23 RACE MEETINGS IN FOUR DAYS: Racing’s summer season hots up from today and all the week with 23 English cards in four days, a prelude to Derby week next week, which will be big on winner-finding and value in BETDAQ TIPS.
FORTUNE COOKIES SHOW PROFIT: Today Daqman sets the scene for Epsom and Royal Ascot in flaming June with his 10 Group-horses-to-follow Fortune Cookies, revealing their racing dates and results so far, which show a 76-point profit.
FORTUNE COOKIES: EPSOM & ASCOT FINAL 10
I don’t much like freaks. It’s eye-opening the first time, maybe even the second time, when a Frankel scoots by doing an ‘Eclipse first, the rest nowhere’ act.
But you know the result before the race. And you know there is no betting, except possibly ‘how far’, or how many winners in his sequence before he goes to stud.
However, the ‘is that for real’ factor by the doubters should keep A Shin Hikari at odds against for the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot. So he’s a Fortune Cookie for just the one race.
Yesterday’s Prix d’Ispahan winner on soft Deauville terrain by 10 lengths – the widest Group-1-winning margin since Order Of St George won the Irish St Leger (by 11) – A Shin Hikari had already scored in the Hong Kong Gold Cup at Sha Tin on good and taken two lesser Group races in Tokyo on firm.
Our Fortune Cookies have had seven attempts at winning a Group race and scored twice, with So Mi Dar and Profitable.
They remain in the final list for Epsom and Ascot, with the two Group bags so far (2-7) providing a level-stakes profit to 20-point stakes of 76 points. The final 10 are:
Arabian Queen (David Elsworth) next race, Coronation Cup, Epsom, June 4.
A Shin Hikari (Masanori Sakaguchi) Prince Of Wales’s Stakes, Royal Ascot, June 15
Cotai Glory (results so far: 2nd 6-1) (Charles Hills) Kings Stand Stakes, Royal Ascot, June 14
Exosphere (Sir Michael Stoute) Hardwicke Stakes, Royal Ascot, June 18.
Found (2nd 8/15) (Aidan O’Brien) will miss Coronation Cup, and a Prince Of Wales’s Stakes decision depends on the field, particularly on A Shin Hikari!
Galileo Gold (2nd 5/4) DELETED (selected for just the one race, Irish 2,000 Guineas)
Midterm (unplaced 5/4) DELETED (injured)
Minding (2nd 4/11) (Aidan O’Brien) Oaks Stakes, Epsom, June 3.
So Mi Dar (WON 4/5) (John Gosden) Ribblesdale Stakes, Royal Ascot, or Irish Oaks, The Curragh; both June 16.
Profitable (WON 8-1 from 10.0 BETDAQ) (Clive Cox) Kings Stand Stakes, Royal Ascot, June 14.
US Army Ranger (Aidan O’Brien) Derby Stakes, Epsom, June 4. Ante-post bet already (this column May 6): Bull’s-Eye Bet: 10pts at 6.0 to win 50.
Usherette (Andre Fabre) Duke Of Cambridge Stakes, Royal Ascot, June 15.
WATCH FOR DETTORI AT KEMPTON
4.00 Lingfield This looks between the top three on the card. Although Felix Leiter is not well drawn compared to Spiriting and George Cinq over this trip.
Spiriting makes his seasonal debut in this one. He mixed it between six furlongs and an extended mile last season with his one win over the longer trip at Leicester. The extra one and a half furlongs may be the difference.
George Cinq drops back to seven having run over a mile last time. This trip looks more suitable for him for the way he runs and he’s back to his last winning mark of 87. Tom Marquand takes an extra few pounds off to give a little more to his chances. He could be tough to beat with everything in his favour.
7.50 Kempton This looks like being a good race.
It is notable that Luca Cumani is stepping Al Khafji straight up trip first time out. He won on his fourth time of asking at the end of last year on the Polytrack at Lingfield. A mark of 78 looks very appealing now at a trip that could see him contest some nice races this year.
Gold Faith in an interesting one coming back to where he broke his Maiden tag. Another that’s up in trip but may not have the same level of improvement as the Cumani horse.
8.20 Kempton This is another intriguing contest. There are several with chances.
At the bottom of the weights, The Big Lad is of note. Richard Hughes’s charge won three on the bounce only to finish down the field when fancied at Ascot in May. Two of those wins came over course and distance.
Merhoob and Yeeoow both look to have similar chances and may not be too far away. The draw was not kind to Merhoob however and that may be his downfall.
Memories Galore is a front runner, drawn in three. Adam Kirby, a master from the front, is another positive for him. Although he’s been off since October, jumping from stall three, he can get an early advantage and looks to be a value bet.
DAQMAN’S BETS (staked 1 to 9 for strength; 10 would be a banker)
BET 4pts win GEORGE CINQ (4.00 Lingfield)
BET 8pts win (nap) AL KHAFJI (7.50 Kempton)
BET 2pts win and place MEMORIES GALORE (8.20 Kempton)
£25 IN FREE BETS
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