GARDENS COMES UP ROSES! Daqman is on a profit a day this week so far, with 50% strike rate, three winning races out of six. Yesterday’s winner was his nap, Salley Gardens taken at even money.
Monday: 11 points profit on the day:
✅ WON 17-2 ROBINSHILL
✅ WON 8-1 JEN’S BOY
Tuesday: 3.2 points profit on the day
✅ WON 4-5 SALLEY GARDENS (nap)
BIG-RACE SPOTLIGHT: Daqman continues his preview of races that make the big winners. He will follow up the weekend spotlight with a Fortune Cookie if there’s a good winner (see Monday’s column).
THE CORAL KINGMAKER
⭕ 2.40 Ascot, Saturday (Coral Hurdle) There may be a little race or two at Haydock on Saturday but you can’t beat the Coral Hurdle for future clues. It will be one of our kingmaker races for listing Fortune Cookies.
The Grade 2 over just shorter of 2m 4f threw up Annie Power, Faugheen and Rock On Ruby from 2013 to 2015 and has more recently produced back-to-back success for If The Cap Fits (2018-19).
Rock On Ruby, who made it three out of six in this race for Harry Fry was 10 and bringing her Champion Hurdle form to the race when she won it in….
⭕ 3.20 Navan, Sunday (Troytown Chase) Daqman had a good punt on Empire Of Dirt (won 12-1) in this; one of four winners in a row for Gordon Elliott (2014-17).
The Longwood team has nine in Sunday’s race, his top three contenders primed in recent comeback races. That trio in ratings order is:
150 Coko Beach Won the Thyestes at Gowran Park while still a novice in January and then scored in the Ladbrokes Ten Up Novice Chase here at Navan a month later.
He had a good opening run to the autumn-winter campaign behind Envoi Allen at Down Royal in October.
148 Farclas Unseated rider in the Kerry National when expected to show his strength as a flexible stayer after his fifth in the Aintree Grand National (4m 2f) and three-lengths second in the Plate at the Cheltenham festival (2m 4f).
145 Run Wild Fred Runner-up in both the Thyestes Chase and the Irish Grand National, used his novice certificate for his return last month but finished second over a shorter trip at Cork.
13.0 PRINCE BIG VALUE
⭕ 12.50 Ffos Las, today Imperial Esprit, wind-opped for an overdue win at Uttoxeter last month, has had that tweaked since and the extra distance today is in his favour.
Napped against weak opposition, as 2.5 favourite, 6.6 bar on BETDAQ BETTING EXCHANGE.
⭕ 1.50 Hexham I like veterans chases and marathon events, and I’ve got both today; this one at Hexham is just a few yards short of 4m.
Not many horses get extreme trips and it’s first time for most of them today, including course-winner For Jim, who is up in grade with a big weight and has won at 3m 2f.
Real Armani has run his last eight races at Hexham, starting with two wins and then with a good place record, despite his rating rocketing from 80 in January to 98 last month.
Third to For Jim when favourite, receiving 13lb here last month; now another 5lb after a wind op, so Armani may yet be involved again.
You can draw a line through Wiggleworth’s last run. He’s won well in higher class, and is with a leading trainer on the course, though again he’s up in the weights.
Nakadam lost his form but also shed a huge chunk of his load and is down to 97 from the 114 he had to lug when penalised for winning this last year. His opening odds were cut in half with bookies last night.
To give you some idea of the leeway he has, if fully fit: he’s 8lb better off with last year’s runner-up Buddha Scheme, and it’s Buddha’s stablemate Prince Dundee I fear more: three times a course winner over 3m and running on over 3m 2f the last day.
BETDAQ BETTING EXCHANGE 9.6 Nakadam, 13.0 Prince Dundee
SKELTON ON CLOUD NINE
⭕ 2.50 Warwick I have a 50% strike-rate in veterans’ chases, which are most often won by 10-year-olds, like all three winners of this one.
But only Now McGinty and Head To The Stars appear for the successful prosecution of another case for backing the ‘youngsters.’
Head To The Stars has his own 50% record since March, 2018: failed to finish in seven of his 14 starts!
Now McGinty has not been seen for 691 days but this is his chosen race of three this week in which to justify his place in the Coral Welsh Grand National over Christmas.
After a win and second at Chepstow, he was just 7-1 in the 2019 running of the Coral marathon but faded from three out. He can start 7lb lower this year.
Potters Legend, last year’s winner of today’s race, has 5lb more this time around.
Hasn’t been seen for 135 days but he won first time out a year ago after an even longer holiday, and trainer Lucy Wadham is in fine form.
Minellacelebration also won on his reappearance last October and was backed to do so again in the veterans’ chase at Aintree but, as 2-1 favourite, weakened before the last.
Vintage Clouds, the Ultima winner at the Cheltenham Festival in March, had been behind Minellacelebration in that Aintree race and behind Potters Legend in today’s race at Warwick.
But Sue and Harvey Smith are masters at preparing a horse for a race; they set up Midnight Shadow to win Saturday’s Autumn Gold Cup at Cheltenham, and they have booked star rider Harry Skelton for today.
BETDAQ value 7.4 Potters Legend, 7.4 Vintage Clouds
DAQMAN’S BETS
12.50 ffos Las (win 10, nap)
BET 6.5pts win IMPERIAL ESPRIT
1.50 Hexhan (win 12 each)
BET 1.4pts win NAKADAM
BET 1pt win PRINCE DUNDEE
2.50 Warwick (win 20, win 12 each)
BET 3pts win VINTAGE CLOUDS
BET 1.8pts win POTTERS LEGEND
What are points? Points facilitate a staking plan, which is the secret to creating profit. One point is whatever you choose: a pound, a euro, or whatever ….
Start with a bank and decide how much you can afford to lose over a period of time, and determine the size of your bets accordingly. Daqman makes this variation every day.
