NAP of the Day: 4/1 chase debutant looks overpriced

The start of the 'proper' National Hunt season is just around the corner and we're starting to see some of the bigger names back among the action - including Scottish trainer Lucinda Russell, who is responsible for my NAP of the Day on Thursday.

Donald McCain's hat-trick seeking Dripsey Moon is respected ahead of this novices' handicap chase over 2m4f, but I suspect he meets a well-handicapped individual in CADELL.

The six-year-old son of Mahler, who fetched €90k (£75k) as a store in 2021, showed ability over hurdles last term, but he's expected to come into his own for tackling fences.

Russell, who labelled him "a potentially smart prospect" after a winning debut over flights at Kelso last October - more on that in a moment - has said she believes Ronnie Bartlett's gelding can develop into a "fantastic stayer" over the bigger obstacles and that "there's loads more to come".

If he indeed proves significantly better at this new discipline, he ought to be extremely dangerous off a mark of 123.

On that Kelso run I mentioned earlier, he beat the reopposing Dripsey Moon by a widening 3¾ lengths, receiving just four pounds. He gets 11 on Thursday and you don't need me to tell you how that reads.

Of course, Dripsey Moon has improved in the meantime, but enough to concede a further seven pounds to Cadell, who is fancied to progress himself? I wouldn't be so sure.

That's not the only bit of form the NAP boasts that's worth shouting about, either. On his very next outing he was narrowly beaten by Kerryhill, who went on to win the G2 River Don Novices' Hurdle at Doncaster by over seven lengths, under a penalty.

His form petered out over the following months, but not without excuses. The Grade 2 he contested at Cheltenham before Christmas was not only a sharp rise in class but he also didn't seem to enjoy making the running, while his run in the Scottish Stayers' Novices' Hurdle was adequate enough.

Put a line through his final run over 3m2f on soft ground, for that was a big ask for a young horse having his eighth run - including two PTPs - in under 365 days.

Now fresh from a long and hopefully uninterrupted break, he can start this campaign as he did the last.

Aside from the aforementioned Dripsey Moon, it's Watergrange Jack and Whistle Stop Tour who represent the main dangers, per the 13:52 Perth Odds.

I find the former, who carries a seven-pound penalty for winning a race that fell apart, hard to advise off a career-high mark, while you have to assume the presence of Derek Fox aboard the selection over stablemate Whistle Stop Tour speaks for itself.

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