DAQMAN AT THE DOUBLE AGAIN! Daqman, who named two big-race winners on Boxing Day including his supernap, did the trick again yesterday. That makes four big Christmas winners and two supernaps.
Saturday: profit on the day 9.67pts
WON 5-6 GALOPIN DES CHAMPS (Savills Chase)
WON 9-4 THE NEW LION (Challow Hurdle)
Boxing Day: profit on the day 23.03pts
WON 5-6 CONSTITUTION HILL (Christmas Hurdle)
WON 7-1 BANBRIDGE (King George Chase)
Seven winning naps out of 10
★ WON 5-6 GALOPIN DES CHAMPS (Saturday supernap)
★ WON 5-6 CONSTITUTION HILL (Boxing Day supernap)
★ WON 8-11 ZHANG FEI (Sunday nap)
★ WON 5-2 VICTTORINO (Saturday nap)
★ WON 4-6 RAJEKO (Wednesday nap)
★ WON 11-10 VIOLENTI (Tuesday nap)
★ WON 6-5 LADY BALKO (Monday nap)
CHRISTMAS CRACKERS: Today: Daqman selects his best Christmas winners.
NEW YEAR PLAYERS: Next Wednesday: Cheltenham New Year’s Day card.
DAQMAN’S CHRISTMAS CRACKERS
🏇 ACE: The New Lion A faultless performance in the Challow Hurdle at Newbury, a race which has produced King George winner Bravemansgame and three-time Cheltenham winner Stage Star since 2020.
🏇 KING: Constitution Hill This crown is for the champion hurdler, back from oblivion in the Christmas Hurdle, but also for Nicky Henderson, who had Willie Mullins’s Lossiemouth and later Ballyburn both seen off.
🏇 JOKER: Sir Gino A gamble for the Champion Hurdle, as winner of the Fighting Fifth, but – after he laid low Ballyburn in the Wayward Lad – a huge punt for the Arkle only one month later, and ‘no way will he go back to hurdles.’
This joker in the pack, a trump card in both disciplines, is now on the brink of greatness for Seven Barrows, which has produced such two-mile champions as Sprinter Sacre, Shishkin and Jonbon.
🏇 CHRISTMAS PLAYERS: Trainers Keiran Burke (Soul Icon, Desert Orchid Chase); Nicky Henderson (Constitution Hill, Christmas Hurdle; Sir Gino, Wayward Lad Chase); Ben Pauling (Henry’s Friend, Mandarin Chase; The Jukebox Man, Kauto Star Chase); Mel Rowley (Val Dancer, Welsh Grand National); Dan Skelton (The New Lion, Challow Hurdle); Willie Mullins (Galopin Des Champs, Savills Chase); Joseph O’Brien (Banbridge, King George; Home By The Lee, Savills Hurdle)
STATE OF PLAY
⭕ 2.30 Leopardstown (Neville Hotels Hurdle Grade 1) The grade 1 Christmas feast continues at Leopardstown and State Man is fairly long odds-on with the Betdaq Betting Exchange to gain his revenge on Brighterdaysahead who beat him by three quarters of a length in the Morgiana at Punchestown.
The Cheltenham Champion Hurdle winner State Man should be sharper today and may well have just needed the run at Punchestown but I’m never in a rush to back a different result on the same terms – especially at prohibitive odds. Something about Einstein (yes, I’m THAT old!) when he said about doing the same thing and expecting different results.
I’m also slightly worried about the form of Willie Mullins, which might seem odd after he did us a huge favour with the mighty Galopin Des Champs yesterday. I’m not convinced all of his are running to top form and he has had, unusually, quite a few beaten favourites among his last 14 day strike rate of 10-75. Most trainers would be happy enough with that but this is Willie Mullins after all.
I’ll take a chance on Brighterdaysahead confirming the form.
CHIPS DOWN ON SEAGULL
⭕ 2.47 Doncaster Just six go to post for this three mile handicap hurdle with preference going to Pyffo.
He won off a 4lb lower mark at Uttoxeter in June when the ground was the same as forecast today (good so soft) and has run well since including when third on stable debut for Harry Derham at Wincanton last month. He’s a confirmed front runner who might prove hard to peg back.
Super Survivor is not running as well as his form figures might suggest at first glance. His recent second and third placed efforts at Newbury and Sandown were by margins of 25 and 29 lengths respectively but on the plus side this represents a drop in class.
A bigger danger may come from Bugise Seagull who returns hurdling after a spell over the larger fences. Anything like a reproduction of his spring form at Aintree when he was third to Brighterdaysahead in a Grade 1 puts him in with a major chance. I can’t leave him out of calculations.
GRATEFUL FOR THE NAP
⭕ 3.35 Southwell So Grateful is lurking on a very dangerous mark and makes plenty of appeal now reunited with Joanna Mason who has ridden him to three of his four career wins.
Those have included a win off a mark of 68 and with the further drop today he is now a full 12lb lower than that level,
This looks easier than his latest task when he finished sixth at Newcastle and the switch back to Southwell – a course he does best at – should see a much bigger run.
Street Life shaped well here when fourth a couple of weeks ago but proved vulnerable in the closing stages and it might be the same story today.
DAQMAN’S BETS on Betdaq Betting Exchange
2.30 Leopardstown (win 10)
BET 3.3pts win BRIGHTERDAYSAHEAD
2.47 Doncaster (both win 10)
BET 3.5pts win PYFFO
BET 2.1pts win BUGISE SEAGULL
3.35 Southwell (win 10, nap)
BET 5.0pts win SO GRATEFUL
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