NAP of the Day: Take 9/4 about this classy Haggas colt on Friday

The standout card on Friday is without doubt the eight-race offering from Newbury, which is where I head for the NAP of the Day as we bid to bounce back from a disappointing effort on Thursday.

I was planning on tipping William Haggas' LAKE FOREST for the Betfred Park Stakes - won by Kinross - at Doncaster last week, but unfortunately he was withdrawn on account of the ground.

It's currently good to soft at Newbury and the weather forecast is positive, at least until Friday afternoon, so hopefully this time he'll go to post.

The three-year-old son of No Nay Never was a Group 2-winning juvenile who's finished runner-up in two high-quality sprints this season.

He was just over two lengths behind Inisherin in the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot in June, before a narrow defeat to Elite Status in the G3 Hackwood Stakes at Newbury a month later.

That was a Group 3 in name only. The third-placed Kind Of Blue almost won the Sprint Cup at Haydock earlier this month and Regional, who was back in fourth, triumphed in that very race last year and was second to Asfoora in the King Charles III Stakes at the Royal meeting.

So, this Listed assignment on Friday represents a significant drop in class. It's also his first attempt over seven furlongs, which I think is really going to suit. He certainly shapes like that'll be the case, and he's out of a mare called Lady Aquitaine whose progeny tend to want at least a mile.

The selection's main rival according to the 16:05 Newbury Odds is Sir Michael Stoute's Nostrum. He's the highest-rated (113) in the field and looked back to his best when a narrow second in the G3 Criterion Stakes at Newmarket back in June, but he's since had wind surgery and 88 days on the sidelines which is cause for concern.

English Oak has struggled with the step into Group company from handicaps and is hard to advise, while the other six contenders have a bit to find on Lake Forest if his form translates, let alone improves over this trip.

I expect him to be popular among punters, so he rates a great bet at the quoted price.

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