CONSTITUTION HILL: ‘NO OPPOSITION’: One year on from his poor Cheltenham prepping at Kempton, Constitution Hill coasted clear in a Champion Hurdle gallop with two stablemates there yesterday, prompting jockey Nico De Boinville to say: “The opposition? It wouldn’t matter who turned up!’
NEXT WEEK: DAQMAN presents daily stats and facts a week in advance of the Cheltenham meeting.
HIGHWAY HURDLES RETURN
⭕ 3.53 Wetherby: Mr David Maxwell, the modern-day Corinthian, does not whip his horses, which may help account for Off The Jury’s returns sequence of 243223.
Whatever the explanation for Grand Geste’s 2334, the grey was a 200-1 shot when beaten only half a length at Carlisle in October and, in three subsequent races off a rating of 111, has been a consistent loser at different trips.
I prefer to rely on Bowling Buddy’s Wetherby ability, progressing from novice-hurdle success in October to narrow big-field second here at this level on the first day of February over shorter (keeping on).
But Adam Wedge’s last two rides for Evan Williams since the weekend have been winners, and Hurricane Highway is dropped back to hurdles (winner and second for Wedge) for the first time since his novice-chasing career started in 2023.
Betdaq Betting Exchange value at 11 am was 3.85 Bowling Buddy, 13.0 Hurricane Highway
DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH..
⭕ 4.35 Bangor: In the absence of C’Est Different, Richardson is morning favourite. Went well fresh as usual to score a surprise win at Chepstow but that was his first since 2020.
Ben Pauling comes here with Twyford’s Diamond after the stable’s five out of six (still standing) and Jeu d’Opale could improve for Venetia Wlliams on his second start since leaving the prestigious Guillaume Macaire set-up in France.
Betdaq Betting Exchange value 8.6 Twyfords Diamond, 16 Jeu Dopale
APPLEBY ON THE BALL AGAIN
⭕ 7.30 Kempton (European Road To The Kentucky Derby): This one-mile conditions race has not been a road to the Kentucky Derby nor is it European.
But Charlie Appleby enjoys it and it’s a routine 30-grand in Godolphin’s back-pocket with some fair-quality horses.
Their three winners in the last four years went on to win £177k in prizemoney (Highland Avenue, 2021), £136k (Blue Trail, 2022) and £1,005k (Notable Speech, 2024), the only one to get to America but in the Breeders Cup Mile (third).
The Godolphin runner this year, Opera Ballo, went further and further clear under Billy Loughnane when prepped by Appleby over the Kempton CD in January.
William Buick, who has ridden five losers since returning from Meydan, takes the ride today, expecting a steering job.
Buick deserts the same stable’s Olympus Point, on whom he won a class-4 nursery at Newmarket. James Doyle rides now.
DAQMAN’S BETS
3.53 Wetherby (each to win 12)
BET 4pts win BOWLING BUDDY
BET 1pt win HURRICANE HIGHWAY
4.35 Bangor (each to win 22)
BET 3pts win TWYFORDS DIAMOND
BET 1.5pts win JEU DOPALE
★ 7.30 Kempton (supernap)
BET 20pts win OPERA BALLO
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