DAQMAN on Friday

Friday 14 November SHOOTING STAR: Daqman was willing the line to come but a forceful finish from Sam Thomas got his bet, Hot Diamond, beaten by his lay, Thundering Star, at Taunton yesterday. But he redeemed the day at Ludlow where he spotted a Jonjo O’Neill ‘plot’ with the first-time-in-a-handicap Old Brigade (won 12-1); he tipped it as a 19.5 value trade on Betdaq before the horse became the medium of a gamble. Daqman goes into the three-day Cheltenham Open with 921 winning bets to his name in little more than a year’s trading, including 160 successful lays out of 206 (78%). He wants 1,000 wins by the end of the year and 200 lays (favourites only) by the start of the Flat. Today’s bets take in 41.0, 28.0, 26.0 and 19.5 morning trades on Betdaq. Hot diamonds or stars? The Racing Post museum of the future will have a display-case marked ‘Alastair Down’s hyperbole,’ much of it about his beloved Cheltenham. It is harmless, rollicking, fanzine stuff which serves to cement our love of the sport. But how does it become a front-page lead and how, with the day’s evidence before him, can he describe it as ‘an Open meeting.. transformed into one of the biggest and best’? There would be no racing without betting, whatever the purist says, and I’ll defy Mr Alastair to find me a punter who fails to groan when he sees on any card - not just today’s - ‘amateur riders’ handicap,’ ‘conditional jockeys’ handicap’ and ‘cross-country chase.’ All three in one day? And two other races are down to four runners and seven runners; little or no each-way. This fashion for festivals sees the old ones stretched from three days to four or five, and new ones created and stretched like half a slice of ham across a full round of bread, except that ‘ham’ is not the word for the conditionals’ race; more like ‘spam’, with such poor prizemoney that a £400 whip-round from the field would provide a bigger cheque for the winner, and with 15 of the 24 in this so-called Class-3 having failed to win above Class-4 so far. The cross-country chase today will decide how the money changes hands at Cheltenham and Punchestown this jumps season since – witness the four timer by Spotthedifference in today’s race- horses in this category win and go on winning. With the retirement of Spotthedifference, it’s tempting for top trainers to try horses which don’t quite make it to the top in steeplechasing but are usually handicapped out of all but the best races: so we have L’Ami, Hoo La Baloo, Petite Margot and Crystal D’Ainay trying a new skill. But, as well as the unproven L’Ami, the ‘Spot’ stable of Enda Bolger tries to bolt the door to newcomers with their Punchestown hero, Garde Champetre, and some professionals are so sure that Bolger has the magic potion for these types of races that they will dutch the two. Puntal and Star Performance have both run third in this, Florida Dream fifth; Oh Jackie was a surprise La Touche winner, and Juventus from the tough Pardubicke will be more at home than most with the cross-country discipline, though probably lacking in the necessary speed. Florida Dream’s ‘weakened four out’ in the form book doesn’t tell the story of last year’s race when he, among others, took the wrong course and had to double back. At 41.0 win and 7.4 a place on Betdaq this morning, he was my each-way choice for a flutter. 1.15 Cheltenham: Last year’s first and third, Hordago and Openide, are on higher marks, with Openide best placed at the weights now. You’re looking for an Irish runner – they’re on a treble in this today – with a light weight and at 10-1 or shorter in the market; all three stats apply to Aggie’s Lad and Hoopy. Whereas dutching Enda Bolger’s pair in the cross-country meant two against the field at odds on, the 6.2 and 7.8 on Betdaq about Aggie’s Lad and Hoopy gave me a decent margin, though I’ve cramped it a bit by taking away a couple of points for a win and place on Openide: the 26.0 on Betdaq was just too tempting. 1.50 Cheltenham: Golan Way, Over Sixty and Leo’s Lucky Star are not proven on soft ground. Edward O’Grady’s Indian Spring, fourth in the Fred Winter Juvenile at the Festival, is. Indian Spring has improved over the close season and 19.5 on Betdaq is plain ‘wrong’, though it’s hard to see past American Trilogy for the winner. I am looking to break my week’s curse of the Nicholls’ yard, third time lucky: earlier in the week, Tataniano folded after a mistake and then, when Thundering Star was driven going nowhere two out, yesterday’s lay was lost when Tom O’Brien didn’t, or couldn’t, kick on aboard Hot Diamond and that let the ‘Star’ stamina come into play. American Trilogy is in the top drawer at Ditcheat, and has been working impressively at home, suggesting he is much better than the debut win. 2.25 Cheltenham: Ornais beat Battlecry out of sight at Newbury in February – 47 lengths according to the form book – but Battlecry made a bad mistake that day; Ornais has failed three times out of three at Cheltenham and has to give 7lb to Battlecry but neither has form on ground this soft and I’m ducking the race. 3.00 Cheltenham:  I’ve got that ‘Dream’ alive at 41.0. I expect Enda Bolger to shatter it with either L’Ami or Garde Champetre. A place would be nice but a win would be a Florida beach. 3.35 Cheltenham: Nicky Henderson’s horses are winning like shelling peas with one hand. He can even score with chasers back to hurdling (Duc De Regniere) and Andytown, always highly regarded by Nicky Richards - the yard was sad to see him go - is impressive at home for Henderson who has clearly spotted that a mark of 115 looks very good treatment: he ran to a 137 chase rating at best, 122 at worst, using his proximity to Breedsbreeze and Nikola as face-value form-lines. Front-runner Toomdeely will burst a few lungs but Lordsbridge will thank him for the pace, and looks the main danger to Andytown. 4.05 Cheltenham: Here comes the banker, Herecomesthetruth. Here comes the judge. My ‘plot’ bet today is Solid Silver (12.30 Newcastle), from last year’s 14-1 winning stable and with jockey-of-the-moment in the North, Davy Condon, booked for the job. In the first division of the Betdaq Maiden at Kempton Park tonight, I’ll use Yirga as a saver for an each-way bet on Pezula Bay; the Oasis Dream colt has not been helped by a wide draw but has impressed on the gallops and Noseda is a ‘go for it first time’ trainer. There is 10.0 Betdaq value as I write. Here comes another banker: in the Betdaq Maiden second division, Visite Royale (7.50) looked good on the gallops the other day, stretching out nicely from Sashay Queen (runs tomorrow), and her work generally has been a bit special; again a wide draw doesn’t help, but this time – says my man in the long grass – we’re talking about a filly for whom Listed class or better beckons next turf season. It would be appropriate if Press The Button proved the key to the Look For Better Odds At Betdaq Handicap (8.50) but I’m a Sam Lord man, lightly raced and better than the bare form. Except that there may be another ‘plot’ horse: I can only take a bit of the 28.0 Agapanthus in fear and trembling but you will be better placed tonight - if you keep your Betdaq market up - to know whether Barney is bowling a curler. Layers should pad up well and take a good middle-and-leg guard to protect the tender parts of the wallet: otherwise, the market is at Curley’s leisure.
TODAY'S BETS
BET 1pt win and place SOLID SILVER (12.30 Newcastle) DUTCH 5pts win HOOPY, 4pts win AGGIES LAD, plus 1pt win and place OPENIDE (1.15 Cheltenham) BET 6pts win AMERICAN TRILOGY, plus 1pt win and place INDIAN SPRING (1.50 Cheltenham) BET 1pt win and place FLORIDA DREAM (3.00 Cheltenham) DUTCH 5pts win ANDYTOWN and 4pts win LORDSBRIDGE (3.35 Cheltenham) BANKER 10pts win HERECOMESTHETRUTH (4.05 Cheltenham) BET 1pt win and place PEZULA BAY; 2pt saver YIRGA (7.20 Kempton) BANKER 10pts win VISITE ROYALE (7.50 Kempton) BET 2pts win and place SAM LORD, plus 1pt win and place AGAPANTHUS (8.50 Kempton)
	Try a BETDAQ Multiple today and enjoy better value odds. New to Multiples? Click to Learn More