NAP of the Day: Emily In Paris primed for Clonmel success

A five-strong list of meetings makes up Thursday's programme across the UK and Ireland, with jumps racing from Warwick, Southwell and Clonmel joined by all-weather cards at Wolverhampton and Chelmsford (evening). 

Our NAP has knocked on the door multiple times in her short career over fences so far and has plenty going for her returning from a short break at Clonmel.

15:42 Clonmel Odds

Thursday's NAP comes from Ireland, where they race at Clonmel, as the mare EMILY IN PARIS bids to end an 11-race losing sequence for trainer Davy Fitzgerald. 

The daughter of Champs Elysees is a dual winner over timber, scoring at Kilbeggan (2m7f, good to yielding) and Sligo (2m4½f, yielding) in the space of three weeks in the summer of 2023. 

Those wins took her to what has proved a career-high rating of 103 and she went down fighting in her hat-trick quest at Ballinrobe that same September. 

She went chasing last season and showed ability in this sphere, with placed efforts at Tramore and Killarney in August the highlights. 

She mixed hurdles and chasing in the winter, running a big race at Down Royal (3m, good to yielding) at their big November meeting when she was beaten just under two lengths in a contest that produced a couple of next-time-out winners from amongst those that finished behind. 

Another good effort followed a fortnight later when she was second at Punchestown (3m½f, good) in a handicap chase, beaten only by the short-priced favourite. 

15:42 Clonmel – Emily In Paris @ 7/1

She has a preference for decent ground and it's no shock she has skipped the bulk of the winter. An engagement at Limerick last weekend was sidestepped on account of conditions but yielding ground is forecast at Clonmel and that should be to her liking with little in the way of significant rainfall likely. 

She is on a mark of 97 over fences, the same perch off which she scored at Sligo over timber. Gavin Brouder has regularly been in the plate recently and claims a handy 3lb now as they slip into this Careys Castle Handicap Chase carrying in effect just 10st 10lb. 

MacIver has won his last four starts in all codes but the handicapper applies some solid pressure now, while both Wexford winner Bite That and Down Royal silver-medallist Doonbeg Don are contenders on form. 

Emily In Paris was only denied by an improving sort from the Gordon Elliott yard in that Punchestown contest in November and she was clear of the rest. 

She comes here a fresh mare and with conditions in her favour and a replication of that effort may well be enough to get her on the scoresheet.