DAQMAN STEADY AS A ROCK: Daqman’s bid for six winning naps in eight days failed by a neck yesterday when Gatehouse (15-8) was touched off but our man was later on the mark with Rock Of England (WON 4-1).
🎩 BUT BIG RACE GETS WEAKER: With thunderstorms forecast today, the going for Saturday’s Derby is still a matter for speculation but – says Daqman – the quality of the field is also open to question. See below: The Derby’s Gone Soft.
🎩 TOMORROW: The Oaks form and facts
THE DERBY’S GONE SOFT
⭕ 4.00 Epsom, Saturday (The Derby) Don’t be swayed by all the talk and hullabaloo about runners in Saturday’s big race, particularly on soft ground, and don’t fall for any fancy prices about the winner for the Arc.
The last great Derby star was Golden Horn (2015), who beat the subsequent Irish Derby winner and won the Arc after bagging the Champion Stakes from the subsequent 2016 Arc scorer, Found.
But there’s been very little in the way of class among English and Irish colts since then; none has won the Arc, which – luckily for UK and Ireland – has been dominated by fillies.
Found, herself, as well as Enable (twice), Alpinista and Bluestocking scored against the home team; otherwise France 4, Germany 1.
How can you stand up these Derby-winning colts, often shown as irrelevant by what they beat in the big race at Epsom?
🐎 Serpentine (2020): made virtually all at 25-1: afterwards scored 1-27 (won an Aussie Group 3). The runner-up never won again, while the third was beaten next time out in a maiden and didn’t break his duck until the following April on AW.
🐎 Adayar (2021) the second horse home was 1-6 afterwards, and the one win was in a maiden.
🐎 Desert Crown (2022) the second horse home was 1-12 afterwards, and Desert Crown himself quit through injury after being beaten in a Group 3.
🐎 City Of Troy (2024): the second horse home was afterwards 1-15 and that one win was in a novice hurdle!
MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU
⭕ 3.51 Hamilton The rains have also arrived in Scotland (good to soft in places) leaving single digit field sizes across Thursday’s seven race card with just three runners in the opener.
Feature race on the card is this class 2 handicap over a mile which looks like a North v South battle on Betdaq Betting Exchange between Altareq (Jim Goldie) and Eternal Force who is William Haggas’ only runner on the card – which could be a tip in itself.
Altareq remains a maiden after four starts (the first three when trained by the Gosdens) but more than proved himself at this level when finishing third to Warrant Holder in a class 2 at York which looked a better contest than this one. He is however yet to face ground with give in it.
Eternal Force has no problems on the ground front. He won three races in a row last season (two on good to soft) and shaped well on his reappearance in the Doncaster Lincoln when a close-up seventh – beaten less than three lengths. He still holds an entry for the Royal Hunt Cup and might just have the experience and proven ground ability to take this en route.
GOLDIE AND SILVER
⭕ 4.51 Hamilton Whatever the fate of Altareq, Jim Goldie shouldn’t leave the course empty handed as he is well represented here by Gallus Norman and Annandale who both bring decent recent form to the table.
Whilst the preference has to be for Gallus Norman who made all to win by five lengths at Musselburgh last time out and the 6lb hike won’t be stopping him if in the same kind of mood.
Annandale is on a run of 16 since his last success but his latest effort at Wolverhampton was much more like it and with the stable in good form (7 wins from last 30) he can land a podium finish.
I’ll back both Goldie runners for a WIN 20 return with a cheeky RF thrown in.
GHOST TRAINING ON
⭕ 8.50 Ffos Las Lingfield looks trappy tonight so I’ll head to Ffos Las for a (late) nap.
Ghost Story enjoys give in the ground and shaped well at Lingfield on her reappearance after a 188 day break. She’s run well over a similar trip before and shouldn’t lack in the stamina department.
Biggest danger may come from the only other mare in the race Mighty Quiet who is another who likes the softer ground and may have needed the run at Nottingham back in April.
DAQMAN’S BETS
on Betdaq Betting Exchange
3.51 Hamilton (win 10)
BET 5.0pts win ETERNAL FORCE
4.51 Hamilton (both win 20)
BET 3.3pts win GALLUS NORMAN
BET 1.2pts win ANNANDALE
Plus 1pt RF the above pair
★ 8.50 Ffos Las (win 10, nap)
BET 5.5pts win GHOST STORY
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