BIG-RACE WINNERS AT 22-1, 16-1 AND 11-8: Daqman jumped to it, at the double, on the last day of the English National Hunt season with BOTH big Sandown chase winners, Hewick at BETDAQ 17.0 in the Sandown Gold Cup and Greaneteen in the Celebration Chase. It was his second big-odds winner of the week, which started with a 22-1 hit on Monday.
Saturday
WON 16-1 HEWICK (Sandown Gold Cup)
WON 11-8 GREANETEEN (Celebration Chase)
Friday
WON (Lays Logic 3rd 16-5) BLUE TRAIL
Thursday
WON 5-4 OPEN MIND (nap)
WON 8-11 BAILEYS DERBYDAY
Wednesday
WON 5-6 SAMBURU (nap)
Monday
WON 22-1 BELLOCCIO (Rosebery Handicap)
LOOK OUT FOR MORE HOT RACING NEXT WEEK: The stories of the jumps season are well known, but Daqman is always looking at the punter’s edge, so his wrap is about the champions from the betting angle. Then it’s a quick turnaround tomorrow to two big festivals: Punchestown in Ireland and the first English Classics at Newmarket.
PUNTERS SAY HE’S THEIR DON
Son Of Ginger wins twice. Donald McCain, whose father trained triple Grand National winner, Red Rum, is the punters’ champion of 2021-22.
Yes, it was a great day for Paul Nicholls, crowned king with a four-timer yesterday but, when the jockeys’ title trophy was handed to Brian Hughes, it had Donald McCain’s name on it, too, as his biggest supporter.
McCain was top of the trainers numerically, saddling 155 winners, 12 more than Nicholls and 35 ahead of Nicky Henderson.
But he also shares with Nicholls the accolade of best percentage strike-rate, 23%, against 21% by Henderson and Gary Moore. Important numbers for punters which sets those stables apart, along with the burgeoning yard of Milton Harris.
Harris is right in among them with 22% strikes but, in fact, he finishes in pole position on ‘winners to horses run’ (34-50), an incredible 68% to next-best Moore (52%), then Nicholls on 48%, with Dan Skelton and Henderson on 45%.
Harris is also in the front rank for his profits to £1 level stake on all runners: the first four were, 1 Micky Hammond +88, 2 Sue Smith +58, 3 Milton Harris +35, 4 Venetia Williams +32.
The Flat season has started where it left off in November: Charlie Appleby was 2021 champion but also top of the leaderboard on strike rate (29%), from William Haggas (25%) and Team Gosden (21%).
In the good old bad old days, Cock O’the North jockeys like Willie Nevett, Edgar Britt and Edward Hide were also Flat champions of England.
Daniel Tudhope (with 84), David Allan, Paul Mulrennan, Paul Hanagan and Joe Fanning all hit 60 winners or nearly so last year, but a long way adrift of William Buick’s 140.
Leading riders on percentages were Buick and Dettori, and that’s where they are now, with Buick’s association with Charlie Appleby putting him on an incredible 40% strike this season to date, Dettori (32%) and Jim Crowley (33%) close behind, each cherry-picking a smaller number of rides.
Charlie Appleby leads the trainers’ table on 52% (16-31); of the smaller stables Chris Wall is 57% (4-7). Stats from the Racing Post.
HOPE BUT HER TRAINER IS 0-17
⚠️ HEADS UP A quiet Sunday but tomorrow features the return of Monday evening racing at Windsor. Tuesday until the end of the month is the five-day Punchestown jumping festival.
⚠️ HEADS UP Friday launches the Newmarket Guineas meeting, with the 2,000 on Saturday
and the 1,000 run on Sunday. Look out for Daqman’s ABC guide on Thursday.
⭕ 1.45 Wetherby World Without Love is closely related to Sir Ron Priestley and and Subjectivist, both winners third time of asking.
Described as one who will ‘stay all day,’ she steps up in trip for this fillies’ novice at BETDAQ 5.6 against Fresh Hope, favourite from a yard currently 0-17 in 16 days without a winner.
🤔 LAYS LOGIC: Though not seen out since September, Fresh Hope was 1.83 on BETDAQ this morning and even longer odds-on with bookies, but Charlie Fellowes last three runners have finished a total of 48 lengths behind the winner and his last favourite (on April 15th) was only fifth.
⭕ 3.30 Wetherby In the five seasons Wetherby has raced on the Flat, Richard Spencer, back to form with success at Yarmouth the last day, has sent one horse up from his Newmarket stable, a winner.
His four-year-old Big Narstie was confronted by a 12lb rise for his second at Ascot to Aldaary last May.
Since then he has crashed down the handicap to an 83 rating, while Aldaary shot up from 93 to 114 for back-to-back success, including the Balmoral at Ascot in October.
So his top-weight in this ordinary class-4 handicap, after Hayley Turner’s seasonal debut on him at Doncaster, should be no burden at all. Big Narstie was evens this morning.
⭕ 4.20 Bath Kratos sits at the back of the class and only gradually learns his stuff but his fourth in the AW Championship Mile at Lingfield the last day was a solid step up.
His trainer, Roger Varian, is one winner short of a quite stunning 50% strike rate from 24 runners at Bath. Kratos was 5.9 on BETDAQ BETTING EXCHANGE this morning.
Uncle Dick (BETDAQ 3.9) goes well after a break, and Eve Johnson Houghton landed a double at the last Bath meeting at 7-2 and 14-1.
DAQMAN’S BETS
1.45 Wetherby (win 10)
BET 2pts win WORLD WITHOUT LOVE
3.30 Wetherby (win 10, nap)
BET 10pts win BIG NARSTIE
4.20 Bath (win 10 each)
BET 3pts win UNCLE DICK
BET 2pts win KRATOS
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.
