NAP of the Day: Barney and Doyle a winning combo at Wolverhampton

There are four meetings in Britain on Monday, with jumps action from Kelso joined by the start of a new Flat season at Redcar as well as all-weather meetings at Wolverhampton in the afternoon and Kempton in the evening.

Monday's NAP is an interesting Irish raider that could shed his maiden tag at Wolverhampton for trainer John McConnell, who does very well with runners at the track and was on the scoresheet on Saturday evening. Below you can find my NAP of the Day. 

16:35 Wolverhampton – Slowdownbarney @ SP

Irish trainer McConnell is very much a man to be noted with his runners on the Tapeta at Wolverhampton.

The Kildare native is a dual purpose handler with plenty of success over jumps on his CV, and his UK raids are typically profitable with excellent strike-rates at the likes of Perth, Cartmel and Musselburgh.

He is just shy of 26 per-cent historically at Wolverhampton, with eight winners from 31 runners at Dunstall Park and four more making the frame, ensuring he has a +6.38 profit to level stakes at the Black Country venue.

He'll be hoping that SLOWDOWNBARNEY can further embellish that strike-rate by shedding the maiden tag in the 1m6f Class 5 handicap that is race five on the Wolverhampton offering at 16:35.

The Magna Grecia gelding started off with Gavin Cromwell and didn't show much in maidens before one crack over hurdles in September last year where he didn't convince with his jumping.

He started life with McConnell at Dundalk over 1m4f in October and with an official rating of 76.

His winter form at the Co Louth venue was mediocre but he signed off with a big run just before Christmas, finishing third off a much reduced mark of 54.

Three more solid Dundalk runs have followed since early February, yielding figures of 322, with his latest defeat by a diminishing neck behind market leader Billie Frechette from the Noel Meade team 10 days ago coming on his first attempt at the two-mile trip.

He's now rated 59 for his first visit to the UK and that recent Dundalk spin suggests this 1m6f trip is going to be enough of a stamina-test for him to excel.

Hollie Doyle is booked for the ride and her Wolverhampton double on Saturday evening included Fine Print for McConnell - her first time steering for this trainer.

In receipt of weight from the field with Slowdownbarney, Doyle and McConnell are fancied to make it a quick double up at this venue.

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Nap Of The Day from Betfred Insights