12 WINNERS IN FIVE DAYS FOR DAQMAN: The Glancing Queen (WON 5-4) gave Daqman his 12th winner in five days yesterday. Today he has one bet each at Clonmel, Market Rasen (nap) and Sedgefield.
CHECK OUT THE GAME-CHANGING RACES: But first he completes his research into the three-day meeting at Cheltenham, looking for the races that throw up future stars.
TRIUMPH TRIAL IS A MUST-SEE
⭕ 12.30 Cheltenham, Saturday (Triumph Hurdle Trial) You mustn’t miss this one. It had winners and two seconds entered in a kingmaker contest. Last year’s winner hasn’t won another race but was the exception that proved the rule.
The previous year was marked by Allmankind’s first of seven strikes in two years, following the same amount of success for the 2018 winner, Quel Destin, and a hat-trick in 2017 by Apple’s Shakira.
But they are a shadow of Defi Du Seuil’s progress from his Trial win in 2016.
He completed six in a row with a Cheltenham (Triumph Hurdle) and Aintree double before he matured and landed six chases including the Golden Miller at the festival and the Tingle Creek.
Magistrato is Saturday’s top rated in the Trial for Paul Nicholls, after landing a Chepstow juvenile hurdle for the seventh time for the stable. The former David Cottin gelding ‘is a big baby’ who ‘could be anything,’ according to my man. Rain is needed.
⭕ 1.40 Cheltenham, Saturday (2m novices chase) Previous winners are a reminder of past glories – Al Ferof, Dodging Bullets and Le Prezien – for Paul Nicholls, who could saddle Mick Pastor, clear in the ratings and wanting good ground.
⭕ 1.10 Cheltenham, Sunday (3m novices chase) This put Thistlecrack on the paths to glory in 2016 in another test notable for winners by Paul Nicholls, who could saddle Threeunderthrufive, whose long-term target is the Reynoldstown in February.
⭕ 3.30 Cheltenham, Sunday (2m Supreme Novices Hurdle Trial) You could have got odds against Altior when he won this in 2015 but he’s a standout in the results of this trial.
Sunday’s top-rating from Ireland, Colonel Mustard, is interesting after his Punchestown Champion Novice second in the Spring, returning with an easy one at Galway in October.
THIRD TIME LUCKY FOR ‘MIX’
⭕ 1.40 Market Rasen today Henry Daly goes for back-to-back wins in this 3m Listed Mares Chase with Chilli Filli, which would complete a hat-trick in it for the yard since 2019.
Harry Fry (Momella) and Alan King (Midnightreferendum) have both won it in the last five years and will be trying to knock Henry off his pedestal.
No favourite has scored in that time, and twice that favourite was none other than Casablanca Mix, including last year.
That day Nicky Henderson’s even-money shot pecked on landing two out and was beaten despite rallying, when giving away 4lb to Chilli Filli.
The weights situation is reversed today, making Casablanca 8lb better off with the Chilli one for a length, and with Nico De Boinville taking over.
She has the advantage of an outing here at the last meeting, so here’s looking at you, Nico!
BETDAQ BETTING EXCHANGE value 4.3 Casablanca Mix
RENDEZVOUS ON THE GROUND
⭕ 2.25 Clonmel Oil Chase The 2m 4f Grade 2 has been won six years out of eight by Willie Mullins and the forecast showers on soft ground suggest that he can do so again with Royal Rendezvous, the Galway Plate winner in July.
Stablemate Easy Game was closing at the finish and is better off at the weights but has never won on the soft.
Similarly, Hardline ran him close at Gowran Park in October and is also better off but hasn’t won in 11 attempts since a novice chase nearly three years ago.
Fakir D’Oudairies looks the main danger. Can go well fresh and drops a grade after five attempts in senior Grade-1 contests, albeit winning just the once and well beaten five times in the last year by a total of 50 lengths and once pulled up.
BETDAQ value 3.9 Royal Rendezvous
IT’S BETWEEN SKY AND SCORPO
⭕ 3.20 Sedgefield Consistent over hurdles, Celestial Sky is worth following now that he goes chasing. Brian Hughes took over for a hurdles outing last month as a prep for this.
Regaby, a 3m winner on a sound surface, could be involved if he can continue to defy his breeding over this extra three furlongs.
Diamond Brig has been out of form since scoring on the soft a year ago; wind surgery and first-time visor suggest desperate attempts to get him back.
Elixir drifted like a punt without pole when books opened last night. Strike rate 0-38. ‘Strike’? There is no strike.
Supreme Steel won on the first day of last month for the first time in four years but his form over around 3m 2f-3f is 30U0F.
As a Point winner, Whitechurch might do better now switched back to fences, and Scorpo is a dual winner here over roughly today’s trip, getting 23lb from Celestial Sky.
BETDAQ value 3.6 Celestial Sky, 17.5 Scorpo
DAQMAN’S BETS
1.40 Market Rasen (win 10 nap)
BET 3pts win CASABLANCA MIX
2.25 Clonmel (win 10)
BET 3.25pts win ROYAL RENDEZVOUS
3.20 Sedgefield (win 10, win 20)
BET 2.75pts win CELESTIAL SKY
BET 1.25pts win SCORPO
What are points? Points facilitate a staking plan, which is the secret to creating profit. One point is whatever you choose: a pound, a euro, or whatever ….
Start with a bank and decide how much you can afford to lose over a period of time, and determine the size of your bets accordingly. Daqman makes this variation every day.
