THE EARLY BALLYDOYLE BATTALION: Daqman fancies a 33-1 outsider, Battalion, in the Winter Derby but there’s another battalion after the prize, from Ballydoyle. Will Aidan O’Brien really attack so early? He has six entries.
GET SOME COVER AT DONCASTER: Racing should resume over the sticks in England today, certainly at Doncaster, which has had the covers on all night. One favourite has two engagements and Daqman naps him wherever he goes.
33-1 AGAINST O’BRIEN SEXTET
Attention! Battalion stands at ease. I’ve been banging on about this ‘hidden horse’ for months.
I mooted the Jamie Osborne eight-year-old for the Lincoln, not put off because he was also entered for the Supreme Novice Hurdle, though he’s never raced over the sticks (but that’s Jamie for you).
Now I hear from my man in the long grass that the Winter Derby at Lingfield (February 24) is the target so we’ll grab some 33-1 with Ladbrokes or Corals before the word becomes fleshed out in the pages of the Racing Post.
There are only 31 entries, of which six are by Aidan O’Brien. Yes, we have an early warning that Ballydoyle will attack the English prizes even before the clocks go back.
He’s never ready early, though, is he? comes a chorus of disbelief. Sorry, but he’s clearly ready for this one!
One of his entries, Clear Skies, ran a prep race at the end of January and won on the AW at Dundalk by more than five lengths.
Battalion also had an outing in January, runner-up in a conditions race at Wolverhampton. But surely an eight-year-old can’t win the Winter Derby? Well, it last happened in 2012.
And Battalion was the medium of a huge gamble in the race last year down to 7-4 favourite. ‘Slowly away’ and ‘switched, not clear run’. Such bad luck for Mr Osborne is always a challenge.
HE’S NOT WASHED UP YET..
1.55 Doncaster With covers on every inch of turf, Town Moor should survive and break the monotony of the flat (lower case ‘f’) All Weather.
Intriguing today to see if the burgeoning Ben Pauling stable can continue the run of Powerful Symbol, back-to-back autumn winner for Jonjo O’Neill, including here at Doncaster, before switching yards.
That’s hiked him 16lb and put him a couple of pounds in front of Jonjo’s 11.0 BETDAQ offer Washed Ashore, another who could be described as a ‘hidden horse’ in that he races only on a soundish surface like today’s and his sequence of 212 was halted on the last day only because he tried a longer trip.
However, he was seemingly cruising in that race – the Durham National – until blundering two out and then being allowed to come home in his own time.
Stablemate Capard King (12.5 in the market as I write) is also on a retrieval mission, after unseating when in the lead here at Doncaster in another qualifier for this staying-chase series.
Jonjo won today’s race last year but didn’t run one in the final of this Northern Lights Staying Chase Series.
3.00 Doncaster Ben Pauling won this novices’ race, in the Northern Staying Hurdle Series, with a five-year-old last year.
And he has another youngster, Gowiththeflow, getting 7lb from the penalised Paisley Park. Both were second to Mr Whipped on their latest starts, Gowiththeflow coming off worst of the pair.
Secret Investor has already been beaten by one from Pauling’s yard, and Ben’s winner last year was beating the favourite, so I’ll take a chance that he knows what he’s doing and Gowiththeflow.
3.30 Doncaster Duelling Banjos, Clondaw Native and Sir Will have only ever won on deep ground, and the finish may rest between Cake De L’Isle (first run after a wind op) and Gunfleet.
Gunfleet is highly regarded by Emma Lavelle, who has a good record on Town Moor. The son of Oscar is a maturing horse, unexposed over today’s trip, and could be going places.
WESTERN GUNS FOR A TREBLE
2.15 Huntingdon Here’s the quality racing, though not many runners, if the track can survive.
Warren Greatrex goes for a hat-trick in this Listed, his warrior here a top bumper horse of last season, Western Ryder, who scored back to back at Chepstow and Cheltenham in the autumn but wasn’t able to sustain the sequence stepped up to Graded level.
His problem seems to be the unbeaten Vindication but only one of the placed horses behind him at Leicester and Ascot has won over hurdles.
2.55 Towcester or 2.50 Huntingdon Wherever Red Indian runs – first choice Towcester – I want to be on. Another Ben Pauling, he’s run some cracking races at a higher level, including third in the Lanzarote.
If Towcester races, he would appear to leave the Huntingdon. prize to Zipple Back, never out of the frame and a dual winner over hurdles.
Zipple Back has had to have a wind op. It could work but a tongue-tie (and hood) is thrown in for good measure. Makes you nervous.
So I’m taking a chance with Scottish Champion Hurdle fourth, Vosné Romanee, who reverts to the smaller obstacles, despite winning last time over fences at this level.
DAQMAN’S BETS
BET 2pts win and place WASHED ASHORE, and 1.75pts win and place CAPARD KING (1.55 Doncaster)
BET 6ptys win WESTERN RYDER (2.15 Huntingdon)
BET 2.3pts win and place VOSNE ROMANEE (2.50 Huntingdon)
BET 10pts win (nap) RED INDIAN (2.55 Towcester, alt 2.50 Huntingdon)
BET 10pts win GOWITHEFLOW (3.00 Doncaster)
BET 7pts win GUNFLEET (3.30 Doncaster)
BET 6pts win DOUX PRETENDER (4.05 Doncaster)
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