Nap of the Day: Kingston James to shine in Sea Pigeon Hurdle Series Final

There's plenty of racing action across Britain and Ireland on Friday, with five meetings headlined by the Go North Raceday Series finals at Musselburgh.

The Edinburgh venue is joined over jumps by Ffos Las and Newbury, while evening all-weather racing is from Dundalk and Southwell. My NAP races for Lucinda Russell in one of the Musselburgh features and appeals as one with scope for further improvement over hurdles.

17:00 Musselburgh Odds

Lucinda Russell is still basking in the glow of her latest Cheltenham Festival, but Scotland's leading jumps trainer is certain to have primed a few contenders from her yard for the Go North Raceday Series finale at Musselburgh on Friday afternoon.

She has a contender in every race on the card and the one to focus on could be KINGSTON JAMES in the Racing Post Go North Sea Pigeon Hurdle Series Final, a Class 2 event over an extended two miles and one furlong.

Russell saw this son of Kingston Hill scoring at Hexham back in October, after the point-to-point and bumper winner was backed into 5/6 favourite for a 2m novice hurdle and scored by a comfortable five-and-a-half lengths.

"He's a really nice prospect. He'll need further than two miles and now that he's got that experience under his belt we might step him up in grade and see where we go," was Russell's assessment of that success.

True to her word, he turned up next at Cheltenham in a Class 2 novices' hurdle over two-and-a-half miles won by Potters Charm. Kingston James weakened up the hill and was only fifth.

He was disappointing here over a similar trip in November and then finished second at Wetherby (2m, good to soft) during their Christmas meeting.

He forced the running in that contest, but was edged out by Maghlaak late on, the pair a long way clear, before that rival went on to score again at Catterick on New Year's Day.

More than two months passed before Kingston James was spotted again at Doncaster on the first of this month.

He ran well for a long way in that Town Moor contest but faded late, perhaps not helped by the final flight getting omitted as the focus was very much on a sprint to the line.

Has been eased 1lb by the handicapper for that run, but should be razor sharp for it.

The extended trip here also promises to suit based on Russell's early-season assessment and there's a very strong chance that this six-year-old has more to offer, while he's much less exposed than many of the rivals he faces now.

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