Nap of the Day: Skeltons Hope to make ground in Championship race

A busy Wednesday awaits on the racing front, as Newmarket's Craven Meeting continues and Cheltenham's two-day April Meeting gets underway.

It's to the home of jumps racing I'm drawn for the Nap of the Day, as one for title-chasing Dan Skelton tickles my fancy.

At the end of play on Tuesday, just under £10k separates Dan Skelton and Willie Mullins in the UK Jump Trainers' Championship table.

Skelton is, at least for the time being, holding on to his advantage over the title holder, and another £13k will be a big boost if MR HOPE STREET can win this 0-145 handicap hurdle over three miles at Cheltenham on Wednesday.

The seven-year-old son of Jet Away showed little in his first six runs under rules, but got off the mark at Market Rasen around this time last year off a lowly mark of 91. A month later he won again at Uttoxeter off seven pounds higher, before a well-deserved break.

On reappearance at Carlisle in October, he failed to complete the hat-trick, bumping into Fergal O'Brien's equally-progressive Plaisir Des Flos, who'd won his previous four starts and is 13lbs higher today.

That didn't halt his progression, though, for he went on to win at Southwell and Warwick within the matter of nine days in December, rising to a mark of 124.

Again, he failed on his hat-trick bid at Newbury next time out over the Christmas period, going down to Jonjo & A J O'Neill's well-handicapped Jipcot. That was the selection's third run in a single month, however, and he reportedly lost a shoe in running, so it was far from a bad effort.

In the meantime, the now 127-rated gelding has enjoyed a nice break and after missing the cut for a race at Aintree's Grand National Meeting, he comes to the home of jump racing targeting a nice prize for his title-chasing trainer. He shouldn't be lacking for fitness.

On paper, it looks a highly-competitive contest featuring the likes of Dashel Drasher, Harbour Lake and Zain Nights. However, many of the selection's nine rivals have questions to answer.

The aforementioned Dashel Drasher is finally showing signs of regression at 12 years old and must defy topweight to take this. Zain Nights is off a career-high mark. Harbour Lake is too, and he bled in the Pertemps Final at the Cheltenham Festival. Long Draw has a decent layoff to defy.

The only one I'm confidently ruling out - Samuel Spade, My Bobby Dazzler, Super Survivor and Guard The Moon are given slight chances - is 10-year-old Flash Collonges, who's pulled-up on his last three appearances.

But Mr Hope Street is only seven, could still be progressive and Skelton, with his first title hanging on by a thread, isn't running him here for a day out. He has a huge chance.

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