BANKER FOUND IN IRELAND AGAIN: After a disappointing nap on Ainippe, Daqman had three winning bets yesterday, including maximum stakes on the impressive Found at The Curragh. His three were:
WON 4-1 Dunraven Storm
WON 11-8 Found (banker)
2nd 12-1 Dawn Mirage
MEET DAQMAN’S FORTUNE COOKIES: Today Daqman starts a horses-to-follow list intent on landing as many Group races as possible, aiming at Classics and Cup races, championship sprints and all that goes to make up great meets at Chantilly, Epsom, Royal Ascot and The Curragh. How many can he bag?
ALL THAT GLITTERS.. As ever, Daqman takes a controversial line, and he starts his fortune hunt with a warning: ‘Don’t be suckered by Pricewise into backing his ante-post tip for the Derby.’
PROFITABLE AIM OF GROUP-RACE GRAB
FORTUNE COOKIES: Starting today, I will be listing my likely Group winners for the rest of the season. We’ll keep adding to them. See how many Group races we can grab.
At the same time, we’ll delete what let’s us down or is a false hope likely to empty our wallet. What about the plus horses at a level lower than Group?
Well, sorry, but I’m keeping those to myself until they run. Then, I promise big prices, bold headlines, as usual. And, of course, certain value in the BETDAQ orange.
There’s a question mark against the DELETE for Galileo Gold. While he is unlikely to be a Derby horse, he could meet a low turn-out for the Irish Guineas and ‘do a Cockney Rebel.’
Meanwhile, don’t be suckered into supporting the BBF (bookmakers’ benevolent fund) and back him for Epsom as Pricewise does today.
Arabian Queen The filly who beat Golden Horn in the International, drove a strong field into the ground before a French improver of Andre Fabre’s came by in Sunday’s mile and a furlong Dahlia Stakes. Must win another big race, back to 1m 4f.
Cotai Glory Down the field behind Profitable in the Palace House Stakes but ran as if needing the race from a middle draw (high swamped them at the finish). Still on course for a top sprint.
Exosphere A revelation in the Jockey Club Stakes. Even Sir Michael Stoute’s explanation – he’s always been an improving animal – was hollow in his own ears, and he looked quite stunned.
The ground was still on the soft side as he slammed Simple Verse and Big Orange, but he won on firm as a three-year-old.
What might keep his price up is that the wise guys will tell you, ah yes but the favourite (Jack Hobbs) broke down and the time wasn’t that electric.
I hope they do (and give us a price), as further improvement is very much on the cards for Exosphere as this is only his second season.
Found The O’Brien filly Found her form yesterday, and should add a Group 1 to our bag in the Tattersalls Gold Cup at The Curragh on May 22. Things get tougher after that, and that may be her only race for us.
Midterm I think the Group-2 Dante next week will be one of my first Group bags, courtesy of the equine Mr Laid-Back, Midterm, whom I wrote about yesterday.
Minding ‘Majestic’ and other superlatives. I feel a diamond banker (or two) coming on. Didn’t you doubt her, Daqman? Who, me, your honour?
No, I doubted whether she’d be fit enough, as Mister O’Brien had fluffed the start of the three-year-old season of previous high-profile fillies.
Profitable One I got right at 20-1, and it’s Kings Stand here we come. Cut them down coming out of the dip in the Palace House Stakes, the rising ground, drying and fresh on the high-number side, aiding his devastating stride.
Usherette As with Exosphere, we have just seen the start of something good. Saturday’s Dahlia Stakes was talent packed with the field driven to a lung-busting finish by Arabian Queen.
From stalls to (winners’) circle – just had to get that pun in – Usherette seemed to cruise the race. Even on the replay.
DELETE? Galileo Gold Not convinced he will hold down the job for very long. He was well up to it first time in the 2,000 Guineas, but I don’t much like the way the race unfolded.
The three fancied horses, Air Force Blue, Marcel and Stormy Antarctic were the last three to finish. In my experience, that can’t be right. One of them, yes; two of them, maybe; all three, no never. Shumthing wrong shumwhere!
The next four home behind Galileo Gold were rated 113, 116, 107 and 90. That puts him on a par with Night Of Thunder of recent Guineas winners, and that one was expensive to follow after Newmarket, winning just one more race, the Lockinge the following year.
For me, Minding’s 1,000 rating should be a good 5lb higher than Galileo Gold’s for the 2,000. It means the top colt still has to come along (see Midterm above).
Unfortunately, I have to say the same about Midterm, regarding ante-post betting. He’s far too short, based on one run. No, our current target is the Dante. Then can we have 4-1 for Epsom?
Very doubtful but, should US Army Ranger scoot home at Chester this week, the Ballydoyle factor will ease Midterm or at least keep his offers buoyant.
I shall put Galileo Gold on the back burner to see what takes him on in the Irish Guineas. Maybe he’ll get a free ride like Cockney Rebel; if so we want to bag the Group win.
What would be really interesting is if something down the field at Newmarket takes him on again.
DELETE: Lumiere They’ve spent all winter teaching her to settle, convinced they have a magic filly. They have: she can make the prizemoney vanish while going down to the post! Still far too full of herself.
DELETE: Midweek Made to look ordinary by Minding. I don’t think we’ll see her this side of the Channel again.
But interesting to hear from Criquette Head-Maarek of Treve’s baby sister: La Terre, was it called.
* Group-grab Fortune Cookie horses will be assessed to 20-point level-stakes. Pity the list came too late for Found yesterday. What a price!
COMMANCHE SCALP FOR SIX-GUN SILVESTRE
2.20 Brighton Do you take the 67% combo hits (two from three) of Paul Cole and Luke Morris (Assassinate) or the 41% Brighton two-year-olds’ strike-rate of Richard Hannon (Tomily).
Answer: bet with BETDAQ in a 104% orange and you get a big-value 7.0 Assassinate with a nigh-on-evens saver Tomily.
2.50 Brighton Silvestre De Sousa was riding like a real champion at Newmarket, and is being courted by shrewd stables wanting job done.
For instance, he is five in a row for Chris Dwyer and the old pro-punter rule of waiting until a handicapper has had two runs applies to Commanche, with whom they team up for the six hit today.
Commanche is now 5lb lower than for his last success. The rider that day at Oadby near the magical city of Leicester? Silvestre De Sousa.
What price were Mark Selby and Leicester City in a double? (Greedy Daqman). Talk about ‘job done’. Sheer granite hard graft beating money-honeyed divas.. I’ll watch that any time!
Commanche gives us another 7.0 in another punter-friendly overround, and the worry horse here is Fear Or Favour (3.8), another one down the handicap for a trainer in form. Wins fresh after a long absence.
KNOWING ME, KNOWING THOMAS WILD.. AHA!
3.30 Fakenham (Norfolk National) I landed the Irish and the Aintree Nationals but read the wrong script for the Scottish National. So I’m delighted there are some Nationals left.
They sprout everywhere, and glad of them, though I must admit that the latest today, the inaugural Norfolk National sounds a bit Alan Partridge.
Trainer in form Philip Hobbs – form figures 11130 – has run two, won one, at Fakenham in the last five seasons.
Here goes Thomas Wild, who showed big improvement at Cheltenham and has his ground today. Aha!.
Only yesterday a Hobbs contender with the exact same 11yo 11st 12lb, Dunraven Storm, won at Kempton, bouncing back from Cheltenham. Aha!
Thomas Wild (6.0 on BETDAQ as I write) was just in front of Finish The Story at Cheltenham, as Richard Johnson’s choice from three Hobbs runners that day.
6.45 Exeter Johnson rides for Hobbs at Exeter tonight, with According To Harry among his mounts. His sire’s three top earners have all won on firm ground, and we could see a transformation in the lightly weighted hurdler today, despite 10-1 offers on BETDAQ.
MUSDAM LOOKS A BANKER AT CATTERICK
5.55 Catterick Richard Fahey has a 33% strike rate with his two-year-olds at Catterick, totting up a tasty level-stakes profit.
At 7.2 offers on BETDAQ, Limbrick – by Equiano out of a Kyllachy mare – could go in first time, despite Clem Fandango’s advantage of having had a race already. Clem’s stable has one of its lowest strike-rates on this track.
6.55 Catterick Sir Michael Stoute has 50% hits here and the stats keep on stacking up for Musdam: three-year-olds have won this race four years running.
7.25 Catterick Marjorie Fife won this in 2015 with a Brian Ellison cast-off. Now she runs a Richard Fahey reject, 10lb lower than for his only success.. at Catterick.
In fact, Dreese is even further down the handicap, with a 3lb claimer doing the steering. Small stakes for potential big return at 31.0.
DAQMAN’S BETS (staked to win 20)
BET 3.3pts win on each ASSASSINATE and (stakes saver) TOMILY (2.20 Brighton)
BET 7pts win FEAR OR FAVOUR and 3.3pts win COMMANCHE (2.50 Brighton)
BET 4pts win THOMAS WILD (3.30 Fakenham)
BET 3.2pts win and place LIMBRICK (5.55 Catterick)
BET 2pts win and place ACCORDING TO HARRY (6.45 Exeter)
BANKER: BET 20pts win (nap) MUSDAM (6.55 Catterick)
BET 0.65pts win and place DREESE (7.25 Catterick)
£25 IN FREE BETS
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.
