Monday 12 April DAQMAN? LOOK OUT ON THE FLAT: The Flat season proper starts on Wednesday with the Newmarket and Newbury classic trials. If the three-year-old form baffles you, don’t miss Daqman’s famous ‘man in the long grass’ gallops reports. NEWMARKET HERE WE COME: Today Daqman gives you a taste of the scene at Newmarket, and two each-way bets at Windsor. He argues for TV and Press to stay on the ball with a closer look at the ‘true grit’ racing profession.
Monday 12 April IRELAND’S EYE It must be the start of Summer today as Windsor opens their season while there is also an interesting flat card at Folkestone today. We will be operating at Sedgefield this afternoon however where there is an interesting amateur riders jump meeting with Nina Carberry picking up a couple of mounts in the opening races. An older gelding can ensure we get off the day in good fashion by landing a hunter chase earlier on the card at decent odds while a previous Cheltenham scorer should oblige at a shorter price in another hunter event later in the card.
Sunday 11 April IRELAND’S EYE Heartiest congratulations to the champ Tony McCoy this morning after landing the greatest chase on earth with Don’t Push It yesterday and on was great to see what it meant to the multi timed champion rider in addition to J P McManus and Johnjo O’Neill. On a busy Sunday there is a flat/National Hunt double in Ireland at Headquarters (Curragh) and Limerick respectively while Southwell, Kelso and Market Rasen provide the jumps action in the UK. We will be concentrating on Limerick and Kelso however and at the former venue Edward O’Grady can be on the mark in a competitive hc chase while a decent and recent point to point scorer can land the bumper
The XY Factor heads to Kempton on Wednesday…. Today’s Race: Kempton 9.00 Today’s Bet and current Betfair price: 2 point win and 2 point place DRUBINCA 7.2 Yesterday’s Return: -3.00 Running Return (April) -0.75 VERDICT: Markhesa just failed to get up in a photo yessterday. In the finale at Kempton on Wednesday DRUBINCA is of interest win and place. The Stuart Williams’ trained runner has proved a little disappointing so far – but seemed to benefit from the visor (on again tonight) and the longer trip here should suit.
Timeform’s Billy Nash gives you three recommendations for racing in Ireland on Wednesday… “ Sicilian Secret may well be sent off at a very short price for this maiden hurdle, largely because of his lofty home reputation rather than anything he has done on the track, and he is worth opposing in a race where there are plenty of viable alternatives.” Fairyhouse 2:45 – Win Lay – Sicilian Secret Sicilian Secret may well be sent off at a very short price for this maiden hurdle, largely because of his lofty home reputation rather than anything he has done on the track, and he is worth opposing in a race where there are plenty of viable alternatives. He was an impressive winner of a steadily-run 7-runner bumper at Leopardstown on his debut but hasn’t really gone on as expected since and the form of the maiden hurdle he finished second in at Cork in November is nothing out of the ordinary. His pedigree suggests he won’t be seen to best effect until tackling 2½m+ and the likes of Benash, Taking Stock and The Big Boyo won’t make life easy for him here. Fairyhouse 3:45 – Win Back – Smoking Aces Prince Erik finished 4½ lengths in front of Smoking Aces in the Pertemps Final at Cheltenham and is 5 lb better off with Tom Taaffe’s charge now, but there is reason to believe that Smoking Aces may be able to turn around that form with conditions in his favour. He ran a shade freely in first-time cheekpieces at Cheltenham and will be more at home on this softer ground. He tends to hit a flat spot in his races but that won’t worry Tony McCoy. Fairyhouse 4:45 – Win Back – Rock Diplomat Rock Diplomat has been a very frustrating horse to follow over fences but this represents a drop in class for him and he probably deserves one more chance.
The Barney Army is never more vocal than in Scotland and that can be enough to inspire Raymond van Barneveld to victory over Adrian Lewis this week… Back Manchester United to beat Bayern Munich @ 1.8 Back van Barneveld to beat Lewis @ 2.6 Back Kolkata Knight Riders to beat Delhi Daredevils @ 2.4 Treble pays @ 11.2 Bet 1: Football – Champions League Bouncebackability may have only been officially recognised as a word of the English language since 2004, but its literal definition – the ability to bounce back – is a trait which Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United sides have been practising for over two decades.
The XY Factor heads to Ffos Las on Tuesday…… Today’s Race: Ffos Las 5.05 Today’s Bet and current Betfair price: 3 point win MARKHESA 4.5 Yesterday’s Return: -4.00 Running Return (April) +2.25 VERDICT: MARKHESA ran a cracker last time out at Lingfield over today’s trip to take third, despite not getting the clearest of runs. She was appearing after a long absence and looks well handicapped at present
Wayne Bailey marks your cards for the final two days of the Easter Festival. “The Colm Murphy trained eight-year-old has won four races from thirteen; but his record on heavy ground reads 111421 and connections are hopeful that he’ll place at the very least.” Once again, it’s bucketing down outside my window so I was pleased to see that Fairyhouse has passed this morning’s inspection and racing can now go ahead. Although I live some 25 miles from the course, the weather at the County Meath venue has been something similar so we can expect bottomless ground for the remainder of the Easter Festival. Some horses thrive on heavy and Kimberlite King would be fair value around 3.4 for a place in the opening Irish Daily Mirror Novice Handicap Chase (14:00).
Tiger Woods used yesterday’s press conference to signal his intention to improve his conduct not only in his private life but also on the golf course. But will this make him a better or worse player? Ralph Ellis reports. “Tiger is 5.8 favourite to make good his hopes of coming back with a win, while Ernie Els is 17.5 after opening the season with two tournament wins. So that’s that, then. Tiger says he’s going to turn into a kitten. All fluffy and cuddly and soft for little children to play with.
Tuesday 6 April DAQMAN? 44-1 GRAND NATIONAL OFFER: Daqman is in flying form and he starts his Aintree countdown today with a 45.0 Betdaq outsider for the National on Saturday. ? 10-1 WINNER FOR DAQMAN:? Betdaq’s resident tipster extraordinary started Grand National week with a big-priced winner yesterday, Admission (won 10-1), as part of his sixth winning day from the last seven. THREE NAPS AND TWO BANKERS UP: ? His maximum-stakes bet on Woodlark Island (won 4-9) was his second successive banker following Master Fiddle (won 11-10), added to three naps out of four at 2-1 (twice) and 13-8. 120 POINTS PROFIT: The run of success includes winners at 10-1, 8-1, 7-1, 5-1 (twice) and 4-1, and brings his profit in the seven racing days to marginally more than 120 points or £12,000 to £100 level stakes. ? TOMORROW: Don’t miss Daqman’s ABC Guide to the Grand National. It’s 50 years ago this week since a grey, Nicholas Silver, won the Grand National but my man in the long grass, peering through the seamrog, tells me that King Johns Castle is showing ‘the right signs’ again. No one has been sure until now whether injury-hit ‘King John’ would ever return to the form that saw him hunt up Comply Or Die at the business end of the 2008 race, finishing only four lengths adrift, giving weight and after being hampered. Paul Carberry, his 2008 jockey, is being reunited with ‘King John’ by his uncle, the veteran trainer Arthur Moore.
