NAP of the Day: Campbell Black ready to step up

There are four meetings taking place on Thursday across Britain and Ireland, with Sandown's Royal Artillery Gold Cup card lost to the weather.

Jumps action now comes from Huntingdon, Sedgefield and Thurles before the evening all-weather card from Newcastle, where they have a bumper nine-race offering. Thursday's Nap of the Day is set to make his handicap debut at Thurles for trainer William Harvey after showing promise in maiden company.

16:23 Thurles - Campbell Black @ 8/1

Conditions are set to be testing at Thurles, where underfoot conditions are forecast as 'soft-soft to heavy in places' for their card.

The Connolly's RED MILLS Ladies Handicap Hurdle is the penultimate race of the day and it could present CAMPBELL BLACK with a chance to build on some of the promise he has shown in maiden company.

William Harvey's Mahler gelding hinted at ability in two starts at Downpatrick and Galway in the early autumn before the first real positive came at Newbury in a decent maiden over 2m½f on good to soft going just before Christmas.

He was a 40/1 chance in the betting but outran those odds to chase home Dan Skelton's Kadastral and Ben Pauling's Legal Weapon, having raced out the back for much of the contest.

The winner was second to Cheltenham-bound Sober Glory back at Newbury this month on his only run since.

16:23 Thurles Odds

Campbell Black, meanwhile, stepped up in trip for a maiden over 2m4f (yielding) here last month and was beaten just over 10-lengths in fourth under the trainer's son, Ben Harvey.

That was a more than decent contest and, again Campbell Black made some inroads from the rear without threatening to win.

The result of those efforts is an opening mark of 108, which could prove lenient. He drops back in trip now, but his Newbury effort suggests he can cope and the testing nature of conditions underfoot should help bring his proven stamina into play.

He's got Lelia Anne Byrne claiming 7lb in this Ladies Handicap Hurdle, ensuring he carries just 11st 3lb and the Maynooth University graduate in Equine Business could be set to partner her second winner under Rules, having steered John McConnell's Is She Real to success at Bellewstown last summer in a Ladies bumper.

She has yet to reach 20 rides under Rules, but has a couple to look forward to on the Thurles card, with Matter Of Opinion in the earlier qualifying riders handicap chase also for this stable.

Nap Of The Day with Betfred Insights.