ANOTHER NAP UP! OPPOSITION CAVES IN BEHIND MUD RUNNER: Queens Cave (WON 4-6) landed Daqman’s nap yesterday when winning jockey, Tom Scudamore, kept the mare in front in near darkness at a mudspattered Exeter. He literally saw his way clear to keep her away from the constant kickback.
HEADS UP: CHELTENHAM OFF FRIDAY: Cheltenham has been called of tomorrow and there will be an inspection at 3pm on Friday for Saturday’s card. Plenty of the Irish aces have given the meeting a swerve in any event favouring the landmark meetings at home. Douvan is back today in the Clonmel Oil Chase and there is plenty of big race action on the horizon including the Ladbrokes Troytown and the Drinmore. See Daqman’s preview: Borice Could Be Here To Stay.
BORICE COULD BE HERE TO STAY
⚠️ HEADS UP: Keep on the right side of Borice! Nothing to do with Brexit but could have a lot to do with staying chases this season for Gordon Elliott.
The Galway Plate winner – he beat Black Corton and 20 others that day – can choose between two Ladbrokes-sponsored races, the Troytown at Navan on Sunday week and the Ladbrokes Trophy at Newbury on the last Saturday in November.
Elliott won four consecutive Troytowns until last year he had 11 runners unplaced behind Noel Meade’s Tout Est Permis, who is at Clonmel today in advance of a possible Lancashire Chase bid at Haydock on Saturday week.
⚠️ HEADS UP: Ex Patriot misses the Clonmel race in favour of the Florida Pearl on his favoured soft-heavy ground at Punchestown on Sunday.
After their one-two in a Grade-3 novice chase at Cork, Ex Patriot will tell us more about the winner that day, Willie Mullins’ Brahma Bull, who now goes for the Drinmore at Fairyhouse on the first Sunday in December.
In that race he would meet Gordon Elliott’s Battleoverdoyen, one of the novices I have so far chosen as having Fortune Cookies potential.
Elliott has won the Drinmore five times in nine years, including with Don Cossack (2013), the subsequent 2016 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner.
⚠️ HEADS UP: But my Fortune Cookies choice – and Gordon’s selected – in the Drinmore could be Samcro, who made a fine start to his chasing career at Down Royal at the start of the month.
Says Gordon: ‘It’s nice to be spoilt for choice but Samcro and Battleoverdoyen are both in the mix for a day we look forward to every year.’
CHELTENHAM IN DOUBT
⚠️ HEADS UP: The first day of Cheltenham’s November meeting tomorrow is in doubt with clerk of the course Simon Claisse calling a 3pm inspection today after 20mm of rain overnight.
Claisse said: “The course is currently raceable, although we do have standing water in a number of places.”
The Met Office are producing a further 15mm of rain today and more on Friday which could lead to flooding in the Gloucestershire area. And if that wasn’t gloomy enough snow has also fallen in the area overnight!
DOUVAN’S OIL DISCOVERY MISSION
⚠️ HEADS UP: 2.50 Clonmel (Clonmel Oil Chase) After an absence of 569 days Douvan is back today in the Clonmel Oil Chase. It’s very hard to have a bet in the race as Willie Mullins has issued the caveat of “he looks very well at home but we have not been pressing too many buttons”.
Fingers crossed we see some of his old sparkle from the dual Cheltenham Festival winner.
Douvan faces a serious rival in the shape of Monalee – it seems bizarre to say it but he has a fitness edge having been off the track for 197 days himself!
VOTING TRUMP AT SEDGEFIELD
1.15 Ludlow An intriguing opener in which the BETDAQ market points towards a match between Getariver and French recruit Feuille De Chene.
Getariver made a pleasing start over hurdles when fourth at Cheltenham having been unbeaten in two bumper starts.
She should improve for that run but there is a danger lurking in the form of the Philip Hobbs trained Feuille De Chene who arrives with really good French bumper form and of the pair might just relish the soft ground challenge a little more.
1.25 Taunton as mentioned yesterday, several of Paul Nicholls’ runners are needing their first starts and in the case of Bathsheba Bay this one could easily improve on his third start of the term. However, he hasn’t set the world alight in his two starts over timber to date and might be worth taking on at the head of the market.
Derek Duval is at least improving with each start and looks a value alternative from the lower profile Suzi Best yard.
He ran a cracker last time out when fourth at Ascot behind Ecco, defying his odds of 40/1 and should find this company much easier.
It’s good ground at Taunton which should suit him as all his winning form on the flat turf came on quicker conditions.
1.35 Sedgefield Minella Trump changed hands for £90,000 in April after winning a point easily the month before.
It would be disappointing if he couldn’t make his presence felt in this company where the bar is not set at a high level. Although main market rival Order Of Thistle has experience over hurdles he will need to do a lot more than he did at Ayr – even in a race of this standard.
DAQMAN’S BETS (staked to win 10 points)
BET 3.5pts win FEUILLE DE CHENE (1.15 Ludlow)
BET 2.3pts win DEREK DUVAL (1.25 Taunton)
BET 5.6pts win (nap) MINELLA TRUMP (1.35 Sedgefield)
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