SCRUTINISE HIM! DAQMAN FOLLOWS UP 4-4 TO GO SIX WINS IN A ROW: Daqman made it six consecutive winners in two days, with a total profit of 67.90, and three naps in a row when Monday’s first two bets scored after his four out of four on Sunday:
SUNDAY: profit 50 points
WON 8-1 ALFA MIX (sole bet in Ireland)
WON 13-8 KEEN ON
WON 11-8 KITTY HALL (nap)
WON 10-11 SCHIAPARANNIE
MONDAY: profit 17.90 points
WON 11-10 SCRUTINISE (nap)
WON 5-2 MOUNTAIN LEOPARD
NAPS HAT-TRICK AS DAILY BEST BETS EDGE CLOSE TO 50% STRIKE RATE: All three in his naps hat-trick were odds against, and his daily-naps total profit is now 81.36 from 17 winners out of 35 (49%) to 10-point level stakes.
WON 6-5 SAM SPINNER (Saturday nap)
WON 11-8 KITTY HALL (Sunday nap)
WON 11-10 SCRUTINISE (Monday nap)
HILL CLIMB TO THE NATIONAL
Mr Grand National. Fred Winter, Ginger McCain, Fred Rimell, Tim Forster and, with the advent of Tiger Roll, Gordon Elliott could be given that title after multiple success.
But Nigel Twiston-Davies wants to wind back the years and add to wins with Earth Summit (1998) and Bindaree (2002), and thinks he’s found one to do it.
Crievehill is his ‘dream Grand National horse’, which he says is getting better with age and has always jumped really well.
It’s decision time this week. Should he go for the Silver Cup at Ascot on Saturday or head to Chepstow for the Coral Welsh Grand National over Christmas.
Chepstow is often a slog for younger horses. Crievehill is only seven for another two weeks or so, whereas Earth Summit was nine when he won at Chepstow before his Aintree victory the following Spring.
But Bindaree was only seven when third in the Welsh National in 2001 before winning at Aintree in 2002 and returning to take the Coral showpiece at Chepstow the following year.
I’ve added Crievehill to this horses-to-follow update, which will provide Fortune Cookies for 2020.
BATTLEOVERDOYEN (Gordon Elliott) Novice chases (Limerick December 26 or Leopardstown December 29)
BRELAN D’AS (Paul Nicholls) Had beaten the winner, Warthog, in a similar Cheltenham race before flopping behind him on Saturday. Worth another chance.
CRIEVEHILL (Nigel Twiston Davies) Silver Cup (Ascot, Saturday) or Coral Welsh National (Chepstow, December 27)
CYRNAME (Paul Nicholls) King George (Kempton, December 26)
DELTA WORK (Gordon Elliott) Savills Chase (Leopardstown, December 28)
EASYWORK (Gordon Elliott) Future Champions Novice Hurdle (Leopardstown December 27)
ELEGANT ESCAPE (Colin Tizzard) Coral Welsh National (Chepstow, December 27)
ENVOI ALLEN (Gordon Elliott) Future Champions Novice Hurdle (Leopardstown December 27) or December Hurdle (Leopardstown, December 29).
EPATANTE (Nicky Henderson) Grade-3 handicap hurdle (Ascot, Saturday, December 21)
FAKIR D’OUDAIRIES (Joseph O’Brien) novice chase (Leopardstown or Limerick, December 26)
HONEYSUCKLE (Henry De Bromhead) Christmas Hurdle or December Hurdle (Leopardstown, December 28 and 29)
KLASSICAL DREAM (Willie Mullins) December Hurdle (Leopardstown, December 29)
LOSTINTRANSLATION (Colin Tizzard) King George (Kempton, December 26)
NOTEBOOK (Henry De Bromhead) Novice chase (Leopardstown, December 26)
SAM SPINNER (Jedd O’Keefe). Won on Saturday but not impressive and RSA direction would not be my choice. We need to see him again.
VINNDICATION (Kim Bailey) suffered stone bruise; being assessed January 10
ZANZA (Philip Hobbs) Grade-3 handicap hurdle (Ascot, Saturday December 21)
*Also: As You Like (Jonjo O’Neill), Black Op (Tom George), Braid Blue (Gordon Elliott), Brelan d’As (Paul Nicholls), Capeland (Paul Nicholls), Champ (Nicky Henderson), Elimay (Willie Mullins), Fanion d’Estruval (Venetia Williams), Floressa (Nicky Henderson), Go Whatever (Chris Gordon), Russian Bill (Noel Meade), Thyme Hill (Philip Hobbs), Walk In The Mill (Robert Walford).
CATTERICK PRINCE TO CHARM US
1.40 Fakenham Its’afreebee is back after a 325 day break and the outsider of the whole field but don’t let that put you off.
The Richard Spencer trained chaser has come back from a 212 day break before to win. Where was that? Here at Fakenham over the same CD in 2016. He made all and jumped well.
Spencer is 3-8 at Fakenham and arrives here in good form with 4 places from his last five runners (over the past 14 days) including a winner at Lingfield last week.
James Bowen is booked for the ride and it’s his only ride of the day which suggests they mean business.
There are three last time out winners in opposition, including Kilbrew Boy who was a winner here over hurdles. He was a winner last time out at Wincanton but it remains to be seen whether he can be as effective on softer ground now he is up 5lb.
1.55 Catterick Bhutan has quite a backstory. He made a winning debut for Aidan O’Brien back in 2016 when beating Housesofparliament and was also a winner over hurdles when switched to Joseph O’Brien’s yard.
Since then he has switched to Jonjo O’Neill’s yard and after a series of uninspiring runs came back to form in style at Ludlow last time out winning a handicap hurdle quite cosily after travelling notably well. He was staying on really well that day and the extra trip, if anything, should suit him better and it will be negated slightly by the fact that the Catterick going will not be as testing as it was at Ludlow.
The talented Jonjo O’Neill jnr is in the plate and he will be anxious to keep his winning run going now that he is unable to claim. Bhutan is up 5lb in the handicap but if improvement from the Ludlow run is produced, then it could well be that he is on a very lenient mark at present.
There’s been support on BETDAQ this morning for Gray Day but he has 27 lengths to find with Bhutan on Ludlow form.
2.25 Catterick Mercian Prince and Irish raider Decor Irlandais dominate the market for this novices hurdle but preference has to be for the former.
The Amy Murphy trained Mercian Prince is a huge class dropper who has been finding life tough over fences and this should be a good confidence booster for him. The stable have had a couple of winners in the last two weeks.
In contrast, Noel Kelly, trainer of Decor Irlandais has gone 115 days and 26 runners without a win and the fact that Decor Irlandais has a double penalty here tempers enthusiasm.
Sue Smith’s Frimeur De Lancray showed promise on his Uttoxeter debut and has place prospects in what doesn’t look a strong contest.
DAQMAN’S BETS (staked as advised)
BET 2.2pts win (WIN 30) and 2.0pts place (WIN 10) IT’SAFREEBEE (1.40 Fakenham)
BET 6.1pts win (WIN 10) BHUTAN (1.55 Catterick)
BET 7.2pts win (WIN 10 nap) MERCIAN PRINCE (2.25 Catterick)
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