Nap of the Day: Skelton set for Lady Jago success

It's a busy Sunday afternoon ahead for racing fans with five UK and Irish meetings down for decision. Jumps fare comes from Killarney, Plumpton and Ludlow, alongside Flat cards from Leopardstown and Newcastle (AW).

Sunday's Nap of the Day has been in good form of late and is taken to add another success for the Dan Skelton yard at Ludlow.

Dan Skelton was pipped at the post by Willie Mullins in the battle for the trainers' title but the Alcester-based handler hasn't spent much time dwelling on that setback.

Skelton has started the month of May in excellent fettle, with five winners from his first 18 runners giving him a strike-rate of almost 28 per cent.

The mare LADY JAGO notched victories at Wincanton (3m1f, good) and Warwick (2m4f, good) in late March and mid-April, coming home with plenty to spare in both instances as she improved on the chasing form shown back in the winter on her first three starts in this discipline.

She was patiently ridden in both those outings before asserting late on. Things didn't quite work out as well at Plumpton (3m1½f, good) last time, but she was in against geldings in that race and it didn't click at a track where front-runners often hold sway.

That being said, her effort petered out really quickly after she had travelled quite well into the contest and it may well be she simply didn't give her true running. She is now back against her own sex and fancied to put that showing behind her.

She faces three rivals, all with form in the book. Trapista won this race 12 months ago for Jonjo & AJ O'Neill but did so off the back of wins at Hereford and Warwick. She's on a favourable mark but has two non-completions and a wide-margin defeat in her three most recent starts, finishing tailed off over C&D last month.

Chasing debutante Imperial Jade has been in good tune over timber but lacks experience in this sphere, while Regal Renaissance is 3lb higher in the ratings than when second to Trapista in this contest last year.

Lady Jago has top-weight but the burden is eased by the 7lb claim of Heidi Palin, who remains in the hunt for the lady jump jockeys' championship, which concludes later this month.

The 22-year-old has partnered an impressive six winners from just 21 attempts over fences in the preceding 12 months and is 9-33 over these obstacles all told for a 27 per cent strike-rate. This mare should leave behind her Plumpton effort and help tag on another win for Palin.

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