DAQMAN DOUBLE: 11-1 AND THE NAP: They thought Daqman’s tip had gone West when he drifted to 15.5 in running in a fast-run race of his own creation yesterday but West To The Bridge battled back bravely, jumping really well at Sandown to land a Daqman double from the front, after the nap, Rolling Dylan (10-pointer WON 1-1), made virtually all in the Gold Cup.
WON 1-1 ROLLING DYLAN (nap)
WON 11-1 WEST TO THE BRIDGE
CHELTENHAM HERE WE COME DAY 2: Stats and facts for all four days at the Cheltenham Festival continue with the Wednesday card one week in advance: See how they won, where the winners came from in terms of trainers, ratings and form, plus more ante-post bets.
WHATDEAWANT? FESTIVAL STATS
⚠️ HEADS UP Here’s Daqman’s stats-and-facts survey of every race at next week’s Cheltenham Festival. Today’s your Wednesday guide to ratings, trainers, form, age, weight and favourites.
📈 ANTE-POST: 1.30 I Am Maximus 17.0 and Whatdeawant 21.0, plus 2.10 Farouk D’Alene 17.0, then 2.50 for the 13.0 Grand Roi, with 4.50 Amarillo Sky 11.0 and 5.30 James’s Gate at 17.0 on BETDAQ Sports. Non-runner no bet.
🤔 LAYS LOGIC: I shall potentially lay favourites of 9-2 or shorter in races 4, 6 and 7 which show moderate results for the market leader.
⭕ 1.30 Cheltenham, Wednesday, March 16 (Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle) Three favourites up out of four; five in 12 years; only one winner’s SP in double figures. Ages: Just one horse older than six has won since 1974.
Trainers: Irish seven out of eight, including Willie Mullins (2). Ratings (last six years): 146, 155, 147, 155, 147, 156, 150.
The last 12 winners started out in Irish Points or bumpers. Ten had won over at least 2m 4f; 10 in a Graded hurdle.
ANTE-POST: I’m told to ignore Whatdeawant’s disappointing run at Naas: 21.0 in BETDAQ Sportsbook.
I Am Maximus 17.0 will be sharper than when beaten at Cheltenham by Hillcrest on New Year’s Day.
*Not a lays race
⭕ 2.10 Cheltenham, Wednesday, March 16 (Brown Advisory Novices Chase) Four favourites up out of the last seven; plus two at 4-1 SP in that time. Ages: 12 out of the last 15 were aged 7; and 13 out of the last 15 had won a Graded race; nine had already won at Cheltenham.
Trainers: Nicky Henderson (3); five Irish winners in 11 years. Ratings: 156, 150, 154, 158, 155, 153, 164. Level weights.
ANTE-POST: 17.0 Farouk D’Alene
*Not a lays race
⭕ 2.50 Cheltenham, Wednesday, March 16 (Coral Cup) 17 of the last 18 favourites have been beaten, with 11 of the 13 most recent winners at double-figure odds up to 33-1.
Ages: Only three horses in 21 years have won when over the age of seven, and 11 of the last 12 had raced over hurdles no more than nine times, nine out of 12 at 2m 2f or further.
Trainers: Nicky Henderson (4), Ireland (4) in last eight years. Ratings: 139, 149, 148, 143, 151, 140, 138. Weights: 10st 12lb to 11st 4lb have won four of the last six.
ANTE-POST We are already on last year’s winner, Heaven Help Us, to do a repeat at 21.0. Catch the 13.0 Grand Roi before it runs out.
LAYS: Favourites odds off-putting; recent best Tombstone (2017) 22nd of 23 at 7-2 fav.
⭕ 3.30 Cheltenham, Wednesday, March 16 (Champion Chase) Four favourites have won in the last nine years; longest odds 11-1. Ages: between 7 and 10.
Trainers: Nicky Henderson (5 out of 10), Henry De Bromhead (3), Paul Nicholls (2). Ratings: 171, 170, 159, 170, 175, 165, 156. Level weights.
Some 17 out of 19 winners had won at least five times over fences and had run at Cheltenham before; 10 of the last 12 had won a Grade 1. Irish or French bred took the prize in 15 of 19 years.
LAYS: Good race for last six years: Un De Sceaux (2016) 2nd 4-6 fav; Douvan (2017) 7th 2-9 fav; Altior WON 1-1 fav (2018); Altior WON 4-11 fav (2019); Defi Du Seuil 4th 2-5 fav (2020), Chacun Pour Soi 3rd 8-13 fav (2021)
⭕ 4.10 Cheltenham, Wednesday, March 16 (Cross-Country) In the last 10 years has produced winner (twice), second and third in the Grand National.
Two favourites won in the decade; two outsiders at 16-1 and 25-1. Ages: between 8, 9 10 won 9-11. Horses aged 12+ have failed in 11 years out of 13.
Trainers: Gordon Elliott (4), Enda Bolger (3). Ratings: 134, 148, 142, 150, 159, 152, 166
*Not a lays race
⭕ 4.50 Cheltenham, Wednesday, March 16 (Grand Annual Challenge Cup) Two favourites have won in the decade but most winners have been enormous prices: 66-1, 40-1, 28-1, 20-1. Ages: 7, 8, 9 (10 out of 12)
Trainers: Paul Nicholls (2). Ratings: 143, 140, 147, 150, 139, 147, 152. Seven of the last nine winners had not scored over fences that season.
ANTE-POST: There’s confidence in Amarillo Sky 11.0 and Il Ridoto 17.0
LAYS last six years: Rock The World (2016) 3rd 9-2 fav; Le Prezien 8th (2017) 7-2 fav; Magic Saint (2019) 10th 9-2 fav; Chosen Mate (2020) WON 7-2 fav, Embittered (2021) 9-2 fell. Note that Rock The World and Le Prezien both won the following year.
⭕ 5.30 Cheltenham, Wednesday, March 16 (Champion Bumper) SP: Two favourites have won in 12 seasons but most of the others have been big SP: 11-1, 14-1, 16-1 (twice), 25-1 (twice), 40-1.
Winner last time out 12-12. Ages 5 and 6 have won the last 11. Trainers: Willie Mullins: 5 since 2012, including SPs of 25-1, 16-1 and 11-1.
ANTE-POST: I took 17.5 (BETDAQ Sportsbook) about James’s Gate when he was down to 12-1 in places with bookmakers.
LAYS last five years: Augusta Kate (2016) 7th 7-2 fav; Cause Toujours (2017) 9th 9-2 fav; Acey Milan (2018) 4th 9-2 fav; Envoi Allen (2019) WON 2-1 fav; Appreciate It (2020) 2nd 15-8 fav; Kilcruit (2021) 2nd 10-11
MURPHY’S LAW
⭕ 2.15 Catterick today Trainer Olly Murphy has four strong chances on today’s Catterick card but the problem for punters is that two of them come in the same race!
In the opener he runs hat-trick seeking Weebill who has won two low grade races at Leicester and he might have most to fear from his better priced stable companion Fearless who switches back to hurdles after a spell chasing.
On his day he is much better than these, as he proved when winning a much better race at Market Rasen by 9 1/2 lengths back in 2020.
The market says Coole Well is the danger to the Murphy pair but his form is closely matched with Weebill. On the assumption that I think Fearless is better than Weebill I’m hoping that thinking takes care of Coole Well too.
HOLD ALL TICKETS
⭕ 6.30 Kempton The only non handicap on tonight’s Kempton card and it might pay to swerve the BETDAQ BETTING EXCHANGE morning favourite Ribbon Rose.
The Marco Botti trained filly caused a 25/1 shock when winning at Newmarket on debut in October but hasn’t run again since and with no experience on the all-weather plus a penalty to defy could easily make her vulnerable.
Tickets is also back after a break but at least his debut came here at Kempton over a mile in November when a promising third to Silverscape. The winner and fourth have won again since (runner-up yet to reappear) so the form looks solid enough.
The drop back to seven furlongs should certainly suit Tickets who looked the winner for most of his previous race – only being headed inside the final half furlong.
The two with experience dominate the market and biggest danger to the pair might come from debutant Cotai Star. Archie Watson (3 winners from last 15) is well adept at having his runners fully tuned for their first starts.
NAP TO POWER HOME
⭕ 8.00 Kempton Two non runners for this seven furlong handicap but it remains competitive at first glance. However the case for Power On is pretty compelling on more detailed reading.
He comes here as a winner without a penalty having won at Lingfield in an apprentice race last week and looks set to strike again, still off his career low handicap mark.
The drop back to seven furlongs seemed to help him at Lingfield and he has fared well in the draw department tonight and is set to emerge from box 1.
There was some early market support for the Stan Moore trained Alala whose form so far has been moderate but she is clearly expected to do better on her handicap debut.
DAQMAN’S BETS (staked to win 10 points)
BET 3.3pts win FEARLESS (2.15 Catterick)
BET 3.3pts win TICKETS (6.30 Kempton)
BET 7.1pts win (nap) POWER ON (8.00 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.
