2-1 WIN FOR BACK-TO-BACK NAPS: Shutthefrontdoor (WON 2-1) yesterday at Carlisle opened the door to a naps hat-trick today, following Zaidpour (WON 8-13 banker) at Navan on Sunday.
BIG-RACE STATS CLUE: There’s another banker today at one of three jumps meetings but Daqman first spots a horse which the stats say should be thereabouts in Saturday’s big handicap at Cheltenham.
BUYWISE ON THE SATURDAY GOLD MARK
What do these horse have in common? Kapga De Cerisy, Fago, Shanpallas, Mr Mole and Buywise. Just five of the 44 officially left in the PP Gold Cup on Saturday.
Answer: all are aged six or seven and come within a very narrow ratings parameter which produced the winner five years out of seven.
Horses of that age are 10 from 11 in this 2m 4f Chase at Cheltenham and ratings of 146 (twice), 147, 148 and 149 dominated until the last two seasons.
Shanpallas is particularly interesting as the winner of the Ladbrokes Munster National at Limerick last month under Davy Russell but a decision has yet to be made about his taking part.
The J P McManus owned gelding was winning despite a poor start to the season by trainer Charles Byrnes, who had watched on as two sloppy jumps cost Shanpallas the Kerry National in September when the money was down big time.
Shanpallas jumped for fun at his local track on the last day and a Cheltenham venture is worth the trip over to see just what this six-year-old is made of. But he needs good ground, and that is in question.
Two of the five that fit the right ratings slot, Fago and Mr Mole, trained by Paul Nicholls, are not ready to run, like a whole bunch of his Ditcheat team.
But Buywise, a Cheltenham course-and-distance winner in the Silver Trophy there in April, had a winning run back over hurdles at Ludlow recently. Acts on any going and looks a bigger, stronger galloper than ever.
NAMOOSE IS BIG FERGUSON STABLE HOPE
HUNTINGDON Three-time bumper winner El Namoose (1.40) has jumped really well at home and is regarded as John Ferguson’s big hope of the season. Banker material against this moderate lot.
Ex-French Cadoudoff (2.10) will revel in the cut in the ground and, as a 2m winner on the Flat, should enjoy the step up to 2m 4f over hurdles, as will stablemate Long Lunch.
Listed third Softsong scored first time out this year for Jamie Evans. He didn’t just win but stormed home 10 lengths, and his new handler, David Pipe, will no doubt have prepared this quirky sort for a quick hit before he starts thinking about it. The 6.6 on BETDAQ early mouse could look big later on.
The one he has to beat was backable as a saver at the time of writing: 3.05 Volnay De Thaix, one of two with good potential for novice-chases from the Nicky Henderson yard running today.
The other one, My Wigwam Or Yours (2.40), has already had a hurdles prep, whereas ‘Volnay’ is having his today, though a long absence doesn’t always stop a Henderson horse.
Ned Stark, an Irish Points winner, has schooled very well at home over fences and is a serious threat, getting 9lb from My Wigwam Or Yours (which is how they compared over hurdles).
This time the market is alive to a possible match race and you have to bet odds on, if you dutch them. The choice has to be guaranteed fitness.
Though Ned Stark is sending up the right smoke signals, ‘Wigwam’ is certain to have been fired up for this after his hurdles start, and Henderson forecasts that he could be a lot better than class 3, in which case giving the weight away for this big strong, chasing type is not such a big deal.
Alan King, trainer of Ned Stark, should have a winner anyway, with Our Phylli Vera having had a recent pipe-opener on the Flat. A strong finisher who likes the soft.
SEDGEFIELD Desperate. That’s my view of small fields in a bog, which sums up Lingfield Park today, so I’m going to pick one out at Sedgefield.
Salto Chisco (1.20) is well recovered from a pelvis injury but is reported headstrong at home and may need the freshness taking out of him by this race.
Spiculas beat a string of long-term losers at Kelso and was sweating up. He gave the impression that first time was the time to catch him, and that he must have good ground.
Three times in the last four years, that bit of class from the top weight – that’s why he’s up there – has prevailed in this race.
And the versatile Crown Theatre leapfrogged the other two into the favourite’s seat early mouse on BETDAQ. One of three Irish raiders at the meeting for Gordon Elliott.
DAQMAN’S BETS (to win 20 points, except the banker)
BET 9pts win CROWN THEATRE (1.20 Sedgefield)
BANKER: BET 20pts win (nap) EL NAMOOSE (1.40 Huntingdon)
BET 3.5pts win SOFTSONG and 1.6pts win (stakes saver) VOLNAY DE THAIX (2.10 Huntingdon)
BET 7pts win MY WIGWAM OR YOURS and 3pts win (stakes saver) NED STARK (2.40 Huntingdon)
BET 12pts win OUR PHYLLI VERA (3.10 Huntingdon)
NEW !!!
You can now follow BETDAQ updates on Google+
For further details – CLICK HERE
£30 FREE BET
Did you know that as well as checking the realtime prices on BETDAQ below – you can also log into your account and place your bets directly into BETDAQ from BETDAQ TIPS.
