BEAT THAT! DAQMAN MAKES IT 14 FROM 17: Uncanny? Psychic? Record-breaking? However he does it (free of charge to Betdaq Tips), sensational Daqman piles up the profits, reaching 14 winning naps from 17 yesterday with Beat That (WON 11-8).
HE FLOORS PRICEWISE WITH BIG TWO: His Punchestown big-race winners, Beat That and Boston Bob (WON 5-2), put him 24-4 ahead of Pricewise in the current season (63-16 overall) and he landed his second treble (20-1) in two days.
DOUBLE-WHAMMY WIN AND LAY: Daqman had already landed three out of three at Ascot, starting with a Double Whammy, a lay on Magical Roundabout (last of four, 15-8) and a win in the same race, Escalating (WON 13-8), going on to land the feature race with Tac De Boistron (WON 7-2)
448 POINTS PROFIT TO LEVEL STAKES: A notional 20-point level stake on Daqman’s last 17 naps, which has included seven winning bankers in a row, would have brought in 448 points.
The sequence is now:
WON 6-1 ANIPA
2nd 11-4 Pearl Princess
WON 4-5 PROVIDENT SPIRIT (banker)
WON 1-1 TOORMORE (banker)
WON 2-1 LITIGANT
WON 5-1 SEA SHANTY
0 6-1 Specialagent Alfie
WON 7-4 TOKYO JAVILEX
WON 4-11 CALL THE COPS (banker)
WON 5-4 UT MAJEUR AULMES (banker)
WON 8-13 MUSIC MASTER (banker)
WON 1-2 WESTERN HYMN (banker)
0 11-4 BAYAN
WON 5-2 I’M YOURS
WON 5-4 MAN OF HARLECH
WON 1-1 LITTLE BIG MAN (banker)
WON 11-8 BEAT THAT
TODAY’S CLASH WITH PRICEWISE: 4.15 and 6.40 Punchestown.
TODAY’S NAP: 7.45 Punchestown
THE HUMAN FACE OF BOOKMAKING
The Racing Post do some things well, including yesterday’s poignant and entertaining piece, an interview with Ladbrokes’ Mike Dillon. I’ve known Mike since Grand National sponsorship days as the genuine, informed and human side of a bookmaking giant. And, for once, the questions and answers went beyond the ‘what do you eat for breakfast’ nonsense.
I have to turn the volume down for post-race jockey quotes on TV: ‘How did you feel when you knew you’d won?’ One day there’ll be an answer that sounds like this: bleep, bleep, bleep!
Another great Ladbrokes’ character, and another human face of bookmaking was wizard-of-odds Ron Pollard, who used to say that he was blessed with the advice of a Chinaman sitting on his shoulder! Maybe that’s who’s giving me all these winners… thanks, Ron!
May day, May day, May day… Even the cat is trying to get out of my way, as fatigue and fanciful notions set in. The midnight oil is running low as I try to build up the naps total. Again. Please don’t spend the holiday money. This is a friendly site!
4.15 Punchestown Last year six-year-old Twinlight ‘bust’ the stats (no winners above 11st for donkeys’ years): we didn’t know then he would complete a hat-trick for Willie Mullins, including the Hilly Way.
Closutton has another on topweight today, Rupert Lamb, who has had a holiday after failing to complete the last twice, though Willie warns he’s best when fresh.
The young upstart this year is Dessie Hughes’ Art of Logistics, fourth at this meeting the last twice, including to Jezki in the champion novices’ hurdle last year.
He was joint jolly for the novices’ handicap at Cheltenham when he jumped like a drunken flea in first-time visors. They’re off today and Tom Scu is booked.
Older horses have won this only on soft-heavy, and I can’t see them skipping round this 2m on a soundish surface.
Nor can I fancy heavy-ground winners, like Way Up In The Air, though some can surprise on good going: Ned Buntline proved he wasn’t ground dependent when second in the Grand Annual at Cheltenham.
With the offers 12.5 bar two this morning, and ‘Ned’ seemingly needing only to beat the ‘fall’ guy, Art of Logistics, then he must be a bet. It’s not a good renewal of the race, so the weight is not the worry, though I’m concerned that the Cheltenham form was achieved in first-time hood and he has to repeat his improvement.
Mallowney, weighted to reverse Leopardstown form with Mount Collah, beat Ned Buntline at Naas in January but is worse off today and may only build on his reputation as a bridesmaid.
Toostrong is a front-runner; Golanbrook is well in but makes mistakes; Sizing Machine should improve for the ground but hasn’t grt the form in the book.
Aintree winner Parsnip Pete has been capable of back-to-back success but has never been this high in the handicap.
5.30 Punchestown (Ladbrokes World Series Hurdle) The sponsors get the headlines when a champion takes the field, but most of the copy about the race is waffle, because there really is only one question: can she do it again?
Nine in a row, including an unbeaten sequences in the mares’ hurdle at Cheltenham and this Punchestown top-of-the-world… wow! Quevega is the name.
But they’ve never been frightened to take her on: she’s beaten double-figure fields in seven of the nine, and there are 10 runners today, as she goes for five in a row in this.
So can she do it again? It’s about even money this morning and I’m so far in front right now, I’m ready to dare a lay. Even trainer Willie Mullins is worried about the improver Fingal Bay (7.2 on BETDAQ).
I will load my Fingal Bay bet place heavy. That place return will pay off my debt in the green if Quevega does win. If she doesn’t and Fingal holds her at bay, it’s another double whammy.
6.40 Punchestown (Ryanair Novive Chase) The last four winners were all flops at Cheltenham (Arkle 2, Grand Annual and Ryanair, one each).
Champagne Fever won this year’s Arkle everywhere but on the line (Trifolium third, Ted Veale fell), and Felix Younger was fourth in the Golden Miller.
But Balder Succes, who swerved Chelters to win at Aintree, is reckoned best by the official handicapper, 160 to Fever’s 157 with Trifolium on 153.
Trifolium has won four times on heavy and has looked one paced on a sounder surface. Felix Yonger has his ground, loves Punchestown and Willie Mullins has won this with his second string before (Barker 2009).
Felix had Trifolium 15 lengths back in December and, if you forgive him his dislike of Cheltenham, where he made a crucial error, he must come into this.
Felix Yonger is too big at 8.4 on BETDAQ this morning, with conditions now in his favour. Balder Success is the alternative, probably better than the book says.
TODAY’S TREBLE (two to go with Ned Buntline): Tell us More (7.45 Punchestown, banker) has been a runaway winner in a Point and a bumper. This is a better race, containing Kauto Star’s half-brother Kauto Grand Mogol, but Tell Us More’s £290,000 prize tag tells us more..
AW ace rider Luke Morris (51 winners this year) has been poached away from Lingfield today to partner the Niarchos family owned Spirit Or Soul (3.55) in his first handicap.
DAQMAN’S BETS (each single win bet is for 20 points profit)
BET 12pts win SPIRIT OR SOUL (3.55 Redcar)
BET 4pts win NED BUNTLINE (4.15 Punchestown)
LAY 10pts QUEVEGA, and BET 3.2pts win and 6.8pts place FINGAL BAY (5.30 Punchestown)
BET 7.5pts win BALDER SUCCESS and 2.7pts win FELIX YONGER (6.40 Punchestown)
BANKER: BET 20pts win (nap) TELL US MORE (7.45 Punchestown)
DAQ MULTIPLES: 3 x 3pt win doubles and 1pt win treble SPIRIT OR SOUL (3.55 Redcar), NED BUNTLINE (4.15 Punchestown) and TELL US MORE (7.45 Punchestown)
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