STILL A WAY TO GO TO BE A FRANKEL: They’re comparing him to Frankel so just how good is Little Big Bear? He was barely able to believe it, said Daqman on Sunday. Now he tries to assess how far the colt can go after his Phoenix Stakes sensation. He has stepped up from Listed to Group-3 level and now Group 1 but is he overhyped by his style in this list of potential ratings?
WINNING NAP: Daqman started his week with a winning nap on Monday with Fariba (WON 5/6) who took a while to get on top but finished with plenty in hand. He heads to this evening’s card at Carlisle for the follow-up attempt with the daily nap.
‘LITTLE BIG’ RATINGS GAP OF 7LB
⚠️ HEADS UP Where Charlie Appleby dominated the two-year-old scene last season and ‘collected’ in the Guineas of 2022, Aidan O’Brien is already back at the top.
Where Frankel reached a rating of 123 at the end of his juvenile career, O’Brien’s Little Big Bear is already only 7lb behind in Daqman’s reckoning.
117 LITTLE BIG BEAR (Aidan O’Brien) Crowned an unbeaten run since his debut by following up the (Listed) Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot and the Anglesey (Group 3) at the Curragh with a sensational gallop to the line in the Phoenix Stakes (also Group 1) on the same course.
114 BRADSELL (Archie Watson) Stumbled start in the Phoenix on his first outing since the Coventry triumph, and trying to make up the lost ground looked an impossible task then and a daunting one for the future.
113 BLACKBEARD (Aidan O’Brien) Beaten favourite, not reach leaders, fourth to Bradsell and Persian Force in the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot. But won the Robert Papin from last Tuesday’s Cabourg winner, The Antarctic.
112 PERSIAN FORCE (Richard Hannon) Followed up his Coventry second by readily winning the July Stakes and looked a danger to Little Big Bear in the Phoenix until that one drew away in the run to the line.
111 NAVAL POWER (Charlie Appleby) Unbeaten in three starts, culminating in defeat by six and a half lengths of Waiting All Night in a Listed at Ascot last month.
Persian Force had beaten Waiting All Night five lengths in the July Stakes and Bradsell just over four lengths in the Coventry Stakes in previous encounters, which suggests that Naval Power can be marked up from his official 111 rating.
106 SHARTASH (Johnny Murtagh) Headed Blackbeard in the final strides to win the Railway Stakes at the Curragh in June, deserving a 106 mark at the time, but can be upgraded after recent exploits have shot Blackbeard up the ladder.
NO WATER SHORTAGE
⭕ 6.50 Carlisle Jim Goldie is making hay while he can with Water Of Leith who looks set again to defy a penalty.
It makes sense as the handicapper is likely to be more punitive when he finally has his say but Goldie is keeping one step ahead of the system by running him again tonight just three days after his easy win at Ayr three days ago.
He was already racing under a penalty that day for his Ayr win on 1st August so bids tonight for a hat-trick in August.
And I thought August had only just begun!
Ventura Flame is knocking on the door but also heading up the weights without winning which must always be a depressing scenario for connections. The mare ran her race at Hamilton last time out, just finding Silky Wilkie too good and she might prove vulnerable again tonight against an undoubtedly well-handicapped rival.
HOLLIS ANOTHER FOR PERRATT
⭕ 8.00 Carlisle Two divisions of a maiden handicap so we’re not dealing with high quality racing here but I was surprised not to see Hollis Brown trading as favourite on Betdaq Betting Exchange earlier today.
His trainer Linda Perratt couldn’t be in better form – she had FIVE WINNERS in a row Friday/Saturday last week and I thought Hollis Brown brings the best recent form to the table here with his Ayr second last time out. He had Yeeeaah back in third that day and that one looks set to got off favourite in the second division of this race at 8.35pm.
Hollis Brown should also be suited by this testing course having stayed on well at Ayr in the closing stages.
Bastille’s form is only modest but the grey ran his best race to date last time out at Newcastle when third over this trip and he looks the danger.
AMBUSH TO STRIKE
⭕ 8.15 Chelmsford Snap Ambush looks a likely sort for Sir Mark Mark Prescott to go to war with.
The filly showed her liking for the all-weather in three starts last year, the best of which was a Lingfield third.
She was sent off favourite for her handicap debut and reappearance at Leicester last month and only found Playday too good.
She will prove hard to beat in this company now she is back on the all-weather and can see off the challenge of the Roger Varian trained Asraabb who has yet to show too much.
DAQMAN’S BETS:
6.50 Carlisle (win 10, nap)
BET 6.6pts win WATER OF LEITH
8.00 Carlisle (win 10)
BET 2.7pts win HOLLIS BROWN
8.15 Chelmsford (win 10)
BET 5.0pts win SNAP AMBUSH
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