Nap of the Day: Elliott youngster set for overdue first win

There's no shying away from it - I'm in a bad run of form at the moment. However, I've got high hopes about the Nap of the Day on Thursday, which comes from across the Irish Sea, providing a welcome winner.

Gordon Elliott has found an excellent opportunity for RAYDAMANN to open his account at Clonmel on Thursday.

The four-year-old son of Sea The Stars failed to win in seven starts on the flat for Johnny Murtagh, despite reaching a mark of 85, and he's yet to taste victory in three attempts over obstacles for Elliott.

He debuted for current connections in a 3-Y-O maiden hurdle at Leopardstown over Christmas and ran disappointingly, beating just four of his 15 rivals home. However, he was bleeding from both nostrils post-race, so the suggestion is to put a line through that run.

Sixty-four days later, he posted a much-improved effort at Navan, placing behind a well-backed winner and a useful-looking stablemate - and then at Limerick exactly a month later he finished runner-up to a 120-rated odds-on shot by about seven-and-a-half lengths, with the rest of the field over 21 adrift.

That was another step forward and he ought to improve again as he contests what looks a very winnable race on Thursday after just over a fortnight off.

Raydamann has already beaten Shaboozee, who ran just five days ago and still has lots to find, and Don'tgowithjoe and Happy Eagle - the other two rivals with form in the book - are hard to advise on what they've achieved to date.

Newcomers No Knee Never and Fourtwofour aren't hopeless, but they're double-figure prices for a reason.

Autumn Twist is the main danger, as the odds suggest. He's actually rated superior, by a single pound, to the selection and finished in front of him at Leopardstown over the festive period. However, the Nap has improved leaps and bounds since, which can't be said as much of Denis Gerard Hogan's runner.

The selection has opened a lot shorter than I expected and due to the closeness between him and Autumn Twist in regards to official ratings, I expect them to be a lot closer in the betting at the off and therefore I suggest taking SP instead of the 4/7 currently on offer.

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