122-1 OLD-TIME EPSOM DOUBLE: Big-race doubles used to be fashionable. Rivalling even the Lincoln and National, was the Epsom Spring double of Great Met and City and Suburban, revived on this afternoon’s card. Daqman tries his hand today in mixed Daq Multiples, with odds at the double of up to 122-1.
IT’S DAQMAN 13, PRICEWISE 4: The City and Suburban sees Daqman head-to-head with Pricewise, of the Racing Post, in their mutual hunt for value bets. Their current scores in the 2015 Flat season are Daqman 13, Pricewise 4.
STETCHWORTH COULD MAKE ALL IN GREAT MET
2.10 Epsom Secret Missile is up a level and up in the ratings. As winner of a similar downhill race at Brighton, this track should suit but all his wins have been in the autumn.
Long Awaited would be scoring an eponymous success here – his last win was over CD on the firm in 2012 – though he can put a real good one in out of the blue, witness his excellent second in September’s Be Friendly Handicap at Haydock a class above today’s card.
The stable won a decent sprint at the Greenham meeting last week with Robot Boy, and Jimmy Fortune has been booked to try to improve on Long Awaited’s narrow defeat at Beverley a week ago.
Piazon may need some cut in the ground; Sandfrankskipsgo is up in grade; Doctor Parkes high in the handicap on his current ability.
Though Fair Value (14.0 on BETDAQ early mouse) beat Doctor Parkes at Kempton in December, the Epsom-trained mare, a CD winner in 2012, is better off with that one.
Monumental Man (an 8.4 offer), hampered out of his reappearance run, has won from the front down the slope here at Epsom and on a level playing field at Newmarket. He could be ready now, though his Shropshire stable has yet to score in 2015.
2.45 Epsom (Great Metropolitan Handicap) Fiftyshadesfreed (20 races), Luv U Whatever (28) and Barwick (31) could all be said to be fully exposed.
If you back Lungarno Palace, you are really betting on the promise that he’ll get the trip, not the certainty. The same goes for Inspector Norse.
Jakey has won three out of eight starts but has failed in two attempts to step up to this grade.
Sixth in the Irish Oaks, Maid Of The Glens (also with just eight appearances) drops down from the Pattern. It’s only her second run at 1m 4f, though it’s always been reckoned her optimum trip, and she was 19.0 on BETDAQ this morning.
Also lightly raced are Stetchworth (six starts only) and Instant Karma, who ‘could be anything’ after just two runs but may lack that little bit of experience.
Following back-to-back wins, reappearing late in the autumn of 2014, Stetchworth tried his front-running luck in the wide open spaces of a class 2 on Newmarket heath, fading only in the final furlong.
He failed to act on the deep AW surface at Chelmsford on the last day but typical Mark Johnston front-running tactics, bouncing round these sweeping bends, could play to his strengths.
DAQMAN’S VERDICT: This looks an ideal opportunity for Stetchworth (5.2 on BETDAQ this morning), with Maid Of The Glens the outsider most likely to.
3.20 Epsom (Derby Trial) The former Blue Riband Trial has played very little part in the Derby proper, since Blue Peter won both races in 1939.
Future Empire was placed in two Group 3s, as a two-year-old; and Saeed Bin Suroor was patient with this big horse, who needed time to fill out.
Future Empire, by a Derby winner out of a half-sister to a Musidora winner, ‘could be anything’ this season: I took 3.35 this morning, though I couldn’t lay the favourite.
He is not so smartly bred but, with stamina on the dam’s side, Christophermarlowe, Derby entered, is from a yard that’s red hot and which won this in 2007 and 2009.
STAR AT THE DOUBLE IN CITY AND SUBURBAN
3.55 Epsom (City And Suburban) Seven of the last nine winners came from stalls 1 to 5, such is the advantage of a low draw on this right-hand turning track.
They include last year’s winner, Sennockian Star, from a three draw, and he’s got the adjacent stall two this time around, off only a pound higher.
Fourth in the Lincoln, What About Carlo, won a similar race to this one over CD at the Epsom Derby meeting last season, and trainer Eve Johnson Houghton is in top form.
From the stable of the Lincoln winner is Imshivalla in the one stall but she’s stepping up in trip here, returning from her winter break off her highest ever mark. She has never won a race before July.
The two other low-drawn, Gaelic Silver and Collaboration, have form only in lower grades though, at four, Collaboration should improve.
Despite a high draw in 11, the surprise packet could be Elkaayed, a Pattern performer now dropped to a handicap after a run back. Trainer Barry Hills had his first winner of the year on Saturday, and Elkaayed likes to front run. A bet to lay at 16.0 on BETDAQ this morning.
Adjacent, in 10, not a good position for a keen-goer, is Fire Fighting who needs to improve off a mark 8lb higher than for his last success. He, too, has never won before July.
Mount Logan is another summer horse but won on his reappearance in 2014 and trainer Luca Cumani landed the Newbury Spring Cup last week with first-time-out Ayaar.
Mount Logan is badly in on September form over further at Doncaster with Forgotton Hero, from the stable of the Greenham winner.
DAQMAN’S VERDICT: Of the low numbers, Sennockian Star at 13.5 on BETDAQ this morning, has been dropped 9lb since September. What About Carlo stayed on over the mile in the Lincoln, his first race after being gelded.
Ill bet against Mount Logan, who needs some stoking up early on in a race, so helter-skelter Epsom may not be ideal and, in any case, 1m 4f is his optimum.
If he gets out from stall 11, runaway Elkaayed could be a trade horse. The 5.6 Collaboration looks too short.
DAQMAN’S BETS (to win 20 points, unless stated)
BET 2.7pts win MONUMENTAL MAN, and 1.4pts win and place FAIR VALUE (2.10 Epsom)
BET 4.5pts win STETCHWORTH, and 1pt win and place MAID OF THE GLENS (2.45 Epsom)
BET 8.5pts win (nap) FUTURE EMPIRE (3.20 Epsom)
BET 5pts win WHAT ABOUT CARLO, and 1.6pts win and place SENNOCKIAN STAR (3.55 Epsom)
DAQ MULTIPLES: 6 x 1pt win doubles (2 x 3) STETCHWORTH and MAID OF THE GLENS (2.45 Epsom) with ELKAAYED, SENNOCKIAN STAR and WHAT ABOUT CARLO (3.55 Epsom)
NEW !!!
You can now follow BETDAQ updates on Google+
For further details – CLICK HERE
£20 FREE BET
Did you know that as well as checking the realtime prices on BETDAQ below – you can also log into your account and place your bets directly into BETDAQ from BETDAQ TIPS.
