Nap of the Day: Autoportrait to paint winning picture

There is a cracking day of racing in prospect on Sunday, with Grade 1 fare from Ireland joined by competitive action in Britain and a total of four meetings in store.

Punchestown hosts a red-hot renewal of the Grade 1 John Durkan Memorial Chase (3.00), while they are joined by Cork, Windsor and Exeter on a day with 30 races taking place. Sunday's Nap of the Day is making his fencing bow for the Mouse Morris team at Cork and looks just the sort to excel in this sphere.

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15:20 Cork Odds

The very best of the Mouse Morris-trained AUTOPORTRAIT was always likely to be seen once he saw a fence and the Robcour inmate can shine on his first attempt over the larger obstacles in the beginners' chase over an extended two-miles-and-five-furlongs that concludes Sunday's action at Cork.

Robcour shelled out €230,000 to acquire Autoportrait at the Arqana Sales in November 2023.

The son of Authorized shaped nicely as a hurdler last season over a variety of trips and he got on the scoresheet at Navan (2m4f, soft) in March having finished second behind smart prospect Lovely Hurling at Naas in February.

Three miles in the competitive Listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF Novice Handicap Hurdle Series Final at Fairyhouse appeared to stretch him but, being from the family of Gold Cup winner A Plus Tard, this discipline should bring about further improvement.

This intermediate trip looks a good starting point over fences and Mike O'Connor's partner is fancied to do the job first time out, given he went very close on hurdles bow for this yard after more than a year off having arrived from France.

Jack Kennedy partners the Gigginstown-owned Kish Bank for Gordon Elliott. The six-year-old went off favourite in this month's chasing introduction at Fairyhouse over an extended three-miles but could only finish fourth, beaten 14-lengths.

He drops in trip now, engaging once more with rivals that finished around him that day in Mickie Angel (third) and Hitak (fifth).

It was the Morris-trained Bossofthebrownies who won that Fairyhouse race in good style by 13 lengths and so the trainer should have a very good handle on where Autoportrait stands coming into this assignment.

Any market confidence therefore should only serve to strengthen optimism that his charge is going to make a winning start over fences.

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