Nap of the Day: Have a piece of 11/4 about Sunday’s best bet

The Cheltenham Festival is over which means the Jumps season is starting to wind down while the Flat is building up.

Naas hosts a good card on the level on Sunday and my Nap of the Day comes from the County Kildare venue.

Following his run behind Aidan O'Brien's Officer, who holds entries for this season's Irish 2,000 Guineas, Betfred Derby and Irish Derby, on racecourse debut at the Curragh last August, I expected plenty of Ger Lyons' STORM PIECE.

Under apprentice jockey James Ryan, the Juddmonte-owned son of Night Of Thunder - who's out of Group 1-winning mare Timepiece - was finessed to the front of the 15-strong field at the one-furlong pole, but ultimately finished half a length behind the exciting winner.

In third that afternoon was another Ballydoyle inmate, Thrice, victorious on his subsequent start by four lengths before a solid effort in Group 3 company at Leopardstown later in the season. He too boasts all the fancy entries.

It was a highly-promising effort from the selection in County Kildare, so it's no surprise he was sent off the even-money favourite when upped in trip to a mile at Punchestown next time out.

Again, he was runner-up to one of O'Brien's - Genealogy, a 400k guineas buy who'd already given a good account of himself behind another highly-rated stablemate just weeks before.

Storm Piece ran a similar race just off the pace, picking up the lead a little earlier this time before getting collared again in the latter stages. It was as good, if not an improved performance. Perhaps he just didn't quite stay the trip?

He certainly didn't see out his race back at the Curragh, back over seven furlongs, just 12 days later. He travelled like his usual self but faded quickly at the business end. It was a quick turnaround for a horse that's very hard of himself and I'm inclined to be forgiving of that particular effort.

That was his final appearance as a two-year-old and today, exactly 175 days later, he returns at three and I've got high hopes about the progression he could make this year. He looked a bit weak last year and hopefully there's been a lot of physical and mental maturity since.

If he's improved even a little, he has every chance of getting off the mark at the fourth attempt at Naas on Sunday.

O'Brien's Mississippi River is a vulnerable favourite in my book. Not only is his form weaker than the selection's, but O'Brien's string tend to need their first run of the season.

Rowdy Yeats has a bit to find for apprentice jockey Jamie Powell, while Iron Fist's 87 rating looks quite inflated to my eye. He's not without a chance, but he'll need to improve.

As for the rest, they're mainly newcomers and the standard set is a high one, so they'd have to be a good bit above average to take this first time up. I can't see that.

At the current prices, I think Storm Piece is a cracking bet in this company.

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