1 nap on super Saturday and is now exactly double the Pricewise number of winning bets (40-20) and still well ahead (+105 to -246) on level stakes, despite a hefty hit by Pricewise. Today’s clash is in the Prix Jean Prat at Deauville, a race Daqman won with 101-10 shot Intellogent in 2018.
O’BRIEN-1: WINS THE BELMONT OAKS: Santa Barbara won the Belmont Oaks for Aidan O’Brien at 11-8 on last night. She was behind a blockade of American horses until Ryan Moore found a gap and she burst through just before the line.
O’BRIEN-2: WINS THE BELMONT DERBY: Bolshoi Ballet, also 8-11, completed a poignant double for O’Brien on the day the racing world mourned the passing of the colt’s sire, Galileo.
O’BRIEN-3: DAQMAN SUNDAY SPECIAL: After the £664,000 double in America, O’Brien switches to France, scene of some of his greatest triumphs this season. Daqman gives you a Sunday special order-in horse-by-horse analysis.
FRANCE AIDAN’S NEW BATTLEGROUND
⭕ 2.50 Deauville (Prix Jean Prat) Aidan O’Brien, who has poached a Guineas, a Derby and a grand prix in France this year, tries to capture this unique 7f Group 1 for three-year-olds, a superior Jersey Stakes.
The race is old as the hills (1858) but was run over a mile until 2019 when it became the only race at this new trip at the top level in Europe.
The might of team Gosden took the first of the new races with Too Darn Hot (2019) and Godolphin followed with Pinatubo (Charlie Appleby 2020), pipping O’Brien’s Lope Y Fernandez, who was a huge 40-1.
Appleby has the likely favourite this afternoon, Naval Crown, closely followed by Balllydoyle with Battleground (Aidan O’Brien) and Thunder Moon (Joseph O’Brien). Daqman’s order in (very soft ground):
1: BATTLEGROUND Well down the field (disliked the Newmarket track) in the 2,000 Guineas but closed down the winner to within around four lengths when third (not clear run) to the same colt in the St James’s Palace Stakes. Colin Keane rides. Has a wide draw. Won the Chesham on the soft as a juvenile. (Aidan O’Brien).
2: MIDTOWN A Dubawi colt who is 2-2, including an easy Listed success over Best Lightning in November, but not seen since. He was Andre Fabre’s great hope for the Classics at one stage and may yet be good enough against this bunch of losers.
3: COLOSSEO Ran above himself as an 80-1 shot when second to St Mark’s Basilica in the French 2,000 Guineas, leading until the last 150 yards. Will be suited by trip and ground today but can he show the same level of form? (Gianluca Bietolini).
4: NAVAL CROWN Kevin Manning is an interesting jockey booking by Charlie Appleby for Naval Crown, who was 50-1 fourth in the Newmarket Guineas (firm), with Wembley and Battleground behind.
Naval Crown’s only runs on soft or heavy since his maiden have been third of five at Saint-Cloud (Group 3, 1m) and runner-up in the Jersey Stakes.
The Jersey Stakes winner, Creative Force, was fifth, dropped back a furlong for yesterday’s July Cup. The Jersey Stakes fifth, Fundamental, was beaten in a handicap yesterday, almost four-lengths second in the Bunbury Cup.
5: ERASMO Goes for a hat-trick, after four out of six since his debut, including a Group 3 at Chantilly the last day, beating Best Lightning (Andre Fabre). Well drawn.
WEMBLEY As a two-year-old, second to Thunder Moon (National Stakes) and to St Mark’s Basilica (Dewhurst, soft) but not reproduced that form this term.
Well beaten in both English and Irish Guineas and in the St James’s Palace Stakes but 7f worth a try. (Aidan O’Brien)
THUNDER MOON Beat Wembley as a two-year-old (National Stakes), and third to St Mark’s Basilica and Wembley in the Dewhurst (soft), when it was said that he failed to pick up in the deep ground.
Beaten in the Newmarket Guineas and by the same horse at Ascot on firm ground over a mile (Joseph O’Brien). Well drawn.
MEHMENTO Well beaten in the French Guineas and in the Jersey Stakes (Archie Watson)
BEST LIGHTNING German Guineas runner-up. See Midtown and Erasmo (Andreas Suborics)
VALLORIA Won a Longchamp Listed but beaten twice on very soft ground. Gets fillies’ allowance (Jean-Claude Rouget). Reina Madre is a second filly in the race and of similar quality.
LAWS OF INDICES Seventh to Thunder Moon last year; fifth in Leopardstown 2,000 Trial in April before dropping back to 6f; unplaced twice on very soft (Ken Condon)
FAST RAAJ Winner of a Group-3 here at Deauville in April (good) but 17th of 18 in the Jersey Stakes (soft) at Ascot (Yves Barberot)
THE GOING FAVOURS VALERIA AGAIN
⭕ 3.20 Fairyhouse (Brownstown Stakes) Group-3 runner-up to Champs Elysees at Gowran in September (soft/heavy), Pearls Galore maintained her form at that level when third at Leopardstown (good) late last month.
Valeria Messalina won the Brownstown last year when it was switched to VCork and run on the sound surface she can expect again today.
Both Pearls Galore and Valeria Mesalina are drawn low, which has proved an advantage, with (previous to Cork) five years’ results by stall: 2, 2, 3, 4, 2.
BETDAQ BETTING EXCHANGE VALUE 5.1 Valeria Messalina
⭕ 3.35 Salisbury Malathaat, half-sister to Aidan O’Brien’s Group-1 winner Broome, is trained by man-in-form Richard Hannon, who has asked Jim Crowley to take this sole ride of the day.
The Frankel filly is on a handy mark for her first handicap, and allowances and penalties add up to a 19lb concession from Deep Snow. Any further rain is a bonus.
Hannon, who beat a fabulous field for the Falmouth with Snow Lantern, bagged the Bunbury Cup yesterday with Motakhayyel.
BETDAQ value 4.0 Malathaat
DAQMAN’S BETS
2.50 Deauville (win 50 bull’s-eye bets)
BET 10pts win BATTLEGROUND
BET 10pts win MIDTOWN
3.20 Fairyhouse (win 20)
BET 5pts win VALERIA MESSALINA
3.35 Salisbury (win 20 nap)
BET 6pts win MALATHAAT
