DAQMAN on Monday

Monday 30 March NOW IT’S 15 IN A ROW: The incredible Daqman is already taking the Classic scene apart: he gave a big thumbs down to the 2,000-trial favourite at Leopardstown yesterday and was rewarded with successful lay number 15 in his series. No losers. Or should that be: no winners! The horse was Intense Focus (2nd evens), and Daqman was also on target at Doncaster with Palace Moon (won 5-1), giving him an overall profit for the third day running. Today, the start of Grand National week, Daqman has an each-way bet at Newcastle, ridden by the jockey on his Aintree fancy. It was 11.0 on Betdaq this morning. Two years ago, I was sitting on a fat ante-post voucher for Silver Birch in the Grand National: it had one good thing going for it – apart from the horse winning, of course – and that was not reading a word about it in the run-up to the race. I’m one of those punters who like to stand alone; be the only one to have spotted the winner. This year, I really fancy Rambling Minister, but so does the world and his wife, and every time I pick up a paper, I read about the Reveleys. Today’s story will make watching the race even harder, as the stable warns that the horse races a bit fresh early on and getting over the first three fences will have the heart in the mouth. Thanks very much! Very helpful to know (swallows warfarin stage left). The only thing I’ve got right so far is saying that it’s now an open race: 15 horses are today quoted 20-1 or shorter. And there will be more: the papers are looking to the likes of Cornish Sett – even Silver Birch – to find ‘an outsider’ to root for, and try to grab the last remaining ‘overs’. I still think Butlers Cabin and the remarkable Tony McCoy will end up clear at the front of the market: no other story has yet caught the public imagination and the bookies need a hot favourite pour encourager les autres. It’s a golden rule that I don’t look at other tipsters until I’ve written my piece: so I groaned when I saw Pricewise with both Manassas (won 22-1) and Palace Moon (won 5-1). I much preferred the headlines which claimed that Intense Focus was a good thing for yesterday’s 2,000 trial in Ireland. As I said yesterday, the horse had been exploited last year, was well exposed, and came sheepishly into a Classic trial wearing blinkers! These headlines are now replaced by how good Recharge was in beating him. Don’t believe a word of that either. Don’t back him for any Guineas. The race was run slow by a month (actually 1.90 secs), despite good-to-firm ground; you know what I think of the animal he beat; and we were told in advance that the O’Brien runners weren’t ready. The race is of use only for yardsticks, and I’ll only be backing something for the Guineas which has collateral form many lengths in front of that little lot. How to get through the next three days before Aintree starts? James ‘Rambling Minister’ Reveley would probably answer: by keeping busy. He has a sound each-way chance on the first-time-in-a-handicap Treeko (4.40 Newcastle), fourth to an Ascot winner but given a nice mark to start off with: 11.0 on Betdaq as I write. Just be glad you don’t have to get into a horse-box and drive 300 miles from Pembrokeshire to Geordieland. Peter Bowen has sent two on such a mission: I find it hard to fancy either but I’m tickled pink by the anti-loveys name of the partnership which owns Royal Hilarity (2.40): ‘Don’t Darling Me’ (or was it when the husband came home after a hard night at the pub?). Royal Hilarity is nearly a stone higher than for his Folkestone win and that race really was a month slow. Well, 43.50secs on good to soft. Kenny Johnson wore spurs (yes really) when he booted home Toulouse Express last time after three successive seconds and I hope he’s wearing them again. Lingfield looks easier - famous last words - with Set The Trend (4.00) seemingly a useful prospect and Big Bound (4.30) given a simple task for the Gosden-Fortune bandwagon to keep rolling on the trainer’s 58th birthday. Everard (5.30) is dropped two grades for his first handicap despite a good run at Newmarket in October. We shall only know after the event whether that means he hasn’t grown much over the winter or the trainer wants to give him a confidence-building win first time. Roll on Aintree.
TODAY'S BETS
BET 5pts win TOULOUSE EXPRESS (2.40 Newcastle) BET 6pts win (nap) SET THE TREND (4.00 Lingfield) BET 5pts win BIG BOUND (4.30 Lingfield) BET 1pt win and 1pt place TREEKO (4.40 Newcastle) BET 3pts win EVERARD (5.30 Lingfield) DAQ MULTIPLES: 3 x 1pt win doubles and 1pt treble Big Bound, Set The Trend and Toulouse Express.
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