DAQMAN’S NAPS-TRICK: Dyrholaey completed a hat-trick at Newcastle last night to land Daqman’s NAP (10-11) after his THREE FROM THREE on Monday! Now Daqman bids for his own naps hat-trick following:
PHOENIX PASSION WON 5-2 (Tuesday nap)
DYRHOLAEY WON 10-11 (Wednesday nap)
SHOWDOWN FOR NH TRAINERS’ TITLE: The showdown for the jumps-trainers’ title starts at Cheltenham today, with the current 1-2-3: Willie Mullins, Dan Skelton, Paul Nicholls. It’s tight enough to turn on just one or two winners; every little helps.
AND ANOTHER CLASSIC BATTLE AT HQ: At the same time, it’s the start of the Classic-trials season, today and tomorrow at Newmarket, and at Newbury on Saturday. Daqman leads Pricewise 11-7.
BACK TO BATTLE AT CHELTENHAM
SHOWDOWN: Dan Skelton and Paul Nicholls meet today as part of the three-way title showdown with Willie Mullins, who has his first runner here tomorrow. Ironically, it’s all happening at Cheltenham, scene of Willie’s triumph at the festival, with Skelton tipped to strike first, £52k behind Mullins but £75k in front of Nicholls.
⭕ 2.05 Cheltenham: Doyen Quest (Skelton) is bred for this step up to 2m 4f and, when he tried it once before, he was unfancied at 10-1 on heavy ground at Chepstow. His form is 121 on better ground than that since breaking his maiden in February.
It’s hard to make a case for Lallygag (Paul Nicholls) on recent form but he was placed in this race last year off 4lb higher (going good) and three times before that won on a sound surface.
Sea Invasion is a good-ground winner but in novice class-4, and Spring Note’s back-to-back strikes at Newbury have been on soft-heavy.
With form figures of 1212, Titan Discovery has put on 20lb in the ratings; his second at Kempton the last day was decent form but the winner was trained Skelton. Kamsinas also did battle at Kempton.. with a Skelton horse.
Betdaq Betting Exchange 7.2 Doyen Quest, 12 Lallygag
⭕ 2.40 Cheltenham (Silver Trophy) J P McManus is after some loose change after his Grand National win, but the Harry-Fry-trained In Excelsis Deo has to be opposed on LAYS LOGIC.
Back-to-back places, one here on the old course, one on the new, primed him for the Plate at the festival but he again finished close without winning, hampered after given a lot to do.
His chances of finding that flourish at the business end now seem hampered by good ground; he has only ever won over 2m and on soft, as a novice.
Il Ridoto has failed in similar vein; three solid places but only one win (1-14) – over today’s CD on soft – since November, 2021.
I’ll hope that the IMPROVER Scarface can mug these consistent losers off a handy weight: 9.8 on BETDAQ
NEWMARKET: HIDDEN HORSE AT 19.0
TRAINERFORM: Day 1 yesterday: Ed Walker 2, Harry Charlton 1, Paul and Oliver Cole 1, Richard Fahey 1, Richard Hughes 1, Adrian Nicholls 1, Hugo Palmer 1.
DRAW: Results by stall (big-field handicaps): 5f: 1, 11, 9, 14 (14 ran); 1m: 4, 8, 1, 7 (13 ran); 1m: 2, 4, 13, 6 (17 ran).
⭕ 1.50 Newmarket (6f handicap) Orazio, who won this last year and followed up at Ascot, has the advantage of fitness and kudos from third in a Listed (the Cammidge at Doncaster) on his reappearance.
Dropped in grade today and on better ground, he can start to live up to expectations (trainer Charles Hills rates him Group potential), a 4.5 shot on BETDAQ.
He was a length and a half off Montassib at levels on Town Moor, which gives him a big chance of reversing Ayr Gold Cup form with the winner, Significantly.
Ed Walker pulled off a gamble in this with a seven-year-old in 2018. His Lambourn raiders landed a double here (2-2) yesterday and he tries for three in a row via Great Ambassador, also aged seven. The ground has come right for him and he is today’s HIDDEN HORSE at 19.0 on BETDAQ.
FABRE RAIDS NEWMARKET TRIALS
⭕ 2.25 Newmarket (Feilden Stakes) Can this renewal restore the Feilden to the quality of 2013 and 2015?
In those years it was won by the subsequent French Derby winner and Arc third, Intello (Andre Fabre); then by Golden Horn, one of the great Derby winners at the height of their fame for the superstar combo of John Gosden and Frankie Dettori.
Golden Horn, who became a 130 colt, came to the Feilden with just a novice win so a 90 rating, which is well behind the potential star status of Ambiente Friendly (James Fanshaw, 103), Native American (Richard Fahey, 102), Gasper De Lemos (Aidan O’Brien, 96) but more in line with El Cordobes (Charlie Appleby, no rating yet).
Andre Fabre, who runs Alcantor in tomorrow’s Craven Stakes, also travels over Narkez (98) in the Feilden in the hoofprints of Intello.
The colt is by a Lagardere winner out of a Galileo mare, and on a hat-trick after progressing in easy wins at Clairefontaine and Saint-Cloud. But the Rowley Mile turf may have dried out against a French winner.
JUST CHICKEN IN FRONT OF FOXES
⭕ 3.00 Newmarket (Earl Of Sefton Stakes) Four-year-olds dominate this (5-6). The last one, Ottoman Fleet, who is back today as a five-year-old in Charlie Appleby’s bid for a hat-trick in the race.
He’s had the same prep as last year, racing in Meydan then a two-month break, but is there a four-year-old can come on enough to stop him?
The ratings say yes; they have Hi Royal top on 114, Royal Rhyme 113, and The Foxes alongside Ottoman Fleet on 112.
Severe Group-1 traps were set for the Foxes last season, and normally a Dante winner, fifth in the Derby and second in the Belmont Derby, would be much shorter than offers of 11.0 on BETDAQ this morning.
Hi Royal, placed in both English and Irish Guineas, is either chicken-hearted or has needed that wind op he’s had, or both. Royal Rhyme, 4-7 on turf, needs rain; watch the market if he gets some.
O’BRIEN DANCE SEQUENCE THREAT
⭕ 3.35 Newmarket (Nell Gwyn Stakes) Dance Sequence got a big boost when stablemate Romantic Style turned over odds-on Ramatuelle in the Imprudence at Deauville on Sunday.
Dance Sequence is breathing down the neck of Ylang Ylang (Aidan O’Brien) at the front of the 1,000 Guineas market.
O’Brien tests her in the Nell Gwyn with Matrika (Ryan Moore), a 20-1 outsider for the Guineas.
A very immature filly last season (see my preview yesterday), with two ordinary wins from three starts, yet Matrika is officially only 3lb behind Dance Sequence .
That’s not reflected in betting which has Dance Sequence the BETDAQ market leader at 1.62 and Matrika at 6.8.
DAQMAN’S BETS
1.50 Newmarket (win 50 bull’s-eye bet)
BET 2.75pts win and place GREAT AMBASSADOR
BET 3.5pts to win 12 ORAZIO
2.05 Cheltenham (win 30)
BET 5pts win DOYEN QUEST
BET 2.5pts win LALLYGAG
2.40 Cheltenham (win 10 total)
BET 1pt win and place SCARFACE
3.00 Newmarket (win-50 bull’s-eye nap)
BET 5pts win and place THE FOXES
3.35 Newmarket (win 12)
BET 2pts win and place MATRIKA
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