NAPS TREBLE AS DAQMAN PROFITS REACH 57 POINTS: Daqman landed his third consecutive winning nap among five winners in the first three days of this week for a profit of 57.42 points. It was the best yet at 9-4.
WON 9-4 ALJADY (Wednesday nap)
WON 6-4 THE GREAT WALL (Tuesday nap)
WON 4-7 CONSTRUCT (Monday supernap)
CAN THE ECLIPSE RESCUE THE 2018 CLASSIC CROP? In the conclusion to Daqman’s articles about the Coral Eclipse, he says that the race demands a convincing winner on Saturday to rescue this year’s Classic crop.
WHY MASAR MUST WIN BY A MILE
I called it the battle of the generations. But this week’s articles were prepared in advance as if the Eclipse would be one of the season’s deciders. That has become increasingly unlikely.
There’s no Nathaniel or Ulysses this year. I speak as I find and, like the Irish Derby, Saturday’s Eclipse is second class.
The sponsorship holds good (Corals), the Derby winner and third are there (Masar and Roaring Lion) but their form is suspect and the older generations, aged four and five, are thin on the ground.
If they beat the three-year-old colts then the 2018 Classic generation will have to be demoted to a sub-120 species, Group-2 equine citizens.
If they face Enable (128), Poet’s Word (126) and Cracksman (125) in International, Ascot championships and Arc, not even their allowance will get them home. It could be the third year running that older horses have taken the International, after consecutive years also of moderate Derbys.
In normal circumstances, this week’s Racing Post headline, ‘Waldgeist enters horse of the year calculations,’ would be comic, at 117 rated around 10lb behind the best of his generation.
You can understand Charlie Appleby defending Masar’s Derby, after supplementing him for Saturday but he needs to win by the proverbial mile, three or four lengths and more to add points to his rating and re-establish this year’s three-year-olds.
BE LUCKY WITH 8.6 LUCHADOR
3.00 Haydock Nurseries are back, and the usual suspects, Richard Hannon, Richard Fahey and Tom Dascombe, are out in force, and this year Mick Channon (25% strike rate on turf) and Archie Watson (26%) have done particularly well with their two-year-olds.
Beaten by the winner of a class 2 and a fourth in a Group 2; that’s why the grey High Horse has to carry a massive 9st 11lb in this class 5.
He has to give a stone to a filly, Solesmes, who has herself won a class 3 but that was in a seller over a furlong shorter and on a short-runners track, Goodwood.
This contrasts sharply with the Archie Watson contender, Luchador, who made all at Thirsk and ran in the Queen Mary at Royal Ascot. Yet Solesmes is 8.0 and Luchador 8.6 in the BETDAQ orange as I write.
3.20 Yarmouth When Gay Kelleway is in form, watch for one dropped into a seller. That’s backed up by a 33% strike-rate.
I haven’t invested in a ‘Kelloggs’ runner since her father, Paul, used to ride for Ryan Price! And the ’adage’ became adagio when her Induct was pipped in a plate at Thirsk yesterday.
But Johni Boxit (8.4 BETDAQ offers) could put things right in this one at Yarmouth, with Gay also boasting 44% hits when her horse is blinkered/visored first time.
SPENCER AND BUICK BOTH SOLO
6.45 Newbury The two-year-old Confiding is highly regarded; due to run at the July Meeting next week and in the National Stakes at the Curragh in September.
The second horse, Almurr, in Confiding’s Newbury success three weeks back returns to the same track, as William Buick’s only mount of the day. Around 2-1.
8.55 Newbury Trainers of Chai Chai (Andrew Balding) and Nicklaus (William Haggis) are both in top form but their horses have drifted in the market this morning.
Weak, too, is Ragstone View, with Rod Millman’s stable currently 1-13, and Autumn Leaves, with Clive Cox on 51 consecutive losers at this track.
It’s all because of a second plunge on Courtside, who landed the money at Chelmsford on the last day and now has Jamie Spencer’s sole attention tonight. Like Buick, he has no other booked rides.
DAQMAN’S BETS
3.00 Haydock (win 20)
BET 2.5pts win and place LUCHADOR
3.20 Yarmouth (win 10)
BET 1.25pts win and place JOHNI BOXIT
6.45 Newbury (win 20)
BET 10pts win ALMURR
8.55 Newbury (supernap to win 25)
BET 20pts win (nap) COURTSIDE
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