BREEDERS CUP: GET CLOSE TO THE FRONT AND STAY THERE: That’s a typical jockey-instruction at Del Mar. The pace is the thing. A wide draw isn’t. These are some of Daqman’s findings as he previews Saturday’s Breeders Cup card at Del Mar, Southern California (going firm). The meeting starts tomorrow, with more Daqman insight.
TODAY: Daqman naps a horse at Newbury making her hurdling debut.
CONFIDENCE BEHIND GOLDEN PAL
⭕ 7.40 Saturday, Del Mar (Breeders Cup Turf Sprint) Punters will see a different Golden Pal than in his Nunthorpe flop, says Wesley Ward of the hot favourite.
With Golden Pal otherwise unbeaten in five starts, Ward rates him among his best ever and says that the Southern California track at Del Mar will suit him.
You have to be fast away – in the first three – on the lightning-quick turning track and ground, which is against last year’s winner at Keeneland, Glass Slippers, who came from the rear and squeezed through in the last 100 yards of a half-furlong longer race.
⭕ 8.59 Saturday, Del Mar (Breeders Cup Filly And Mare Turf) Another 2020 Keeneland winner, Audarya, tries for a repeat in this race for James Fanshawe but Lasix is not allowed this year.
Roger Varian’s Prix Vermeille winner Teona takes on the boys in the Breeders Cup Turf towards the end of the day.
That’s helped confirm Love as favourite, with 3lb in hand of Audarya, whom she beat at Royal Ascot over a furlong shorter.
⭕ 10.20 Saturday, Del Mar (Breeders Cup Mile) Aidan O’Brien, who won this last year with Order Of Australia, relies on the filly Mother Earth, who won the Newmarket 1,000 Guineas on firm ground.
Charlie Appleby, who has been O’Brien’s nemesis this year, has pole position with Space Blues, who also enjoyed firm ground when taking the Riyadh Turf Sprint (7f) in February.
Space Blues has won five Group races over a mile but the entire has not run or won over a mile since breaking his maiden as a juvenile in a low-grade contest at Nottingham.
Space Blues, winner of the Foret on the last day, will be ridden by William Buick, while his stablemate, the 2,000 Guineas runner-up Master Of The Seas, has James Doyle in the saddle.
⭕ 11.40 Saturday, Del Mar (Breeders Cup Turf) So it’s the three-year-old filly Teona against five-year-old super mare Tarnawa, defending her Breeders Cup Turf title. She beat Magical a length at Keeneland.
But Teona (David Egan) from stall 12, Tarnawa (Colin Keane) out of 13 and Japan (Ryan Moore for Aidan O’Brien) in gate 14 are all drawn wide. There has been no wide winner at this trip at Del Mar in seven seasons.
Charlie Appleby has two strong contenders, Canadian International winner Walton Street (James Doyle, stall 7) and the progressive Ybir (William Buick, stall 10) who the last day won the Jockey Club Derby at Belmont on firm.
BELLE OF THE BALL
⭕ 2.00 Newbury Some small fields at Newbury this afternoon – just three in the beginners chase and five here with the defection of Miss Moondance.
It looks a perfect opportunity for Elle Est Belle to make a winning start over hurdles and she certainly makes appeal hovering around even money on BETDAQ BETTING EXCHANGE in mid-morning trading.
The Dan Skelton trained mare brings plenty of class to the table having won her first two bumpers (dead-heating in one) and then running a superb third in the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham behind Sir Gerhard and Kilcruit.
She proved that was no fluke by following up with a second to Me Too Please in a Grade 2 bumper at Aintree.
Nina The Terrier has done well winning her last two starts but is surely vulnerable under a double penalty against this classy rival?
The only other one to consider is the Nicky Henderson trained Ahorsewithnoname who has run one good and one poor race here and has a big question mark next to her jumping ability.
NEED TITLE TO GO HERE
⭕ 3.40 Newbury An interesting bumper to wrap up the card and the form standard is set by American Gerry who was beaten a length on her first start for the Hughie Morrison stable at Taunton.
They finished in a heap that day and the form doesn’t look exceptional suggesting he might be vulnerable to one of the improvers and there are several candidates.
Nicky Henderson’s Clean Getaway was only fifth on debut at Southwell but was found to be lame so could easily prove himself much better today but I prefer the chance of Fergal O’Brien’s Surtitle who was well fancied in the market at Bangor ahead of his debut but could only finish third. He was so green that day though, hanging in the closing stages and looked in need of the outing.
Sporting Ace also looks of interest having changed hands for £90,000 after showing promise when second on a debut point but that came on soft ground.
WONDER BET AT CHELMSFORD
⭕ 4.25 Chelmsford Wonder Starelzaam is taken to follow up his Lingfield win last week which was his first start for Denis Coakley. He won the apprentice race by three lengths and can strike again before his 9lb hike in the weights kicks in.
DAQMAN’S BETS (staked to win 10 points)
BET 10.0pts win (nap) ELLE EST BELLE (2.00 Newbury)
BET 1.5pts win SURTITLE (3.40 Newbury)
BET 3.6pts win WONDER STARELZAAM (4.25 Chelmsford)
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.
