DAQMAN RUN OF HOT FORM: With a one-two in the first race at Nottingham (a near 19-1 Ladbrokes forecast) and a 14-1 place at Newcastle yesterday, Daqman’s Monday-Tuesday form figures ended at 111213. Only on Saturday, he had a sequence of 13111
TEED UP AGAINST GLENEAGLES: Gleneagles is likely to start a short-priced favourite for the Irish 2,000 Guineas on Saturday but is there serious opposition that can fill the places, even challenge his Classic supremacy? Daqman investigates.
DRAMA FOR THE PLACES IN THE IRISH GUINEAS
They’re keeping all the kudos at home. Irish breeders have a better recent record than Irish trainers in the Curragh 2,000 Guineas, by 6-5 in the decade.
The five home-trained were all saddled by Aidan O’Brien, of course, and he’s taking no chances with the prizemoney – what price a 1-2-3? – with seven colts standing their ground to keep the cash at home.
But two Irish-breds, other than his usual plethora of Galileos, are better than the bare form, with chances of pinching some of the place provender.
BELARDO: Despite the firm ground, which he hates, Belardo finished fourth to Ivawood, with Muhaarar third, in the July Stakes at Newmarket last July.
He was well behind Muhaarar and Ivawood (first and third) in the Greenham last month (firm again) before Ivawood finished third in the Newmarket 2,000 Guineas.
But in between, with the cut in the ground he needs, Belardo won the Washington Singer Stakes at Newbury (good to soft) and the Group-1 Dewhurst at Newmarket (soft).
Belardo, described by trainer Roger Varian as a ‘lovely mover providing there is some ease in the surface’, should get conditions in his favour on Saturday.
ENDLESS DRAMA: While Roger is hoping for some give, as opposed to firm ground, Ger Lyons wants a drier surface for Endless Drama, who absolutely trotted up at Navan as a two-year-old (good-to-yielding).
Race-readers described him that day as a big imposing colt with a decisive turn of foot.
It wasn’t the classiest maiden but his next race, second on heavy ground in the Leopardstown 2,000 Guineas Trial this Spring, was made to look good by the winner, Dermot Weld’s Zawraq, now as low as 6.4 on BETDAQ for the Epsom Derby.
Endless Drama then ran on heavy yet again last month, and no disgrace to be beaten narrowly by a colt who’d run Gleneagles to less than a length in the Tyros last summer.
Endless Drama has been handled with care and, granted a sounder surface on Saturday, this son of a French Derby winner, bred at the Knocktoran Stud in Limerick, can make his presence felt.
BOND TO BE MASTER UP AT AYR
AYR The first of two selections in Scotland runs at 3.20. Richard Fahey and Tony Hamilton are a formidable pairing and with Our Boy Jack, the combination look set to score once again.
Although his form figures of late (070-06) do not read that well, he has run better than they would suggest. Prior to that first ‘duck egg’ he won over course and distance on similar ground in a lesser race.
That win came off a 3lb lower mark and the gelding, by Camacho, was mixing it in much better company between that win and today’s race. He should be more than capable of running well off a mark of 85 and looks a much more enticing bet than others.
Ninety minutes later, Master Bond takes on seven rivals over the minimum distance. He certainly looks like a Nap with today’s company following on from a second at Thirsk last Saturday. He runs today off the same mark of 83.
The experienced Long Awaited looks to be a big danger dropping back in class but it’s now three years since his last win and hard to see him breaking that strike rate today. Bunce is another danger but he would be much better off on better ground and although he has claims, the ground may well be his undoing.
LINGFIELD They race on the turf at Lingfield today. I have one selection, running at 3.30.
This looks a competitive race and right down at the bottom of the Handicap, Roy Rocket sneaks in with 8st 9 in search of a Hat Trick.
Although this is a slight step up in class for the gelding, he looks like he should be open to enough improvement that he can go close for the newly appointed Mayor of Newmarket, John Berry. Bold Runner and Mambo Rhythm are the obvious dangers to the selection but both appear to be slightly exposed and are susceptible to an improver like Roy Rocket.
KEMPTON On the All Weather this evening kicking off at 6.10. I have gone for the two London Series races, over a mile and three and a mile, for my two selections at the track.
At 7.40, Majeed and Smiling Stranger seem to be the ones to beat with only Jacob Cats looking like any sort of danger to the aforementioned duo.
Both are lightly raced and are very unexposed still and the slight preference is for Majeed.
Smiling Stranger is yet to win five outings with just one run so far on the All Weather but he has been off since last August.
Majeed, on the other hand, has the benefit of a run relatively recently when winning at Chelmsford at the end of October over 10 furlongs. The trip is likely to suit and he runs off 82 with George Buckell taking a further five pounds off and he is the selection.
In the following Mile race, Sighora is going to be very hard to beat after being a very easy winner of a Maiden over course and distance back in December.
Ismail Mohammed and Martin Harley team up with this and his course form should play into their hands having only been handed a 3lb penalty for that. He looks very hard to beat at 8.10.
DAQMAN’S BETS (Staked 1-9pts on strength, 10pts for a Banker)
BET 5pts win OUR BOY JACK (3.20 Ayr)
BET 3pts win ROY ROCKET (3.30 Lingfield)
BET 8pts win (Nap) MASTER BOND (4.50 Ayr)
BET 3pts win MAJEED (7.40 Kempton)
BET 5pts win SIGHORA (8.10 Kempton)
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