FOUR OUT OF FIVE NAPS WIN: Daqman’s naps are four out of five and six out of the last eight, thanks to El Hibri yesterday (2.4 taken on BETDAQ). Here’s the sequence:
★ WON 10-11 EL HIBRI (Tuesday nap)
★ WON 8-13 EMBASSY GARDENS (Sunday supernap)
★ WON 4-1 GINNYS DESTINY (Saturday nap)
★ WON 8-13 HE’S AN ANGEL (Friday supernap)
★ WON 1-1 DESTINADO (Wednesday nap)
★ WON 9-4 KING VIKTOR (Tuesday nap)
★ WON 11-8 OH SO GRAND (Saturday nap)
TODAY: Another ante-post bet for Cheltenham
TOMORROW AND FRIDAY: Dublin Festival form and facts
THIRD LEG OF IRISH MATCH
⭕ 3.35 Leopardstown, Saturday (Irish Gold Cup) The third clash of Galopin des Champs and Fastorslow, who is 2-0 up, will be without the distraction of Gentlemansgame.
Trainermouse Mouse Morris is sending Gentlemansgame straight to Cheltenham for the Gold Cup, swerving the Irish version on Saturday to keep him fresh. Gerri Colombe will also take the direct route.
Runners and official ratings: 180 Galopin Des Champs, 168 Fastorslow, 164 Conflated, 161 Coko Beach, 158 I Am Maximus.
⭕ 2.45 Leopardstown, Sunday (Irish Champion Hurdle) 167 State Man, 160 Impaire Et Passe, 159 Bob Olinger, 152 Echoes In Rain, 148 Fils d’Oudairies.
DANCER HAS SUNDAY DATE
⭕ 1.30 Cheltenham, March 13 (Baring Bingham Novices Hurdle) Nine of the last 10 renewals of this under its various guises – Neptune, Ballymore et al – have been won by the Irish.
Ben Pauling, who trains a lucky 13 miles down the road from Cheltenham, is the odd man out, the only English trainer to beat the raiders in the decade, and that in a year (2017) when Willie Mullins ran a future Irish Gold Cup winner, Kemboy, unplaced.
Pauling (currently 3-4) is having a superb run this season, closing down on 50 winners, 47 to date but with 13 horses entered for the rest of this week.
That his task for this novices hurdle is bearing on the impossible can be seen in the number of Irish entries: 51 of the 84 still listed, 29 with Willie Mullins.
But Ben himself has The Jukebox Man (136), Tellherthename (135) and Handstands (131), all close enough to the 138 rating of the seeming best of the English, Saturday’s Harry Fry winner of the trial for this, Gidleigh Park.
Lightly-raced Handstands, who has landed three in a row, could be tested again at Huntingdon next week.
Willie Mullins has Ballyburn, Dancing City and Predators Gold among the Closutton squad likely to be tested at Leopardstown on Saturday or Sunday.
But the one I like of his, with a Sunday entry, is a Doctor Dino half-brother to Al Dancer, bought for £250k from France. Name of Gold Dancer.
Betdaq Betting Exchange SPORTSBOOK ante-post: 26.0 Gold Dancer, 34.0 Handstands
PUNTERS NEEDING OXYGEN
⭕ 3.55 Leicester A class-3 chase should be injecting a bit of quality into a drab day. Venetia Williams supplies the Oxygen on a track where she landed a double only last week.
With 2-2 in the autumn after summer wind surgery, Oxygen lost his way at Plumpton early this month but is expected to regain his form today at 4.4 on BETDAQ this morning.
Autumn was a poor time for Sheldon but he bounced back on Boxing Day; the worry with him is that he’s never put two races together before; form after previous successes: 200 in 2021; FF in 2022; 430 in 2023. So he’s very much a once-a-season winner. Another Crick also wins in his turn and is 11 years old now.
Nocte Volatus is slipping down the handicap but, as beaten favourite in two of his last three starts, is clearly not living up to expectations. His name means ‘night flight’ so he may not come home until dark.
Grandads Cottage has won twice when the money is down; he is claimed off and fitted with a tongue-tie. Watch the market.
TWO BETS WRAP THIS UP
⭕ 4.45 Exeter I know that Ben Pauling, subject of my ante-post feature today, was excited about Hercules Morse last season.
He saw the gelding as a three-mile chasing prospect but he was very green, even when scoring at Ffos Las.
Given time to mature among the stable’s winners at home, Hercules Morse remains over hurdles in class 4; that’s why he has 11st 13lb and why he must win today if he is to make his mark.
With Hercules the horse at 5.8 on BETDAQ, we can afford a saver on Wrappedupinmay (2.6), representing Paul Nicholls after running fifth at Ascot.
BREWING RATES THE NAP
⭕ 6.30 Kempton Gelding usually concentrates the mind, so strange is the case of Aratus! He landed four in a row until November, 2022, when he had the cut. And he hasn’t won a race in 10 tries since.
His best effort was runner-up over the CD in November but that was in first-time hood. He’s worn it three times: second twice and beaten favourite, last of seven.
Baldomero has run 15 places but had only two wins in 24 starts; current form 322322.
A change of stables might help Zaman Jemil, with a 7lb claimer dropping his weight to the foot of the handicap.
The standout is Brewing, winner of four of his six starts (2-2 over 7f), back to his best trip and well supported this morning for William Haggas and Tom Marquand: BETDAQ 2.68 taken.
DAQMAN’S BETS
3.55 Leicester (win 16)
BET 4.75pts win OXYGEN
4.45 Exeter (win 16)
BET 3.25pts win HERCULES MORSE
BET 2pts win (saver) WRAPPEDUPINMAY
6.30 Kempton (win 16, nap)
BET 10pts win BREWING
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