THREE WINNING DAYS OUT OF FOUR FOR DAQMAN: Daqman, who finished the Flat with six Breeders Cup winners on Saturday, and started the Jumps season on Sunday with three winning bets, had two out of three yesterday for another day of profit. His jumps-season start has been:
Sunday: profit on the day 20.50
WON 15-2 WANDRIN STAR
WON 9-2 JESUITIQUE (e.w. 10.5 taken on BETDAQ)
WON (2nd 9-1) MAHLER’S PROMISE (e.w. 15.0 BETDAQ)
Tuesday: profit on the day 11.80
WON 15-8 CLONDAW PROMISE (4.25 BETDAQ)
WON 2-1 BAILEYS ACCOLADE
LOOK FOR THE GAME-CHANGING RACES: Today Daqman takes his probe into game-changing races directly to the coal face, digging out the facts about the three-day meeting at Cheltenham, starting on Friday. Tomorrow: Saturday and Sunday trials: do they throw up future stars?
IRISH DOMINATE CROSS-COUNTRY
⭕ 1.45 Cheltenham, Friday (2m handicap chase) Magic Saint goes for a repeat after wind ops but has been placed only once since, and doesn’t look good enough for the Autumn Gold Cup on Saturday’s card.
In fact, placed horses behind Magic Saint in this race last year have both failed to score over fences or hurdles since.
⭕ 2.55 Cheltenham Friday (3m 6f cross-country) The Irish last won this in the glory days of Enda Bolger (2015, 16 and 18) but have the pick of the market leaders on Friday.
They are Grand National runner-up Balko des Flos (Henry De Bromhead), Alpha Des Obeaux (Gordon Elliott), fourth to Tiger Roll in the cross-country at the festival in March, and Plan Of Attack (Henry De Bromhead), but he could go instead for the amateurs’ race on Saturday.
⭕ 3.30 Cheltenham, Friday (2m 5f Ballymore novice hurdle) This is the race to watch! You’d be Off Your Rocco (Gordon Elliottt) to ignore it: the five-year-old is already rated 140.
Fingal Bay, Coneygree, Parlour Games, On the Blind Side and Thyme Hill have all won it in the decade, going on to land festival honours in such as the Pertemps Final and even the Gold Cup.
WORTH A SECOND GLANCE
⭕ 1.00 Bangor (Listed Mares’ Novices’ Chase) The Glancing Queen has shown plenty of ability in bumpers and hurdles (winning two of each) and has a great chance on the form book if transferring that form to the larger obstacles.
Her trainer Alan King is ticking over nicely ahead of Cheltenham this week (which I’m previewing in advance) and The Glancing Queen is reappearing after a break since finishing fifth to Telmesomethinggirl at the Cheltenham Festival.
She’s run well after a break before and today’s forecast good to soft ground should prove ideal.
Usually these races can be uncompetitive but that’s far from the case here. Could Be Trouble is bidding for her fifth win on the spin and is now starting out over fences. This is tougher opposition than she has faced recently over hurdles.
The 608 day absence probably won’t prove a negative for the Dan Skelton trained Emmas Joy who has plenty of class over the smaller obstacles being a Grade 2 winner.
Maskada also has claims having the advantage of a chasing start when she shaped well enough when third at Uttoxeter.
POTTER IS HOTTER
⭕ 2.00 Bangor I’m sticking with the Alan King stable here, this time with Painless Potter.
The youngster was a maiden on the flat after nine starts but hinted that jumping might be more his game when a creditable third to Knight Salute on debut at Kempton last month.
Despite there just being four runners it might have been a decent contest – the runner-up Impulsive One had previously been a wide margin winner at both Huntingdon and Plumpton.
It’s by far the best form on the table but the danger could easily come from one of the debutants.
Book Of Secrets was an AW winner at Lingfield and is having his first start for Dan Skelton (and since wind surgery).
Saint Segal has chances on pedigree but was weak in early moves on the BETDAQ BETTING EXCHANGE and there’s also a question mark over current trainer form.
BETDAQ ORANGE ON CLEMENTINE
⭕ 5.30 Kempton Lady Clementine rates as the days nap.
With normal improvement from her pleasing course debut and the extra furlong she should lose her maiden tag.
She ran green first time up and was slowly away but was doing her best work at the end of the seven furlongs and the step up to a mile looks logical.
DAQMAN’S BETS (staked to win 10 points)
BET 6.5pts win THE GLANCING QUEEN (1.00 Bangor)
BET 6.2pts win PAINLESS POTTER (2.00 Bangor)
BET 8.5pts win (nap) LADY CLEMENTINE (5.30 Kempton)
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.
