SATURDAY’S BIG RACE UNDER THE DAQMAN MICROSCOPE: Daqman checks out the form and facts, with stats and ratings, for Saturday’s King George. His verdict will be in his Saturday special, which last week landed two nap and a 40-1 winner.
ONE WIN AND STAKING PLAN PUTS US AHEAD ON THE DAY: There are some tough little races at Bath, Naas and Sandown today. Daqman wants a winner on the day for the ninth time in 10 days, and relies on his staking plan to finish in front.
KING GEORGE RATINGS PROFILE
⭕ 3.35 Ascot, Saturday (King George V1 and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, ratings order)
STATS:
Age: 4yo 4, 3yo 3, 5yo 2 (10 years).
Trainers: John Gosden 5, Aidan O’Brien 1.
Jockeys: Frankie Dettori 3, Ryan Moore and William Buick 1 each.
WINNERS’ RATINGS: 115, 128, 119, 116, 118, 119, 122, 126, 125, 128
125 ADDEYBB (7-9-7 William Haggas, Ascot form 101221). Group-1 double at Randwick 2020 before Champion Stakes here. Coral-Eclipse runner-up this season (gave 10lb) to St Mark’s Basilica; Mishriff third.
122 LOVE (4-9-4 Aidan O’Brien, Ascot form 1) Unbeaten last year in 1,000 Guineas, Oaks and Yorkshire Oaks, with a fourth Group 1 in sequence on her only start this season: Prince Of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot.
122 MISHRIFF (4-9-7 John & Thady Gosden, Ascot form 0) Hat-trick last summer included the French Derby; won the Sheema Classic and Saudi Cup this year but on ly third of four in the Coral-Eclipse.
121 ADAYAR (3-8-10 Charlie Appleby, no form at Ascot) Raced only five times; just three this year since breaking his maiden in October: big step forward of at least a stone, after seconds in trials, to win the Epsom Derby, with irish Derby winner, Hurricane Lane, in third and dual 2,000 Guineas winner, Mac Swiney fourth.
119 LONE EAGLE (3-8-10 Martyn Meade, no form at Ascot). Soared to the top, 35lb from handicap win at Doncaster in September, to run Hurricane Lane to a neck in the Irish Derby.
117 BROOME (5-9-7 Aidan O’Brien, Ascot form 02). Broke through to Group-2 level at age five; then second Tattersalls Gold Cup and Hardwicke Stakes (to Wonderful Tonight) before winning his first Group-1, the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud earlier this month.
117 MOGUL (4-9-7 Aidan O’Brien, Ascot form 4) Sixth in 2020 Derby before winning Grand Prix De Paris and Hong Kong Vase (both Group 1); modest efforts, including behind Mishriff, this season.
117 WONDERFUL TONIGHT (4-9-4 David Menuisier, Ascot form 1) Completed hat-trick here in the Hardwicke, beating Broome, after Group-1 double in the autumn at Longchamp and here at Ascot (British Champions Fillies and Mares).
114 JAPAN (5-9-7 Aidan O’Brien, Ascot form 14300) Won the King Edward V11 ‘Ascot Derby’; in 2019, completing a hat-trick with Group-1 double of Grand Prix de Paris and York International; placed since in Coral-Eclipse, King George and Coronation Cup but no success above Group-3 level and beaten successively by Addeybb and Wonderful Tonight in last two Ascot runs.
HIDDEN PROBLEM IS THE PACE..
⚠️ Some trainers use their local track purely as a testing ground but, for Neil Mulholland, the course at Lansdown Hill, Bath – the other side of the city from his Limpley Stoke stables – is his highest earner of any Flat track on grass, and he landed 2-2 at the last meeting
⭕ 4.00 Bath Hidden Depths is one of Mulholland’s kingpins at Bath. He’s 3-4 there, scored in the stable double at the last meeting and won this particular race last year.
It was the same quick follow-up from success at the earlier July meeting: 2-2 in four days. This time the meetings are eight days apart but he should have held his form ok.
He loves firm ground and likes to pick them off from the rear, so his real danger in a small field is lack of pace.
Sulochana, hit twice by the handicapper – 5lb then 7lb – is another usually waited with, and Running Cloud was slow away for his last success at Wolverhampton.
I doubt Kings Castle will go on because it’s a new trip for him. I think Sulochana might refuse restraint.
BETDAQ BETTING EXCHANGE value 2.98 Hidden Depths
LADIES CHURCH IS A REAL FIGHTER
⚠️ Karl Burke’s raiders are 3-3 in Group and Listed contests at Naas and he sends over Sophie’s Star as the most experienced runner in the field.
⭕ 5.50 Naas It’s an absolute cracker of a two-year-olds contest, with Sophie’s Star always thereabouts and with two or three times the experience of the others but can a class-4 Beverley winner take this Listed?
Pennine Hills (BETDAQ 2.9) made all to turn over an odds-on favourite, who franked the form next time, and she should improve.
Trainer Joseph O’Brien has had 12 two-year-old turf winners this year to just three for Johnny Murtagh, who saddles Ladies Church.
But Ladies Church (4.1 offers) also fought off an odds-on favourite, who had done well (eighth) from the ‘wrong side’ in Quick Suzy’s impressive Queen Mary at Royal Ascot.
BETDAQ value 4.1 Ladies Church
WISE TO FOLLOW CHARLTON’S BARN
⚠️ Oisin Murphy landed a four-time at Ffos Las last night – and two others were second – but his record at Sandown is moderate, a strike rate of 15%.
He misses strike badly on the Esher track (44 winners but 46 seconds) and at both Brighton (19 winners/29 seconds) and Newbury (39 winners/57 seconds).
⭕ 8.10 Sandown A daughter of Sea The Stars, Sea Sylph, a good second over further on AW the last day, is put back to turf by William Haggas at around her winning trip and ground, making her handicap debut under Tom Marquand (3-6 for Haggas here).
Stay Well, who is out of a Sea The Stars mare, does a similar rewind after huge leaps in class on soft ground, taking on the likes of Lone Eagle and Foxes Tales. Has to bounce back.
Richard Hannon is in form but Lexington Knight didn’t seem to go on from his maiden.
Roger Charlton’s Barn Owl lugged right at Ripon and Sandown may suit. Charlton and James Doyle (combo strike rate 75%) are specialists at Sandown, and Charlton’s last 10 runners have all finished in the first four (and four won).
BETDAQ value 5.4 Barn Owl
DAQMAN’S BETS
4.00 Bath (win 10 nap)
BET 5pts win HIDDEN DEPTHS
5.50 Naas (win 10)
BET 3.25pts win LADIES CHURCH
8.10 Sandown (win 12)
BET 2.75pts win BARN OWL
