Horse Racing Tips: Nap of the Day

Ian Ogg’s Monday Nap won earlier at Plumpton – check out his selection on tonight’s card at Wolverhampton.

JERRASH – 3.15 Plumpton (NAP)

JERRASH has been off the track for a year as he was last in March in the EBF final at Sandown on a nice testing ground behind home. Complete Unknown won that race and Jerrash accounted for him in his hurdles debut at Ascot the previous November with Galia Des Liteaux back in third. The beaten pair recently finished first and second in a grade two novice chase at Warwick and have chase ratings in the 140s, while Ascot fourth Monbeg Genius has won his last two (over fences) and is now 132.

All three improved for chase but it still suggests Jerrash has room to move from a mark of 127 and his third in the Sidney Banks at Huntingdon backs that up. The walk in distance promises to match, Gary Moore’s horses are running well and long absences are of minimal concern these days, although the market is often a useful guide. Jerrash needs to prove he can build on his promise and cut it against experienced handicappers, but this looks a more than suitable test and he has the answers.

MORIKO DE VASSY – 3.00 Hereford

It’s been a quiet season for local trainer Tom Symonds, but there have been one or two encouraging signs of late and it might be worth showing that MORIKO DE VASSY can get his career back on track. It started brightly with a narrow defeat of Datsalrightgino in a bumper and won two of his first three starts over hurdles, but he came last in the Grade Two Dovecote Novices’ Hurdle and was well beaten over fences at Doncaster last time out.

He didn’t fence like a natural at Town Moor or on his seasonal reappearance at Wetherby, but that didn’t stop him rallying to finish an unlikely second over a trip just shy of two miles. He will need to sharpen up his jumping, but the use of cheekpieces and lots of schooling will hopefully help in that regard. This longer drive could also put less pressure on his screen and a mark of 125 is unlikely to be the limit of this promising youngster’s ability.

MAIN LAW – 3.25 Huntingdon

MAIN ROW can show the benefit of his recent return to action and take his career record over hurdles to four wins from eight starts. It took a while for the penny to drop but he stepped up on his debut at Bangor to finish fourth behind I Am Maximus at Newbury in a race that worked out well.

Head Law opened his account over this course and distance before adding two handicaps to his tally, but cut some ice when in grade on his last start of last season; it was his fourth run in relatively quick succession and is best forgiven. He was in good form on his reappearance before the lack of a recent run seemed to tell and he can be expected to improve on that with his stable of winners.

GIFTED GOLD – 7.00 Wolverhampton

Karl Burke has another talented colt on his hands in GIFTED GOLD who defied a long absence to win at Southwell last month.

A debut winner at Newcastle in 2021, she contested the Group Three Oh So Sharp Stakes on her second start but finished last at Newmarket and was not seen again until the end of the final calendar year. It was a poor race but she impressed with the way she traveled and she went away at the line despite chasing a shade too sharply. The handicapper has understandably left her alone and Gifted Gold can take full advantage of her handicap debut before her sights are lifted.

Hopefully the ground remains quite the test at Newcastle as FRENCH PARADOXE should get plenty of beating in the Quinnbet Best Odds Guaranteed Handicap Chase.

He does nothing too fast but loves a soft surface and was in the process of following up his Wetherby comeback win when he fell at the finish fence at Ffos Las on December 22.

The assessor responded by bumping him up another 7lb for his trouble, but he just looks a very progressive hunter and one that will be worth following until the ground dries out heading into spring.

SOPRANO THOR – 3.00 Lingfield

SOPRAN THOR won first time out last season, so the market support for him at Sandown earlier this month was perfectly understandable, but it was hard not to conclude that he ended up badly needing the outing.

His jumping was tough early on and he didn’t manage to get into a rhythm until he was groomed when his chance was over, but he’s dropped a few pounds in the ratings (down to 118) as a result and it looks significant coach Gary Moore brings him back to Lingfield, where he took gold from a mark of 120 in October 2021.

He sneaks into this competition at the foot of the weights and underfoot conditions should be ideal.

LIGHTONTHEWING – 3.25 Ffos Last

Most of these have question marks hanging over them for various reasons and it’s worth sticking with last striker LIGHTONTHEWING, who was well backed before taking advantage of his much reduced mark at Exeter at the start of the month.

He’s up 7lb for that impressive pillar-to-post success but remains well below his peak of a few seasons ago and he’ll be perfectly happy back in trip on soft ground here.

DUBAI JEANIUS – 8.30 Southwell

DUBAI JEANIUS was brought up just 4lb for what looked a nice cozy success here just under a fortnight ago and he remains open to improvement around this sort of distance.

Well backed last time, he rode reasonably into contention from the back of the field and he looked good enough to suggest he could handle the extra time on offer this time around. He certainly seems to like the surface and should be able to add to his tally in 0-60 handicap company before moving up a bit in class.

January Winners:Jerrash 5/1 (NAP)Rooful 10/11Git Maker 8/11Densetu 9/4 (NAP)Eye Of The Water 2/1Nolton Cross 6/1 (NAP)Brains 85/40Deere Mark 15/8Son Of The Somme 9 /4 (NAP)Smoking Pigeon 4/1Sudden Ambush Even Miss No Never 5/4Elegant Charm 6/4 (NAP)Base Note 3/1Hello Queen 100/30Horacio Apple’s 11/4Galice Macalo 3/1 (NAP)Not Sure 7/1 ( NAP)Noodle Mission 3/1Gold Cup Bailly 6/4Git Maker 8/13Safer Gambling

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