BACK-TO-BACK NAPS AND A WINNING WEEK AT 14-1, 11-1, 8-1 & 13-2: Daqman capped another wonderful week of winners with back-to-back naps yesterday when, after Passion And Glory (WON 2-1) on Friday, he landed Wonderful Tonight (WON 4-5) to a 20-point stake. His big-race winners at Galway and Goodwood included 14-1, 11-1, 8-1 and 13-2 strikes. It takes his score against Pricewise to 47-27 before the 3.15 at Galway today.
Saturday: Profit on the day 8.50 points
WON 13-2 PRINCE ALEX (BETDAQ 8.8 taken)
WON 4-5 WONDERFUL TONIGHT (Fortune Cookie, nap)
Friday: Profit on the day 43pts
WON 8-1 MAYDANNY (win 50 bull’s-eye bet, 12.5 on BETDAQ)
WON 2-1 PASSION AND GLORY (nap, 4.4 on BETDAQ)
Thursday: Goodwood profit 9.50pts
WON 11-1 OTTOMAN EMPEROR
Tuesday Profit on the day 8pts
WON 10-3 ANGEL BLEU (from 9.8 on BETDAQ) Profit on the day 8pts
Monday: Galway profit 6.25pts
WON 14-1 COLTOR
Sunday: Profit on the day 8.50pts
WON 7-4 BRUNCH
WON 6-5 RISING STAR
DAQMAN SUNDAY BEST BET OFFERED 8.4 AT THIRSK FOR HIS HAT-TRICK: Today Daqman signs off Goodwood and Galway, and finds an 8.4 BETDAQ offer on the nap at Thirsk to complete a hat-trick of best bets.
THE MURTAGH STAR KEEPS ON RISING
🟣 GOODWOOD WRAP Baaeed could be a monster the way the son of Sea The Stars strode away at Goodwood on Friday, without turning a hair.
Though his entries are the Jacques Le Marois, the Celebration Mile and the Prix du Moulin at the Arc meeting, his public will be clamouring for the highest honours, and the bookmakers insist on having him short for the British Champions Mile.
But I like to see an improver having a real test, where he’s not ‘expected’ at odds on, or a star player we love who refuses to give in to conditions. I got both.
I’m glad I didn’t dither and went all out for Johnny Murtagh’s Ottoman Emperor for the Gordon Stakes, with Johnny’s smile even wider when the colt drifted to 11-1 SP.
In the race itself, the ever-improving Emperor went clear and then just did enough, as if to say ‘where were you.’ Reminded me of Murtagh himself in the saddle, but what a feat for the man in his training role.
Special mention of Wonderful Tonight, wonderful in the last afternoon of Goodwood and, with conditions no way quite the mudbath she likes, game and unyielding over the 1m 6f under a master ride from William Buick, who thinks she feels speedier now and stamina solid for the Arc. She’ll need both.
JUST ONE RED FLAG AND SHARK BITES
🟣 GALWAY WRAP The training story of Galway week which finishes this afternoon may well be the nine winners of Willie Mullins, who has just one runner (4.20) on the final day: Micro Manage. Joseph O’Brien, currently second with four, runs six this afternoon.
But I shall keep the results handy for another reason: the answer to the age-old question of when to follow a stable. When the yard is in form, obviously, but when the money is down, certainly, in the case of John Joseph ‘Shark’ Hanlon.
The odds against his runners at Galway were nothing short of colossal: in order 28-1, 80-1, 100-1, 200-1, 66-1, 22-1, 125-1, 50-1, 66-1, 300-1, 16-1, 11-1, 20-1, 80-1 and 33-1.
Just one Hanlon horse was backed: 2-1 favourite Hallowed Star on Friday, appropriately in the Opportunity Hurdle. Result in doubt until the final strides.
At last the money is down, but it’s a heart-stopping round of hurdling; ‘off the bridle a long way out, really needed stoking up; stayed on really strongly, led final strides,’ says the Racing Post racereader.
So my Ballybrit award of 2021 goes to Hallowed Star’s jockey, Conor McNamara.
JACK’S HIGH FOR A GALWAY DOUBLE
⭕ 3.15 Galway English raiders have won six of the last 10 in this 7f handicap, and are represented today by David Barron (On A Session, placed twice in this race) and Archie Watson (Stone Soldier).
Stone Soldier has won two this year, including at Haydock on good ground the last day, and is still on a winning mark.
Soaring Monarch was runner-up twice at the festival a year ago but went up 11lb for a Roscommon success in May. Lust also won the last day but seems to need soft ground.
On A Session is now better off with the winner of 2020, Current Option, shortest price of four to be saddled by Ado McGuinness, including Sirjack Thomas.
Sirjack Thomas won the Mile here earlier in the week from course-specialist Quizical, with Current Option only seventh.
Sweet Gardenia (BETDAQ BETTING EXCHANGE value 35.0), for a stable with winners at Galway this week, has been racing in much higher class and is my bet of the low numbers (stall 3).
Of the higher stalls, Sirjack Thomas (8.2), so impressive earlier in the week, could see them off again.
⭕ 3.25 Thirsk Hugo Palmer has had six winners in six days and Liberated Lady looks well placed for another strike at BETDAQ 8.4.
She ran in the Fred Darling in the Spring against Alcohol Free, and was not disgraced, needing the run, on her handicap debut at Doncaster.
⭕ 3.45 Chester There are four handicapped within a pound of each other off 83 and 84 in this race called the Chester Marathon.
The difference is that Andrew Balding’s Rival, who has won on the course (on today’s ground), is bred to get this trip and more, and Oisin Murphy only has to keep hold of him.
DAQMAN’S BETS
3.15 Galway (win 30)
BET 4pts win SIRJACK THOMAS
BET 1pt win SWEET GARDENIA
3.25 Thirsk (win 20, nap)
BET 3.5pts win LIBERATED LADY
3.45 Chester (win 10)
BET 3pts win RIVAL
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.
