20-1 SECOND AND GAMBLE SECOND! They’re racing over the sticks at Windsor today and big-race magician Venetia Williams, who beat the Daqman gamble, Madara, at Cheltenham yesterday has two strong fancies. Daqman was also second at Cheltenham on Friday with 20-1 outsider, Our Power.
LOOK OUT AT ASCOT: The big races this week are at Ascot. Watch this space.
EXCELLO RETURN AT WINDSOR
Windsor jumps back into the picture. NH racing returns to the Thameside track today for the first time in 20 years.
Full fixtures ended in 1998, though there were one or two early this century when Ascot was being redeveloped.
Plus ca change: among the last Windsor jumps winners on December 16th, 2005, were horses trained by Nicky Henderson, Paul Nicholls and Venetia Williams.
Nicholls has a local meeting coming up at Wincanton on Tuesday but Henderson and Venetia Williams are at Windsor, with three runners each.
⭕ 12.12 Windsor After chase success at Auteuil and Ascot, Excello went down only a head for Henderson and star rider Nico De Boinville in a class-2 novice hurdle just down the road at Ascot three weeks back.
Though the grey Illegal d’Ainay was beaten at Ascot earlier in the month, it was his first run since breaking his maiden at Plumpton in May; runner-up Global Esteem is three times a winner since.
Trainer Chris Gordon is in winning form (3-8 still standing) ahead of one of his favourite meetings at Plumpton on Monday
One of two interesting bookings for Harry Cobden is the repeat ride on Ma Shantou, on whom he scored nine lengths at Warwick recently.
TIP THE BOTTLE FOR HELNWEIN
⭕ 12.45 Windsor Venetia Williams was dubbed the ‘magician’ after her Gemirande beat the gamble Madara in the December Gold Cup at Cheltenham yesterday.
Her rampant big-race run this autumn and winter has taken her into the top six trainers and Charlie Deutsch up among the top 10 jockeys for prizemoney won.
The Enid Blyton fairytale would be marked in this race by victory for The Famous Five, back-to-back winner at the start of the year when the ground was on the heavy side.
The better surface today will suit Tedley and his capable 7lb claimer Jamie Brace, but Alan King (Helnwein) had five winners in 10 days to start this month.
Helnwein, who made a decent start to chasing at Warwick, looks better class, as winner of the Novices Hurdles Championship Final from the Greatwood runner-up, Be Aware.
⭕ 1.55 Windsor This class-3 three-mile chase sees a Venetia Wlliams mudlover over hurdles, Tanganyika, on his second start over fences.
He is stepping up in trip from a staying-on third over shorter on his fencing debut.
Old-timer Cap Du Nord likes a sound surface and the one most suited by today’s terrain is the Skelton runner, Jeffery’s Cross.
He has finished in the first two for seven successive starts but was easy to back on Betdaq Betting Exchange this morning at 5.6.
BELLBIRD WELL HANDICAPPED
⭕ 2.30 Windsor The most interesting traveler, on a day when he has four runners near home at Carlisle, is Donald McCain with Bellbird Brian Hughes, just short of winning £3m for the stable in the last five seasons at a 22% strike rate, takes the reins at Carlisle.
The mare Bellbird is claimed off 7lb by Charlie Maggs, and was heavily backed this morning.
She was already on a handy mark but now gets around a stone from her nearest rivals: Asian Spice, a winner only at Exeter, and Saisissante, given a tough mark after scoring at Ludlow a year or so back.
DAQMAN’S BETS on Betdaq Betting Exchange
12.12 Windsor (supernap)
BET 20pts win EXCELLO
12.45 Windsor (win 12)
BET 12pts win HELNWEIN
1.55 Windsor (win 12)
BET 2.46pts win JEFFERYS CROSS
BET 3pts saver TANGANYIKA
2.30 Windsor (win 10)
BET 5pts win BELLBIRD
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