DAQMAN on Monday

Daqman, with 12 winning bets in nine days in December, finds a 35-1 shot today.

We had two Christmas winners yesterday: one was beaten 19 lengths at Punchestown and the other was tailed off at Warwick.

But I warned you before he ran that Victory Gunner’s target was not Warwick but the Lincolnshire National at Market Rasen on Boxing Day.

And Mansony, second at Punchestown over the wrong trip in ground like suet pudding, now looks nailed on for Leopardstown over the right trip the day after.

In fact, as my cursor cruised the Daq prices this morning, my trigger finger – which is getting to recognize value all by itself -  pushed the Back list where the little orange square said 36.0 Mansony for the Champion Chase in March.

The finger of fortune did not linger long over Twist Magic and Voy Por Ustedes (too short for long-term bets), though their return match is something to look forward to – if it happens! And it slid very quickly past Fair Along, Nickname, Dempsey and Ashley Brook; I’d surely have Mansony over that quartet at the current prices.

The Victor Chandler Chase in January will tell us a lot more but, if Mansony wins at Leopardstown, as I think he will, that 36.0, and offers like it, will quickly disappear. If you’d like Mansony each way, back him to win now and wait for a place trade on the Daq later on to pay for your win bet.

’Wait for the Daq’ is also my advice about the big chase at Cheltenham this coming Saturday: I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw the bookies’ prices this morning with 28 horses receiving a quote of 16-1 or less with one firm or another. Are they all going broke, we ask ourselves! They’re certainly not going overbroke.

Moving on to the day’s (mainly) dross, but still with a whiff of the Cheltenham Festival in the air: the Inglis Drever team have a smart newcomer in the bumper at Musselburgh (3.20); Drever Route’s homework says he will be hard to beat, even against horses with some experience already.

At Lingfield (2.30), Bauhaus Bourbon and Welsh Opera have both improved at home; reports of the Elsworth runner are ‘nothing special’ and the Johnston contender is being given away by Daq layers who think it may need another run.

Wolverhampton beckons a lay in the 2.40: after 10 attempts – seven of them placed – Red Blossom remains a maiden, largely because she simply doesn’t want to win. Watch out for a storming late run by come-from-behind bumper winner Ready To Crown, just when ‘Miss Head In The Air’ Red Blossom is desperately ‘thinking’: Oh no, I might win this!

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BET 3pts win WELSH OPERA; 1pt win and 2pts place BAUHAUS BOURBON (both 2.30 Lingfield)
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LAY to win 4pts RED BLOSSOM and BET 1pt win READY TO CROWN (both 2.40 Wolverhampton)
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BET 4pts win DREVER ROUTE (3.20 Musselburgh)
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ANTE-POST BET 1pt win  MANSONY (Champion Chase at Cheltenham, March)
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