DAQMAN IN CHAMPAGNE FORM FOR ASCOT: Daqman goes to Royal Ascot in champagne form this season with a (top) hatful of winners from a 20-1 start in the Lincoln to his two 25-1 winners at the Epsom Derby meeting.

Seven Classic winners so far
129 points clear of Pricewise
35-8 returns score against him

* Today’s Pricewise challenge: 2.30, 3.05, 3.40, 5.00 and 5.35.

GOLD BANKER BET FOR THE OPENING DAY: Daqman opens the meeting with a Gold Banker bet of 30 points to win, assessing each race for Stats, Turnkey Form, Analysis, and the Going before his Verdict and Value BETDAQ bets.

DOUBLE BID FOR 100 POINT RETURNS: His key to value betting is threefold: the very low overround on BETDAQ which today was, race by race, 103%, 105, 104, 102, 105 and 107 at the time he filed his tips, virtually a punter-friendly level playing-field. Then he looks for a value offer, and backs it big to his own price. Today he could land two 100-point punts.


FAST PACE PLAYS IN DEAUVILLE

2.30 Royal Ascot (Queen Anne Stakes)

STATS: It’s four-year-olds 5, five-year-olds 5. Team Hannon 3, O’Brien 2. Draw: stalls 4 to 8 best, except on soft ground.

TURNKEY FORM: Winners have already scored at Group-1 level. That’s Cougar Mountain and Ribchester only, unless you include Grade 1 in America (American Patrol, Deauville, Miss Temple City).

GROUND: Dutch Uncle, Kaspersky, Ennaadd, Jallota, Ribchester and Spectre have not won beyond their maiden with ‘firm’ in the going description.

ANALYSIS: Distance doubt: Dutch Connection, Jallota, Spectre and Toscanini have never won this far.

Front-runner Ribchester, who has already beaten Cougar Mountain, Deauville, Mutakayyef and Toscanini, is narrowly behind Lightning Spear on Ascot champions’ day form (going good) but in front of him on the soft and clear overall in the ratings.

Lightning Spear, Oh This Is Us and American Patrol are badly treated by the draw, all in high stalls (gates 2-8 have won eight out of 10).

VERDICT: Ribchester looks vulnerable on this ground, but Lightning Spear is not in the right age group, while Miss Temple City has twice been beaten at the royal meeting. Mutakayyef has not yet cracked it at this level.

I took 26.0 (to win 100) Oh This Is Us (greatly improved at home recently), unaware then of the high draw which has him out to 41.0. I will cover all with a 7.0 place bet, but I’m inclined to add another punt from the low stalls.

I fancy Deauville, ideally drawn in stall 6. Gets further but goes with the pace and loves firm ground: a fast-run race could play into his hands at 16.0 on BETDAQ this morning.


DE HANNON HORSES DRAWN BEST..

3.05 Royal Ascot (Coventry Stakes)

STATS: Aidan O’Brien (Murillo and US Navy Flag) has won three of the last six and taken the race eight times in all. But a double-figure stall seems essential (five of the last six), and his pair are in 4 and 5.

ANALYSIS No in-depth form, no going preference to guide us with two-year-olds. American speed juveniles tend not to last out this stiff 6f, and Arawak’s form is on a ‘muddy’ surface.

De Bruyne Horse and Denaar are a very smart pair, both well drawn for Richard Hannon in a race his father won with the power duo, Strong Suit and Canford Cliffs, back to back.

Three of the four horses placed in De Bruyne Horse’s two wins scored before or after. Two behind Denaar have also won.

VERDICT: They are side by side in stalls 11 and 12 and Hannon says he can’t split them. At 7.2 and 10.5 respectively, we’ll split our stakes.


MARSHA TO WIN FILLIES’ BATTLE

3.40 Royal Ascot (Kings Stand Stakes)

STATS: Six-year-olds are four out of six. A previous Group win is a must but rarely Group 1. Seven winners out of 10 came from stalls 7 or higher.

TURNKEY FORM The Palace House and the Temple Stakes are almost essential stepping-stones.

GROUND Signs of Blessing has finished close up here in the British Champions Sprint and the Diamond Jubilee but has never raced on a surface with any mention of ‘firm’ in the going return.

Gracious John, Profitable, Signs Of Blessing and Willytheconqueror have not win, or not win since their maiden, on ground with ‘firm’ in the going description. It was very soft when Signs Of Blessing beat Profitable at Deauville on their reappearance.

ANALYSIS Lady Aurelia, who won the Queen Mary and then the Morny (6f) as a juvenile, is a three-year-old filly taking on older sprint stars.

Priceless was fifth in the Palace House Stakes (Marsha won, Washington DC second, Goldream sixth) but won the Temple Stakes from Goldream, Alpha Delphini and Final Venture, with Washington DC sixth.

The implication is that the Palace House was much the better race – in fact, the handicapper has Abbaye winner Marsha 6lb clear of Priceless now – and that the firm ground suggests a match between Marsha (pictured) and Lady Aurelia. So this race is a case of find the lady.

VERDICT: I say Marsha (4.3 offers on BETDAQ this morning) because Lady Aurelia’s Queen Mary hasn’t worked out and the pair who beat her in the Cheveley Park have never won since.


BABY-BOY ROY HAS GROWN UP NOW

4.20 Royal Ascot (St James’s Palace Stakes)

STATS: Eight of the last nine winners had taken a 2,000 Guineas in England or Ireland. Aidan O’Brien has scored seven times.

TURNKEY FORM and ANALYSIS: Churchill has won both Guineas. He gets warm before his races and it’s a very hot day. It unnerves me more than it does him! He doesn’t seem to boil over mentally.

The second colts home behind him, Barney Roy (at Newmarket) and Thunder Snow (at The Curragh), could make no impression in the Classic races but Barney lost his action in the Dip at HQ and baby-boy Roy should have grown up now, rested and allowed to mature after just three starts, and favoured by the ground.

VERDICT: It could be close between Churchill and Barney Roy, so 5-2 Barney is a bigger temptation than a banker on the favourite but I’ll put them both in my Daq Multiples.


STAR RIDER HUGE AT BETDAQ 30.0

5.00 Royal Ascot (Ascot Stakes)

STATS: Seven of the last eight winners came from the first four in the SP market. Ireland has won four of the last five.

TURNKEY FORM: Hurdles horses have won nine of the last 10. Beyond Conceit, Galizzi, High Secret, Iniciar, Oceane, Rainbow Dreamer, Shrewd, Star Rider, Thomas Hobson, Who Dares Wins and Wolfcatcxher (10th in this race last year) have hurdles form.

GROUND: Galizzi (9th in this last last year), High Secret, Oceane, Rainbow Dreamer, Shrewd, Star Rider, Who Dares Wins and Yorkidding have all won with ‘firm’ in the going return.
Magic Circle has won most of his races on softish ground; Cosmelli mainly on heavy.

ANALYSIS Alan King runs three, still trying to lay the ghost of Junior (2010) who left him to go to David Pipe just before this race and landed a gamble. Pipe relies on Iniciar, a hidden horse, who has won on a sound surface.

King’s best may be Who Dares Wins, third in the marathon Coral Cup over hurdles. Thomas Hobson has also won over extreme distances, and Star Rider won at Goodwood (2m 4f) on firm, albeit he’s higher in the handicap as a result.

VERDICT: Star Rider still looks huge at 30.0 in the BETDAQ orange this morning and (5.9) Thomas Hobson’s yard has won this twice. Who Dares Wins (6.6) should run into a place. I shall back the shorter prices to win 20.

5.35 Royal Ascot We’re virtually blind to this cavalry charge but it could be where Wesley Ward’s ’quarter horses’ run the locals into the ground, so a bit on each of Elizabeth Darcy (9.6) and Nootka Sound (6.p0)

DAQMAN’S BETS (staked to win 30 points, unless otherwise stated; minimum 1pt. Banker to win 100)

2.30 Royal Ascot
BET (ante-post to win 100) 4pts win OH THIS IS US
BET 1pt win and 2pts place at 41.0 OH THIS IS US
BET 2pts win and place DEAUVILLE

3.05 Royal Ascot
BET 5pts win DE BRUYNE HORSE
BET 3pts win DENAAR

3.40 Royal Ascot
GOLD BANKER: BET 30pts win (nap) MARSHA

4.20 Royal Ascot
BET 12pts win BARNEY ROY

5.00 Royal Ascot
BET 1pt win and place STAR RIDER
BET (to win 20) 4pts win THOMAS HOBSON
BET (to win 20) 3.5pts win WHO DARES WINS

5.35 Royal Ascot
BET (to win 20) 4pts win NOOTKA SOUND
BET (to win 20) 2.3pts win and place ELIZABETH DARCY

DAQ MULTIPLES: BET 8 x 1pt win doubles and 4 x 1pt win trebles Deauville and Ribchester (2.30 Royal Ascot) with Marsha (3.40 Royal Ascot) and with Churchill and Barney Roy (4.20 Royal Ascot)


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