NOW IT’S 10 BANKERS OUT OF 11: Daqman’s run of nine consecutive bankers, which blipped when Saturday’s bet was second, got back on track yesterday with maximum stakes on Chidswell (WON 11-10). So that’s 10 bankers up out of 11.
17 WINNING NAPS UP FROM 25: That means back-to-back naps up, following Parsnip Pete (WON 100-30) on Sunday, and takes the total to 17 winning naps out of the last 25, every single one of them finishing in the first four. The sequence is now 1111141231311114112113211
SETTING THE AMERICAN SCENE: Today Daqman continues to check out some of the horses for Friday and Saturday’s two-day multi-million-dollar Breeders’ Cup series in Santa Anita, California.
DIRT-TRACK DAREDEVIL OUT ON HIS TODD
CARPE DIEM Todd Fletcher, the man from Long Island, who started his racing life as a stable boy for Wayne Lucas, is well on the way to his fifth American trainer-of-the-year award.
And he seems to have Saturday’s Breeders Cup Juvenile (Dirt) split down the middle with two aces in the one race, Carpe Diem and Daredevil.
Carpe Diem (‘seize the day’), a son of Giants Causeway, seized hold of the Breeders’ Futurity field at Keeneland earlier this month by six lengths from Lucas’s own Mr Z.
DAREDEVIL Half an hour earlier at Belmont Park, stablemate Daredevil made it back-to-back wins in scintillating style in the Grade-1 Champagne Stakes.
So will it be the $1.6m Carpe Diem who cracks open the champagne on Saturday or the appropriately named Daredevil (by More Than Ready out of Chasethewildwind)?
The markets favour Daredevil but much depends on the Santa Anita surface: Daredevil’s Champagne was on sloppy; Carpe Diem’s Futurity on fast.
JUDY THE BEAUTY It’s a similar story for the Wesley Ward pair I talked about yesterday in the Sprint: Undrafted, the fast-ground flyer, and No Nay Never, Prix Morny winner last year on the soft.
But Washington-based Ward, a former US champion jockey, has another beauty in the Breeders’ Cup Filly-And-Mare Sprint, trying to improve on her half-length second in the race last year.
Judy The Beauty returned to Santa Anita to win her opening race of 2014 in March, then landed her first Grade 1 at Keeneland on Polytrack.
Never out of the frame in 15 starts, she won again after a summer break and seems an improved mare this time around.
FLETCHERS TO FLY HOME IN FFOS LAS
1.10 Ffos Las The opening race at the Wales track is a very interesting Novice Hurdle and brings a couple of runners from the Irish Point to Point scene.
Shantou Bob won at Dromhane while Padge beat subsequent Cheltenham winner, Very Wood in his PTP debut at Punchestown. Both look like decent sorts but I think they are both going to play second fiddle to Fletchers Flyer.
Another Irish Point to Point winner, he was second on his debut for Harry Fry at Uttoxeter in March before going on to score at the Punchestown Festival in a really good bumper featuring Sub Lieutenant and Totally Dominant who have both won since along with several others.
He looked quite decent in winning that race and I think it’s going to take a very good sort to beat him today and he looks like having a bright future.
2.10 Ffos Las A six runner Handicap Chase over two miles and three furlongs that has produced really only two legitimate candidates in Coolbeg and Little Jimmy. Barenger and Mister Bricolage both have too many question marks over them while Humbel Ben and Surprise Us just aren’t good enough.
Although he has to put a poor run behind him last time out, Little Jimmy looks to be the value bet for Nico De Boinville and Tom Gretton, however, that was his first run since May and he probably needed the outing.
On his previous for at the sort of level and trip, he looks to have every chance at the weights and with the addition of the three pound claim from De Boinville, that’s where I’m going.
2.40 Ffos Las This looks like a very competitive Handicap Hurdle over three miles.
Tony McCoy looks to have a nice ride with Ivy Gate and it’s the first time the Champion Jockey has got the leg up on the son of Westerner which is notable.
Audacious Plan is the early favourite and is quite unexposed and probably doesn’t have to improve a huge amount to go close in this one.
In saying that, I am going to side with Area Access who is improving all the time and although he takes another step up in class, he is going the right way and is in very capable hands to give Noel Fehily a possible double on the card.
3.30 Windsor Back on the level at Windsor, a 13 runner Handicap over 10 furlongs is my only bet at the London track.
This looks like a decent enough race considering the time of year but we must always keep in mind the uncertainties of the flat in the final few days, especially on soft ground.
I’m taking a chance with Urban Space in this one as he bids for a hat trick of wins. Although his previous two wins were in lower grades, he shaped well enough to suggest that there is a little more left in the tank. He is suited by the trip and ground and has run well over course and distance previously.
3.50 Catterick There is a very notable declaration for this race in the Tony Martin trained Dara Tango, who makes the trip over from Ireland along with Whatuthink.
Martin’s charge hasn’t run for two years but was a very promising Novice Hurdler with some decent runs in Graded Company before getting injured. On the basis of that form, coupled with the very fact that Martin is travelling to the UK with a horse that hasn’t run 2 years, he obviously has plenty of confidence in him.
Jolie Blonde has improved hugely since stepping up in trip but if Dara Tango is fit enough and ready for the run, it could be very difficult to beat him as he looks very well handicapped on his Hurdles form.
DAQMAN’S BETS (Staked to win 20pts unless otherwise stated)
BET 18.5pts win FLETCHERS FLYER (1.10 Ffos Las)
BET 5.1pts win LITTLE JIMMY (2.10 Ffos Las)
BET 4.3pts win AREA ACCESS (2.40 Ffos Las)
BET 1.9pts win and place URBAN SPACE (3.30 Windsor)
BET 5.3pts win DARA TANGO (3.50 Windsor)
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