IRISH LUCK HOLDS FOR THE NAP: After a flood of winners, not much worked the way of Daqman yesterday, and just one was added to his 21-winner week. At least it was the nap, Irish-trained Millefiori (WON 1-2), bringing his best-bets run to five out of nine (55%) for 61 points profit to a 20-point level stake.
WON 4-1 Almodovar (nap)
WON 8-5 Knife Edge (nap)
WON 7-4 Zig Zag Girl (nap)
WON 10-11 Persuasive (banker)
WON 1-2 Millefiori (nap)
TODAY: Daqman features a horse-by-horse guide to the Group-1 Prix d’Ispahan – switched from Longchamp to Deauville – a race likely to throw up winners at Royal Ascot and right through to the Arc. TOMORROW: Daqman’s Fortune Cookies update might well include a horse from the Ispahan.
KEY RACE FOR ROYAL ASCOT AND BEYOND
1.50 Chantilly (Prix d’Ispahan) A sunny day and a rise in temperature is forecast to calm a storm-hit Chantilly, where the going was still being described as heavy this morning.
Back in the day, the Group-1 Prix d’Ispahan had a string of famous winners in the last century Riverman, Allez France, Sagace, Miesque, Indian Skimmer and Halling.
Then it all went quiet until back-to-back success by Freddy Head’s Goldikova (2010-11), who dramatically defeated Paco Boy in the Queen Anne at Royal Ascot, and was the Breeders Cup Mile champion.
In 2014, came a tough, tough customer in Cirrus des Aigles, who followed up in the Coronation Cup at Epsom and won 22 races worth more than £6m.
Then last year, Goldikova’s stable was back with Solow, who remained unbeaten, taking among others three glittering English mile prizes, the Queen Anne, the Sussex Stakes and the British Champions Mile at Ascot.
A SHIN HIKARI Prince of Wales’s Stakes entry (Royal Ascot June 15), stepped up the grades last year, culminating in the Hong Kong Cup at Sha Tin in December. All success on good or firm ground.
DARIYAN Another who improved through the grades, second to French Derby winner New Bay in August and to Postponed at Meydan this year, reaching the top echelon by taking the Group-1 Prix Ganay on the last day, a race so often the springboard to the Ispahan.
ERUPT Grand Prix de Paris winner, fifth to Golden Horn in the Arc. But he has won only on good, or good to soft.
MONDIALISTE Last year’s Lincoln Handicap runner-up improved a stone in the autumn to win the Woodbine Mile and run second in the Breeders Cup Mile at Keeneland for Yorkshire trainer, David O’Meara (current losing run of 32). Second on very soft ground as a two-year-old.
MY DREAM BOAT Stepped up from handicap company to win a Listed at Chantilly in October, following up with a Group 3 on very soft ground at Saint-cloud, and Clive Cox launched his new season with success in the Gordon Richards Stakes at Sandown over Western Hymn, who had beaten King George winner, Postponed, in the race the year before. Gerald Mosse has won seven Group races for the in-form Cox.
NEW BAY Andre Fabre’s French Derby winner New Bay, third in the Arc to Golden Horn, but not seen since, will relish the very soft ground, though Fabre has been struggling for winners in May (just one in the last fortnight).
SILVERWARE Beaten by Erupt and New Bay last season – only 10th in the Arc – but best effort yet when runner-up to Dariyan in the Prix Ganay on the first of the month, with the rest of the field strung out.
VADAMOS Five wins out of seven but Group 2 at best in 2015 and disappointed in Champion Stakes at Ascot in the autumn. Decent reappearance success, dropped back to a mile, when beating Ervedya, last year’s Coronation Stakes winner over Found.
WILD CHIEF The Doyen entire has won only once in 13 starts since his maiden, fourth last time to Dariyan and Silverware in the Group-1 Ganay.
Verdict It’s debatable whether you should listen to trainers. James Fanshawe put me off his winner last night. Now Andre Fabre tells us that New Bay, the best three-year-old in France last season, has missed some work this Spring.
But it is certainly hard to get away from the three with winning form already this season: Dariyan, My Dream Boat and Vadamos.
Fabre’s improver Vadamos is said to have remained at peak since scoring at Saint-cloud, and 100% fitness will be vital, with the Asian flying grey A Shin Hikari likely to hare off in front and make a tough test of it.
My Dream Boat was a 76-rated handicapper a year ago, and here he is on 117 after taking the Gordon Richards at Sandown. That gave him three wins in a row, all on soft.
Four-year-olds used to win this all the time, as obvious improvers from last season and, after five out of six for older horses, maybe the young pretenders will stage a comeback, and Vadamos will miss out to Dariyan and My Dream Boat.
I’d love to see Boat continue the dream run but the stats sway me to the Ganay winner, Dariyan (stable in top form), who can step out of the shadows of New Bay (and Postponed) while he has a fitness edge here.
UDONTDODOU BUT MIGHT DO TODAY
3.00 Hexham I’ve spotted one that’s making a long trip for this. Anthony Honeyball is travelling an 800 mile round trip with Double Accord from Dorset.
A winner last time out for the first time when stepped up three miles. Better ground also suited on that occasion with Hexham still showing Good. This is an open race but she can show enough improvement to take this.
5.15 Wolverhampton This is another open looking contest. I’m taking a slight chance with one returning to the All Weather.
Pirate’s Treasure recorded a hat-trick between Southwell and Wolverhampton. He then finished down the field in a Doncaster Handicap which featured Red Verdon. Although he was well beaten, they went slow early on and he took a keen hold. I would expect a better run today and he’s worth taking a chance on back on the All Weather.
6.45 Wetherby The nap goes in this one. Udontdodou looks like one that’s improving and could easily defy a mark of 85 having won well last time.
At Windsor he still looked quite green and drifted left and right once he hit the front. He will surely have done plenty of work since that so I would expect a more straightforward run today.
The manner in which he ran away from the others that day though was quite nice to see and his mark could still be quite lenient.
7.50 Wetherby Another open looking race. Several in with chances but there are two of note here.
Innocent Touch is well drawn and has been dropped a few pounds since his last run. He’s also taking a drop in class and comes back to a more suitable trip.
Prendergast Hill though could be the improver in the group. His last run can be discounted at York as there must have been something amiss. If he comes back to his Epsom form, it gives him a huge chance.
DAQMAN’S BETS (staked 1 to 9 for strength; 10 would be a banker)
BET 6pts win DARIYAN (1.50 Chantilly)
BET 4pts win DOUBLE ACCORD (3.00 Hexham)
BET 1pt win and place PIRATE’S TREASURE (5.15 Wolverhampton)
BET 8pts win (nap) UDONTDODOU (6.45 Wetherby)
BET 2pts win and place PRENDERGAST HILL (7.50 Wetherby)
£25 IN FREE BETS
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