FOUR NAPS AND A BIG-RACE WINNER: Daqman had three winners across the cards at Nottingham, Kempton and the Curragh yesterday, including Saturn (5-4) in the Race To the Ebor and his fourth consecutive nap at 2.6 on BETDAQ, a shade of odds-on SP.
Yesterday: profit on the day 15.60
WON 11-5 PHOENIX PASSION
WON 5-4 SATURN
WON 10-11 CRACKSKING (nap)
Tuesday: hat-trick of odds-against naps
WON 5-4 LAOISMAN (nap)
Monday: profit on the day 16 profits
WON 6-5 YAZAMAN (nap)
WON 5-1 MUJID
Sunday: profit on the day 41.75
WON 5-1 LOOK DE VEGA (French Derby)
WON 23-10 FRANCISCO’S PIE (French nap)
10 TO FOLLOW ON THE BIG-RACE SCENE: Fortune Cookies are back, 10 to follow with Royal Ascot and the Irish Classics in mind. Later in the column, Daqman picks out the best races at each of three meetings today.
RETURN OF THE FORTUNE COOKIES
READ across: rating, horse to follow (trainer); form and potential.
113 BIG EVS (Michael Appleby) Five out of six last year, culminating in the Breeders Cup Juvenile. Made up in part for defeat in York Group 1 by taking a Listed there on his first outing this season
103 CHIC COLUMBINE (George Boughey) Slowly away, denied a clear run; William Buick had to switch to the outside and got there just too late in the Princess Elizabeth Stakes at Epsom.
124 CITY OF TROY (Aidan O’Brien) By sire of the moment, Justify, who does so well with mares by Sadlers Wells and his son Galileo (Buchu, Capulet, Just Steel, Opera Singer, Unbelievable.. to name but a few, as they say).
Not well prepared and flopped in the 2,000 Guineas but trainer made up for it big time, as he had the year before with Auguste Rodin. Surged from the back, after starting slowly from the one stall.
113 ELMALKA (Roger Varian) Single-figure draws win the 1,000 Guineas but a good filly can overcome the bias, like Mawj last year out of 17 and Elmalka did it again this season (16 of 16)
115 EZELIYA (Dermot Weld) Shrugged off the poor form of her stable when she won the Oaks in a time quicker than Luxembourg won the Coronation Cup the same day.
063 TEEJ A (Karl Burke) I was pleased to nap this Epsom 2yo winner, who now looks for a hat-trick in France, where she will have the soft ground she likes. Powerful sort.
120 LOOK DE VEGA (Carlos and Yann Lerner) Big, handsome Lope De Vega colt, out of a High Chaparral mare, traveled really well and responded to go clear a furlong and half out in the French Derby under Ronan Thomas’s confident ride. See Sosie.
118 ROSALLION (Richard Hannon) I’ve followed the happy Hannons for many years, Richard father and Richard son, and their Irish Guineas one-two with Rosallion and Haatem was the highlight of a tricky start for us all to the 2024 Classics. It was the first time this season you could say of a quality colt and his stable: ‘Job done!’
118 SOSIE (Andre Fabre) Not much room last quarter in the French Derby but Maxime Guyon found a late gap, third. Wouldn’t have won but highly promising Sea The Stars colt who is likely to do better over further.
121 WHITE BIRCH (John Joseph Murphy) Strong traveling, swooped a furlong out in the Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh Guineas meeting, with 2023 Derby winner Auguste Rodin unable to close. ‘White Birch has improved out of all recognition,’ said jockey Colin Keane.
BETDAQ 10.0: THAT’S A THOUGHT
⭕ 3.25 Hamilton today: Some quality in this class-2 sprint somewhere I hope but the market is wide open.
Roman Dragon is a Chester performer in contrast to Glenfinnan, who is 2-3 at Ascot. And Monsieur Kodi is a Goodwood player on soft ground.
Raatea has scored at Haydock but that was in first-time cheekpieces, which haven’t really worked again.
Claiming off Paws For Thought brings his weight to below the level of the last two legs of a summer hat-trick last year, which culminated in a CD success here at Hamilton at this level.
Kelpie Grey landed a hat-trick earlier this year but – dropped back from 7f and 1m – has never won a sprint of 5f or 6f; never won higher than class 4; and seemed to finally reach his limit off 83, some 16lb higher than for the start of his good run.
Almarada Prince is another hat-trick scorer now raised in the handicap, while Illusionist is 1-20 since scoring at York two years back; both wins were on the soft, beating another soft-surface sort, Manila Scouse, the last day
Betdaq Betting Exchange 11.0 Paws For Thought
THUNDER STAR GIVEN A CHANCE
⭕ 3.35 Haydock (Jack Berry House Handicap) For the fourth time in a row, Grace Angel made all last June, one at Haydock 6lb higher than today, one at Redcar a grade higher. But has the ground dried out enough for her?
She swerved two engagements yesterday to make this one her pick, though she has another CD winner against her in Soul Seeker.
But the same thing applies: she ran 10 consecutive races in the frame between June and September last summer but has won five times on good to firm.
Match Play – also a CD winner – could get involved for a trainer in form, though the gelding’s best efforts have been in a grade lower.
The most likely winner is a third CD scorer, the 6.4 BETDAQ offer, Thunder Star, not ground dependent, three out of four last summer and won third time out last term.
Though her Ascot race on May 1 has worked out well, the handicapper has given her a chance and dropped her 2lb.
LET’S HAVE A FLUTTER ON FLYER
⭕ 3.43 Uttoxeter (Summer Cup) They’ve done a spot of watering here to keep the track safe for jumpers. But is it safe for punters to dabble in the winter game during the summer?
First fact for filing down the field: the top eight in the race are spread over only 8lb in weight.
Secondly, only three trainers are currently in a modicum of form: Donald McCain (Masked Crusader) with three winners in four days last week; Warren Greatrex (Jaramillo) three winners in six days; Anthony Honeyball (World Of Dreams) three winners in three days.
Jaramillo has a desperate strike-rate of 1-14 over hurdles, and Masked Crusade has won only novice races two years back. World Of Dreams has also failed to emerge from the novice level so far.
Bullets Hill could return to form over hurdles, after jumping badly on his first encounter with fences a month ago, but he’s high in the handicap now.
The answer to the puzzle could be Faithfulflyer, who beat a big field at Kelso on good ground. That has pushed him up 7lb, but second and third have both won well since. BETDAQ 4.9 taken.
DAQMAN’S BETS
3.25 Hamilton (win 30)
BET 3pts win PAWS FOR THOUGHT
3.35 Haydock (win 16)
BET 3pts win THUNDER STAR
3.43 Uttoxeter (win 20, nap)
BET 5pts win FAITHFULFLYER
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.
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