GRAND NATIONAL GUIDE FROM THE TOP TIPSTER: Daqman landed two April Nationals last year: Rule The World in the Liverpool Grand National (WON 33-1 from 50.0 on BETDAQ) and Rogue Angel in the Irish version (WON 16-1 from 34.0). Today is, of course, the big one at Aintree, in which he has a bonus bet to win 100 points. Daqman covers all aspects of the day, including some already archived:
- Daqman’s first six order-in
- The National stats and facts
- Bull’s-eye bets (all to win 50) on the Aintree card
- A National day yankee
- Value-for-Money Betdaq markets (see Friday’s column)
- Betdaq value betting system (Thursday)
- ABC Guide to the National (Wednesday)
DAQMAN LEADS PRICEWISE 4-0 IN VALUE HUNT: Daqman shot 33 points clear of Pricewise to a level stake with two winners at Aintree yesterday, taking the score to 4-0 in the new season, which he launched with the 20-1 Lincoln winner. Daqman’s overall lead is now 411-171. He gave two tips in each of the winning races yesterday:
WON 4-1 FOX NORTON (Sub Lieutenant 2nd 10-3)
WON 3-1 THE WORLD’S END (Debece 3rd 11-1)
FOUR-IN-A-ROW CAUSE OF COURSE!
Cause Of Causes is the horse of the century for me. Yes, I had Rule The World (WON 33-1) to win the Grand National last year at 50.0 on BETDAQ and I shall have the horse mounted on my mantelshelf.
Trainer Mouse Morris completed a sensational Daqman double when he also landed me the Irish Grand National (16-1 Rogue Angel). And I’m sure to get Mouse stuffed (if I tip the same horse today)!
But I can afford to pay for the big bronze statue by the garden gate with Cause Of Causes. He didn’t just win once (at 43-1 on BETDAQ).
He didn’t just win twice. He’s won at Cheltenham EVERY year for this column for the last three seasons.
WON 44.0 (National Hunt Chase 2015) SP 8-1
WON 11.0 (Kim Muir 2016) SP 9-2
WON 5.1 (Cross Country 2017) SP 4-1
Now here he is perfectly primed by this season’s man of the moment in Ireland, Gordon Elliott. Still well handicapped, gets the trip, been round before and loves the ground. We just need that lucky leprechaun on him to keep him out of harm’s way.
That would be yer man, amateur Mr Jamie Codd, who is the perfect professional, far from an amateur, and can follow on Lizzie Kelly’s Tea For Two triumph and James King’s Foxhunters to keep the top prizes Corinthian all week at Aintree.
Cause Of Causes
When Silver Birch (WON 33-1) set me on the National-winning trail for BETDAQ TIPS, his trainer Gordon Elliott had strengthened him up and honed his jumping skills in the cross-country field.
He didn’t come to the tape at Liverpool with anything like the provenance of stablemate Cause Of Causes, winner of the National Hunt Chase (4m) at Cheltenham and the Kim Muir, but he, too, switched to the banks discipline and won at the Cheltenham festival this year, a bigger, better horse.
When I say bigger I mean in mental and muscular shape, ability and experience. He is in fact a smallish horse but jumped round Aintree eighth in 2015.
I think he should be 10-1 favourite, which would require 5pts to win 50 and I shall keep that stake at 21.0 to give me a BETDAQ value bonus 100 point return.
Vieux Lion Rouge
This one has slipped past the handicapper.. He’s actually 6lb better than when beating Highland Lodge over the big fences in the Becher, with The Last Samuri third.
The further they went the further he would have won, which he proved by going on to beat Blaklion in the Haydock Grand National trial.
Though he’s up to 155 for that, he can run today off 149, only 3lb higher than he carried in last years National, when seventh though only a novice.
Blaklion
Blaklion was carrying a lump of lead (11st 6lb) – giving 6lb to Vieux Lion Rouge – when he ran second in that Haydock Grand National Trial and is 3lb better now.
His yard has just come right with three winners this week, including one on the opening day of Aintree,
Ucello Conti
Cause Of Causes stablemate is half-brother to Silviniaco Conti and highly likely to take the glory away from my selection, should he put a foot wrong.
Jumped round in last year’s National (eighth and would have been nearer but for a bad blunder), and was also fourth in the Becher (6lb better with the winner, Vieux Lion Rouge).
I actually rate Ucello Conti up in second place behind Cause Of Causes, but he still keeps making that one bad blunder.
The Last Samuri
I have him down as a perennial placer in the National, defying big weights.
Wonderful Charm
And I mark this one as the best outsider and the one to make history for a woman rider. Katie Walsh’s mount came out top, ticking all the boxes in my ABC guide.
QUEEN WINS WITH NO HASSLE..
1.45 Aintree Holywell, Splash of Ginge and Zarkandar all have form at this meeting in this type of race but only one horse aged nine or over has won in the decade.
I can’t have the soft-heavy winners For Good Measure, Mr McGo and Ron’s Dream, nor those stepping up in trip with no bloodline to support them: Duke Street, Leoncavallo and No Comment.
Jonjo O’Neill and Philip Hobbs each run three, but 27.0 BETDAQ offer Briery Queen’s pedigree has the mare crying out for this longer trip. Finished late in the Mares Hurdle Final at Cheltenham.
No Hassle Hoff (5.5 favourite) looks thrown in, after running up to The Worlds End and Constantine Bay, first and fourth in the Sefton Novices Hurdle here yesterday.
2.20 Aintree The opening day produced the Colin Tizzard renaissance after the disappointments of Cheltenham, which included t he ‘minor setback’ to Finians Oscar, 4.3 on BETDAQ for this.
That fledgling Irish jockey (!) Robbie Power goes for his third Grade 1 in two days before riding for J P McManus in the National. Feel the power, Robbie!
Lough Derg Spirit is a work in progress. Benatar and Cultivator both boost Messire Des Obeaux. But Dream Berry’s narrow defeat for me yesterday gives his Kempton conqueror, Brio Conti (5.5), a great chance here.
LAYERS LED LIKE LAMBS AT 25.0
3.00 Aintree Charbel‘s proximity to Altior, when second at Sandown and when a faller half a length up on him at Cheltenham, has him odds on here.”
But Politologue at 6.2 is far too big in the BETDAQ orange for one whose high cruising speed makes him suited to Aintree.
Snag is that so far this week at t e National meeting, Paul Nicholls has been missing strike badly with three fourth, two fifth and two sixth.
A hero to this column, Frodon, for instance, didn’t run his race. Is Nicholls having the blank that neighbour Tizzard had at Cheltenham?
3.40 Aintree The winner has come from 11st or below every year since 2007, with Philip Hobbs saddling three of them, and horses of a double-figure age like his Lamb or Cod (25.0 on BETDAQ) have won three since 2010, two of them trained by Hobbs. Likes good ground.
Emerging Force, Fully Cry, Our Kaempfer, Relentless Dreamer and Ruben Cotter will also appreciate t he sounder surface.
Rightdownthemiddle (around 19.5) has run with promise since switched to Gordon Elliottt and has been laid out for this.
But I think Lamb Or Cod should be only about 10-1 for this and I shall bet five points to win 50 at my pricing up, keeping that stake at 25.0 to win 120 points.
4.20 Aintree (Liverpool Hurdle) Alan King’s moderate run since Yanworth was beaten at Cheltenham has me opposing him here, as he steps up in trip.
Cole Harden, Ballyoptic, Snow Falcon and Taquin De Seuil were also beaten at Cheleters, and I fancy Supasundae (7.0 on BETDAQ), seventh in last year’s winner-packed Supreme hurdle, and winner of the County Hurdle. The jockey today? Mr Aintree Grade-1 himself, Robbie Power.
DAQMAN’S GRAND NATIONAL BULL’S-EYES
1.45 AINTREE
BET 10pts win NO HASSLE HOFF
BET 2pts win and place BRIERY QUEEN
2.25 AINTREE
BANKER BET 14pts win (nap) FINIAN’S OSCAR
BET 11pts win BRIO CONTI
3.00 AINTREE
BET 10pts win POLITOLOGUE
BET 12pts win (saver) CHARBEL
3.40 AINTREE
BET 5pts win LAMB OR COD
BET 2.7pts win RIGHTDOWNTHEMIDDLE
4.20 AINTREE
BET 8pts win SUPASUNDAE (4.20 Aintree)
5.15 AINTREE
BET 5pts win and CAUSE OF CAUSES
BET 3.3pts win VIEUX LION ROUGE
BET 3.3pts win BLAKLION
BET 2.25pts win UCELLO CONTI
BET 1pt win and place WONDERFUL CHARM
6.15 AINTREE
BET 8pts win SO CELEBRE
DAQ MULTIPLES (1pt) AINTREE YANKEE
No Hassle Hoff (1.45 Aintree), Finian’s Oscar (2.25 Aintree), Lamb or Cod (3.40 Aintree), Supasundae (4.20 Aintree
THE NATIONAL FACTS AND STATS
POSITIVES Distance, jumping skill, stable, jockey form
DISTANCE (won or placed at 3m 2f or further) The Last Samuri, Perfect Candidate, Roi des Francs, Wonderful Charm, Blaklion, Drop Out Joe, The Young Master, Cause Of Causes, Vieux Lion Rouge, Definitly Red, Ucello Conti, Houblon des Obeaux, One For Arthur, Ballynagour, Highland Lodge, Bishops Road, Lord Windermere, Saint Are, Just A Par, Measureofmydreams, Raz De Maree, Rogue Angel, Thunder And Roses, Gas Line Boy, Goodtoknow, Doctor Harper.
SAFETY FIRST (never fallen or unseated rider) Perfect candidate, Won∂erful Charm, DropOut Joe, Plezsaant Company, Highland Lodge, Just A Par, Stellar Notion, One For Arthur, Ropi des Francs, la Vatiacae
GOING (likes a sound surface): Vicente, The Yojung Master, Shantou Flyer, Saint ARRre, Blaklion, Cause Of Causes, Just AS Par, Double Shuffle, drop out Joe, More Of That
STABLE (has won it before) More Of That, Saphir Du Rheu, Roi Des Francs, Wonderful Charm, tenor N ivernia,s , Blaklion, Le Mercurey, Cause Of Causes, Vieux Lion Roug e, Ucello Conti, Houblon des Obeaux, Pleasant Compabny, Ballynagour, Just A Par, Rogue Angel, Thunder And Roses, La Vaticane, Doct or Harper.
JOCKEY Ucello Conti, Pleasant Company, Tenor Nivernais, Regal Encore, Lord Windermere, Stellar Notion
NEGATIVES Too old or needs aids or both
AGE (only one over 11 since 1995) Raz De Maree (only one under 9 since 2002) Shantou Flyer, Saphir Du Rheu, Roi des Francs, Wounded Warrior, Blaklion, Le Mercurey, The Young Master, Vieux Lion Rouge, definitely red, Double Shuffle, One For Arthur, la Vaticane,
BLINKERS (only one horse has won in blinkers, visor or hood since 1975) Roi des Francs, Double Shuffle, Pleasant Company, Ballynagour, Saint Are (first-time blinkers), Rogue Angel, Gas Line Boy, Goodtoknow, La Vaticane, Doctor Harper (first-time blinkers).
WEIGHT (only one with more than 11st 6lb since 1977): The Last Samuri
GOING (has won only with soft or heavy in the going return) Bishops Road, Definitly Red, Gas Line Boy, Goodtokn ow, Highland Lodge, Le Mercurey, Measureofmydreams, regal Encore, The KLast Samuri, Tnunder And Roses, Wounded Warrior
NATIONAL FENCES How they fared over the big ones
Ballynagour (U), Bishops Road (U), Causes Of Causes (0), Cocktails At Dawn (F), Gas Line Boy (F), Just A Par (20), La Vaticane (0), Lord Windermere (P), Raz de Maree (0), Saint Are (02P), The Last Samuri (2), Ucello Conti (0), Vieux Lion Rouge (0), Wonderful Charm (P), where 0 = completed the course.
Did you know that as well as checking the realtime prices on BETDAQ below – you can also log into your account and place your bets directly into BETDAQ from BETDAQ TIPS.
