RESTIVE? NO, AN ABSOLUTELY CRAZY STUNT BY DAQMAN’S NAP: Daqman paid for the day with Restive (WON 11-4) and a place bet on a neck second at 9-2 yesterday, which was just as well, as his nap, Sandy Boy, struck the front with only yards to go at Exeter when he decided to pull himself up, cocking his jaw, swerving left and cannoning into his nearest pursuer, leaving the third horse to win.!
NEW NAMES GOING ON TRIAL FOR THE FORTUNE COOKIES’ LIST: What horses have impressed Daqman in the recent Jumps races? He needs to bolster his horses-to-follow list, ready to choose his Fortune Cookies for the 2020 festivals. There are 12 so far, given below.
FORTUNE COOKIES: NOW IT’S 12
⚠️ HEADS UP! Every season Daqman assembles horses to follow for the Jumps, intended to form the backbone of his Fortune Cookies in the new year. He is gradually building up the list as follows:
AYE RIGHT (Harriet Graham) Tough guy bred to stay forever (by Yeats out of a Presenting mare) and has form figures this year of 122411.
BATTLEOVERDOYEN (Gordon Elliott) really impressed over fences at Galway; very professional and could go to the top.
BRAID BLUE (Gordon Elliott, 2nd so far) 3m winner twice on summer ground, stayed on well after 2m 5f at Cheltenham.
DELTA WORK (Gordon Elliott, 4th so far) disappointing in the Ladbrokes Champion Chase at Down Royal, even if needing the race. We’ll give him one more chance: Leopardstown, Saturday, December 28.
ELEGANT ESCAPE (Colin Tizzard) The Welsh Grand National winner ran on well to be second in the Charlie Hall Chase. Ladbrokes Trophy, Newbury, Saturday, November 30.
ENVOI ALLEN (Gordon Elliott). Sauntered home over hurdles at Down Royal after an impressive round. That was six in a row for the Cheltenham Champion Bumper winner.
FLORESSA (Nicky Henderson) Mares novice hurdle, Newbury, Thursday.
FRODON (Paul Nicholls) They took the fences away because of the conditions and that cost him a role in the finish of the Old Roan at Aintree.
GETAWAY TRUMP (Paul Nicholls, 3rd so far) needed the run behind Al Dancer and the pair could meet again in the Arkle Trial, back at Cheltenham this month.
LOSTINTRANSLATION (Colin Tizzard) Absolutely cruised round on the bit and won eased down at Carlisle over a trip too short for him and when, on past form, he could have been expected to need the run.
RUSSIAN BILL (Noel Meade) The gamble of the Cork Grand National was given a quiet time in the rear before making late progress to finish fourth.
VINNDICATION (Kim Bailey, won 2-1 so far) The trainer had always said ‘Vinny’ would be better over 3m but Saturday’s Autumn Gold Cup at Ascot was a vindication and a revelation of very impressive galloping and jumping. Best right-handed so far, but he’s only six and the sky’s the limit.
NOTTINGHAM LION TO ROAR
2.30 Nottingham International Lion looks a solid favourite to see off his three rivals here.
The Richard Fahey trained runner returns after a good third at York last time out on soft ground and might have even finished closer but for congestion in the closing stages. It was a class 2 event and he gets ticks in the class dropper, going and distance categories.
Goddess Of Fire helps make the market for us here and there are enough questions to be wary about this filly.
She popped up at 33/1 last time out but it came on the all-weather at Chelmsford on her first start for John Ryan. Whether she can reproduce that effort on the turf, where previously she has shown very little, on heavy ground, up in trip and off a 5lb higher mark are all big concerns about the second favourite.
4.05 Nottingham Michael Appleby did us a favour yesterday with the eased down, 11 length, 11/4 winner Restive and he has a serious runner here with Deinonychus (for future crosswords: Deinonychus is a genus of dromaeosaurid theropod dinosaur with one described species, Deinonychus antirrhopus) !!
However, the eight-year-old finished a full 14 lengths behind the bang in form Gamestars Icon at Doncaster last time out and I think ‘Dino’ will struggle to turn that around – even though he is back at his favourite track.
The distance and going are the same as Doncaster and it’s a massive gulf in distance to make up.
7.40 Kempton Kitaabaat makes plenty of appeal here. His win two starts ago in a match is probably best ignored and he is better judged on a solid third at Chelmsford last time out. He’s generally competed at a much higher level and should get competitive here.
Market leader Sameem is back after a break and hasn’t been seen since beaten 46 lengths in the Geoffrey Freer at Newbury. Really hard to know what to expect from him – even more so given he is on the all-weather for the first time in his career.
DAQMAN’S BETS (all staked to win 10 points)
BET 13.5pts win (nap) INTERNATIONAL LION (2.30 Nottingham)
BET 3.6pts win GAMESTARS ICON (4.05 Nottingham)
BET 4.0pts win KITAABAAT (7.40 Kempton)
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