Betdaq Extra

DAQMAN on Thursday

Thursday 30 April DAQMAN  HAT-TRICK OF GAMBLES: Daqman scored three out of three with his main bets yesterday, including huge gambles on Patkai (banker, won 2-5) and Gold Cup winner Notre Pere (6pts, won 15-8). Crown Choice (6pts, won 13-8) was also heavily backed. BETDAQ BEST: The same bets at Betdaq trades before the gambles began would have netted more than 40 points, with Notre Pere on offer at 7-2, Patkai only a shade of odds on, and Crown Choice averaging 2-1 or more. 12 LAYS IN A ROW: His sequence of 12 lays in a row came to an end three short of his recent record 15, when J’y Vole won at Punchestown. Put together, the two runs make 27 out of 29. EARLY VALUE TODAY: Get the early value on Betdaq as Daqman bids for a hat-trick of bankers today, started with Paco Boy (won 15-8) on Saturday. This time it’s maximum-stakes each-way at 6.0.  TOMORROW Daqman turns from the jumps to a double preview of both weekend Classics: the 1,000 and 2,000 Guineas. It looks so easy with hindsight: Hurricane Fly, Master Minded and Dunguib have been backers’ benefits at the Punchestown Festival, with the gamble of them all Notre Pere yesterday. And that was down to the rain. They were so thinly spread at the end of a heavy-ground Gold Cup (only six finished, 61 lengths apart) that I couldn’t taste the butter for the jam as I collected! So knock out the stick-in-the-muds now and see what’s left on day three: punters bankrolled by the first two days will be looking to smash into horses that can handle the going. I kicked off my morning with a 6.0 trade about Freds Benefit (4.20) who has disappointed in handicaps so far but is a different horse at Punchestown and on heavy. The records show: Punchestown form figures 1112; ‘heavy’ in the going return 1331F112. I believe Fred’s Benefit is well handicapped (hurdles runs have kept his chase rating down) but he likes to be in the thick of things and money for him this afternoon, plus his racing style, will allow you to lay off in running. Good ground was the undoing of the obvious contenders in the La Touche last year and Oh Jackie took them by surprise at 25-1: she’s been 68 lengths behind Garde Champetre on ‘real’ jumps going since. A New Story’s Irish National third got a boost from the fourth horse, Rare Bob, yesterday but he hasn’t won a race since November 2005 and was 40 lengths behind Garde Champetre at the Cheltenham Festival. It was from the ‘banks’ discipline (second in the Cheltenham Cross-Country) that Silver Birch came to win his Grand National and, when he again ran well at Aintree 26 days ago, that was only the fourth race since his famous victory and he’s the only one sure to get the trip today; it was heavy when he won the Welsh National in 2004. Heads On The Ground won the Cross-Country that day at Cheltenham 2007 but has been disappointing since, and looks held by Garde Champetre and his Enda Bolger stablemate, Drombeag. I’ll leave them to steam Garde Champetre and have a sentimental pound on Silver Birch (4.55); since the whole family watched me roar him round Aintree, that’s all I have left of the winnings. That great champion Brave Inca would be another stunning result for Tony McCoy, not to mention Colm Murphy, if he can step up to the 3m of the World Series Hurdle: he was blown out like a candle in the race two years ago but wasn’t himself that day. He was three in a row at Punchestown in 2005 and defied the years in the Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown in January. As they get older, they get further. He’ll love the mud and should get a good tow from Fair Along without using himself up too soon. Past results say that Fair Along, Duc De Regniere, Petitfour and Powerstation would prefer to reverse the climate change, while Footy Facts, Shakervilz and Whatuthink simply don’t have the form in the book. Nicanor still has to prove he’s back to his best after injury but Fiveforthree’s second to Solwhit at Aintree (a pointer to tomorrow’s Champion Hurdle) may turn out to be a top-class effort. Betdaq odds always give you a chance to be brave and, at 14.5 each way, I’m going for the old man of the party to get a place, though the gun at my head says Fiveforthree (5.30). Though Arkle winners have a good record (four runners, three winners since 1996), the market leader has blanked for five years running in the Swordlestown Cup - Kicking King, Watson Lake, and yesterday’s spoiler J’y Vole are among the favourites to get stuffed – so I shall not be going in big on Forpadydeplasterer who is a better horse on better ground and has had a long season. He might just scrape home again (there was a short head in it at Cheltenham) a la Master Minded, with the revived Barker more dangerous than Tatenen; the Nicholls horse has an allowance here but I’ve always though he needs to strengthen up and, at five now, will be a better horse next season. I can’t see any market confidence yet behind Golden Pool (4.30 Folkestone) but she’s got the form at home, working with winners: 19.5 on Betdaq, as I write. Markington (6.40 Huntingdon) has been freshened up and dropped in class, which made a 9.6 trade tempting this morning. The evening banker on the Flat is Ithbaat (6.30 Yarmouth), who has been working well with Lively Fling - second in a conditions race on Saturday – and other useful colts.
TODAY'S BETS
EACH-WAY BANKER 5pts win and place FRED’S BENEFIT (4.20 Punchestown) BETDAQ MARKET BET 1pt win and place GOLDEN POOL (4.30 Folkestone) BETDAQ MARKET BET 2pts win and place SILVER BIRCH and 3pts win (saver) GARDE CHAMPETRE (4.55 Punchestown) BETDAQ MARKET BET 1pt win and place BRAVE INCA, and 2pts win (saver) FIVEFORTHREE (5.30 Punchestown) BETDAQ MARKET BET 6pts win ITHBAAT (6.30 Yarmouth) BETDAQ MARKET BET 1pt win and place MARKINGTON (6.40 Huntingdon) BETDAQ MARKET We are now recording the daily profit and loss of DAQMAN to help readers gauge the current form of the service. We will provide the profit / loss on the previous day to a £1 level stake on each selection (eg: a 5 point bet = a £5 stake). In the interests of consistency the profit / loss will be recorded at SP prices, however BETDAQ users can reasonably expect to beat SP in the majority of races. Wednesday's Return was: LOSS 32.50 points
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Ireland's Eye on Thursday

Thursday 30 April

IRELAND'S EYE 

A hat trick of winners on DAY 2 of the Punchestown Festival yielded a fine profit with No One Tells Me (6/1), The Midnight Club (5/2-7/4 and over 50.0 in running on the DAQ) in addition to our nap Notre Pere (7/2 morn -15/8) all doing the business. Additionally we gave the first two in the Champion bumper with the exciting Dunguib (evens-9/10) easing home clear of Sweeps Hill (8-7/1).

Today we hope to supplement those profits with a value bet in the opener against the ‘hotpot’ and we also take on the ‘jolly’ in the closing bumper and nominate a decent priced selection in a handicap hurdle.

DAON INSURANCES HURDLE
Nicky Henderson will be expected to land the opener with the decent ex flat performer Ainama who boasts some decent form over hurdles to date. The 5yo could only finish eight in the Supreme Novice however and his jumping was not entirely perfect when he took a close but beaten third to Bougler in the Grade 2 novice hurdle over this distance at Aintree. Though he should handle the ground he does tend to race freely and a better option looks to be Willie Mullins decent ex point winner Jessies Dream who will be ideally suited by another step up in trip and the ground holds no fears for the bumper and hurdle winner. Solstice Knight from the Edward O’Grady yard is an unexposed type who could pose a problem whilst another to seriously enter calculations is Conor O’Dwyers Uncle Tom Cobley who faces into the unknown here in terms of trip but shapes as if he will be suited by it and his recent third to Realt Dubh over two miles here in February is not shabby form by any means.

IRISH SUN HANDICAP CHASE
A typically open looking handicap over the minimum trip and the three against the field could prove to be Beroni, Tahitien Fix and Wheels Up while course specialist Freds Benefit cannot be dismissed lightly. The former – a Tramore novice chase winner earlier in the year has run well in a decent novice and handicap chase on his last couple of starts and is well suited by the prevailing ground and the distance of this contest and though the Michael O’Brien stable have had better years they nevertheless are in fair form at present. Arthur Moores former pointer (moderate second to Aggies Lad on sole run) Tahitien Fix looks to be on the upgrade and though his jumping could do with a little brushing up he races here off a decent mark and should improve on his second to Jaamid at Fairyhouse last time and could go well in his first handicap. Wheels Up has not had much fortune of late over fences and had a handicap chase in safe keeping till toppling at the last here in late December over the minimum trip. Though he is now 9lbs higher the Christy Roche trained could go close with this trip looking tailor made for the nine year old. Freds Benefit boasts a three from four record at this venue and he could step up on his second to Perce Rock over 2m 4f here on penultimate start but he just could be vulnerable to a better handicapped rival.

AVON RI CORPORATE & LEISURE RESORT LA TOUCHE CHASE
Enda Bolgers long standing stranglehold on this contest was loosened by the surprise victory of Oh Jackie last year but the Limerick handler will be expecting to resume ‘normal service’ this year with a three pronged attack headed by Garde Champetre, a five time winner in these type of events. The Nina Carberry ridden 10yo must hold a favourites chance but he does have to give plenty of weight away to his rivals and carries the welter weight of 12-7 but it was his off colour run when pulling up in the Irish National which is the most offputting. However the stable are also represented by the former Christies winner Drombeag who is strictly held by his stablemate but it would not be a surprise to see him finish in front of that rival here but the vote goes to the admirable Michael Hourigan trained 11yo A New Story who will be competing in his 43rd chase. He showed that he is far from a back number with a fine third in the Irish Grand National on latest where he had Tuesdays good winner Rare Bob back in fourth and getting a stone from Garde Champetre he can record his first success at this venue having been placed on three occasions, including a close enough third last term in this event. The former Aintree Grand National winner Silver Birch representing the in form Gordon Elliott yard must hold a big chance but he did have a fairly hard race at Aintree and may not be quite the force of old.

LADBROKES.COM WORLD SERIES HURDLE
A fascinating Irish/English clash looks in store here with Nigel Twiston Davies (Pettifour), Nicky Henderson (Duc De Regniere) and Phillip Hobbs (Fair Along) taking on the best that the home brigade can muster. Probably the best chance of an English success lies with Fair Along who ran a fine race to take a decent third to Big Buck’s and Punchestowns in the World Hurdle on heavy ground at Cheltenham and he finished further behind the winner in the Aintree equivalent on better ground on latest. He is though to prefer better ground but he looks set to go close here under the promising Rhys Flint but there is a strong home challenge in the shape of warm favourite former Ballymore Properties novice hurdle winner Fiveforthree who is stepping up to three miles for the first time and comes here fresh from a narrow defeat to the progressive Solwhit at Aintree in a Grade 1 2m 4f Hurdle. Oliver McKiernans Whatuthink is another who goes into uncharted territory regarding the trip but the 7yo looks a sound bet to do so on his racing style and though he has not really ‘bagged’ as much wins as his ability would indicate he comes here fresh from a win at Tipperary on testing ground and if he can put in a better round of jumping than he did in the World Hurdle (finished seventh) he would rate a big danger to all.

NAAS COURT HOTEL HANDICAP HURDLE
Plenty with chances here and the highly consistent if exasperating Mick The Man should be suited by trip/ground and boasts a decent course record but Colm Murphys charge was never one for the maximum to win stakes but could prove place value. Tony Martins Aggies Lad off a low eight enters calculations but looks unsuited by the ground but a better betting option lies with Francis Floods course winner Imahall who has been in fine form this campaign and in the process has landed a couple of Down Royal and Fairyhouse handicaps over two miles and four but the 6yo was travekking well till tipping up four from home behind several of todays rivals in a Fairyhouse 2m 6f hc last time – including winner Rocco’s Hall, Bronte Bay, Paco Jack, Maucaillou, disappoint favourite Themoonandsixpence, Tumbling Dice and Our Eric. The Bay Lad finds it hard to win but ran well enough in second when well outpointed by Borrowaddy in Kilbeggan last weekend to indicate that he could pick up some placed money.

CATHAL RYAN MEMORIAL NOVICE CHASE
Cheltenham hero Forpadydeplaster will be all the rage here to supplement his narrow Arkle victory over subsequent scorer Kalahari King and it is difficult to get away from the claims of the Tommy Cooper runner. Though he will have to give 7lbs to the Paul Nicholls trained 5yo Tatenem (who proved no match for Kalahari King in a Grade 1 chase at Aintree) he should be up to the task despite the fact that he would be better suited by a less demanding surface. Indeed the Nicholls runner has generally been somewhat disappointing and has not reached the heights of his early season promise. With Made In Taipan a doubt as he is considered best going left handed it could be the Mullins duo of Barker and Deutchland who were separated by half a length when both were touched off by Aran Concerto in the Power Gold Cup at Fairyhouse over 2m 4f but the latter could prove the best bet to chase home the selection here as he may be better suited the two mile trip.

ORBIS FLAT RACE
Dessie Hughes is enjoying a fine season and there is decent chance that he could be in the winners enclosure in the finale where his ‘last gasp’ Fairyhouse winner Whispering Hills could prove the answer under Nina Carberry. Though he only got going late there after coming under pressure the form of the race was partly boosted by the success of Imperial Cascade when landing a bumper on Tuesday and the fact that he gets 10tlbs from the favourite Quel Esprit could just swing it in his favour. Quel Esprit rates the obvious danger as the former point winner (heavy) followed up his Leopardstown win a a2m 4f bumper with a staying on fourth to yesterdays hero Dunguib in the Cheltenham bumper. He looks suited by a stiff test and could be vulnerable here over the optimum trip. Nicky Henderson – fresh from caning the home brigade in the bumper on Day 1 will fancy his chances with the once raced Katmai who eased home from modest opposition at Fakenham on sole start while Mullins ‘second string’ Skorcher cannot be left out of calculations, despite proving no match for the useful Western Leader at Limerick last tim. Jessica Harringtons 4yo mare Where’s My Slave looked unlucky not to make a winning debut at Gowran five weeks ago and off a low weight and getting all the allowances she could pose a danger.

ADVICE
4pt win JESSIES DREAM 3-45 Punchestown BETDAQ MARKET
lay to win 8pt AINAMA 3-45 Punchestown BETDAQ MARKET
1pt win 1pt place UNCLE TOM COBLEY 3-45 Punchestown BETDAQ MARKET
2pt win BERONI 4-20 Punchestown BETDAQ MARKET
2pt win (saver) WHEELS UP 4-20 Punchestown BETDAQ MARKET
5pt win A NEW STORY 4-55 Punchestown BETDAQ MARKET
3pt win FAIR ALONG 5-30 Punchestown BETDAQ MARKET
2pt win (saver) WHATUTHINK 5-30 Punchestown BETDAQ MARKET
2pt win IMAHALL 6-05 Punchestown BETDAQ MARKET
6pt win (nap) FORPADYDEPLASTER 6-40 Punchestown BETDAQ MARKET
3pt win WHISPERING HILLS 7-15 Punchestown BETDAQ MARKET
1pt win (saver) WHERE’S MY SLAVE 7-15 Punchestown BETDAQ MARKET

We are now recording the daily profit and loss of Ireland's Eye to help readers gauge the current form of the service. We will provide the profit / loss on the previous day to a £1 level stake on each selection (eg: a 5 point bet = a £5 stake). In the interests of consistency the profit / loss will be recorded at SP prices, however BETDAQ users can reasonably expect to beat SP in the majority of races.

Wednesday's Return was: PROFIT 16.25 points

DAQMAN on Wednesday

Wednesday 29 April DAQMAN  BANKER AND A LAY TODAY: Daqman is back with some serious business today, a banker at Ascot and a lay at Punchestown. 27 OUT OF 28: His lays record is 15 in a row and his current sequence is 27 out of 28. 65 APRIL WINS: His bankers and naps results among 65 winning bets in April include Won 11-10, Won 2-5, Won 8-11, Won 4-7, Won 9-4, Won 11-4, won 13-8, won 15-8. So that was my Champion Hurdle outsider (what did you think?): now for the Gold Cup. Along with Hurricane Fly for hurdles glory, this column nominated Notre Pere for gold. A year early with both, perhaps. But, like the ‘Hurricane’ yesterday, I see Notre Pere today paying back the outlay on my too-soon ante-post vouchers, with stamina the key to the racing at Punchestown. The Guinness Gold Cup is his by default; it’s full of negatives. The ground: Albertas Run, Air Force One, Gungadu and Roll Along don’t normally like it this soft. Having said that, the times of yesterday’s races suggest it’s not heavy going. Stable form: The Alners (Miko De Beauchene) are without a recent win and the second best jumps trainer in Ireland, Noel Meade (Afistfullofdollars), has had only one from 19. The trip: Imperial Commander’s chase form over 3m-plus is: 6th (beaten 63 lengths), 3rd (22 lengths), 4th (39 lengths) and 6th (72 lengths). Schindlers Hunt hasn’t tried a trip before. Scotsirish’s wins are over 21 furlongs or less. Recent form: Snowy Morning hasn’t won a chase for two years and has to recover from a grueling Grand National. War Of Attrition gets the trip, acts on almost any going and is a fresh horse. He did the Gold Cup double – Cheltenham and Punchestown – in 2006 but that’s a long time ago in steeplechase terms. Positives? Best I can do are pluses for Roll Along, Albertas Run and Air Force One – a winner at this meeting last year – since the last seven winners had all run in the Cheltenham Gold Cup but, apart from the occasional exceptional run, they seem to be professional also-rans. I like Notre Pere’s jumping style. Things didn’t go right for him in the run-up to the Gold Cup but he is a fresh horse today and, after his Welsh National win, ran second to the dual winner of today’s race, Neptune Collonges, in the Hennessy at Leopardstown.  The secret of the Ulster Bank Chase (6.40) is that you need an animal that stays further (8 out of 10 winners say the stats): in the last decade the race has been won by an Aintree National winner and a Fairyhouse National placed horse; others have had wins or places over 3m (three) or at least 2m 6f (three). I fancy De Boitron for a top trainer of stayers, Ferdy Murphy, who has kept the horse’s weight down by running in minor races; he did the same trick with Postage Stamp in 1995. Right down the bottom with him is Plaisir D’Estruval, whose stable pulled off a similar coup last year with another ‘d’Estruval.’ My pair get a stone and more from the front-runner J’y Vole. J’y Vole was in her element last year running ragged inferior opposition at Cork and Gowran but, once the penalties kicked in, she fell apart: Big Zeb turned her over here in the Swordlestown Cup and her return to the track a month ago was a big disappointment. Buying money was the order of the day yesterday but you could never be sure which of the hot-pots would be beaten – in the end it was Cooldine – but there are no doubts about Patkai (3.55) at Ascot today. Patkai, who destroyed the Queens Vase field over course and distance, at the royal meeting, has been working with all Sir Michael Stoute’s top horses this Spring, including Tartan Bearer, who came straight back into the winners’ enclosure. It will be an interesting race to watch with your Daq up, since trading could be affected by Tungsten Strike’s front-running style (which won him this race, the Sagaro, two years ago): I shall be ducking and diving, hoping to get some decent trades about Patkai, who should catch him at half his age. Native Ruler (2.55) also looks the proverbial good thing, but for the Dante and Derby entry to have to go to Pontefract to get his head in front is not inspiring: I can’t oppose him but I can’t back him at odds on for fear he’s a ‘morning glory.’ The flood of money for Kingdom Of Light (2.20) leaves a cracking each-way bet in the opener at 9.6 on Betdaq: Lofthouse (2.20) has been working well with a Saturday winner from the Channon yard.  The draw could help the cause of Zeyadah (7.20 Kempton), working nicely recently; but it negates the chances of Cwm Rhondda (7.50), who has been catching the eye but has to cope with the ‘coffin box’ stall. The one to be on at Kempton is Crown Choice (8.20) who has improved – working with the smart Stotsfold – for his maiden, which has already thrown up more winners.
TODAY'S BETS
BET 2pts win and place LOFTHOUSE and 2pts win (saver) KINGDOM OF LIGHT (2.20 Pontefract) BANKER 10pts win PATKAI (3.55 Ascot) BET 6pts win NOTRE PERE (6.05 Punchestown) LAY to win 10pts J’Y VOLE, plus 1pts win and place on each DE BOITRON and PLAISIR D’ESTRUVAL (6.40 Punchestown) BET 6pts win CROWN CHOICE (8.20 Kempton) We are now recording the daily profit and loss of DAQMAN to help readers gauge the current form of the service. We will provide the profit / loss on the previous day to a £1 level stake on each selection (eg: a 5 point bet = a £5 stake). In the interests of consistency the profit / loss will be recorded at SP prices, however BETDAQ users can reasonably expect to beat SP in the majority of races. Tuesday's Return was: LOSS 16.1 points
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Ireland's Eye on Wednesday

Wednesday 29 April

IRELAND'S EYE 

The opener on yesterdays card proved our only payout with Another Jewel (33-25/1) collecting the place money while we got the favourite Freneys Well (10//1) turned over. However we did give 16/1 winner Truckers Delight a favourable mention while Sparkling Tara (6/1) was just outgunned in the bumper and Perfect Smile (8/1) and Whatdoyouthink (50/1) finished just out of the money.

Today we have some interesting long priced fancies in the opening and closing contests while a Cheltenham failure looks the bet of the day in one of the novice hurdles.

MARTINSTOWN OPPORTUNITY SERIES FINAL HANDICAP HURDLE
Dante Hall has proved quite successful over fences and boasts winning form from two to three miles, including a course success but Tommy Stack’s 8yo has not been quite as prolific over hurdles an as a consequence he lies on an attractive mark some two stone below his chase mark. Though he has only scored once over the lesser obstacles his recent third placing over fences in Cork was quite encouraging – despite some indifferent jumping and he could prove the answer here under Dermot Hogan in this competitive affair. There are plenty of dangers and these include the Phillip Hobbs challenger Keri Buku under the promising Rhys Flint following a couple of decent efforts in Cheltenham and Sandown handicaps since landing his novice hurdle success. Former point winner In The Haven has been running well in defeat of late and Philip Rothwells 6yo looks suited by the 2m 4f trip and on the ground whilst Enter The Indian could still be competitive off a mark 7lbs higher following his Gowran success and he was just touched off on the flat on latest.

LOUIS FITZGERALD HOTEL HURDLE
Jessica Harringtons stable fresh from success in the bumper yesterday could be on the mark here with No One Tells Me who followed up her comfortable Wexford win with a decent effort when finishing a fair third behind Sarteano in a decent Fairyhouse handicap against older rivals over a fortnight ago. This 4yo contest looks decidedly open and a good case can also be made for the unexposed Coffee Tea Or Me representing the all conquering Willie Mullins/Ruby Walsh combination. This fellow got up late to land his maiden in Cork on penultimate start before going under by just over a length to The Fist Of God who is talented on his day. The Mullins runner should confirm the form with Manor Park and the ex English Moville (landed gamble on hurdle debut) who both finished behind on that occasion. The twice raced French Riviera from the Michael O’Brien yard fell when beaten last time in Fairyhouse but remains relatively unexposed after just two runs in this sphere.

MADRA DOG FOOD NOVICE HURDLE
An intriguing novice hurdle and one which sees the Wiilie Mullins camp doubly represented by Palace Merano and the ex point to pointer The Midnight Club. The former is ridden by Ruby Walsh and comes here on the back of two narrow and hard earned successes – the most recent when just getting the better of one of todays rivals Across The Bay over a similar trip in Navan but though he is suited by a stern test of stamina he could struggle to confirm the form with the Noel Meade trained rival on 3lbs worse terms. In contrast the useful 3lb claimer Emmett Mullins is on board the progressive but lightly raced 8yo The Midnight Club and he ran a blinder to take a close third to the gambled on Weapon’s Amnesty in the Albert Bartlett Novice hurdle at Cheltenham where he hung left on the run in. All of his wins have been when raced going right handed and he can land this prize at the expense of the Mouse Morris trained Baily Light who won by a wide margin over 2m 4f at Gowran last time and gets a useful 4lb allowance here. In a race where a case can be made for several runners the improving ex pointer Sam Adams cannot be dismissed whilst the English challenger, the Nicky Richards runner Merrydown ran better than his final finishing position would indicate at Aintree last time.

PADDY POWER CHAMPION INHS FLAT RACE
The undisputed star on show here is the impressive Cheltenham bumper winner Dunguib who fairly trounced the opposition there which included a strong team from the Willie Mullins camp and the well fancied Dermot Weld runner Rite Of Passage. Although both these yards are represented here with Quadrillion (Mullins) the main hope for Mullins and the unbeaten Universal Truth (Weld) who is on the trail of a four timer they could struggle to lower the colours of the Philip Fenton trained 6yo who is trying to emulate the feat of Cousin Vinny in landing the English/Irish equivalent of this contest. Indeed the ‘hot’ favourites main threat could come from the once raced John Kiely runner Sweeps Hill who won well in a lesser Leopardstown event at Christmas while the tough Luska Lad from the O’Hanlon yard is seeking his third success in this discipline.

PUNCHESTOWN GUINNESS GOLD CUP
Todays highlight presents a poser for punters with more questions than answers regarding the main competitors. Ex pointer Imperial Commander jumped well to lower the colours of Voy Por Ustedes in the Ryanair over 2m 5f at the Festival while Johnjo O’Neills Albertas Run has not confirmed the promise of his previous win in the Royal & Sun Alliance Chase and failed to show much whne finishing down the field in the Gold Cup and most recently behind Madison Du Berlais at Aintree. Last years impressive winner of the Champion Novice chase on this card last year Air Force One has not sparkled since finishing a close second to Madison Du Berlais in the Hennessy in Newbury while Paul Nicholls who won this contest last year with Neptune Collonges is represented by the  generally disappointing Gungadu who will be wearing blinkers for the first time. However in the hope that the ground is soft enough the vote goes to the Tom Dreaper runner Notre Pere who is fast becoming Irelands best chance of glory in the Gold Cup though his yard are quiet at present and there are some niggling doubts about his well being since his last run. The 8yo has already landed the Welsh National in fine style and went down with ‘all guns blazing’ to Neptune Collonges in the Irish Hennessy at Leopardstown. A resolute stayer the Andrew Lynch ridden gelding can keep the prize at home and his main danger could come from the former Gold Cup winner War Of Attrition who though not quite the force of old comes here a fresh horse having missed Cheltenham after suffering a setback but he boasts a fine course record but a saver on Albertas Run at the price may also be advisable.

ULSTER BANK HANDICAP CHASE
Arthur Moore is usually a trainer to be feared at this Festival and in bottom weight Plaisir D’Estruval he can land this 2m 4f handicap chase for the second year following the success of Notable D’Estruval under David Casey. This 6yo did us a favour when landing a Down Royal novice over this trip but he departed at an early juncture at Fairyhouse in the interim. The unexposed son of Fragrant Mix can land the spoils here at the expense of another last time out faller in the Robert Buckler (fresh from his Irish National success) trained The Sawyer who ran well for a long way on penultimate start till fading in latter stages when finishing fifth to the ill fated Wichita Linesman in the William Hill hc chase over 3m 1f at Cheltenham. Arc En Ciel from the Colm Murphy yard went up 11lbs for his recent Cork success over the trip but could still be competitive while Ferdy Murphy could have a live danger in the recent Stratford good ground winner De Boitron off a nine pound higher mark. Although Henry De Bromheads Sizing America has yet to win in eight attempts over fences and been generally disappointing he could be worth a small saver at much bigger odds off bottom weight.

THREE.IE NOVICE CHASE
Dreamy Gent is a tentative choice to land this novice event to give Jessica Harrington another win at the Festival. The 7yo has used tearaway tactics in the past and the Ballinrobe chase winner has run a couple of fine seconds in Galway novices on differing grounds subsequently last year. Though he has not shown that much on recent efforts and has been campaigned over hurdles lately he boasts a good course record and acts on this softer surface Andrew Leigh can guide him to success here at the expense of the Robert Tyner trained Rock Street who showed up well before failing to give 4lbs to Taipan’s Way at Fairyhouse over a fortnight ago. A course winner of a bumper here he could make a bold bid here under Denis O’Regan whilst the Willie Mullins trained Jayo looks set to start favourite but does not boast a ’bombproof’ chase profile.

ADVICE
3pt win DANTE HALL 3-45 Punchestown BETDAQ MARKET
1pt win (saver) ENTER THE INDIEN 3-45 Punchestown BETDAQ MARKET
1pt win (saver) IN THE HAVEN 3-45 Punchestown BETDAQ MARKET
3pt win NO ONE TELLS ME 4-20 Punchestown BETDAQ MARKET
5pt win (nap) THE MIDNIGHT CLUB 4-55 Punchestown BETDAQ MARKET
2pt win (saver) BAILY LIGHT 4-55 Punchestown BETDAQ MARKET
4pt win NOTRE PERE 6-05 Punchestown BETDAQ MARKET
2pt win (saver) ALBERTAS RUN 6-05 Punchestown BETDAQ MARKET
3pt win PLAISIR D’ESTRUVAL 6-40 Punchestown BETDAQ MARKET
1pt win (saver) DE BOITRON 6-40 Punchestown BETDAQ MARKET
1pt win (saver) SIZING AMERICA 6-40 Punchestown BETDAQ MARKET
3pt win DREAMY GENT 7-15 Punchestown BETDAQ MARKET
1pt win (saver) ROCK STREET 7-15 Punchestown BETDAQ MARKET


We are now recording the daily profit and loss of Ireland's Eye to help readers gauge the current form of the service. We will provide the profit / loss on the previous day to a £1 level stake on each selection (eg: a 5 point bet = a £5 stake). In the interests of consistency the profit / loss will be recorded at SP prices, however BETDAQ users can reasonably expect to beat SP in the majority of races.

Tuesday's Return was: LOSS 9  points

DAQMAN on Tuesday

Tuesday 28 April DAQMAN  WATCH THIS SPACE: There’s a week of wonderful racing ahead, with the Punchestown Festival and the Newmarket Guineas meeting. BIG-ODDS TRADES: Daqman walks on the wild side with some value each-way bets at big-odds trades this morning on the Daq, including 42.0, 19.0 and 13.0. KING OF THE LAYS:  But the king of the lays, with six successful at each of the last two Cheltenham Festivals, and 64 winners this month already, can be expected to go in heavy before the week is out. Watch this space. It’s been a long wait to see my Champion Hurdle outsider come in: he’s seven weeks to the day behind the others! When Hurricane Fly blew away Go Native in the ‘Future Champion’ at Leopardstown over Christmas, I pushed the Cheltenham ante-post button. But, while trainer Willie Mullins admitted to a ‘very impressive’ performance and described his winner as ‘a horse who has everything: speed and stamina,’ he said that running a novice in a Champion Hurdle was ‘not my style.’ Between then and now – though without another run - Hurricane Fly (4.20) has become joint favourite with Binocular for the 2010 title, half the price of this year’s winner, Punjabi. ’Fly’ is favourite to take another ‘champion novice’ today, with his main market opponent again Go Native, who franked the form by winning the Supreme Novices Hurdle. But today we’re back to an act of faith: since Leopardstown, Hurricane Fly has had a splint problem and, since Cheltenham, the supreme-novices form has taken some knocks, let down by the Ayr defeats of the second and fourth, Medermit and Copper Bleu, and the third, Somersby, was only third again at Aintree. There’s gloom for the future from the stats, too, in that today’s Punchestown event has thrown up only one Cheltenham champ in recent times, Brave Inca (2004), and gained a reputation for producing a string of subsequent disappointments at the highest level: Wild Passion, Iktitaf, Clopf and Jered. Things are seldom what they seem and we need a very convincing performance from Hurricane Fly, and an equally strong affirmation from Go Native, to confirm that the snub to Punjabi for 2010 has any basis in fact. If Kempes’ Cheltenham flop is taken literally, though it may be the track was against him, the only alternative to the front two is El Dancer, who had Riverside Theatre behind at Aintree; the second that day, American Trilogy, may not have run his race after his Cheltenham exertions and, in any case was giving 8lb to the neck winner. Nevertheless, El Dancer, 13.0 on the Daq this morning, is an improver against a front two requiring that act of faith; moreover, this is an eight-horse field and the angel on my shoulder says: hey, 12-1 is value when the true-odds are 7-1. There was even some value in Punchestown’s Champion Chase (6.05), depending on how you look at it: I mean, if Master Minded is 4-7 already for the 2010 Cheltenham title, then 3-7 this morning was giving money away! Paul Nicholls has had Cheltenham-Aintree winners go belly up recently but Master Minded swerved Liverpool for this and, as a fresh horse, should not have any truck with the older horses today: only Big Zeb could be expected to improve and his, in effect, evens-for-second Daq place bet looked tempting this morning but I decided that I needed a bigger margin because of his risky jumping. What more appropriate winner of the Masterchef hurdle than Sole Bonne Femme (4.55), back from chasing with a featherweight: with 23 runners, and at 19.0 on the Daq, it’s by no means on a plate and I’ll split my chips between that one and Kirbybroguelantern, 42.0 as I write. ’Lantern’ got no prizemoney for running in top-class company at Aintree, Cheltenham and Leopardstown, including the Pierse Hurdle and the Coral Cup, but he did get a small reward: the handicapper has dropped him 8lb. The Champion Novice Chase looks a contest to savour between two of the finest jump jockeys we’ve ever since in combat: Ruby Walsh and Tony McCoy; Cooldine and Joncol are both young horses on the up. May the best man win. It’s fairly flat in England but with a chunky field for a Listed race at Bath: Lucky Leigh, Raggle Taggle and Starlight Sands were all aimed high on occasion last term but I shall have my pound on Sirens Gift (5.05), better than the bare form and sure to win a handicap soon even if she can’t win at this level. Tom Dascombe’s two-year-olds have made a great start and he’s been hyped as the stable going places; so you can expect the 8.6 Quaker Parrott (2.10 Bath) to shorten up. Bet and lay (charged to the account as an each-way). I like to have a pound on a horse first time in a handicap, particularly when the stable is in form (and when the Racing Post misses it off the Handicap debut list): go Castellina (2.20 Wincanton). But it’s a desperately hard day, unless you are determined to ‘buy money’ off those ‘good things’ at Punchestown. My way, to provide my reader with an affordable tilt, is – using Master Minded as the banker – to speculate with trebles that mix those hot-pots with the ones most likely to beat them at good prices.
TODAY'S BETS
BET 1pt win and place QUAKER PARROTT (2.10 Bath) BETDAQ MARKET BET 2pts win and place CASTELLINA (2.20 Wincanton) BETDAQ MARKET BET 1pt win and place EL DANCER (4.20 Punchestown) BETDAQ MARKET BET 1pt win and place on each KIRBYBROGUELANTERN and SOLE BONNE FEMME (4.55 Punchestown) BETDAQ MARKET BET 1pt win and place SIRENS GIFT (5.05 Bath) BETDAQ MARKET DAQ MULTIPLES: 4 x 1pt win trebles El Dancer and Hurricane Fly (4.20 Punchestown) with Master Minded (6.05 banker) and with Cooldine and Joncol (6.40 Punchestown) We are now recording the daily profit and loss of DAQMAN to help readers gauge the current form of the service. We will provide the profit / loss on the previous day to a £1 level stake on each selection (eg: a 5 point bet = a £5 stake). In the interests of consistency the profit / loss will be recorded at SP prices, however BETDAQ users can reasonably expect to beat SP in the majority of races. Monday's Return was: LOSS 21 points
	Try a BETDAQ Multiple today and enjoy better value odds. New to Multiples? Click to Learn More

Ireland's Eye on Tuesday

Tuesday 28 April

IRELAND'S EYE 

Today sees the start of a veritable feast of National Hunt racing at peerless Punchestown and though it arguably plays ‘second fiddle’ to the Cheltenham Festival due in some part to its proximity to that meeting and occasionally suffers from the weather with the ground drying out this years renewal will have no such problems. With ideal ground and a host of the Cheltenham winners on show it promises to be punter friendly with several short priced favourites on show today.

Here we will give our verdicts on the chances of the ‘hotpots’ and give alternative selections where the value dictates on the DAQ and analyse each race in detail.

Wolf Moon (13/8-5/6) kept our flow of winners going yesterday on a reasonably quiet day but hopefully all that will change today with a couple of value wagers advised at Punchestown.

KHC FR SEAN BREEN MEMORIAL CHASE FOR THE LADIES CUP
This contest revolves around the likely short priced favourite Freneys Well who deserves to start the market leader on his recent runner up to Rudi Trucker in the big Fairyhouse hunter chase less than a fortnight ago but the 9yo does come with a wallet warning despite his trainers excellent record in the race and Punchestown hunter chases in general. Though he has scored three point wins during a relatively light racing career he has failed to score in 10 hunter chases and though he does boast a couple of decent efforts over the course but over considerably longer trip in the La Touche chase – including a runner up placing to stablemate Spot Thedifference in the 2007 renewal. There are a couple of better priced runners in the field and they are the mare Loggan Lass and Denis Murphys Another Jewel. Phillip Rothwells 10yo mare Loggan Lass has shown a decent level of form in similar events, including this contest in the past and the 6 time point winner did finish a fair third to L’Ami over course and distance in February. Another Jewel has been in decent form in this his first season ‘between the flags’ and the dual point winner was only narrowly beaten by Lady Ramona (would have gone close but for falling at last in Tramore hunter chase recently) in Castletown Geoghegan and has plenty of chase experience and the assistance of a decent 7lb claimer in Shane Byrne. Ted Walshs Wedger Pardy only wins have come in a point and hunter chase here but the Katie Walsh ridden 8yo does have the penalty to contend with for landing this event in fine style last year having finished runner up the previous year.

EVENING HERALD CHAMPION NOVICE HURDLE
If Hurricane Fly returns in the same form that saw him thrash Go Native in the Grade 1 at Fairyhouse in December he will comfortably justify his favourites tag her. However the subsequent course and distance winner did miss Cheltenham after suffering a setback and it is rare that backing a horse at short odds following an enforced absence proves profitable and there could be much better value in siding with Noel Meades course and distance winner Go Native who looked good in landing the Supreme Novice subsequently and he comes here in a much clearer bill of health and warrants the vote at the available odds. He can give Noel Meade his sixth success in this race in the last 12 years. Lucy Wadhams El Dancer came from a most unpromising position to beat American Trilogy (gave 8lbs) in a competitive Grade 2 novice at Aintree on good ground but does boast wins on soft in a hurdle and on flat to warrant plenty of respect but the home brigade should keep the prize at home.

MASTERCHEF HOSPITALITY HANDICAP HURDLE
In a typically open looking contest which has thrown up double figure priced winners in the last 6 years it should pay dividends to look at some of the longer priced runners and concentrate on the lower weighed contenders on the prevailing soft ground and in this regard the ones who ‘catch the eye’ are Native Clan, Truckers Delight and Boleybawn Quikstar. Native Clan has promised to land a ‘big pot’ for some time but Arthur Moores 6yo has just come up short on occasions and he could be suited by the step back to 2m here having failed to justify favouritism when finishing third to Line Ball (gave 13lbs) in Cork over 2, 3f last time. Truckers Delight always looked a decent prospect since scoring a facile win on only point start in Boulta and though the ‘Shark’ Hanlon trained 8yo has only added a bumper and hurdle to his career tally to date and probably would be suited by a little further he showed himself to be in fine fettle when exiting late when making progress in a 3m hc hurdle last time. Philip Rothwells Boleybawn Quikstar has been mixing chasing with hurdles but has is fairly unexposed as a hurdler having just five runs over the minor obstacles. Although soft does not appear in any of his three wins (one point) he nevertheless did run a good third to Clopt in a Navan chase on heavy and he could spring a surprise here off a very low weight with the very capable Chris O’Farrell on board. Nearer the top of the market Silverhand will be all the rage following his somewhat luckless second to Fisher Bridge recently and Noel Meades charge commands plenty of respect as a former course and distance winner and in addition was second to the very useful Solwhit in a similar contest on the track last year. Though he has fair form on soft ground he may be better suited by better underfoot conditions. The Pierce Hurdle could also hold the key to the outcome here as the shock 50/1 winner Penny’s Bill cannot be left out of the equation off a 10lb higher mark while the progressive Imperial Hills representing the Mullins/Walsh combination could make a bold bid to land his third handicap. One that commands a second look is Eric McNamaras unexposed Perfect Reward who will be suited by the underfoot conditions and shaped well in a Cork hc last time and with Davy Condon on board could prove a decent place bet.

GOFFS LAND ROVER BUMPER
This particular contest poses the usually quandary as to whether one is to follow horses who have a run or go with an interesting debutant. With the ground riding soft it probably is best to side with current form and the three against the field here could prove to be Sparkling Tara, Stonemaster and Dun Masc. Sparkling Tara ran well when just losing out close home in a Gowran bumper on yielding earlier this month and the Kayf Tara 4yo hold major claims. Belharbour point winner Stonemaster won in good style and with former point winners taking this race twice in the past ten years the Pat Doyle ridden gelding enters calculations with the record breaking (rode 500 winners ‘between the flags’ on Sunday) Derek O’Connor on board he could go close here. Another in form stable Dessie Hughes are responsible for the once raced Dun Masc and this fellow was far from disgraced when taking fifth in a Cork bumper on debut while the debutant You’re My World is another for the short list under Pauline Ryan.

KERRYGOLD CHAMPION CHASE
It will come as a major shock if the top notch Master Minded is turned over in the days centerpiece even though Paul Nicholls charge was not quite as impressive in taking the Queen Mother at Cheltenham in March. However the opposition look to be playing ‘bit parts’ and it could pay to side with Colm Murphys course and distance scorer Big Zeb to chase home the long odds on favourite under Barry Geraghty though course specialist Mansony cannot be left out of the mix.

BOYLESPORTS CHAMPION NOVICE CHASE
Willie Mullins holds the key to this Grade 1 chase with the impressive Royal & Sun Alliance Chase winner Cooldine. The former pointer was always going to be a better chaser than hurdler and though he has had a minor niggle since Cheltenham he looks difficult to oppose here and he looks to be Irelands best chance of regaining the Gold Cup down the line. With ground to suit the unexposed 7yo he should be capable of landing his fourth chase under Ruby Walsh where another former point to pointer Joncol could rate the main danger as he loves to get his ‘toe in’ and will be ideally suited by a real test of stamina on this ground. The Paul Nolan trained 6yo with Tony McCoy on board could expose any cracks in the favourites armour whilst the recent Irish Grand National fourth Rare Bob from the Dessie Hughes yard cannot not be left out of the equation.

BRIAN PRICE MEMORIAL FLAT RACE
With little or no form to go on this 4yo bumper poses a problem for punters. Frawley (Catcher In The Rye), Sizing Canada (Lord Of Appeal) and Whodoyouthink (Court Cave) representing the John Kiely, Henry De Bromhead and Oliver McKiernan yards respectively look the most interesting of the debutants. Eoin Griffins St Devote boasts the best form credentials having just lost out in a Fairyhouse bumper and holds Definite prospects on that form but a tentative vote goes to the once raced Perfect Smile who shaped with plenty of promise when starting a well supported favourite on testing ground on the track in a point to point before exiting at the second last with the contest ‘in the bag’. The runner up on that occasion Kempinski has since romped home in an Inch point and now in the care of Noel Meade the son of Anshan can make amends here in the hands of Nina Carberry.

ADVICE
2pt win 1pt place ANOTHER JEWEL 3-45 Punchestown BETDAQ MARKET
lay to win 7pts FRENEYS WELL 3-45 Punchestown BETDAQ MARKET
4pt win (nap) GO NATIVE 4-20 Punchestown BETDAQ MARKET
1pt win 1pt place BOLEYBAWN QUIKSTAR 4-55 Punchestown BETDAQ MARKET
1pt win 1pt place PERFECT REWARD 4-55 Punchestown BETDAQ MARKET
3pt win SPARKLING TARA 5-30 Punchestown BETDAQ MARKET
1pt win (saver) STONEMASTER 5-30 Punchestown BETDAQ MARKET
1pt win (saver) YOU’RE MY WORLD 5-30 Punchestown BETDAQ MARKET
4pt win PERFECT SMILE 7-15 Punchestown BETDAQ MARKET
1pt win (saver) WHATDOYOUTHINK 7-15 Punchestown BETDAQ MARKET
1pt win (saver) SIZING CANADA) 7-15 Punchestown BETDAQ MARKET

We are now recording the daily profit and loss of Ireland's Eye to help readers gauge the current form of the service. We will provide the profit / loss on the previous day to a £1 level stake on each selection (eg: a 5 point bet = a £5 stake). In the interests of consistency the profit / loss will be recorded at SP prices, however BETDAQ users can reasonably expect to beat SP in the majority of races.

Monday's Return was: LOSS 4.67  points

Ireland's Eye on Monday

Monday 27 April

IRELAND'S EYE 

NAP Bob Hall (2-7/4) and Wild Tonto (15/8-6/4) kept our good run going yesterday and today we have a few selections at Plumpton and Ludlow where a once raced pointer can deliver in a two mile novice hurdle and there could be a decent priced winner of the bumper at Towcester.

Tomorrow we will be concentrating almost exclusively with the 5 day Punchestown Festival and run our eye over each contests to seek out the value on the Daq on a week which should see plenty of good priced victors.

The opener on the Plumpton card, a 2m 5f novice hurdle sees our old friend the rejuvenated Quaddick Lake attempt to land his third hurdle on his favoured good ground. However he has to carry a penalty and though the trip should not be a problem we will take him on here with Evan Williams Mac Halen who showed improvement at Hereford on final run when finishing runner up in a 2m 1f novice on easier ground last time but the unpenalised 6yo could go one better here in the hands of Paul Moloney where another penalised runner Prince Zafonic could prove the biggest danger for the Oliver Sherwood yard.

Wolf Moon was selected by this column on his debut for the Keighley yard recently and the Dromahane second (point to point) showed up well till seemingly caught for late pace in the latter stages at Chepstow but the stiff test which is Towecester can see the 6yo deliver under Warren Marston in the 3-10 – a 2m novice hurdle where the obvious danger is the bumper winner Wizard Of Odds from the Nick Gifford stable. However the selection looks the one open to most improvement.

Racing closes on the Towcester card with a two mile mares bumper at 5-10 and if Jennie Candish’s Basford Wayfarer is allowed take his chance he could rove the answer under Alan O’Keeffe. The 5yo showed up quite well to take third in an admittedly a slowly run Southwell bumper on her debut three weeks ago and she can put that experience to winning use here in a contest where the market leaders look to have something to prove on a couple of different levels. Indeed it is one of the Irish challengers the interestingly bred Present Trix from the Doran yard who could prove the main threat on her debut.

ADVICE
4pt win MAC HALEN 2-00 Plumpton BETDAQ MARKET
2pt win (saver) PRINCE ZAFONIC 2-00 Plumpton BETDAQ MARKET
4pt win WOLF MOON 3-10 Towcester BETDAQ MARKET
3pt win BASFORD WAYFARER 5-10 Towcester BETDAQ MARKET
1pt win (saver) PRESENT TRIX 5-10 Towcester BETDAQ MARKET
 
We are now recording the daily profit and loss of Ireland's Eye to help readers gauge the current form of the service. We will provide the profit / loss on the previous day to a £1 level stake on each selection (eg: a 5 point bet = a £5 stake). In the interests of consistency the profit / loss will be recorded at SP prices, however BETDAQ users can reasonably expect to beat SP in the majority of races.

Sunday's Return was: LOSS 0.25  points

DAQMAN on MONDAY

Monday 27 April DAQMAN  GUINEAS GALLOP: Serious Attitude took serious money for the 1,000 Guineas in early-morning market upheavals. Daqman reports.  64 WINS IN APRIL: Two more for Daqman yesterday took this month’s total so far to 64 winning bets. HORSES TO FOLLOW: Today Daqman spots some more hot horses, and reckons it’s shaping up to be John Oxx’s year. SIX DAYS’ ANALYSIS: Quality racing returns tomorrow with the final jumps festival this spring – at Punchestown – followed by the Guineas meeting at Newmarket. DON’T MISS Daqman’s daily big-race analysis from Tuesday to Sunday inclusive. Bargain-buy Serious Attitude was bigger news than a banker’s pension in Newmarket this morning after a 1,000 Guineas gallop which had work-watchers reaching for the superlatives. The performance of the Cheveley Park winner, only 7,500 guineas as a yearling, was ‘mind blowing’, according to my man in the long grass. At the same time, with owner George Strawbridge looking on, Rainbow View worked ‘pretty average’ after her John Gosden stablemate Fantasia ‘impressed’. At one stage, Rainbow View drifted to 8-1 in some markets with Fantasia brought back into the betting but later in the morning the Gosden camp issued a statement, saying that they were happy with Rainbow View’s work. Trainer Rae Guest describes Serious Attitude as a ‘once in a blue moon filly’ and he should know: he’s already trained a Yorkshire Oaks winner and a 1,000 Guineas third. For those doing their horses-to-follow entries, Serious Attitude and, for the 2,000, Arazan and Rip Van Winkle are musts, according to my weekend news. There are days when I get it all wrong – usually Sundays, like yesterday – so the Ten To Follow competition doesn’t appeal very much: it’s hard enough to find the winners on a daily basis without hoping to pin down the season’s stars in advance. And the most irksome thing about it is that I usually find that horses I’m looking forward to are not in the list. No one can be blamed for the omission of Alandi, the Vintage Crop ‘surprise’ at Navan. Before he won yesterday, he was just a maiden winner with a rating of around 78. It was no surprise to some, even though Alandi ‘holds back in his homework,’ according to trainer John Oxx; yet the money went down at precisely the right time, a minute or two before the ‘off.’ It could hardly have been a well-planned coup with such as Yeats in the race but it was inside knowledge that connections had refused big money for Alandi to go hurdling, and that entries for decent races had been mooted. You can’t say that he ‘beat’ Yeats (rating 122) yesterday, as Yeats didn’t run his race but that takes nothing away from Alandi: he certainly ran his, and he’ll be running a few more with my money on his back. Another you won’t see in the list is Never On Sunday but Nick Mordin says he ‘earned one of the biggest speed ratings’ he gave a three-year-old last season and he ‘could become the best horse in France.’ Never On Sunday may have needed the run when beaten (for the second time) by Trincot in the Prix d’Harcourt. I’m told to look out for him in UK. You won’t see listed John Gosden’s Breeders Cup Juvenile hero Donativum (now with Godolphin) because he has his bits missing (gelded) and therefore can’t run in a Classic, even though he beat Crowded House before his Santa Anita triumph. The TTF list is divided into sprinters, milers, middle distance and stayers, which divisiveness brings me back to my waffle yesterday about the dangers of the language (like the word ‘stay’). What I failed to do was spot that an excellent example was right under my nose at Navan: Jumbajukiba, dismissed by pundits for the 6f Listed because most of his success was over a mile, including on heavy, took the ‘sprint’ by the scruff of the neck and ran away with it. Versatile or what! But not on the list. One I am looking forward to – and he is on the list -  is Arazan, well supported in the 2,000 Guineas market despite lack of Press hype: his breeding is of a nature which would require a double-page spread from Tony Morris. All my tiny mind can tell you is that he is the son of a 6f and 7f Group-1 winner, out of a daughter of the miler Lear Fan, but a half-brother to King George winner, Azamour, and a 1m 6f winner. Versatile or what? Arazan is trained by John Oxx, who pulled off the Vintage Crop coup – sorry ‘surprise’ – with Alandi yesterday. From the Derby trials so far, you’d have to take Mourayan, a lazy colt at home who wasn’t knocked about, third, behind Fame and Glory in the Ballysax; watch for him in the Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial. His trainer? John Oxx. It’s a mundane Monday before a week of hot stuff at Punchestown and Newmarket but I thought Lodi (6.55 Windsor), at 19.5 on the Daq this morning, was overpriced. Joint top rating in the Racing Post, Lodi is a course-and-distance winner returning to 6f on turf for the first time since last August; he’s probably ground dependent (Windsor win was on firm) and he’s got the draw here: stalls 9 and higher have won all renewals with double-figure fields. Putra One (7.25, ground fears) and Advisor (7.55, trainer form) also get good words for Windsor, but with provisos. There is stronger support for Bridge Note (5.40) – stable has 40% strike rate with three-year-olds there – and Kyle (6.40) at Southwell, with Kyle reckoned the nap of the day on form and home work. Walton Way (4.30 Plumpton) looks primed for a repeat from a mark 17lb lower than he won with last year. I expect to see a hard right-hand drive by Tony McCoy - off the mark on day one of the new season yesterday - on Celebrity Call (2.40 Towcester): horse and stable are in form and, though the gelding is dropped back in trip, the hill should bring his stamina into play. McCoy has another Superollercoaster ride, literally, in the 4.40: both Crank Hill and Green ‘N’ Gold have weight pulls as A.P. takes over from Wayne Hutchinson and it will be fascinating to see if he makes the difference. Rain might bring Red Scally into it.
TODAY'S BETS
BET 4pts win CELEBRITY CALL (2.40 Towcester) BETDAQ MARKET BET 3pts win WALTON WAY (4.30 Plumpton) BETDAQ MARKET BET 4pts win SUPERROLLERCOASTER (4.40 Towcester) BETDAQ MARKET BET 3pts win BRIDGE NOTE (5.40 Southwell) BETDAQ MARKET BET 5pts win (nap) KYLE (6.40 Southwell) BETDAQ MARKET BET 1pt win and place LODI (6.55 Windsor) BETDAQ MARKET We are now recording the daily profit and loss of DAQMAN to help readers gauge the current form of the service. We will provide the profit / loss on the previous day to a £1 level stake on each selection (eg: a 5 point bet = a £5 stake). In the interests of consistency the profit / loss will be recorded at SP prices, however BETDAQ users can reasonably expect to beat SP in the majority of races. Sunday's Return was: LOSS 9.27 points
	Try a BETDAQ Multiple today and enjoy better value odds. New to Multiples? Click to Learn More

DAQMAN on Sunday

Sunday 26 April DAQMAN  138 POINTS PROFIT IN FOUR DAYS: It was an uphill struggle for the layers as Daqman continued in dazzling form yesterday, racking up 138 points profit in four days. BANKER UP: Strong Ripon bet Downhiller (won 5-2) and maximum-stakes banker Paco Boy (won 15-8) both scored, following a 13-8 nap on Friday. 8-1 WINNER: He took his profit to 64 points on the day and 62 winning bets for April with King Troy (won 8-1), completing yet another century of wins (101 in the last 43 days). GUINEAS LOOK-OUT: Today’s racing is low key so the odds are against a fifth day of profits but look out later in the week for Daqman’s value version of the Guineas runners. When does a horse become a stayer? When he wins over the distance. I’m always staggered at such a simplistic approach to the form. A colt finishes second in the Derby, though a good few lengths in front of the rest, and otherwise sane observers shake their hands and say ‘didn’t stay’ when, in fact, there are many possibilities, including: ‘didn’t get the trip as well as the winner but is still the second best in the land’ or ‘lacks that vital turn of foot so previous wins were against horses that don’t quicken’ or ‘didn’t act as well as the winner on this track/on the ground.’ I could go on. You only had to see the Prix de la Foret to know that Paco Boy would get another furlong; it was simply a question of what he had to beat. Equally, those who saw Virtual finish only third to Paco Boy yesterday should not write him off if they meet in altered circumstances; a son of Pivotal, Virtual needs plenty of cut in the ground and will be a different proposition then. At the same meeting, many pundits said: ‘We can’t go strong on Tartan Bearer; he needs 12 furlongs.’ Against what? Kauto Star or my old Mum on her motorized scooter? I had to look at the paper this morning to make sure my eyes were not deceiving me: odds against SP both Paco Boy and the Derby runner-up Tartan Bearer! Had the Sandown bookies gone mad? Well, no, they still took 12% and 16% respectively from those two races. It was the punters who were slightly round the Esher bend. Today pundits have an easy day with stayers: they are all of one mind; it’s plain to see that both Yeats and Kasbah Bliss (who runs at Longchamp) get the trip. Their races will hardly be informative. If Yeats wins (5.00 Navan), it’s only what we have come to expect; if he loses, well it’s because he needs a run now he is eight years old, though I don’t think so. Three times winner of the Ascot Gold Cup, Yeats has won first time out on five consecutive occasions, including his first appearance on 21 September 2003; since then he has become one of the all-time great stayers. I have only one bone to pick with him, speaking from my wallet: I ‘got the word’ that he was something special and backed him at huge odds (66-1) for the Derby but things didn’t go right for him in his second season and his only win at Epsom came at the Derby meeting the following year (Coronation Cup). It would be an amazing weekend hat-trick if the bookies – or, rather, confused punters - were to treat us to a third SP at odds against about a ‘good thing’. I can’t find anything in today’s race to threaten his composure. But don’t let’s hear of the runner-up: ‘he didn’t stay’. Whatever finishes second to Yeats today may well be good enough to win his share of stamina tests but not in Yeats company. In other words, it’s all about Class with a capital ‘c’. It’s hard to search for winners at mundane meetings on a day when a Yeats reappears: I’m afraid, we won’t find much Class at Brighton, where all the races are class-5 and class-6, and we can’t even make the standard comparisons between runners because the lower down the scale you go, the less reliable is the form. But there is an interesting addendum to what I’ve been writing about today: Nawaaff (2.40) has spent his time in sprint company but is tried at 7f today and the Racing Post ‘Spotlight’ says “there are obvious stamina concerns.” What Spotlight doesn’t tell you is that 14 of the 16 runners are from stables yet to strike form this Flat season: their yards have registered only two wins from a total of 97 runners in the last two weeks. The exceptions are David Evans (Just Jimmy) and Mick Channon who, of course, trains Nawaaff. Under these circumstances, our ‘sprinter’ Nawaaff could well be placed or even win: at 10.0 on Betdaq, worth a pound. He could ‘stay’ better than the others today and take the prize by default. By the way, Channon has won the opener – Nadeen (2.10) –four times from seven runners. Nadeen is still green at home but it’s a poor race: there are shades of ‘green’ as well as shades of ‘staying’. It’s all relative. At Wetherby, connections have always thought that Snake Charmer (5.05), who has been keeping class-2 company over hurdles, would make a chaser. At Ludlow, Tony McCoy, who celebrated his 14th title by winning the ‘Whitbread’, gets nearly a stone start from Mount Benger so his mount Kew Jumper (3.40) may have most to fear from Porters War. McCoy’s hurdles mounts for Henderson are hot on the Daq this morning: I’ll bet as if one of them wins for sure, Erzen (3.05) or Treasury Counsel (4.15).
TODAY'S BETS
BET 3pts win NADEEN (2.10 Brighton) BET 1pt win on each JUST JIMMY and NAWAAFF (2.40 Brighton) BET 4pts win ERZEN (3.05 Ludlow), if lose 8pts win TREASURY COUNSEL (4.15 Ludlow) BET 6pts win KEW JUMPER, 2pts win (saver) PORTERS WAR (3.40 Ludlow) BANKER 10pts win YEATS (5.00 Navan) BET 4pts win SNAKE CHARMER (5.05 Wetherby) We are now recording the daily profit and loss of DAQMAN to help readers gauge the current form of the service. We will provide the profit / loss on the previous day to a £1 level stake on each selection (eg: a 5 point bet = a £5 stake). In the interests of consistency the profit / loss will be recorded at SP prices, however BETDAQ users can reasonably expect to beat SP in the majority of races. Saturday's Return was: PROFIT 64.87 points
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Ireland's Eye on Sunday

Sunday 26 April

IRELAND'S EYE 

Today there is National Hunt action at Chepstow and Ludlow – where we have a value bet against the ‘jolly’ in the novice chase – while at Navan there looks to be a good long price bet in the feature sprint where the Irish are hoping to keep the prize from the raiding Dandy Nicholls and Kevin Ryan team.

King Troy (8/1) was a winner for us yesterday with our main selection Tarabaloo (3-9/4) filling the third spot during a relatively quiet Saturday for us.

There is an interesting 2m novice chase on the Ludlow card at 2-00 and here the decent Paul Nicholls hurdler Five Dream will be expected to get off the mark at the first time of asking over the bigger obstacles. However his price could be fairly restricted and there could be much better value in supporting the consistent and quite useful Evan Williams trained 7yo Postmaster on his chase debut. Though the Nicholls camp will know exactly the form of this fellow as he was beaten a long way by that stables exciting Tataniano over hurdles last time could tell that that was a decent effort and he may be most suited by the better ground here than the favourite.

Dandy Nicholls has been ‘making hay’ in Ireland so far this season and he will fancy his chances of landing the Listed 6f race at Navan at 3-20 with Masta Plasta and Abraham Lincoln with the former looking his main hope. Though Dermot Weld looks to have a prime contender in the ex Italian Group winner Le Cadre Noir following his promising third at Naas on his seasonal debut lately we will take a chance on Joanna Morgans mare Fourpenny lane to provide a shock here. The main reasons for siding with the 4yo are that she boasts form on a soft surface and has also scored at the venue (5f) and though she is making her seasonal debut she has not much to find at the weights and has a good draw and she can give her canny trainer success against the bigger yards here at generous odds.

Jonjo O’Neill's ex decent chaser Bob Hall has hardly been a prolific winner over the years and has yet to register in the hunter chase sphere but the 8yo gets an excellent opportunity to put matters right in the 4-45 at Ludlow – a 2m 4f hunter event. This looks his ideal trip and the ground should not be a problem and Alan Berry should guide him to an overdue success and go one better than when proving a losing favourite over 3m last time. Strong Weld looks the likely benefactor if the selection does not deliver.

Wild Tonto and Snake Charmer on their chase debuts look the pair to concentrate on in the 5-05 at Wetherby, a 2m 6 1/2f novice chase. The latter is one of two runners from the Martin Harris yard and with the useful Ollie Greenall in the plate he can beat Tim Vaughans Wild Tonto who does admittedly have the advantage in terms of fitness having run down the field in a hurdle over a fortnight ago.

ADVICE
4pt win POSTMASTER 2-30 Ludlow BETDAQ MARKET
2pt win (saver) FIVE DREAM 2-30 Ludlow BETDAQ MARKET
3pt win 1pt place FOURPENNY LANE 3-20 Navan BETDAQ MARKET
1pt win (saver) LE CADRE NOIR 3-20 Navan BETDAQ MARKET
5pt win (nap) BOB HALL 4-45 Ludlow BETDAQ MARKET
3pt win SNAKE CHARMER 5-05 Wetherby BETDAQ MARKET
2pt win (saver) WILD TONTO 5-05 Wetherby BETDAQ MARKET

We are now recording the daily profit and loss of Ireland's Eye to help readers gauge the current form of the service. We will provide the profit / loss on the previous day to a £1 level stake on each selection (eg: a 5 point bet = a £5 stake). In the interests of consistency the profit / loss will be recorded at SP prices, however BETDAQ users can reasonably expect to beat SP in the majority of races.

Saturday's Return was: LOSS 2  points