Nap of the Day: Drinks on The Kemble Brewery?

Unfortunately, the Nap of the Day for Friday was a late non-runner on account of the ground. A shame, as I felt he had a fine chance.

We return to Chepstow for the second day of the Welsh Racing Festival on Saturday, eyeing a chase debutant who could be a force in handicaps this season.

THE KEMBLE BREWERY is right up there on my list of horses to follow as he goes chasing this season.

Kim Bailey and Mat Nicholls' six-year-old son of Blue Bresil cost a pretty penny - €120k to be precise - as a store in June 2022 and it didn't take long for that to look a potentially smart investment.

He pulled four-and-a-half lengths clear of the field on racecourse debut in a bumper at Huntingdon in April 2023, six months before beating Valgrand - a subsequent Grade 2 winner over hurdles - in a Class 2 contest at Cheltenham at the October meeting.

His hurdling debut back at Prestbury Park the following month didn't go to plan, as he suffered a cut to a tendon that forced him out of action for the next 332 days.

Making up for lost time started at Worcester around this time 12 months ago, as he got the better of the highly-regarded Jurancon, the winner of three of his subsequent four starts including a Class 3 handicap off a mark of 127, in a thrilling battle up the straight.

A facile success at 2/7f followed at Ffos Las in November, before a respectable defeat to Ben Pauling and JP McManus' Meetmebythesea at Ludlow just before Christmas.

The Kemble Brewery was carrying a double penalty, conceding 11lbs to the winner who obliged next time out before finishing a close third in a Grade 3 handicap at Sandown in March off a mark of 128.

The selection also ran in Berkshire, but was pulled-up a long way from home. Clearly, he didn't run to form and I'm inclined to put a line through it. Every horse is allowed an off day, and all that.

He had his wind "tinkered with" over the summer according to Bailey, who sounds bullish about his future over the bigger obstacles.

On all known form, I think he's very well-handicapped off his mark of 129 - and that's without consideration of any improvement that might follow in this new discipline.

If he's fit and ready to go on reappearance, which I'm optimistic about given he's won twice after a big break and his trainers tend to make a quick start to the season, I think he'll prove hard to beat.

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