DAQMAN SUPERNAPS ON THE BALL: Daqman tries to spot the top-quality horse and increase stakes to 20 points for a supernap. He may have found a Classic winner last night in Opera Ballo, a runaway winner at Kempton, following Nick Rockett, Ballyjo star on the way to the Grand National.
WON 11-10 OPERA BALLO (supernap) BETDAQ 2.32 XSP
WON 5-6 NICK ROCKETT (supernap)
THEY WON’T CATCH THE POST
⭕ 4.20 Ludlow (Forbra Gold Cup): The nicely-named grey Montmartre mare Sacre Coeur has been claimed off in every one of 21 starts for Dan Skelton.
She’s won five chases, two of them here over shorter, but made all at Plumpton at 3m 1.5f on good ground in November, though it has to be said the odds-on favourite fell two out when about to challenge.
Sacre Coeur will be 10lb higher today on soft, giving a lump of weight to another grey, Post Chaise, who had a dual winner behind when scoring here (2m 4f) earlier this month and won in lower grade at Market Rasen (3m 3.5f) last Spring.
Heard That has been best suited to 2m 4f and a strong pace at 3m found him out, back at Market Rasen earlier this month.
You have to decide whether that defeat was down to Sean Bowen: he usually rides Rasen really well but tried to win it by going to the front two out, when the straight can seem as long as the local Roman road.
As for Hystery Bere, he’s 1-10 chasing (and that at 2m). Down in the weights but still has to give some to Post Chaise.
Post Chaise was a fast carriage for post in the good old bad old days. It required a pair of horses, a postillion and a footman.
I have absolutely no doubt that jockey Henry Brooke won’t need any help going as fast as today’s post, with every chance of going faster!
BARNABY WEIGHTS LET-OFF
⭕ 5.35 Newcastle: Since gelding and wind surgery, Barnaby has won from class 6 through 5 to class 4 the last day, all six progressive strikes at Newcastle over today’s CD.
Bringing his weight down 7lb now, Warren Fentiman is well capable of continuing Barnaby’s run where William Dewhirst’s may have ended.
It was Barnaby stopped William Dewhirst from landing a four-timer here a fortnight back, though the race wasn’t run to suit Ben Haslam’s hat-trick winner that day.
The grey Flying Fletcher has finished third, staying on, behind William Dewhirst over 6f here, and is 2lb better off over this extra furlong.
King’s School, twice beaten narrowly by Barnaby in the autumn,was never going well behind that winner earlier this month, when Danielsflyer was last of 10.
ROCK’S SOLID AT THIS LEVEL
⭕ 8.30 Chelmsford: The weights for this 1m handicap are tighter than for a conditions race, with half the field separated by a pound.
Longlai has twice won after a holiday and trainer Michael Wigham will be hoping he breaks the stable’s long losing run.
Helm Rock won a class 4 at Southwell in November and that seems to be the level now for a one-time class 2 and 3 winner nearly 10lb higher in 2023.
His stable is in good form and they’ve booked Billy Loughnane for the first time, though I see they have swapped cheekpieces for blinkers, looking to squeeze some extra out of him.
Hollie Doyle landed two Group-3 as part of a treble on Tempus in the summer of 2022. Down nearly two stone, has finished within a couple of lengths of the winner the last twice but is nine now.
Urban Lion has won here at Chelmsford and maybe you can ignore his defeats on soft and heavy on turf in the autumn.
Court Of Session has started 80-1 in both tries for Phil McEntee since leaving the Crisfords.
High Point was a soft-ground winner for Eve Johnson Houghton but 0-2 on AW. His new yard is currently 1-7 but the winner was well backed.
DAQMAN’S BETS on Betdaq Betting Exchange
★ 4.20 Ludlow (win 20, nap)
BET 4pts win POST CHAISE
5.35 Newcastle (win 12)
BET 8pts win BARNABY
8.30 Chelmsford (win 12)
BET 3pts win HELM ROCK
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