TWO WINNERS IN ONE RACE! Daqman’s best result yesterday was to lay the favourite, Joseph Lister (unplaced 9-4), in the handicap hurdle at Southwell, and bet on Cue To Cue (WON 7-2) in the same race.
BETDAQ IS 42% BETTER VALUE: It was one of the events he nominated for Daq Value, with morning offers totting up to less than 110%. Cue To Cue was selected at 6.0, which was 42% better than SP.
HE’S JUST WILD ABOUT HARRY: Daqman’s 20 horses to follow – 10 yesterday and 10 today – has one out of order alphabetically after our man heard hot reports from Ditcheat about Saturday’s runner, Harry The Viking.
Cheltenham this weekend puts the tingle into the jumps season. But the first major clashes will be in the Betfair Chase (Haydock) of November 24 and the Tingle Creek (Sandown) on December 8. That’s if they happen.
Due to meet at Haydock are Long Run and Silviniaco Conte (that’s Henderson v Nicholls). All set for a head-to-head at Sandown are Sprinter Sacre and Sanctuaire (that’s Henderson v Nicholls. Again).
Though I generally ignore the established players in my Twenty To Follow each year – Big Buck’s, Cue Card, Hurricane Fly, Sizing Europe, Long Run – and favour the rising stars, I make no excuses for having more than one hot youngster traveling along the same path to the Festival.
If you haven’t followed my teams before, you will know that I ‘cheat’. I change horses in midstream if I don’t think they can get me across to the profit side. That’s how I got 17 winners from the Flat-season lists.
Even the Ten To Follow competition in the trade paper has conceded (after years when many readers were firing blanks) that horses drop out through injury or lose their way, and it is necessary to replace them, part way through the season.
Harry The Viking Looking good on the home gallops to start the season with a flourish at Cheltenham on Saturday is Paul Nicholls long-term Grand National hope, Harry The Viking.
Paul wants Teaforthree and Pipe’s Problema Tic to stay in to keep his seven-year-old off the top of the weights, a pound in front of last year’s winner, Galaxy Rock, primed for a repeat in this Henrietta Knight Handicap Chase (1.55) with a close second on the course a month ago.
Harry The Viking landed a four-timer from October to December last year and was runner-up in the big staying race at the Festival, the Cheltenham National Hunt Chase (4m). Goes exceptionally well fresh.
Raya Star He’s already done what I asked of him and landed me a jackpot bet at Ascot from high in the handicap. The Alan King six-year-old is now up 12lb on his Scottish Champion Hurdle rating but it’s as a future chasing star that I include him in my list.
His sire, Milan, currently has Duke Of Lucca running for him – second to Roberto Goldback in the United House Chase at Ascot last Saturday – and Raya Star’s dam is half-sister to eight-times a winner, Risk Accessor, who finished his career hunter-chasing with four on the trot.
Sanctuaire Everybody’s got this one in as the danger to everything else! But Paul Nicholls says you won’t see much of him. There’ll be long gaps between races, on account of his quirky nature.
All of which means he will be trained to the minute for the Tingle Creek (December 8), hoping to outgun Sprinter Sacre on their way to the final showdown in the Champion Stakes.
Sir Des Champs The exciting thing about successful horses to follow, or any good day’s betting for that matter, is spotting one that others have ignored.
I caught on to this Willie Mullins wonder in my last year’s horses to follow before he ran away with the Martin Pipe at Cheltenham 2011, so I can be excused a bit of posturing, as I place this eight-in-a-row winner in my 2012-13 list. The Gold Cup beckons.
The third horse behind him in this year’s Jewson, For Non Stop, powered 23 lengths clear in the Old Roan at Aintree last month.
Silviniaco Conti Top of the chase ratings, though only six, after winning the Charlie Hall for a delighted Paul Nicholls. Took the Mildmay by 13 lengths last Spring and still only 6lb higher than his hurdles rating the year before; has already been placed at Cheltenham over the sticks. Gold for speed; gold for jumping. Gold blend for the Festival.
Sprinter Sacre You’ll be last of the big spenders if you follow all three of Sir Des Champs, ‘Silviniano’ and this one of Nicky Henderson’s. But Sprinter Sacre, too, is only six. Between the three of them, I dare say you have a couple of champions this year or next.
Sprinter Sacre hasn’t been beaten after his 2011 Supreme Novices’ third. All five wins since have been over fences, including the demolition of Cue Card in the Arkle.
Tarla Reckoned the next Quevega in County Carlow. Yet another star under the Mullins-Walsh banner, this mudloving mare stretched 12 lengths clear at Punchestown last month.
Unbeaten since April 2010 when completing, she has a choice of Clonmel Thursday (novice chase) and the Grade-1 Morgiana Hurdle at Punchestown Sunday. I’d like to see her try for the Grade 1 and take her chance in the Hatton’s Grace in December.
Third Intention Yes, Cue Card was spectacular on his comeback but his Tizzard stablemate Third Intention is already a match for him at home as far as jumping skill goes.
And he showed his potential when just run out of it at Cheltenham last month, a course on which he’s already won over hurdles. Festival horse.
West End Rocker Couldn’t get into the race on the sharp track at Wincanton when 45 lengths adrift of The Package in third on Saturday but that was a lot better than the same day last year.
He had pulled up on debut at Cheltenham but three weeks later landed the big-fence Becher Chase at Aintree by 22 lengths. Alan King clearly has him on course for a repeat.
Whisper A Nicky Henderson bumper winner to look out for over hurdles. That bumper was a procession (15 lengths, threequarters and 20) and he has impressed with his schooling at home.
DAQMAN’S BETS
DAQ VALUE BET: 7pts win KAUTO THE ROC (1.40 Huntingdon)
BET 6pts win BUCK MULLIGAN (3.20 Sedgefield)
BET 5.8pts win POCKET ACES (3.30 Lingfield)
DAQ MULTIPLES: 10pts win on each VALDEZ (nap, 2.10 Huntingdon) and ELENIKA (2.40 Huntingdon) and 4 x 1pt win trebles and 1pt win accumulator the same two with KAUTO THE ROC (1.40 Huntingdon) and POCKET ACES (3..30 Lingfield)
* Daqman’s bets are staked to win 20 points, so you know the offer he took (20 divided by stake). A Daq Value bet is one in a race where the overround was 110% or lower at the time of making the selection. Daq Multiples are staked separately. Daqman’s current naps sequence is 31121013131120102
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