Nap of the Day: Take 9/4 about lowly-rated Nicholls runner

We regained the winning thread on Thursday as our Nap of the Day did it easily at Wincanton, returning a 6/4 winner.

Next to carry the weight of my expectation is a lowly-rated Paul Nicholls inmate hoping to get off the mark over obstacles.

Paul Nicholls splashed a healthy €155k (£128k) on FASOL, a Flat horse for Christophe Ferland in France, at the sales in September last year, and it's fair to say he's been a little disappointing since.

The five-year-old son of Galileo, who's rated 100 on the level, made his debut on these shores in a maiden hurdle at Newbury in January this year and finished fourth of 16, beaten 18 lengths.

Given he was sent off 6/4f, it was a sub-par return. However, the winner now has a mark of 137 having finished a close second in the Greatwood Hurdle at Cheltenham last month and the runner-up has been raised to 128 after winning the Gerry Fielden at Newbury just last weekend.

It was not only a highly-competitive contest, but Fasol also ran far too keen to do himself justice, so in hindsight I don't think it was that bad of a run.

He was withdrawn from the G2 Dovecote Novices' Hurdle at Kempton the following month on account of the ground, before a much-improved effort when second to an odds-on shot for Nicky Henderson at the Surrey venue in May.

A solid effort in the Queen Alexandra Stakes at Royal Ascot a month later, beaten just over 12 lengths in fourth, marked the end of his season, before returning 146 days later as favourite for a novices' handicap hurdle at Cheltenham's November Meeting off a lowly opening mark of 108.

Fasol could only manage fourth of 15, beaten nine lengths, at HQ, once again running too keenly in the early stages. He was in front for much of the race as a result and paid the price in the home straight.

He kept at his job nicely enough, though, and it's worth remembering that a lot of Nicholls' string have been coming on leaps and bounds for their first run of the season.

He'll need to, for there's seven lengths to make up on the reopposing Cavern Club for James Owen. There's every chance of that happening, five pounds better off with that run under his belt.

I'd say the selection is almost certainly well-handicapped, just seven pounds higher than his mark on the Flat. It doesn't always work out that way, but I feel strongly that he'll make a mockery of this rating once he puts things together - and hopefully that's at Sandown on Friday.

I Wish You is the main danger in my book. The form of his triumph at Carlisle in October has worked out really well and while a 10-pound rise feels a little harsh, he could have more to give.

Authentic Legacy makes little more than slight appeal off his mark of 112, while the four at the foot of the market are hard to advise as far as I'm concerned.

Ultimately, this looks an excellent opportunity for Fasol and at 9/4 I'm more than willing to give him a chance to record his first win here in the UK.

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