JOHNSON SOLO START IS NAPPED: Kelso, Fontwell, Leicester, Thurles. Daqman has something to offer at four meetings again today, with his nap Richard Johnson’s only mount of the afternoon.
IRISH EYES ON FESTIVAL TRIALS: Daqman starts with a round-up of races in Ireland which should show some light on festival hopes at Aintree, Cheltenham and Punchestown. He tips one of them today.
LAHAAG A BYRNES HORSE TO FOLLOW
THURLES (Today) Now and then Charles Byrnes strikes gold among his small intake of horses, and I believe that the Solwhit yard has a good ’un with the big galloper, Lahaag (3.35).
It’s not a powerful field today, and the Willie Mullins favourite, Lockstockandbarrel, has something to prove, so I’m hoping that Lahaag, a quality John Gosden Flat handicapper, will emerge in time for Aintree or Punchestown.
I lambasted the Haydock Grand National Trial yesterday but there are more opportunities to find festival investments this weekend, maybe even for Cheltenham, starting at Kelso today (see below) but particularly in Ireland on Saturday and Sunday.
GOWRAN PARK (Saturday) Subsequent Cheltenham Gold Cup third, Forget the Past won the Red Mills Chase (2.10) in 2006. But it’s the Grade-2 hurdle (3.20) which is a kingmaker.
Hardy Eustace (2005) won the Cheltenham Champion Hurdle after taking this; Solwhit (2009) went on to a four-timer, including the Aintree Hurdle and the Punchestown Champion Hurdle.
And last year’s winner – completing a hat-trick in this trial for Willie Mullins – could go on to even greater things. Name of Un De Sceaux.
NAVAN (Sunday) Catch Me, On His Own and War Of Attrition have won the Grade-2 Boyne Hurdle (2.15) at Navan on Sunday.
And I’m hoping that Briar Hill can redeem a poor run in the Galmoy and set himself up for the World Hurdle, now left wide open by the physical problems with the favourite, More Of That.
There’s still time for a good young fencing hope to be thrown up by either the Flyingbolt Novice Chase (3.20) or the Ten Up Novice Chase (3.55), won last year by Foxrock, who has leapt 22lb in the ratings, with a fine festival season ahead, surely.
McCOY IN FLYING FORM FOR KELSO
KELSO: Jumps racing has become the McCoy Trail until his boots are hung up in April. Here he is today on his travels at Kelso, having already raided the frozen North with winners at Musselburgh and Ayr recently.
This is no champion weakening out of contention. He has a better strike-rate now (30%) than he’s had for more than 12 years. It’s his third best in his 19 title seasons.
His opening mount, Jack Steel (2.00), has drifted like a lonely dog on a raft this morning, well over the betting weir at 13.0 as I write. Needs further.
But, by virtue of so-many second-strings winning lately, you’d have to ‘leave a pound’ on at that price, if you are inclined towards stablemate Thorpe.
My fancy is Frederic, blue-blooded son of Zaminda (who got Zafonic) and a useful Luca Cumani Flat performer. Getting 10lb from Thorpe, and impressive on his hurdles debut.
McCoy teams up with travellers come more miles than himself, and he takes the mounts on three of them: Tanerko Emery (3.00) and Flying Eagle (4.00) for Peter Bowen, who brings a trio of runners all the way up from Welsh Wales.
McCoy’s other raider, Holywell, (3.30) for Jonjo O’Neill, is going to be long odds-on. A banker in some terminology but it would blight my winning sequence to put a 100-30 on shot in it at this stage.
A more informative trial than Holywell’s, the class-2 hurdle (3.00) in which Tanerko Emery takes part, sees the clash of Hawk High, already a Cheltenham Festival winner (2014 Fred Winter), and Glingerburn for one of the star stables of the season, that of Nicky Richards. Glingerburn is the improver of the pair.
Flying Eagle (4.00) was well backed last time but go bogged down under a 7lb-claimer at Lingfield. McCoy could raise his game. The improver in theis race is Warriors Tale for Nicky Richards. I’ll dutch the two.
FONTWELL: There are a lot of old dogs out on the park sniffing round a three-grand prize for the 2m 6f chase (2.50), and it could be gifted to the lightly-raced Strawberry Hill.
But I also took an early position on Sitting Back at 7.6 on BETDAQ. Likes the course and, as a front-runner, he could have the legs of some of these and be a trade during the race.
Definite Future (3.50) closed into the favourite’s spot for his race, early mouse. Gradually progressive over hurdles but likely to take a bigger step forward for the longer trip here, with stamina in the family.
LEICESTER: Interesting that Richard Johnson, due to step into the McCoy mantle, has turned down rides in order to take just the one at Leicester, Cloud Creeper (3.40).
There are to or three more old codgers among the horses in this and the obvious worry from the younger contenders, In Fairness, was very easy to back this morning for a Henderson hope.
That could be because both his starts (hurdles and fences) since his win at Sandown 11 months ago have been disappointing, and he was a costly favourite under Barry Geraghty last time out.
Cloud Creeper, on the other hand, was ‘the moral’ over today’s CD, giving 8lb, beaten only a neck. Three subsequent winners have come out of the race.
DAQMAN’S BETS (stakes from 1 to 9, according to strength; 10 is a banker).
BET 6pts win FREDERIC (2.00 Kelso)
BET 5pts win STRAWBERRY HILL and 3pts win SITTING BACK (2.50 Fontwell)
BET 6pts win GLINGERBURN (3.00 Kelso)
BET 4pts win LAHAAG (3.35 Thurles)
BET 8pts win (nap) CLOUD CREEPER (3.40 Leicester)
BET 4pts win DEFINITE FUTURE (3.50 Fontwell)
BET 4pts win on each FLYING EAGLE and WARRIORS TALE (4.00 Kelso)
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