BIG-RACE HAT-TRICK MAKES IT 25 FOR THE SEASON: Yes Cyr, Daqman’s still the king of the tipsters! Landing 11 winners in four days, he swept 25-15 clear of Pricewise with a big-race double across the Saturday cards in the Ascot Chase and the Haydock Park Grand National Trial, and added the day’s third feature in England, the Denman Chase, with the odds-on favourite.
WON 8-1 ROBINSFIRTH (Haydock Park Grand National Trial)
WON 3-1 CYRNAME (Ascot Stakes at 6.2 on BETDAQ)
WON 2-5 CLAN DES OBEAUX (Denman Chase)
FORTUNE COOKIES IN SUPERB 655 POINTS PROFIT: It was another day of triumph for Daqman’s horses-to-follow list, the Fortune Cookies, which had two out of three with Robinsfirth and Clan Des Obeaux to escalate the profits so far from 10 winners to a staggering 654.76 to level stakes.
Daqman is restoring Cyrname to the horses-to-follow list, and confirms Anabale Fly as his Aintree horse. See below, and see the Fortune Cookies campaign tomorrow.
FLY NATIONAL ODDS HALVED
I think we are seeing two Grand National winners in two days. Last year’s hero, Tiger Roll, is running today and this column was already on Anabale Fly for Aintree this April at 39.0 before he ran a closing second in Saturday’s Red Mills Chase at Gowran Park.
Robinsfirth, seemingly beaten after three miles of the Haydock Park Grand National trial, suddenly engaged another seam of stamina in the last half-mile but is not entered for Aintree, seemingly considered ‘too fragile.’
In fact, trainer Colin Tizzard is wise about the National, and says he doesn’t like the race, that his horses are precious.
This is bad Press because everyone jumps to the conclusion (pun intended) that he’s worried about his horse falling. That’s as maybe but, in fact, he’s well wised up to what the race does to an animal, as I discuss again today in my preview of Tiger Roll’s hurdles prep.
Anibale Fly was down to 16-1 and 20-1 from 33-1 in a total of 10 places in the Oddschecker survey of bookmakers’ prices this morning, and he was in from 39.0 to offers of 24.0, ranked third in the BETDAQ ante-post orange. Hope you were on before he ran.
IS THERE ANY TIGER LEFT?
2.20 Navan (Boyne Hurdle) We were on Tiger Roll to take last year’s Aintree Grand National, and he duly became our second winner in three years.
But this column has also recently researched the demise of recent winners of the Liverpool marathon; they simply don’t find their form again afterwards in the modern, faster race. It’s 45 years now since we had back-to-back winners.
Though received wisdom is that Tiger Roll made a pleasing return in the cross-country at the Cheltenham November meeting, I didn’t see it that way and dropped him from my Fortune Cookies list.
Even if he proves me wrong today – as far as running in a hurdle race allows – I can’t recommend a National bet, as the stats stand so solidly against him, and my new cross-country star is Auvergnat.
Willie Mullins runs Bachasson here, after his winning return on good ground at Punchestown over Christmas. Ruby Walsh prefers him to the Galmoy Hurdle flop Coquin Mans.
Coquin Mans hasn’t recovered the form of his Fairyhouse Festival success last Spring and, though, he is top on the ratings today, the faster surface also seems to be against him.
Cracking Smart needs to improve a lot on his run back behind Apple’s Jade but Off You Go – acts on any going – impressed when winning the Leopardstown Ladbrokes Hurdles at the start of the month.
Earlier in his career for J P McManus he won twice over 2m 4f on heavy, so the trip is unlikely to bother him.
RUN, RABBITTE, RUN RUN RUN!
3.15 Market Rasen Some decent prizemoney at Rasen today, with this open 2m handicap a race for punters to research.
Drying ground would help The Twisler, who needs the going on top. Dino Velvet had always won when favourite with the money down until disappointing at Kempton on the last day.
Fairway Freddy has waited 83 days to bid for his hat-trick. He’s usually too fresh first run back. Jimmy Rabbitte has already completed his hat-trick, and the problem this time is an overall rise of 25lb, though his recent penalty is part negated by Charlie Hammond’s 5lb claim.
Ballon Onabudget is lightly raced but the handicapper has taken no chances, and I’m surprised trainer Tom George didn’t pick up another novice prize first.
Eskendash jumped to the right when third in a decent race last time (behind yesterday’s big hurdle contender, William H Bonney) and the tight clockwise turns on the Lincolnshire track should suit.
Tom George and Richard Newland are joint leading trainers here on strike rate, so we’ll assume they know what they’re doing and take 6.0 Jimmy Rabbitte and 8.8 Ballon Onabudget.
CHAMPAGNE CHARGER..
3.25 Navan (Ladbrokes Ten Up Novice Chase) Champagne Classic and Chris’s Dream, second and third at Naas last month, clash again here.
Chris’s Dream has the advantage of having been introduced to fences earlier on today’s course (runner-up won over Christmas).
But the year older Champagne Classic was returning after a long absence since winning festival races over hurdles at Cheltenham and Punchestown, rating 10lb higher over the smaller obstacles than Chris’s Dream.
DAQMAN’S BETS
2.20 Navan
BET 12pts win OFF YOU GO
3.15 Market Rasen (win 20 each)
BET 4pts win JIMMY RABBITTE
BET 2.5pts win BALLON ONABUDGET
3.25 Navan (supernap)
BET 20pts win CHAMPAGNE CLASSIC
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