5-1 NAP AS DAQMAN HUNTS MORE BIG RACE SUCCESS: Daring Daqman naps at a morning 6.0 in a big-field handicap at Newbury this afternoon, and opposes the Ballydoyle favourites in the Irish Oaks. His headlines:
TEAM SKELTON LOOKS SET FAIR AGAIN
STRATUM STABLE ON DIFFERENT LEVEL
THE PROJECTION FORM STANDS OUT..
HAT’S OFF TO EVE IN SUPER SPRINT
‘CLASS’ COULD CAPTURE IRISH OAKS
HE’S ALREADY 136 POINTS AHEAD TO A LEVEL STAKE: As the season stands so far, Daqman is 136 points clear of Pricewise of the Racing Post to a single-point level stake, leading 47-17 (Daqman +62, Pricewise -74).
TEAM SKELTON LOOKS SET FAIR AGAIN
2.05 Market Rasen (Summer Hurdle) It is rare (once in a decade) for winners of this, and races like it on the fast, turning Lincolnshire track, to be older than six.
So Dr Richard Newland, who has won it before (with a six-year-old), doesn’t interest me today with his brace of runners aged nine.
Artful Artist has won only one hurdle (1-15) and should be chasing by now; Hassle appears better class but the stable hasn’t much ammunition this year and his running in the Swinton Hurdle and Ascot Stakes was tilting at windmills, as can be seen from the SPs of 33-1 and 50-1.
In his favour is that his Rasen record is 0211 but he’s been stuck on the same mark of 125 since a Listed success almost two years ago.
His CD win in June was two grades below today’s level and has cost him a 9lb rise.
Fair Mountain (5.5 on BETDAQ early mouse) is the youngster going places for the season’s leading trainer and jockey, Dan and Harry Skelton, bringing quality Flat form as well as ‘easies’ over hurdles to this race.
After Artful Artist and Hassle, nearest to him in the market is his own stablemate, Mister Universum, but giving 18lb to Je Suis Charlie may be harder, though just one four-year-old has won this in the decade.
STRATUM STABLE ON DIFFERENT LEVEL
2.25 Newbury (JLT Cup) My man in the long grass texted this morning: ‘It’s raining!” I inquired: ‘How much? How long for? How heavy?’ No reply; he had drowned or woke up and temporarily thought he was in Carnoustie.
Rain on a firm surface is the world’s worst situation for punters. There are horses that like soft and horses that like it hard, but not many horses that like it slippery.
Stratum, winner of his maiden hurdle on soft, was third on the Flat in the Ascot Stakes on very fast going. His trainer, Willie Mullins, is hardly ever out of form, but current figures of 15-29 (that’s 52%) are going some, even by his standards. Stratum is his only runner over the entire weekend.
Amazing Red has been hiked up the handicap. Almoghared is a three-year-old. They usually need a bit more time to excel at this trip, but keep an eye on him with such as the Cesarewitch in mind later on.
Rain would also favour Coeur De Lion, though he’s a typical Alan King, almost always thereabouts but you can never be confident enough for a bet.
Quloob has raced as if needing this step up in trip, and I took 9.8 about him, but I had a bigger bet on Stratum (6.0 BETDAQ early mouse) before, as I suspect, he closes down to 3-1 or so.
THE PROJECTION FORM STANDS OUT..
3.00 Newbury (Hackwood Stakes) Apart from the problem of the ground, this race and the Super Sprint are about guessing which Royal Ascot race will throw up the winner.
Projection just missed out on a Diamond Jubilee place after having to be switched twice when challenging.
The three-year-olds Hey Jonesey, Invincible Army and Equilateral all ran well down the centre in the Commonwealth Cup but their generation is under a bit of a cloud and their record in this race is only one winner in the decade.
Dream of Dreams comes into it if there’s been enough rain but it seems there hadn’t. been much by 9.30, as Saunter was withdrawn.
HAT’S OFF TO EVE IN SUPER SPRINT
3.35 Newbury (Super Sprint) The draw has been crushing for low numbers in the last six seasons, with winners by stall: 21, 10, 14, 15, 13 and 13. But low stalls were best for three years before that!
Windsor Castle fifth Tin Hat (stall 12 today) and 22nd Cococabala (9); Norfolk Stakes sixth Kinks (in 10); plus Queen Mary eighth Little Kim (in 16), 14th Red Balloons (in 17) and 17th Snazzy (24) all seem to have reasonable draws but which of the Royal Ascot losers will come out best here?
Surprisingly, only four of the last 10 winners had raced at the royal meeting, one from each of the three races represented today, but opposing them here means pinsticking among the others.
Eve Johnson Houghton’s fine season could continue with Tin Hat (7.6 BETDAQ). He and Kinks (7.4) finished together when Tin Hat was hampered at Bath.
‘CLASS’ COULD CAPTURE IRISH OAKS
5.30 The Curragh (Irish Oaks, see ABC GUIDE, Thursday) The question seems to be whether the highly-regarded Sea Of Class can improve enough to trouble the O’Brien pair, Magic Wand and Forever Gold.
Forever Together turned around her Cheshire Oaks defeat by Magic Wand when winning the Epsom Oaks on soft ground, while Magic Wand revelled in the fast Royal Ascot gallop to land the Ribblesdale.
Sea Of Class would also prefer the ground on top. She avoided the soft-ground Epsom Oaks for this and has won on good to firm. I’m not enamoured by the three-year-old form so far – they’re all at sea – so I’ll go for Class (3.55 offers).
DAQMAN’S BETS
2.05 Market Rasen (win 30)
BET 6.5pts win FAIR MOUNTAIN
2.25 Newbury (win 50 with win-20 saver)
BULL’S-EYE BET: 10pts win (nap) STRATUM
BET 2.25pts win QULOOB
3.00 Newbury (win 30)
BET 11pts win PROJECTION
3.35 Newbury (win 30)
BET 4.45pts win TIN HAT
BET 4.5pts win KINKS
5.30 The Curragh (win 20)
BET 7.75pts win SEA OF CLASS
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