CHAMPION DOUBLE AS DAQMAN ADDS 8-1 ‘GOLD’ TO 11-1 ‘RUBY’: Daqman landed the Champion Hurdle and Gold Cup in a memorable week at the Cheltenham Festival with BOTH big winners (SPs 8-1 and 11-1) selected at Betdaq value.
HUGE BETDAQ OFFERS OF 17.0 AND 11.5: He tipped Rock On Ruby (WON 11-1) ante-post at 17.0 for the hurdles title and followed up yesterday with Synchronised (WON 8-1) at 11.5 morning offers for the Gold Cup.
HE DARES TO LAY KAUTO STAR: He dared to go for a Gold Cup double whammy, tipping Synchronised and laying Kauto Star (pulled up 3-1). That brought Daqman’s current lays sequence to five out of six.
7-1, 13-2 AND 11-2 WINNERS: His other winners at Cheltenham included Brindisi Breeze (WON 7-1 from 11.5 yesterday), Sunnyhill Boy (WON 13-2) and Balthazar King (WON 11-2). He made a profit on three of the four Festival days.
Synchronised (pictured) remains in the spotlight today. The career of the Gold Cup kingpin has been a long run to the top, including as the only horse in the last 10 years with the class to carry more than 10st 9lb to win today’s Midlands Grand National at Uttoxeter.
2.10 Uttoxeter: Rank outsiders at 28-1, 20-1 and 14-1 have scored in the five years of this race, and not a favourite in sight.
Clues: they’d all had bags of experience and all carried 11st 5lb or less (no four-year-olds). Pampelonne?
2.25 Ffos Las: J P McManus usually stays on after Cheltenham, which is why a look at the Ffos Las card is strongly suggested. J P has perennial golden boy Tony McCoy on: Strongly Suggested (2.25) seems to have only the top weight, Numide, to beat; Temple Lord (3.35) has just an each-way chance; Master Milan (4.40 nap) is preferred to Upthemsteps; and Wild West (5.40) went odds on this morning.
2.45 Uttoxeter: It was no disgrace for Volador to be beaten by Albert Bartlett fourth, Lovcen. Native Gallery ‘could be anything’ but has been beating the same horse, Red Rocco, who took time to lose his maiden tag.
Front-runner Dooney Rock (13.5 on Betdaq this morning) is the first of two big rides this afternoon for Paul Carberry and, if forgiven his latest run over further, 21.0 offer Bar De Ligne (holds Cross Of Honour) comes into it, with Lucy Alexander booked.
3.20 Uttoxeter (Midlands Grand National): Synchronised won this with 11st 5lb in 2010 but the Gold Cup winner was feeling the pinch in last year’s renewal when he had to race off 159, finishing third and conceding 26lb to the runner-up, Ballyfitz (133).
In fact, 10st 9lb is the normal weights ceiling (9 years out of 10) and horses of a double-figure age don’t win (0-10) so, though Ballyfitz is 6lb lower this year, off 127, he has it all to do at 12 years old, as we found with Kauto Star yesterday.
Cork National runner-up Another Palm didn’t take to our National fences at Aintree last time and should resume his decent staying career here, with the ground in his favour, though his stable could be in better form.
Mohayer ran a stinker last time but can be fancied on earlier form, and is very well in with Posh Bird, though that one is known to get a long trip, whereas Mohayer has no potential for it on breeding nor, at age 10, for further improvement.
Clash Duff drops out only 11 days after winning the Devon National; he would have had something to find with Honourable Arthur.
Major Malarkey has been running well in Graded races, which means that the handicapper is loathe to drop him in the weights. He should figure in this, eased just a couple of pounds.
Lightly-raced Maringo Bay has a massive staying pedigree, as son of Old Vic out of a Strong Gale mare, and is having his first go at a marathon trip.
Tamarinbleu is an old war horse and Master Overseer has winning form at 3m 5f but – with one exception (Salut Flo) – the Pipe team performed badly at Cheltenham, with it’s last 11 finishing positions: fell, 13th, 13th, 17th, 20th, PU, 14th, 18th, 12th, 10th, fell.
Mohi Rahrere is up several grades and several pounds – 11 in fact – for an easy win at Bangor in a race of mainly non-winners, and is out of the handicap here. Roalco De Farges has a chance, according to trainer Philip Hobbs, and won’t lack for aid in the saddle from Richard Johnson.
My choice is Maringo Bay (9.2 as I write, after the withdrawals), who missed the four-miler at Cheltenham for this, and has the admirable attentions of Noel Fehily, who is on my Christmas card list after his Champion Hurdle win on Rock On Ruby. Another Palm (7.2) and Major Malarkey (13.0) look the biggest dangers.
3.25 Kempton: The Cheltenham champions Nicky Henderson and Barry Geraghty have Cape Express (1.45) rated around 20lb clear of Duaiseoir on the Flat, yet receiving 6lb.
Problema Tic (1.215) may not catch Quentin Collonges but Minella Forfitness (5.05) should have no problems.
The one I like at a price is the 10.5 offer Bear’s Affair (3.25), reverting to hurdles, and with the front horses in the market split only by a cigarette paper on collateral form.
3.55 Uttoxeter: It’s a long way to go for a novice and carrying more than 11st 4lb has proved impossible, at least in the last 10 years.
No outright favourite has won for nine of them, but only two winners have been bigger than 5-1.
That suggests a match between Glens Boy and Bruslini who, sure enough, are the form and market choices, with Glens Boy massively boosted by Ikorodu Road, and with Bruslini’s yard firing in the winners (Evan Williams’ form figures 124021012).
4.40 Ffos Las: J P McManus usually stays on after Cheltenham, which is why a look at the Ffos Las card is strongly suggested. J P has Gold hero Tony McCoy on the following quartet:
Strongly Suggested (2.25) seems to have only the top weight, Numide, to beat; Temple Lord (3.35) has just an each-way chance; Master Milan (4.40 nap) is preferred to Upthemsteps; and Wild West (5.40) went odds on this morning.
DAQMAN’S BETS
BET 2.9pts win PAMPELONNE (2.10 Uttoxeter)
BET 4pts win VOLADOR, 1.5pts win DOONEY ROCK and 0.9pts win BAR DE LIGNE, (2.45 Uttoxeter)
WIN-30 JACKPOT: 4.8pts win ANOTHER PALM, 3.6pts win MARINGO BAY and 2.5pts win MAJOR MALARKEY (3.20 Uttoxeter)
BET 2.1pts win BEAR’S AFFAIR (3.25 Kempton)
BET 5.6pts win GLENS BOY and 5.1pts win BRUSLINI (3.55 Uttoxeter)
BET 9pts win (nap) MASTER MILAN (4.40 Ffos Las)
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