THE HENNESSY MEETING STARTS WITH A BANKER: Daqman has landed 18 bankers from 22 this year and has one at the start of the three-day Hennessy meeting. But it’s modest fare at Newbury, with the exception of the Gerry Feilden Hurdle, and the maximum-stakes nap is at Uttoxeter.
1.30 Newbury There have been no winners of this over the age of six, and five of the last seven winners were from the top half of the handicap.
Emma Lavelle has 100% win-and-place record in the race, with one winner and two others placed from three starters. Her Flemensfirth four-year-old, Andy Kelly, clearly has a future, eased right down to win at Stratford, his second novice-hurdle run after Pointing.
Presence Felt and Bohemian Rhapsody have already been handicapping at this low level, but Broomfield could improve for the step up in trip.
If you could be certain that Andy Kelly would hold his form, he is a big price this morning at offers of 5.4 in the BETDAQ orange over my cornflakes.
2.05 Newbury Though today’s small field is a recent average for the race it has produced Harry Topper and Grands Crus in the last two seasons.
Paul Nicholls highly rates Just A Par, but he was flattered by his second to At Fishers Cross last season, just as Third Intention was when runner-up to Dynaste.
What makes it even trickier today is that Third Intention is a keen-going sought, while Ditcheat has decided to make more use of Just A Par.
That suggests they ll come away from the field and that the final half-mile will be a battle royal., May the one with fewest quirks win!
2.40 Newbury Renard d’Irlande is another with kinks. He usually gets left behind but, when he does consent to jump, mostly out of heavy ground, he idles in front.
You could side with Grandad’s Horse, as one dropping back from decent handicap efforts to novice company again, but he always makes a costly error somewhere in the chase.
The drying ground is against Easter Day but he jumped well at Chepstow and Paul Nicholls forecasts ‘enormous improvement’, in which case 3.65 on BETDAQ was a bet this morning.
3.15 Newbury (Gerry Feilden Hurdle) Rock On Ruby used this as a stepping-stone to the Champoon Hurlde but other recent winners havn’t amounted to much.
I was a Chatterbox man after his Newbury double, icvluding defeat of My Tent Or Yours (more flattery?) but he failed in the Neptune, though we now know that the winner, The New One, is exceptional.
Chris Pea Green is also no slouch outside Cheltenham, and was ‘the moral’ when going down threeparts of a length at Ascot to Imperial Cup fifth and Greatwood sixth, Pine Creek, giving 3lb
Supreme Novices’ fifth Puffin Billy has to give weight all round here. Irish Saint didn’t progress over hurdles in the Spring, if the L’Unique lines are accurate, and today is a prep for his chase career.
Get Back In Line has that ‘could be anything’ look after only two starts, getting a stone and more from the principals.
DAQMAN’S VERDICT: Back at his favoured Newbury, Chatterbox is preferred to Chris Pea Green (easy to back this morning) at the weights. Irish Saint is a future chaser. Puffin Billy has a big burden. Get Back In Line must be a danger to all.
NAP Another shocking day of small fields, following the same story at Cheltenham and Ascot. It’s clear that this is only a two-day meeting at Newbury.
Quality bets are thin on the ground, so I will hope to continue the banker spree with maximum stakes on Milan Bound (12.45 Uttoxeter) at 1.74 on BETDAQ this morning.
DAQMAN’S BETS (staked to win 20 points).
BANKER: BET 20pts win (maximum-stakes nap) MILAN BOUND (12.45 Uttoxeter)
BET 4.5pts win ANDY KELLY (1.30 Newbury)
BET 7.5pts win EASTER DAY (2.40 Newbury)
BET 9pts win CHATTERBOX and 4pts win GET BACK IN LINE (3.15 Newbury)
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