5-2 FIRST-DAY NAP FOR DAQMAN: Jockey Robbie Power, trainer Colin Tizzard and super-tipster Daqman.. what a combination! They landed a first-day nap at the Punchestown Festival yesterday with Fox Norton (WON 5-2), beating the odds-on favourite.
NOW HE’S 8-3 UP ON PRICEWISE: Daqman is now 8-3 in winners ahead of Pricewise and 14 points clear to a single-unit stake. Our man’s 50% strike rate of races tipped in on the day gave him:
- WON 5-2 Fox Norton (nap)
- WON 13-8 Disko
- WON 6-4 Enniskillen
DAY OF THE BANKERS DOUBLE: Today, with major meetings at both Punchestown (jumps) and Epsom (Flat), Daqman has a banker for each code, plus bull’s-eye bets to win 50 points as the day’s finale in Ireland.
EPSOM: ANOTHER FRANKEL CRACK
A Derby winner and a Gold Cup winner on the same day! Yes, it’s possible you could see both in a rare midweek duo of meetings under both disciplines in England (Flat) and Ireland (Jumps).
However, the last winner of the Blue Riband Trial (2.45 Epsom) to go on to Epsom Derby success was Blue Peter in 1939, whereas the Punchestown Gold Cup of 2015 produced the Cheltenham Gold Cup winner of the following year, Don Cossack.
2.45 Epsom (Derby Trial) John Gosden has farmed this race, with four winners in the decade, but the only one that we remember is a filly, his winner last year, So Mi Dar, who went on to take the Musidora and went down narrowly at the Arc meeting.
He goes back to the orthodox today, his runners both colts: Cracksman, son of Frankel out of the daughter of a 1,000 Guineas winner, and Tartini, a Giants Causeway related to only Group-2 winners.
Youmkin is interesting but his autumn success came at the expense of a lower-level Gosden youngster, who has only recently broken his maiden.
I shall punt Cracksman – supplemented for the Derby in the Golden Horn colours – until he‘s beaten, if I follow my man in the long grass. He is bullish.
SPEED MERCHANT FOR MOORE
3.15 Epsom (Great Metropolitan) Though an eight-year-old was an exception to the rule last year (Barwick, who tries for a repeat), horses aged four and five almost always win this, and so far we’ve done well following last year’s three-year-olds this season.
A Barwick repeat could be foiled by another old-timer, Whinging Willie, second last year and allowed a pound. I discard them both because the 2016 renewal was very slow run on soft ground, and best of the veterans may be Ruwasi, fit from hurdling.
Mark Johnston trained Galapiat’s dam to win a Group 1 in Germany. The worry here is that the former Andre Fabre son of Galileo will bounce after winning first run for Johnston after a lay-off.
William Hunter and Thames Knight failed to progress last autumn but Michael’s Mount was marked up as an improver by racereaders.
So it is that I find myself following an old punting forecast system: top and bottom of the handicap, Galapiat at 2.7 and Michael’s Mount 11.5 on BETDAQ this morning.
3.50 Epsom (City And Suburban) Ryan Moore was the only rider to win on Speed Company (twice) last season, and the John Quinn stable is in good form: 8.6 BETDAQ offers.
Stall 2 will be a huge advantage. The last five winners of this race have come from gates 5, 2, 3, 3, 3, 1.
Innocent Touch (stall 4) was a CD winner here at Epsom in August with 10st on his back. A 4lb rise sees him in a class higher here but off a 15lb lower weight: 9.8 on BETDAQ.
Gawdawpalin (in 5) is a stone higher than for his CD win last June, and has it all to do here to hold off Abareeq (stall 1 but AW-only winner) at the revised weights after their one-two in March.
PUNCHESTOWN: BADEN BIG AT 10.0
3.40 Punchestown (Martinstown Opportunity Series Final) Shamiran is going for a hat-trick in the race, and four wins in all, having scored off 116, 115 and 118, and now with every chance still rated 116, albeit he’s 12 years old now.
Huge prices prevail, with the last six SPs 12-1 (twice), 14-1, 16-1, 25-1 and 33-1. La Bella Vida, winner of the 2m Thurles heat for this in March, is bred to get today’s trip and was 30.0 on BETDAQ this morning.
4.20 Punchestown Battleford needs rain to stand a favourite’s chance and Nicky Henderson has long had this as a target for Baden (too big at 10.0 on BETDAQ early mouse)
Baden finished third in the race after being forced wide and then making a mistake when pushed into the lead before the last. A win for Battleford would boost his Clonmel conqueror, Monalee (4.55)
4.55 Punchestown Willie Mullins is 4-8 in this and going for a hat-trick today But do the stats really help, with Willie leaving four in from no fewer than 14 up to the five-day stage!
Where can we look for help? Answer: the handicapper, who got it so right yesterday with Fox Norton rated to beat Un De Sceaux.
Today he totally snubs the form of Tin Soldier, Moulin A Vent and Champage Classic, and has Pertemps winner Presenting Percy on 159, Penhill 153, up to 22lb clear.
When Monalee ran up to Death Duty at Navan in December, I marked him down for Punchestown and three miles, he travels so strongly in his races. He couldn’t hold Penhill in the Albert Bartlett but I fancy he’s suited by this: 4.7 on BETDAQ
SIZING UP UNIQUE GOLD TREBLE
5.30 Punchestown Gold Cup Gold Cup second and fourth; Ryanair third and sixth. Those were the last four winners of this race coming here from Cheltenham.
But this year the also-rans may have to give way to the rising star of Gold Cups, Sizing John, who had Djakadam (fourth), Champagne West and Outlander behind at Cheltenham.
Sizing John has to share the pre-race spotlight with the return of the 2013 Cheltenham Gold Cup hero, Coneygree (when again Djakadam lost out, second).
But I think I know who the spotlight will be on after the race! Surely, Sizing John has too much in the way of youth and improvement on his side to be cut down mid-sequence, after his Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown and that Cheltenham pinnacle shifted him 15lb up the ladder. He would be the first to complete the Gold treble today.
6.40 Punchestown (Guinness Chase) Rebecca Curtis with Irish Cavalier made a successful raid on this race last season and, despite his winning the Charlie Hall Chase since, she has him down to a mark only 2lb higher today.
But I think she’s plotted good-ground horse Vintage Vinnie for this, despite 11.5 offers on BETDAQ this morning.
He’s a hidden horse, in that he’s tried the Grand National fences at Aintree the last twice but his winning form is on more conventional tracks. Jonathan Moore switches from Irish Cavalier to take the ride.
Polidam goes well fresh and will be fancied for a successful transition to Irish racing in the care of Willie Mullins (nice move if you can get it) but there are two snags today.
His 137 rating is notional and, as ex-French, he is used to very soft ground. Keep an eye on the weather: showers are expected on to a good-to-yielding surface so, as witch several races today, I need to stakes save on my alternatives.
DAQMAN’S BETS (staked to win 20 except bull’s-eye bets and bankers; minimum stake, one point)
2.45 Epsom
BANKER (Flat): BET 20pts win (nap) CRACKSMAN
3.15 Epsom
BET 11pts win GALAPIAT
BET 2pts win and place MICHAEL’S MOUNT
3.40 Punchestown
BET 1pt win and place LA BELLA VIDA
3.50 Epsom
BET 2.6pts win SPEED COMPANY
BET 2.2pts win INNOCENT TOUCH
4.20 Punchestown
BET 2pts win and place BADEN
BET 2pts win (stakes saver) BATTLEFORD
4.55 Punchestown
BET 5.4pts win MONALEE
BET 2pts win (stakes saver) PENHILL
5.30 Punchestown
BANKER (Jumps): BET 20pts win SIZING JOHN
6.40 Punchestown
BULL’S-EYE BET (win 50): 10pts win POLIDAM
BULL’S-EYE BET (win 50): 5pts win and place VINTAGE VINNIE
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