DAQMAN SWERVES THE AYR BOG: Rain was a blight on Saturday’s racing but the forecast for next week is brighter. Meanwhile, Daqman ignores the heavy ground at Ayr, with more rain expected, and goes to Fairyhouse (yielding to soft), taking on Pricewise in the feature race.
BEST BET RUNS AT SOUTHWELL: After an ‘extraordinary’ strike by Constitution Hill yesterday, Daqman finds one at Fairyhouse which is bred to win a Derby. And he naps a convert to the new Tapeta track at Southwell.
EXTRAORDINARY CONSTITUTION
There were winners at 80-1, 40-1 and 25-1.. Nice work if you can get it but they are an indication of the Saturday wash-out for tipsters (Daqman 0, Pricewise 0) and punters alike.
And it was no day for finding horses to follow. Constitution Hill looks top rank, but the chances are poor you’ll ever get a price about him, so he has to win every time from now on.
His trainer, Nicky Henderson, isolating at home, thought the performance in the Tolworth so extraordinary that he had to confirm with jockey Nico de Boinville before speaking to the Press. Said Nico: ‘I knew in the first 10 strides.’ Said Nicky: ‘I couldn’t believe it.’
While the ground is soft-heavy, keep stakes low and spread your money to give yourself a chance and save disappointment when your ‘good thing’ gets bogged down in the mud.
I thought at least my nap was going to score yesterday. But Grey Diamond came to win it at the last and slithered over on landing, as he tried to jump into the lead.
BRITZKA’S BRED FOR A DERBY
⭕ 12.50 Fairyhouse Gordon Elliott (3) and Gavin Cromwell (2) are the only trainers to have won this hurdle for four-year-olds. And they share three runners in it today.
Elliott’s best may be Davy Russell’s mount, Britzka. By Zoffany out of a Sadler’s Wells mare, he is bred for middle distance on the Flat, with the dam a half-sister to Group-1 winners.
He went clear to win his hurdles maiden here at Fairyhouse and confirmed the form with the runner-up, Scenic Look, when they met again at Leopardstown.
But both were well held by another Elliott youngster, Fil d’Or, who is in our Fortune Cookies list.
White Pepper (Cromwell) easily beat Iberique Du Seuil at Galway, and came over to Aintree as favourite in December for a fillies’ juvenile hurdle won going away by Sea Sessions.
BLACKBOW WINS WHEN FRESH
⭕ 2.20 Fairyhouse (Dan and Joan Moore Memorial Chase) Dan Moore trained one of the greatest horses of the 20th century, L’Escargot, winner of the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 1970 and 1971 and the Grand National in 1975.
Joan took over the licence and won the Irish Grand National with Tied Cottage, second in two Gold Cups. Their son, Arthur Moore, won this memorial race in 2013 with Lastoftheleaders.
I punted Pont Aven in it last year, 10-1 runner-up for Willie Mullins to the Noel Meade winner.
Willie, who had nine winners in the first six days of January, runs Blackbow, a late starter this season but who has scored twice before on his first run back.
Dunvegan runs off his highest chase mark because he won here the last day, though he’s actually better off at the weights with the second, Grange Walk.
The one they all have to stop at a value offer is Take All (BETDAQ 6.7). He ran well in Graded races at Navan and Punchestown, after scoring on the heavy at Wexford.
Take All was third to Grange Walk when favourite at Leopardstown on Boxing Day, giving that one 10lb. Today they meet at levels.
BETDAQ BETTING EXCHANGE 4.4 Blackbow, 6.3 Take All
MASQOOL HOT IN THE MARKET
⭕ Southwell Winners already on Tapeta are all the rage on the new track at Southwell: Masqool, Masham Moor and Inexplicable in the (1.40) mile handicap.
The market says Masqool, CD winner at Southwell, eased down to score on the opening day of the new year. Unexposed after just five starts.
Tulane (3.40) was backed last night at big prices, with Jason Watson booked. Jason has had four winners already in the new year and Tulane has dropped 17lb down the handicap since being gelded: 12.5 on BETDAQ as I write.
DAQMAN’S BETS
12.50 Fairyhouse (win 10)
BET 7pts win BRITZKA
1.40 Southwell (nap)
BET 10pts win MASQOOL
2.20 Fairyhouse (win 12)
BET 3.5pts win BLACKBOW
BET 2.25pts win TAKE ALL
3.40 Southwell (win 20)
BET 1.75pts win TULANE
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.
