BOXING DAY BIG TIME OF SUPERNAPS AND BULL’S-EYE BETS: Daqman is roused to raise two horses to supernap level today, one in Ireland, one in England in the Ladbrokes King George. He continues spending his season’s gains (all five special bets in profit), with bull’s-eye bets in the Rowland Meyrick at Wetherby and in the Lincolnshire National at Market Rasen. Headlines:
🔹 CYRNAME IS KING OF THE CLAN
🔹 VENETIA BANDWAGON ROLLS ON
🔹 CALL HOUSE IN THE KAUTO STAR
🔹 ROCCO COULD RELISH THE TRIP
🔹 ANOTHER NATIONAL FOR LE REVE
🔹 FAKIR NEWS: HE’S COOKIE CLASS
🔹 HENDERSON HAS IT IN THE BAG
DAQMAN’S CORAL WELSH NATIONAL WINNER TOMORROW: Don’t miss more free tips tomorrow when Daqman tries to land the Coral Welsh Grand National among his bull’s-eye win-50 bets:
ACCOUNTS UPDATE
Daqman 14, Pricewise 6 (+89.80 to -120.00)
Bull’s-eye bets 35% (+66.45 from 5-15)
Bulls-eye naps 47% (+249pts from 8-17)
All Daily Naps 45% (+71.36 from 18-40)
Supernaps 54% (+44.68 from 6-11)
CYRNAME IS KING OF THE CLAN
3.05 Kempton ABC Guide (Ladbrokes King George Chase) Only one winner in the decade was of a double-figure age; five were trained Paul Nicholls; three Nicky Henderson and two Colin Tizzard.
A Won a Grade-1 (90%)
B Ran at Kempton before (90%)
C Five previous chase wins (83%)
D Ran in the Lancashire Chase (75%)
E Rated 172 or higher (66%)
ABCD Clan Des Obeaux (Paul Nicholls)
After fourth in the 2018 Lancashire Chase, just held today’s absentee Thistlecrack to win the King George a year ago, the pair 12 lengths clear of the remainder.
But beaten this year for three consecutive Grade-1 titles, at Cheltenham and Aintree in the Spring, and in the Ladbrokes Champion Chase on his return, when favourite at Down Royal, and Cyrname could take over as star of the Ditcheat clan.
ABCE Cyrname (Paul Nicholls)
A 27lb hike after winning three chases consecutively this year, all at Ascot, but none in his entire career beyond 2m 5f, with all Graded success at Ascot or Kempton.
Has mentally come right and loves a flat track. Two wind ops since impressively beating speedster Altior on the last day, and still wears a tongue-tie.
AC Footpad (Willie Mullins)
Kept mainly to 2m or so but best form – including 2018 Arkle – in the mud, and travelled really well to go clear (2m 5f) at Thurles on the soft in November.
ADE Lostintranslation (Colin Tizzard)
Landed chasing hat-trick (raised 23lb) after JLT second at Cheltenham, performing well on soft ground and ending dual-winner Bristol De Mai’s hold on the Lancashire Chase in November.
BC Aso (Venetia Williams)
Has to leap forward a good 7lb to be involved but, with the stable striking at a fantastic 48%, the Ryanair runner-up cannot be entirely dismissed, though was 29 lengths behind Cyrname (improved since) in the Spring.
VERDICT: The form tells me it’s a hard race; the market says it’s a match between my Fortune Cookies hopefuls, Cyrname and Lostintranslation.. my eyes were opened wide by Cyrname! And you have to believe your own eyes in this game.
VENETIA BANDWAGON ROLLS ON
1.20 Kempton With Venetia Williams – strike rate 50% (12-24) – spreading her runners over three venues today, check out Cloudy Glen at Market Rasen (1.40).
I’ll be talking here about Roll Again, and her chances later on in the big two, Rowland Meyrick at Wetherby and the day’s featured King George.
Roll Again made all and was impressive near home at Ludlow on the last day. He drops back in trip today with a 7lb penalty.
Simply The Betts gave weight and a beating at Chepstow in November (only 2m) to Espoir De Guye, a winner twice since, including a class 2 at Ascot last week.
He and Doctor Dex, a come-from-behind horse up 10lb since his Ascot win, have it all to do to make up the leeway in soft ground and collar Roll Again (BETDAQ 3.95 taken).
CALL HOUSE IN THE KAUTO STAR
1.55 Kempton (Kauto Star Novices Chase) An eight-year-old has won this just the once in the last 33 years.
And, though he’s often kept the best company, Black Op, has never won chase or hurdle beyond 2m 5f (form over 3m: 30).
A second eight-year-old, Master Tommytucker, is a Kayf Tara so should get this step up in trip, but his winning – both chase and hurdles – has all been in class 4, and he likes to lead.
Stablemate Danny Whizzbang is a lazy dog at home but is transformed by the racetrack: unbeaten in Points, hurdles and a Grade-2 novice chase, albeit very inexperienced for this test.
Slate House would have won the autumn gold cup at Cheltenham but for capsizing two out when challenging strongly, so spoiling a hat-trick over fences. On official ratings, he’s 2lb better than Black Op, who is trying fences for a second time but has managed just one success, and that at class-4 level.
VERDICT: Black Op was impressive on the last day but is unreliable and I prefer Slate House (BETDAQ 4.3 as I write), though Danny Whizzbang ‘could be anything’.
ROCCO COULD RELISH THE TRIP
2.10 Wetherby (Rowland Meyrick Chase) Last year’s winner, Lake View Lad, third since off today’s mark in the Ultima at the Cheltenham Festival, meets Wakanda, who was the head runner-up in 2017 and who early this year won the Peter Marsh.
Wakanda’s trainer, Sue Smith, winner of this in 2013 with Cloudy Too, abruptly returned to form at Haydock on Saturday, with two winners and two others placed, including in the big race, the Tommy Whittle.
Lake View Lad’s yard has been missing strike, including with a couple of fancied runners, and he has to give weight all round.
But another trainer in tremendous form is Venetia Williams, whose Didero Vallis had back-to-back wins at this time last year off a similar mark, and ran well for a long way recently in the Grand Sefton.
His 3m record – hurdles and one chase – is 0P0 but Didero is still only six years old and unexposed, and will carry a featherweight this afternoon.
Top Ville Ben, third in the Mildmay at Aintree to Lostintranslation in the Spring, was beaten only a length in the Rehearsal Chase at Newcastle in November (Jonniesofa beaten favourite).
But the winner that day had been 11 lengths (receiving 22lb) off Lake View Lad in today’s race a year ago.
Bennys King is 3-4 in the last 12 months but it’s cost him a rise of 25lb and further progress is needed.
Guitar Pete, a Graded performer a year ago, and a winner over shorter on today’s course recently, has poor form at between 2m 7f and 3m 1f of 000.
Rocco may relish the longer trip, as so many Twiston-Davies horses do.
Warning: it’s longer than ever today, with rail repositioning adding another furlong to the distance of the race.
VERDICT: This is an ‘if only’ race. If only Lake View Lad’s stable was in form; if only Wakanda had had a run back. I’ll try the two youngsters: Rocco (9.0) and Didero Vallis (7.0).
ANOTHER NATIONAL FOR LE REVE
2.15 Market Rasen (Lincolnshire National) Achill Road Boy, Bells of Ailsworth, Boric, Le Reve and Zerachiel are all too old for this, according to the stats, particularly against a youngster on the up.
Very First Time has been transformed since switching to the Skeltons and goes for a hat-trick here for the stable which won the race last year with a 14-1 outsider.
Snag is that his November double has raised him 17lb and he’s racing today on level par with Le Reve, the Surrey National winner under Maxime Tissier.
VERDICT: Very First Time could improve again but Le Reve looks hard to beat at value (BETDAQ 7.4).
FAKIR NEWS: HE’S COOKIE CLASS
2.20 Leopardstown (Racing Post Novice Chase) Fantastic if Fortune Cookie prospects Fakir D’Oudairies in this one and Epatante in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton can land a 10-minute double across the cards.
The Fakir, five times a loser in France, has been transformed since joining Joseph O’Brien, and jumped superbly to worry Samcro into a second-last-fence fall in the Drinmore.
He was equally impressive over today’s shorter trip when comfortably squashing Melon at Navan in November.
Laurina was getting a lump of weight when beating a classy type at Navan and was a high-class hurdler for Willie Mullins.
Notebook did not live up to his reputation over hurdles but back-to-back chasing success at Punchestown has restored the faith and he deserves to be here today. I hope Fakir D’Oudairies’ jumping will win it.
HENDERSON HAS IT IN THE BAG
2.30 Kempton (Ladbrokes Christmas Hurdle) Nicky Henderson has won this six times in nine seasons, including with Binocular, My Tent Or Yours and Buveur d’Air.
He won it again last year when Verdana Blue beat Buveur d’Air, and could land the one-two again, with Epatante preferred on the ground.
Verdana Blue is a good-ground mare with her muddiest moments the ‘good to soft’ of last year’s success.
Epatante used to sluice through the mud in France and struck form big time in a handicap at Newbury on the last day. Can now break through at the top.
If Fakir d’Oudairies has won at Leopardstown as they line up here, there will be late-mouse moves to grab BETDAQ offers about Fusil Raffles, a third Henderson hope, who beat the Fakir in the Punchestown Champion Four-Year-Old and was also a winner in France on the soft.
DAQMAN’S BETS (staked as advised)
1.20 Kempton (win 20)
BET 6.75pts win ROLL AGAIN
1.55 Kempton (win 20)
BET 6pts win SLATE HOUSE
2.10 Wetherby (win-50 bull’s-eye bets)
BET 8.25pts win DIDERO VALLIS
BET 6.25pts win ROCCO
2.15 Market Rasen (win-50 bull’s-eye bet)
BET 7.75pts win LE REVE
2.20 Leopardstown (Irish supernap)
BET 20pts win FAKIR D’OUDAIRIES
3.05 Kempton (English supernap)
BET 20pts win CYRNAME
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