12-1 DAQMAN IS OUT ON HIS OWN: You don’t have to bet to get his tips. You don’t even have to buy a paper. But Daqman – free to BETDAQ fans on this site – is the best of them all, as he proved yet again yesterday with a 1-2 from two bets in the big race at Gowran Park, the Thyestes Chase:
1: On His Own (WON 12-1)
2: Los Amigos (2nd 5-1)
BIG WINNER WAS 15.5 on BETDAQ: On His Own was described as ‘a class horse, form disguised’ by Daqman at 15.5 on BETDAQ, with Los Amigos rated ‘the improver’ with ‘muchas gracias’ value at 9.2. The straight forecast paid more than 75-1 with Ladbrokes.
NOW OUR MAN LEADS PRICEWISE 18-6: On His Own counts double, since the winner was tipped for both win and place bets. So it’s now Daqman 18 returns, Pricewise 6, since our man issued his challenge to the trade-paper tipster. The scores are 7-2 in 2014.
It’s a pleasure to do business with you, Mr King. For the sake of the horses and his owners – and, indirectly, the punter – trainer Alan King shut up shop on New Year’s Day. He’s back at Huntingdon this afternoon.
Such problems must happen to many a trainer – viruses and so on – yet how many close down (how many can afford to?) when in the doldrums, sometimes with their yards debilitated long term?
Two trainers who told all, Kim Bailey (he’s come back well) and Jim Old both survived. They earned our respect. They reminded punters that horses are not machines.
Kingy’s problems are, hopefully, nothing like as bad, and it would be good to see his horses lord it over them at Cheltenham this weekend after merely a hiccup not a disease.
But I pose the question about some other yards at a time when we read that plummeting ratings are the key to betting coups.
Now that racing’s authorities have at last been forced (by the emergence of the exchanges) to recognize that betting plays a large part in racing, isn’t it time for more open government of the sport, with the interests of the punter as a principle, more openness in the training of horses?
Can we have, as routine, reports on horses when they completely lose form (not just dope tests at the track)? May we please see horses openly training together in public racecourse gallops?
Where else in the world of sport can a competitor hide away for months as a no-hoper, or tail off in a trial race, and then come out of the shadows one day and win gold?
Currently, looking at the bare form, the punter can’t tell the difference between a bad horse, a ‘hidden’ horse and a horse that’s unfit. To him, they all have the same row of duck-eggs!
In this age of hundreds of low-class animals, it is too easy to trot out the excuse ‘I don’t know where that improvement came from’.
Such ‘improvement’ can happen. I’m not against any man landing a punt. And, yes, our trainers are individuals, our stables unique in England and Ireland, with their own ways of doing things, their own set-ups.
But punter and bookmaker alike need the confidence to bet, the confidence to lay. Do we really want to see horses tailed off one day, written off, only to reappear and storm home at 20-1? Or gambled in to odds on?
TODAY’S RACING: I bang on about it but the punter’s answer to all this is to keep his wallet for the better-quality racing where form is far more consistent.
Obviously we can’t have a Thyestes Chase every day but racing could concentrate some of the money available so that we have more than one quality handicap from Monday to Thursday.
Yes, I know all about the need for the pattern, the sponsors all wanting Saturdays, the difficulty imposed by those hundreds of low-class maidens.. But the first need of betting, the lifeblood of racing, is a decent handicap.
Such series as the Pertemps is one answer, and today would look sparse on quality without the class-2 handicap at Huntingdon (2.55).
The withdrawal of Carole’s Destrier has scuppered the best read in the trade paper (Paul Kealy) and seemingly left the race to A P McCoy on Milan Bound.
But today is his first time over hurdles on heavy ground and the same owner’s Josie’s Orders can’t be ignored after blinkers transformed him into a soft-ground Ascot winner. Will the blinds continue to work?
Both these stablemates are novices, whereas Cannon Fodder and Monetary Fund have already raced at this class-2 level or higher.
Cannon Fodder has taken a hit from the handicapper for running up to the subsequent Graded-placed Mickie, but Monetary Fund should get involved.
He loves a right-handed track, has won here at Huntingdon before, and was the ‘moral’ last time he was dropped down to today’s level, beaten a length and a half, conceding weight to the first two.
I shall dutch Monetary Fund (7.4 on BETDAQ this morning) with Josies Orders (6.8) and take Josies’ stablemate, Milan Bound, as stakes saver.
Why do I back more than one horse in a race? Well, I have an advantage in that the BETDAQ orange very often (as here at 107% at time of writing) adds up to far less than the Total SP, allowing me to play those extra percentages.
DAQMAN’S BETS (stakes to win 20 each, except where marked as a stakes saver for the main bet or bets)
BET 12pts win (nap) VICTOR HEWGO (2.10 Doncaster)
BET 9pts win HONEST JOHN (2.45 Doncaster)
BET 3.4pts win JOSIES ORDERS, 3pts win MONETARY FUND and 2.5pts (all-stakes saver) MILAN BOUND (2.55 Huntingdon)
BET 7.5pts win MURTYS DELIGHT (4.00 Huntingdon)
BET 5.4pts win CALL ME VIC and 3.2pts win SERGEANT THUNDER (4.20 Doncaster)
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