6-1 WINNER TAKEN AT BETDAQ 9.8: Daqman went to Leopardstown for a BETDAQ bargain 9.8 about 6-1 winner Meetingofthewaters on the third day of the Christmas meetings to add to 12-1 Hewick in the King George.
WON 6-1 MEETINGOFTHEWATERS (Wednesday: BETDAQ 9.8)
WON 12-1 HEWICK (Tuesday: King George/Bravemansgame 2nd)
WON 10-3 FONTAINE COLLONGES (Tuesday: profit on the day 7.25)
WON 5-2 FAMOUS BRIDGE (Saturday nap, 109 this year)
DAQMAN 469pts UP ON PRICEWISE: It was 1-1 yesterday in the challenge to Pricewise, Daqman now leading 15-6, showing 364.83 points profit to 10pt stakes (Pricewise is 104.16 down).
GERRI COLOMBE GLORY DAY
⭕ 2.25 Leopardstown (Savills Chase) If you thought the King George was the main course, try this delicious Christmas feast of stars in one race, won previously in the decade by Cheltenham Gold Cup heroes Bobs Worth, Don Poli and A Plus Tard.
A Plus Tard is back, along with last year’s Savills winner, Conflated. But they don’t even get top billing.
Whereas the King George at a similar 3m trip gave us a battle of two established eight-year-olds (Hewick and Bravemansgame) and two near-unbeaten nine-year-olds (Allaho and Shishkin), the Savills lines up two seven-year-olds well clear in the market.
And the only disappointment is that my own top-rated seven-year-old, Fastorslow, ducks the race because of the heavy ground.
1: GERRI COLOMBE 🔺 FORTUNE COOKIE (Gordon Elliott) Winner of four out of five chases, when he won the Champion Chase at Down Royal first run back, beating Envoi Allen and Cheltenham Gold Cup third, Conflated. Pushing for glory on a rating of 167, having improved 13lb in his last three starts.
2: GALOPIN DES CHAMPS (Willie Mullins). Clear in the ratings on 178, after four in a row in 2022-23, including the Irish Gold Cup over today’s Leopardstown CD and the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
But at Leopardstown he had 163 and 158 rated in the places behind him, and at Cheltenham stopped Bravemansgame, who was aiming at a trip too far. Twice beaten since by Fastorslow.
3: I AM MAXIMUS (Willie Mullins) Is there a Hewick to beat them all for stamina in the mud? That would have to be yet another seven-year-old, I Am Maximus, the Irish Grand National winner: 8.9 offers on the Betdaq Betting Exchange this morning.
NAP LOOKS ON TRAC
⭕ 12.30 Catterick After consistent rain on Wednesday, Catterick have done well to escape with nothing deeper than soft ground and, if anything, the strong winds will be helping to dry that further.
Trac looks the nap in the card in the opener. The Micky Hammond trained runner is versatile ground wise and certainly won’t be inconvenienced if it does dry up. He’s a previous course and distance winner here on good.
After pulling up on his seasonal reappearance at Wetherby (later found to have had leg injury) he came back to form at Sedgefield last time out when finishing second to Zuckerberg in a race where the pair had the finish to themselves.
He’s been put up a pound by the handicap but is up against generally out of form rivals.
Main danger according to the Betdaq Betting Exchange market is Heritier De Sivola who hasn’t shown much at all in his first two starts over fences. He was pulled up at Huntingdon and then 11th over course and distance last time out when beaten 34 lengths.
Similar comments apply to King Of The Hill who has been well beaten in his first two starts over fences whilst the mare Zara’s Universe looks a long way short of her form in the spring which saw her win two chases back to back.
GETAWAY FROM THE FAVOURITE
⭕ 3.23 Catterick Three non runners have given this race a different shape and I’m happy to take on likely favourite Burrows Hall who is edging up the weights without winning.
He has a big rival to contend with in the shape of the Dan Skelton trained God’s Own Getaway who shaped well on his seasonal reappearance at Warwick when finishing third to Pintail in what looked an above average novice event (the runner-up Clondaw Royale followed up with a good win at Bangor).
He is lightly raced and might well be able to make light of his starting handicap mark of 105.
AUGUST LEAVES ME COLD
⭕ 5.00 Newcastle August’s chance is obvious and he could well go off odds-on but doesn’t make that much appeal to me despite his usually shrewd connections.
He remains a maiden after five starts (first four when trained by the Gosdens) and whilst he was an encouraging second in this grade at Southwell last time out was sent off favourite on that occasion.
Bystander will surely improve from a disappointing debut at Redcar (last of six when sent off odds on) but a bigger danger might be Yasmina. She’s been off the course for 393 days but the George Boughey stable are flying so she is unlikely to be lacking in the fitness department and can build on earlier promise.
DAQMAN’S BETS:
12.30 Catterick (win 10, nap)
BET 6.25pts win TRAC
2.25 Leopardstown
🔺 FORTUNE COOKIE
BET 20pts win GERRI COLOMBE
BET 2.5pts win (saver) I AM MAXIMUS
3.23 Catterick (win 10)
BET 4.1pts win GODS OWN GETAWAY
5.00 Newcastle (win 10)
BET 2.3pts win YASMINA
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