Nap of the Day: Milcree to follow up Ayr success

There are three meetings over jumps on Friday afternoon, followed by an all-weather meeting at Dundalk and Wolverhampton.

The best action arguably comes at Kelso, with a number of competitive handicaps to get stuck into. Friday's Nap of the Day defied a mammoth absence to win last time and can continue to make up for lost time. 

15:35 Kelso Odds

Nicky Richards has another exciting chaser on his hands with MILCREE. The son of Milan has clearly had plenty of issues, and has only made the track five times since winning a 2m point in April 2023.

He had initially shown plenty of promise over hurdles before being sidelined, but had always looked as if chasing would be his game, which was confirmed in impressive fashion despite a 622-day absence when making a winning return at Ayr in January.

An 8lb rise in the weights is fair given the manner of that victory and the form has been boosted by third placed Jipcot, who bolted up next time.

It is always possible he will bounce from his return, given the length of his absence, but he has been given plenty of time by Richards since that run and had reportedly been back in full work for a good stint prior.

If he can stay sound, he has the potential to progress through the grades and take aim at some big handicaps over fences.

Richards' runners are always feared at Kelso, he has operated at a 20% strike rate at the track over the last five years, and the yard returned to form with a welcome winner at Ayr on Tuesday.

Despite the small field, with just six declared, this is a competitive contest. Queensbury Boy will likely have his supporters again, having gone off favourite in this latest run. However, he will need to jump better under pressure and probably should have won last time.

At the other end of the handicap, Moon Phases will also be a lively danger for Lucinda Russell & Michael Scudamore. He has run well at this track on his last couple of runs, including when a narrow winner last time.

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