DAQMAN LANDS THIRD 50-POINT BANK-HOLIDAY BET: Daqman followed up Saturday’s 50-point punt on an 11-1 winner and Sunday’s 11-2 strike with a third bull’s-eye bet at 5-1 yesterday, all three huge value on BETDAQ 8.8, 9.9 and 14.0 for a Bank Holiday weekend haul of 93.15 points. That makes it eight days out of nine with a profit (total 131.45 on all bets).
Monday: profit on the day 32 points
WON 5-1 SARATOGA GOLD (win-50 bull’s-eye bet: 9.9 on BETDAQ)
(2nd 25-1 THIBAULT in the same race)
Sunday: profit on the day 38.75
WON 11-2 MISS CANDY (win-50 bull’s-eye bet: 8.8 on BETDAQ)
Saturday: profit on the day 22.40
WON 11-1 I’M A GAMBLER (win-50 bull’s-eye bet: 14.0 on BETDAQ)
THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES AT EPSOM: Says Daqman: ‘Sadly the quality plummets today and both staking and targets are down accordingly, but there are value BETDAQ odds again as Epsom goes down memory lane.’
EPSOM REMEMBERS GREAT DAYS
Are you sitting comfortably? Once upon a time there was a great training centre called Epsom, which was not only the home of the Derby but the home of Classic winners, galloped to perfection on the Downs.
You’re too young to remember the powerful handicap stables of Staff Ingham and Reg Akehurst, who were also legendary masters of top apprentices.
Or Walter Nightingall, who trained for Winston Churchill, and was famous for regular Saturday winners. When asked why Saturday, he said: ‘It pays for the stable-lads their Sunday lunch.’
We’re all too young to remember Vic Smyth and Stanley Wootton, whose apprentices became top jockeys and then leading trainers, like Cyril Mitchell, who was with Smyth, and Ingham, who was one of Wootton’s boys.
This afternoon Epsom, which has few trainers now but an overwhelming volume of history rivaling even Newmarket, chooses to remember John Sutcliffe, John Benstead, Terry Mills, John Akehurst and Mick Haynes. May they still bring us a winner or two today.
⭕ 2.50 Epsom (John Sutcliffe Handicap) HISTORY: Sutcliffe was 31 years a trainer at Epsom, where he prepared Right Tack to win the 1969 English and Irish 2,000 Guineas and his handicap hits included three Royal Hunt Cups.
TODAY: Even class-5 handicappers get a chance to race over the Derby course. This is Genesius’ winning level and a first-time visor might help him step up on the form which saw him placed at Leicester and Yarmouth last month. Greatness Awaits also tries the visor after a modest sequence.
City Spirit won a slow-run race at Windsor in first-time hood. Eloso also won a poor race in slow time last week but Harry Burns’ claim cancels out the 5lb penalty and he won easily enough.
IT’S ANOTHER PRESCOTT GAMBLE
⭕ 3.20 Epsom (John Benstead Handicap) HISTORY: Benstead’s training career spanned 40 years. His Blue Refrain won at Royal Ascot three years running and Baronet won two Cambridgeshires.
TODAY: Winners in the last two years have been Epsom trainers, Simon Dow last season and Jim Boyle the year before among a sequence of five successful favourites in a row.
In fact, seven Epsom trainers saddle nine of the 13 taking part today. Boyle is back with two runners, hoping for a decent draw for one of them. The last eight to score have all come out of stalls 2 to 7, with gate 2 winning four times.
Boyle’s Angels Roc is a long-standing maiden drawn 12, so that’s two red flags, but stablemate Nonsuch Lad, who got off the mark when landing a gamble at Doncaster recently, has got that decent position, from stall 4.
In 2 is Qeyaady, a big-field third at Windsor and a winner in France before joining Pat Phelan at Ermyn Lodge, Epsom, where John Sutcliffe trained the 1971 Grand National winner, Specify.
Hy Eales, out of the one stall, has had his annual win in June and he overnight money was for the filly Spectatrice, out wide from 10 but in her first handicap for sequence trainer Sir Mark Prescott.
I’m always looking for one of his to step up in trip. Sure enough, Spectatrice is up two furlongs but her winning relatives suggest she could have been raised another mile! Backed down to 3.6 on BETDAQ this morning.
HERE’S A FLYER OVER THE COURSE
⭕ 3.50 Epsom (Terry Mills Handicap) HISTORY: Trainer 1978-1993. Larger-than-life Cockney who named horses after Frank Sinatra songs in keeping with his own super optimism; hence ‘I Have Dreamed’ and ‘Let Me Try Again.’
TODAY: Jim Boyle has the bottomweight here, Lingfield turf winner Pablo Del Pueblo and Tony Carroll’s winning yard of a year ago runs Repartee.
Not placed since changing stables, and not seen since the Spring, Repartee won in 2020 after a long break and has plummeted 20lb in the ratings.
Mellys Flyer will be hard to beat as a course winner over 7f who was back to form over 6f on the July Course the last day – in July – and is another who has scored after a break.
Boogie Time (stall 7) did all his winning at this time last year, a hat-trick completed off a rating of 82, but has changed yards since losing his form.
Blissful Song won the last day and gets weight from most of these. But that’s because his success has come in class 5 and 6 off a lower mark.
Betdaq Betting Exchange 4.3 Mellys Flyer, 10.0 Repartee
OTAGO ON TRACK AND WELL DRAWN
⭕ 4.20 Epsom (John Akehurst Handicap) HISTORY: Assistant to his father, Reg, before taking out his own licence and winning the Wokingham with Capricho.
TODAY Jim Boyle gives himself a treble chance, with Otago (out of gate 4), who won back to back at Epsom last summer, and Bonus (in 5 but badly needs rain) best drawn of the three. Sir Titan also needs cut in the ground.
Starshiba was short-headed here in July (slow-run race) and the win in his desperate tally of 1-22 was on AW; he’s 0-17 on turf.
Similarly, Baileys Liberty has scored just the once in a slow race, but was a close second here in July; Team Johnston drops his cheekpieces and puts the visor on.
Kimifive, sixth here yesterday, has his third race since being moved to Ian Williams (three losers at Epsom yesterday).
Alezan usually goes well second run back but too often misses strike (second eight times). Harry Davies has had three winners since his claim dropped to 3lb, including a double on Sunday.
BETDAQ value 5.5 Otago, 9.8 Alezan
⭕ 4.55 Epsom (Mick Haynes Handicap) HISTORY: Former Wootton apprentice, trained near Tattenham Corner for 30 years, winning the 1980 Cesarewitch with Popsi’s Joy, ridden by Lester Piggott.
TODAY Prince Of Flight, a maiden who steps up in trip, Bear To Dream, Naasma, and Whistledown have the best draws.
Bear To Dream is a Brighton specialist so should be suited to Epsom. Whistledown won over today’s course and distance in July.
Naasma moves into handicaps after switching stables to Epsom trainer Pat Phelan and drops back three furlongs after running twice against Listed and Group horses. John Egan rides.
BETDAQ value 3.8 Whistledown, 12.5 Naasma
TOP MARKS FOR THE CITY OF RIPON
⭕ 3.40 Ripon (City of Ripon Handicap) Mark’s Choice, third in the Great St Wilfrid here since joining Adrian Keatley, who put the visor on him. He doesn’t mind some ease in the ground but the soft was against him at Hamilton the last day, though he was only just held. He’s won six times at Ripon four over CD. BETDAQ value 3.0.
DAQMAN’S BETS
3.20 Epsom (win 12 nap)
BET 4.5pts win SPECTATRICE
3.40 Ripon (win 10)
BET 2pts win MARK’S CHOICE
3.50 Epsom (2 x win 10)
BET 3pts win MELLYS FLYER
BET 1pt win REPARTEE
4.20 Epsom (2 x win 12)
BET 2.5pts win OTAGO
BET 1.4pts win ALEZAN
4.55 Epsom(2 x win 12)
BET 4.25pts win WHISTLEDOWN
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Start with a bank and decide how much you can afford to lose over a period of time, and determine the size of your bets accordingly. Daqman makes this variation every day.
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