Nap of the Day: 9/2 Roysse ready to roll on chase debut

There's just one National Hunt offering on Wednesday, an eight-race card at Chepstow, but it's a classy one at that.

My Nap of the Day, a chase debutant for red-hot connections, comes from the Welsh venue.

I think ROYSSE is a very well-handicapped horse who could have lots of fun over fences this season.

The six-year-old son of Kayf Tara has always been held in high regard by trainer Ben Pauling, and during the first half of his career it was easy to see why.

A fine effort in a bumper won by subsequent Grade 2 hero Horaces Pearl on debut at Wincanton in November 2023 was followed by a stylish success over David Pipe's talented Jurancon at Newbury in the new year.

He was a major eyecatcher on debut over timber back in Berkshire exactly 289 days and a wind op later, going down by four lengths to Joe Tizzard's Hartington.

The selection travelled like much the best horse in the race before tiring after the final flight - and it's fair to say the winner has advertised the form in the meantime, placing in Listed company at Sandown on his subsequent start and winning a handicap at Carlisle earlier this week off a mark of 119.

Roysse returned to course and distance just before Christmas and was in the process of running out a 30-length winner when falling at the last. The fortunate King Califet, who capitalised on Roysse's departure, is rated 114, so I'm intrigued as to the view the handicapper would have taken had he stayed on his feet.

Although he won his next start at Uttoxeter at the start of the year, it was a modest performance given the opposition - and then he was pulled-up in the Dovecote, a Grade 2, at Kempton before a 25-length defeat at Ffos Las in April.

For whatever reason, his season went to pot, but according to a recent stable tour with Sporting Life, Pauling is happy he's back to something like.

He said: "He has come back in a totally different horse and he has got a great brain on him. He looks like a totally different horse."

He's reportedly a great jumper at home and I'm hoping this new discipline will be the making of him. If som he could have lots in hand off his reduced mark of 122.

In fairness, I also think The Kemble Brewery is ahead of the handicapper. His form reads well in the context of his rating (129) and he looks made for chasing. However, this is his first run after having his wind tinkered with and depending on the amount of rain they receive in East Wales, I'm unsure about him on the ground.

Ben Solo is semi-interesting, especially with man-of-the-moment Sean Bowen in the saddle, but I think he's overpriced on all known form. The rest will surely find this classy contest too hot.

There's risks attached, but at the prices I think Roysse is a cracking bet to provide another winner for his in-form yard (Pauling is operating at 30% strike rate in the past fortnight).

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