Nap of the Day: Back the Man in form

It wasn't to be for the Nap - Clap Of Thunder at Market Rasen - on Boxing Day. Despite jumping and travelling well, the five-year-old found precious little when asked to come off the bridle in the home straight.

Hopefully we'll be back in the winners' enclosure on Saturday. The wait to find out won't be very long, as the selection goes in the opener at Leopardstown.

It's been a superb start to the season for Gordon Elliott. The Cullentra handler, who's operating at a 24% strike rate in the past fortnight, is going great guns over on the other side of the Irish Sea.

He had rival Willie Mullins' number again at Leopardstown on Boxing Day - and I'm predicting a similar story on Saturday.

Both Gordon and Willie saddle Gigginstown-owned three-year-olds in the opener over two miles, and it's the former's MANOIR DE MIRANDE who gets my vote.

Dschingis Desire, for the Closutton camp, could be anything, but the their young horses in particular have been needing the run. Badly. That also casts doubts over Dead Cert - the mount of Brian Hayes.

The selection has the benefit of a recent outing having fell at the last when appearing the most-likely winner of a similar event at Cork earlier in the month.

The son of It's Gino had made all of the running, at a slow pace, until the point of departure, and to my eye at least he looked to have the eventual winner Glen To Glen and the reopposing Ole Ole held.

I expect him to not just confirm but enhance his superiority over that one, for he's entitled to plenty of improvement on his second start. Ole Ole was already fit for their first meeting, having gone close in a good race at Punchestown previously.

Manoir De Mirande's bumper success in France back in April also received a handsome boost earlier in the week as Milpat, who was two-and-a-half lengths behind the selection at Moulins, bolted up at Huntingdon. He looks a nice type for Jamie Snowden.

I expected him to be the clear favourite for this 3-y-o maiden hurdle over the minimum trip, so I'm pleasantly surprised to see 2/1 available at opening. That's very generous, in my book. Nap of the Day worthy.

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