TREBLE OF NAPS IS STILL ON TODAY: Ten winning hits this week but the best bet was a non-runner yesterday so that Daqman is still on for a naps hat-trick, following Roi Du Mee (WON 9-10) and Storm Of Swords (WON 15-8) on Monday and Tuesday.
TOMORROW: ANOTHER SHOOT-OUT: The man for the big occasion, Daqman is back tomorrow for the two-day Newbury meeting and on Saturday again faces up to Pricewise for an all-action value challenge, with the current season scores: Daqman 33, Pricewise 14.
INFORMATION FOR McCOY GRAND TOUR
Counting the days. Not many more chances to see the legend in action. Tony McCoy, due to retire in April, is scheduled for Newbury tomorrow and Saturday.
He’s promised two for Rebecca Curtis, Going For Broke (2.10) at Newbury tomorrow and, on Sunday at Wincanton, Foryourinformation, a stayer with a future. He’s entered at Bangor on Saturday but the McCoy commitments may not allow him to ride.
And Wincanton is 2m 6f, which is the step up in trip most likely to bring out the best in this son of stamina stallion Kayf Tara who has yet to finish out of the first four.
He broke his duck over hurdles under McCoy at Ffos Las after running second to the Albert Bartlett fifth of last week, Value At Risk.
His success has all been achieved on soft-heavy but the drying ground is expected to be in his favour. Add the extra trip. Add the McCoy magic. And you have all the ingredients for some Sunday gravy.
WHILE WILLIE’S AWAY, MOUSE MAY PLAY..
A different National. Also on Sunday, it’s the Ulster Grand National. Despite it’s name, you wouldn’t expect to see an Aintree Grand National winner come out of it.
But that’s exactly what happened – one year on – when Pineau De Re won the 2013 version by 23 lengths giving 19lb to the runner-up. Surely that was a hint worth taking!
He was certainly a very strong winner of the Ulster race, run at Downpatrick, winning off 125, compared with the two horses successful in the 2012 and 2014 renewals, which scored off 92 and 107.
Stuart Crawford, the triumphant stable last year, this time chooses from Ardmillan (rated 102) and Man With Van off 129. So he seems to have horses positioned off a lightweight as well as around that high-quality mark set by Pineau De Re.
Mouse Morris has four of the 15 acceptors: Ravished (111), Allied Victory (116), Rogue Angel (130) and Band Of Blood, who would have to carry top weight off a massive-for-this-race 133.
There’s a strong case for supposing that, without a runner for that training lion Willie Mullins, it could be a case of while the cat’s away the Mouse will play.
Mouse, who used to get on the scoresheet regularly at Cheltenham, hasn’t had the ammunition for a while, and has not had a great season.
But some of his horses are looking well handicapped now and Mouse has always had a good touch with stayers, so his pick of the quartet will be intriguing.
FOLLOW THE RIVER AT CHEPSTOW
The focus again is on the Jumps action. Today Chepstow and Ludlow provide the National Hunt spectacle in the UK.
The second race at 2.30 is where my first bet of the day runs. Although It’s A Long Road is the jolly as he attempts to score a hat trick of wins, there may be better value elsewhere.
Tim Dennis’s gelding won nicely enough last time carrying a hefty penalty from his previous Exeter win and is now up to a mark of 107. The form of both of those wins hasn’t really worked out and I think Dashaway presents better value at around 3/1 on BETDAQ this morning.
His last run at Kempton can be discounted as he jumped with any fluency throughout compared to his debut when third to Via Sundown at Exeter shortly before. That run can be taken more literally as he travelled quite well throughout and jumped better and with a return to that form, he is sure to go close and there have been several winners from that Exeter from in front and behind Dashaway.
Today’s Nap runs at 3.05 at the Welsh track. Having won quite convincingly at Warwick just over a week ago, Tanit River goes today with a penalty as that was a Conditional Jockey’s race and he is due to go up 10lbs. Alan Johns takes a further 7lbs off.
At the weights, he is very well in and his main dangers, Xaarcet and Heurtevent both find winning difficult. Tanit River is too well handicapped for this race to ignore and should be difficult to beat.
Over at Ludlow, again I have two selections with the first at 3.30 in a competitive Novice’s Hurdle.
Although both Dewala and There Is No Point appear to be the ones to beat, Dewala is officially rated at 120 off the back of two Handicap wins. She has to lump around top weight in this and isn’t the biggest horse around which is a negative.
There Is No Point is making his season debut and has been off the track for 301 days. Despite the presence of AP McCoy, the son of Galileo may be in need of the run.
I am taking Double Silver as a tentative selection as she reverts back to hurdles following a fall over fences last time. Her previous run resulted in an 18 length win at Worcester and as she’s in search of her first win over the smaller obstacles, today may be the day that happens. As this is a novice race, she is nicely weighted in comparison to her handicap rating over Fences and if she can drop back to hurdles with the same effect, she should go very close.
AP McCoy can get another winner on his road to retirement in the penultimate race however, as he gets the leg up on Kim Bailey’s Faerie Reel.
A winner last time out and was a three time winner on the flat in France previously. Although she pulled up two runs back, that was in a decent race in which the highly thought of Tara Point was the winner and I think she was win again today.
DAQMAN’S BETS (Staked 1-9pts on strength, 10pts for a Banker)
BET 4pts win DASHAWAY (2.30 Chepstow)
BET 8pts win (Nap) TANIT RIVER (3.05 Chepstow)
BET 2pts win and place DOUBLE SILVER (3.30 Ludlow)
BET 6pts win FAERIE REEL (5.10 Ludlow)
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