Nap of the Day: Take an Ego trip at Taunton on Tuesday

We missed out, by the smallest of margins, on a Nap of the Day hat-trick as Kargese was just touched off by Romeo Coolio in a dramatic finish to the Irish Arkle at Leopardstown on Monday.

A fine effort nonetheless against an odds-on favourite - and I'm back opposing one at the head of the market at Taunton on Tuesday.

In receipt of weight for the red-hot Paul Nicholls (37% strike rate in the past fortnight) at his local track, I expect Grand Vendetta to prove popular for this novices' hurdle over 2m3f at Taunton on Tuesday.

The six-year-old son of Flemensfirth caught the eye on racecourse debut at Chepstow in early December, finishing a distant runner-up to Emma Lavell's promising Modern Man and over seven lengths clear of the rest. A modest 'rest', mind you.

He looked green as grass and is sure to improve for the run, but that form is very difficult to weigh up and as far as I'm concerned he's got a way to go to reach the standard of WANDERING EGO.

Olly Murphy's six-year-old was a useful bumper horse, finishing third to Supreme hopeful El Cairos at Newbury in November 2024 before a narrow defeat to Dan Skelton's Quaviste at Huntingdon a month into the new year.

The Order Of St George gelding got off the mark at the third time of asking, at Wetherby in the spring, and was subsequently put away for the season.

Ahead of the current campaign, hopes were high at Warren Chase. Murphy told Sporting Life: "He will be in the top few of my novice hurdlers this season."

Whether that's come to fruition or not is a conversation for another day, but he's certainly shown enough ability to justify his mark of 124.

A lacklustre effort on seasonal reappearance at Perth in September was put down to a significant lack of fitness - and he duly left it a long way behind when bolting up by 14 lengths at Stratford the following month.

Next, a five-and-three-quarter-length defeat to Supreme favourite Old Park Star, who was in receipt of six pounds, at Kempton. There's further depth to that form, too, courtesy of the runner-up Un Sens A La Vie and Fortune Timmy. Not that it needs it...

I thought the selection was a bit underwhelming in a handicap over the same course and distance at Christmas, but he travelled extremely well throughout and just looked outpaced at the business end.

He should appreciate the step up to 2m3f and I think he'll enjoy conditions too. He was going very well before falling at the last in his point-to-point on heavy and his pedigree offers further optimism on that front.

There's lots to like about his chances under the champion jockey Sean Bowen in what looks a straight match - and given opening prices and predicted support for the Nicholls horse, I'm keen to take SP.

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