DAQMAN ON 40 BIG-RACE HITS WITH 8-1 CUP KILLING If there’s a big race, Daqman’s hungry for the winner. That’s a copper-bottom bet, and sure enough he landed the Gosforth Park Cup at Newcastle last night to land win number 40 against Pricewise with Copper Knight (WON 8-1) and go 130 points clear (Daqman + 66, Pricewise -64). Scores are Daqman 40, Pricewise 15.
Friday (loss 3.00 points)
WON 8-1 COPPER KNIGHT (Gosforth Park Cup)
WON 7-4 SMART CALL
Thursday (profit 38.25 points)
WON 4-1 FROWN (nap)
WON 2-1 DAFR
WIN (3RD 9-1) SEA FOX (16.0 on BETDAQ)
WIN (3RD 7-1) CONSTANTINO (9.4 on BETDAQ)
Wednesday (loss 7.50 points)
WON 3-1 POWER OF DARKNESS
Tuesday (profit 34.20 points)
WON 1-1 MORE THAN LIKELY (supernap)
WIN (place lay) MOGESTIC unplaced 9-4
Monday (profit 32.20 points)
WON 11-2 CUBSWIN
WON 7-4 COSMIC LOVE (nap)
NOW HE BIDS FOR DERBY DOUBLE WORTH 300 POINTS Daqman didn’t manage his bets as well as usual yesterday and is now a few pounds short of 100 points profit for the week so he’s going in for Derby doubles today on Daq Multiples: the Irish Derby and the Northumberland Plate (Pitman’s Derby). His best return could be around 300 points.
DANNY’S DAY FOR CONSOLATION
1.10 Newmarket Advertising a book on this two-year-old Listed is a pretty desperate act by the bookies, who have their poodle Pricewise setting up hares for them.
Since I am challenging his sense of value race by race, trying to inflict 10 years of defeat on him over the seasons, I am forced to bet.
Strings Of Life won in the wide open spaces of the Rowley Mile course, so won’t feel a stranger here: BETDAQ 8.8.
1.30 Newcastle (Northumberland Vase) This Plate consolation was won two years ago by Dannyday, who looks a ‘hidden’ horse’, in that he’s been running over the wrong distances, including the marathon Ascot Stakes on the last day, which should have readied him for this.
That was his second race after a long absence since the Vase success. He was 9.2 on BETDAQ this morning. His stable landed a hat-trick yesterday.
The Grand Visir and Bedrock are drawn wide, and collateral form says that the weights changes should hand the advantage to old rival Euchen Glen, who is better drawn.
Davy’s Dilemma has no AW experience; and Cool Sky will find this trip short and fast at the age of nine.
SAME ONE-TWO PLATE SCENERY
2.05 Newcastle (Northumberland Plate) Higher Power gamely fought off Natural Scenery in this race last year.
He has to give that one another 3lb this afternoon, but is 11lb better off with the fourth horse, Lord George.
It’s hard to see him conceding the weight to Cesarewitch winner Withhold but that one was the subject of negative reports all day yesterday, which culminated in a frowning ‘things haven’t gone according to plan’ by jockey Robert Winston on ITV Racing.
I must say that, without its helmsman Ed Chamberlin, and the delectable Ms Cumani, the ITV team didn’t have that same trick-or-treat style with the slick links and serious overtones that has raised it to BAFTA level.
The third horse home in Withhold’s Newmarket marathon, Lagostovegas, hasn’t quite got enough pull in the weights now and no experience of AW.
The trip may seem short for him after taking the Ascot Stakes (2m 4f) for this column at Royal Ascot.
Natural Scenery, who goes well fresh, has had a break since being campaigned at Meydan in the Spring, the last twice in Group company, and he appears perfectly prepped for today.
Amazing Red has improved with age but his stable is only 1-26 in the last fortnight, and his old adversary, Higher Power, may be the biggest threat at a value 16.5 on BETDAQ.
FOXY IS FANCIED AT HUGE 41.0
2.15 The Curragh Three-year-olds don’t win this; nor do horses over the age of six; all of which suggests that 10 of the 18 in this handicap are as out of place as Only Spoofing, Nigg Bay and Patrick (all out of the handicap by at least 4lb).
Whether it works out that way or not, you really have to be with the right age and weights; they seem to be the value bets: Justanotherbottle, Dark Shot, Alfredo Arcano, Patuano (fifth last year) and Sors, who won this in 2016.
I’m attracted to course-and-distance winner Alfredo Arcano (17.0 on BETDAQ this morning), his trainer David Marnane having won the Royal Hunt Cup for this column.
But Yorkshire raider Justanotherbottle, third in last year’s Portland, is in form again with back-to-back wins that have seen his rise and rise culminate in a total hike of 34lb since he was first given a handicap mark.
And Dark Shot, switched from Andrew Balding to Scott Dixon near Nottingham, has plenty of speed to his name, third and fifth in the Epsom dash this year and last.
Foxy Forever, winner of this race in 2015, has clearly been trained with the prize in mind again: 41.0 offers.
LORD BYRON IS ROVING AGAIN
2.50 The Curragh (Dash) Gordon Lord Byron (8.2 on BETDAQ), who won this three years ago, was the moral last year, a neck second trying to give 7lb to the winner.
He has a similar task another year on – he’s 10 now – as he tries to contain Fleet Review, the Middle Park runner-up last year after back-to-back success over today’s CD at the Curragh. But, again, three-year-olds don’t win this.
3.25 The Curragh (Celebration Stakes) All four of Aidan O’Brien’s wins in. this race since 2010 have been with second-season animals, and he has the only one running this in it afternoon, St Patrick’s Day.
DETTORI SOMETHING TO BEHOLD
5.15 The Curragh (Irish Derby: see ABC Guide, Thursday)
Do you keep the faith or take the race at face value? You’re either 100% with the Ballydoyle team’s continued confidence in Saxon Warrior or you take Epsom Derby runner-up Dee Ex Bee, who finished in front of him.
There is a third choice: to accept the main excuse for Saxon Warrior’s flop at Epsom, you have to plead that he didn’t perform on the undulating track.
In that case, you might want to allow the same excuse for Delano Roosevelt, Knight To Behold or The Pentagon.
In two races, the Racing Post Trophy and the Epsom Derby, The Pentagon has failed for speed behind Saxon Warrior. Looks one paced.
But there’s only the width of a postage stamp between The Pentagon and Delano Roosevelt on last year’s form, that one was similarly one paced at Epsom.
But, taking Epsom out of the equation, if Knight To Behold, was running now with Frankie Dettori up, immediately after his runaway win in the Lingfield Derby Trial, he would be second favourite.
I see him as an ideal ride for Frankie in full flight at the Curragh this afternoon. And Frankie sees the danger as Dee Ex Bee, not Saxon Warrior.
The fourth and final scenario: Is there a late developer? I don’t think Bandua has breeding or aptitude, hard to gauge anyway, as a soft-heavy winner. Old Persian reappears very quickly, perhaps too quickly, after ‘Ascot Derby’ winning exertions.
Latrobe still ‘could be anything.’ He’s not far off the best if his maiden second to Hunting Horn is any guide, and his runner-up spot in the Gallinule (can turn tables on Platinum Warrior) put him not far off Derrinstown form.
What we needed was a step forward and we got it, not so much on form but on style and confidence, as three weeks ago he commanded his maiden over today’s CD at the Curragh.
1 Dee Ex Bee 5.4 on BETDAQ
2 Knight To Behold 19.5 on BETDAQ
3 Saxon Warrior 1.9 on BETDAQ
4 Latrobe 21.0 in to 17.5 on BETDAQ
DAQMAN’S BETS
1.10 Newmarket (to win 10 points)
BET 1.25pts win and place STRINGS OF LIFE
1.30 Newcastle (win 30)
BET 3.6pts win DANNYDAY
2.05 Newcastle (win 50)
BULL’S-EYE BET: 5pts win and place NATURAL SCENERY
BULL’S-EYE BET: 3.25pts win and place HIGHER POWER
2.15 The Curragh (win 30)
BET 1.75pts win and place ALFRED ARCANO
BET 1pt win and place FOXY FOREVER
2.50 The Curragh (win 20)
BET 2.75pts win GORDON LORD BYRON
3.25 The Curragh (win 20)
BET 10pts win (nap) ST PATRICK’S DAY
4.05 Newmarket (win 10)
BET 6pts win ZAIN CITY
5.15 The Curragh (win 50)
BULL’S-EYE BET 11pts win DEE EX BEE
BULL’S-EYE BET 2.75pts win and place KNIGHT TO BEHOLD
DAQ MULTIPLES (Derby doubles)
BET 4 x 1pt win doubles
NATURAL SCENERY and HIGHER POWER (2.05 Newcastle)
with
DEE EX BEE and KNIGHT TO BEHOLD (5.15 The Curragh)
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.
