LEADING TRAINER’S NINE RUNNERS: King-of-the-tipsters Daqman was back among the winners yesterday after losing most of his Tuesday bets to the weather; Roi De France (WON evens) scored 10 points. Warwick, which passed a morning inspection, has leading trainer Dan Skelton out in force, with nine runners on his local track.
TODAY’S PREVIEW: Willie Mullins still has both Galopin Des Champs and Fact or File in Sunday’s big race at Punchestown. What do the stats say about that?
THE FACTS ARE ON THE FILE
⭕ 2.25 Punchestown, John Durkan Memorial, Sunday STATS: Put facts to the stats file and this race will go to last year’s winner, Fastorslow, or one of only four new kids on the block, among them Willie Mullins’ Fact Or File.
All first-time winners of this in the decade have been six or seven; only three in 21 seasons have been older than seven.
Just once this century has a winner missed a year, then done the double. Can Mullins do it with Galopin des Champs, two years on from winning the race? He was not fluent last November, only third at 2-1 on.
Galopin Des Champs got his own back, comfortably beating Fastorslow in the Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown over an extra half-mile or more.
Mullins had won seven out of eight John Durkans, starting with Djakadam, back to back, 2015-16, until Fastorslow (Martin Brassill) caught Galopin Des Champs on an off day.
In the winning age group if Sunday produces a new star are: Fact To File (Willie Mullins), Limerick Lace (Gavin Cromwell), Inothewayourthinkin (Gavin Cromwell), Spillane’s Tower (James Joseph Mangan).
ALL UP HILL FOR NICHOLLS
⭕ 2.50 Wincanton today The chase is on today at their local tracks in the drive for the championship by Paul Nicholls and Dan Skelton.
Winner last season numerically with 132, Nicholls is currently 12-36 (thats; 33% in nine days’ racing), finishing with a hat-trick at Exeter on Monday.
Freddie Gingell, the new boy wonder at Ditcheat, who has scored on his last four Nicholls’ rides, including Il Ridoto’s victory in the Autumn Gold Cup at Cheltenham, goes to Warwick for Joe Tizzard bookings.
Harry Cobden is back today on Irish Hill at Wincanton, after outside rides pulled in these returns since Friday: 123114.
Irish Hill put two wins together after scoring at Taunton last November and has already won this month at Plumpton.
Getalead has scored twice in three autumn runs and may have had enough for now, while Pyffo has moved from Jonjo O’Neill and this is his first run for Harry Derham.
Derham does well in this race but Pyffo hasn’t been seen since July and Derham is struggling on 1-15 in the last couple of weeks.
That one Derham winner was Madame Luna at Fakenham on Tuesday in a race of three runners, two of them jumping slowly and finishing 10 lengths behind. Even so, as 6-5 favourite, the filly boosted the bank and lifted stable confidence a little.
LUCK BE A LADY ON DEBUT
⭕ 3.00 Warwick Dan Skelton, who had 121 winners last season, is already on 90 this term, 52 in front of Nicholls.
He has nine runners on his local track today, with ‘the one most likely to’, Lady Jago taking on the out-of-form Venetia Williams stable (Lady Pretender) and high in the handicap, Regal Renaissance.
Irish Point winner Lady Jago has always been regarded as a future chaser. She makes her debut over fences on her handicap debut after three quick runs over hurdles. Betdaq Betting Exchange 6.1 looks big.
DERBY STAR AT SOUTHWELL
⭕ 6.30 Southwell Unless there’s more snow on the ‘pitch’, Southwell goes back into bat tonight after stumps had to be drawn earlier in the week.
It may not be cricket to criticise an All-Weather track for fixtures lost but therein lies the irony. And it’s not just snow on the pitch.
How many AW fixtures will be lost this winter because approach roads weren’t passable for horseboxes and spectators.
I hereby resurrect my case from winters past that all man-made tracks should have runners handy on course from local stables and that a second yard on or very near the course should accommodate visitors well in advance, not only for designated fixtures but as deputy dawgs in case of difficulty travelling.
Kevin Ryan and Charlie Johnston (Yorkshire) with Dark Moon Rising and Loyal Touch are the farthest travelers today and the course-and-distance winners are provided by Lambourn-based Andaleep (by Daniel and Claire Kubler) and Champagne Prince for Jane Chapple-Hyam from Suffolk.
Most of these are exposed sloggers – Andaleep and Felix will be nine shortly – but Champagne Prince, who is 3-3 on AW, beaten only a neck at Ascot in August, returns for back-to-back Southwell success after scoring in early October still only three for a few days more.
The danger, despite being saddled with 10st 2lb, is surely Artistic Star, seventh in the Epsom Derby, third in the King Edward V11 Stakes, known as the Ascot Derby at the royal meeting in June. He’s a winner after a long break.
DAQMAN’S BETS
2.50 Wincanton (win 12)
BET 6.75pts win IRISH HILL
3.00 Warwick (win 20, nap)
BET 4pts win LADY JAGO
6.30 Southwell (win 20, win 12)
BET 6pts win ARTISTIC STAR
BET 4.8pts win CHAMPAGNE PRINCE
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.
Did you know? DAQMAN’s tips are posted each and every day so he’s always on hand to help with your horse racing betting.
