NAP-HAPPY CHRISTMAS FROM DAQMAN: Daqman is in top form for Boxing Day with yet another nap (WON 5-2) to follow his fantastic run of six last week (see below). Check out his form and ratings for the King George and see you Sunday for a full preview of the best from 11 Christmas meetings.
WON 5-2 FULL OF LIGHT (Tuesday nap)
Daqman’s sensational December
🎄 SEVEN consecutive winning days
🎄 (116 POINTS PROFIT)
🎄 SIX winning naps in a row
🎄 DAQMAN 15, PRICEWISE 9
🎄 FORTUNE COOKIES 3-3
TODAY (Wednesday): More BETDAQ value at Ludlow with a nap and bets at 5.0 and 13.0
BOXING DAY (below): Horse-by-horse form and ratings for the King George. Look out on Sunday for Fortune Cookies, value challenge to Pricewise, bull’s-eye bets and, of course, another nap.
KING GEORGE FORM, RATINGS
⭕ 3.05 Kempton, Boxing Day (King George V1 Chase) Going: good to soft (showers)
STATS: TRAINERS: Paul Nicholls 12, Nicky Henderson 3, Colin Tizzard 2, Willie Mullins 1, Venetia Williams 1. JOCKEYS: Nico De Boinville, Harry Cobden, Bryony Frost, Sam Twiston-Davies, Tom Scudamore one each. AGE: 7yo 7, 8yo 5, 6yo 4.
175 MINELLA INDO (Henry De Bromhead) Albert Bartlett winner, RSA runner-up then Gold Cup star in three consecutive seasons at the Cheltenham
Festival.
Looked burly on his reappearance third to Frodon in the Champion Chase at Down Royal in October but the horse he beat in the Gold Cup, A Plus Tard, gave the form a boost when running away with the Lancashire Chase at Haydock last month.
172 CLAN DES OBEAUX (Paul Nicholls) Has never won at Cheltenham but took this King George in 2018 (beating Thistlecrack) and 2019 (Cyrname); then third last year behind Frodon.
Top of his form in the Spring, winning the Aintree Bowl and the Punchestown Gold Cup, in which he accounted for dual Cheltenham Gold Cup winner, Al Boum Photo.
167 FRODON (Paul Nicholls) Winner of 16 chases, he’s run to 168 or 169 in 12 consecutive races, including 3-3 at Kempton, making all under Bryony Frost in this King George (Clan Des Obeaux third) and scoring either side of the summer break at Sandown and Down Royal.
His rider summed up Frodon’s style: ‘His determination is infectious and he makes you believe you can beat anyone.’
162 ASTERION FORLONGE (Willie Mullins) Placed at three Spring festivals in six weeks, winning at Punchestown after third at both Cheltenham (to Chantry House) and Fairyhouse.
162 CHANTRY HOUSE (Nicky Henderson) Has won five chases out of six, among them back to back in the Golden Miller at Cheltenham in March and the Mildmay at Aintree. Very easy match victory on his return at Sandown.
162 MISTER FISHER (Nickly Henderson) Lost 3, won 2 at Cheltenham, including the Grade-2 Peterborough Chase a year ago. Beaten a neck by Frodon at Sandown in April when last seen.
162 SAINT CALVADOS (Paul Nicholls) Placed behind Altior (twice) and Min (twice) and fourth to Frodon, Footpad and Defi Du Seuil but only one success in three years, taking a handicap chase at Cheltenham on heavy. Five chase wins for for Harry Whittington since March 2017 (hurdles at Auteuil)
161 TORNADO FLYER (Willie Mullins) Steady improvement without winning since Navan two years ago. Second to Min (John Durkan in 2020) and third to Allaho (in the Ryanair at Cheltenham in March).
160 LOSTINTRANSLATION (Colin Tizzard) The only horse in four years to beat Bristol De Mai in the Lancashire Chase at Haydock. Slipped 13lb since third in the 2020 Cheltenham Gold Cup but courageous comeback after wind surgery (twice) to win at Ascot last month.
159 DASHEL DRASHER (Jeremy Scott) Hat-trick at Ascot at the turn of the year, returning there after the break but slammed 16 lengths (needing the race and not liking the fast ground) by Lostintranslation.
BETDAQ Sportsbook: 3.75 Clan des Obeaux, 3.75 Minella Indo, 5.5 Chantry House, 6 Asterion Forlonge, Frodon, 10 Lostintranslation, 15 Saint Calvados.
GREEN FOR GO IN THE BOOK
⭕ 12.15 Ludlow Venetia Williams has just landed five winners out of seven, still standing, and I’m as tempted as she is to try Green Book again four days after the four-year-old won easily at Haydock.
The handicapper was not amused as Green Book took advantage of the four-year-old allowance at Haydock, so he’s hiked him 8lb to 130 in future.
But he gets under the radar here, stays on 122, and another 3lb is wiped off by Lucy Turner’s 3lb claim.
But what makes this a really interesting bet is that Green Book is up 6f in trip on Haydock, which is no imposition at all but still has him short of the hurdles distance you’d expect of the Queen Alexandra fifth and Goodwood Handicap fourth on the Flat.
Green Book is really versatile, having scraped the paint round Chester, making all to win the 2m 2f Plate there in May. He can surely handle company two grades higher than today.
RELY ON THE NICHOLLS PAIR
⭕ 1.45 Ludlow Three or four young horses are closely matched in this 2m handicap chase, won three years running (2012-14) by Venetia Williams.
She won first run back with Desque De L’lsle in November, making him three from four but, though she then used a 10lb-claimer, the eight-year-old failed to cope with a 10lb rise into a better-class race, with the boy rider staying far too long out of the back door.
Fidelio Vallis took his own rise in grade in his stride last Spring, winning twice in class 2 to complete a four-timer. He was out of form in the autumn after a break but is back to handicap level today.
His Paul Nicholls tablemate Getaway Trump has been dropped down to his last winning rating of 140 at Doncaster in March.
Gumball tried the highest class as a novice, twice behind Shishkin, but he’s now 6lb below his sole chase strike (1-7) on the soft at Uttoxeter 14 months back. His trainer, Fergal O‘Brien, has a 60% strike rate in races like this at Ludlow.
Not Available has never been out of the frame in 11 races, eight of them over fences, winning in July for Henry De Bromhead at Kilbeggan and scoring again on the last day for his new yard, Matt Shepherd’s, at Newbury.
Dan Skelton has just trained 19 consecutive losers but Rockstar Ronnie is on a hat-trick after 2-2 at Kempton in November.
BETDAQ BETTING EXCHANGE 5.0 Fidelio Vallis, 13.0 Getaway Trump
WILDE HAS A WEIGHT PULL
⭕ 2.15 Ludlow Philip Hobbs goes for a hat-trick in this, after two runners two wins (2014 and 2018) at 11-2 and 5-1.
I’ve been waiting for Smarty Wild to go up in trip and Hobbs has been waiting to do so, trying to settle him down in his races.
Tom O’Brien overdid the waiting game at Ascot last month but he certainly seemed to calm down a lot.
Smarty had been fifth, five lengths behind Dublin Four at Newbury but was giving that one 12lb, cut right down to 3lb today.
Venetia Williams could be in the money again with Didero Valdis but I rarely back one that’s just been over the Grand National fences. Can take them time to reorganise their jumping.
Third in the Becher when Didero Valdis was sixth, Checkitout was well beaten in the Ascot Silver Cup at the weekend.
The Newest One, a novice, is raised a stone for two wins out of three, and this is much tougher company.
BETDAQ value 5.1 Smarty Wilde
DAQMAN’S BETS
12.15 Ludlow (nap)
BET 10pts win GREEN BOOK
1.45 Ludlow (win 12)
BET 3pts win FIDELIO VALLIS
Bet 1pt win GETAWAY TRUMP
2.15 Ludlow (win 12)
BET 3pts win SMARTY WILDE
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.
