NAP of the Day: Newport can land Musselburgh spoils

There are four UK race meetings on Monday with a mix of jumps and all-weather fare to kick-start the week. Lingfield's Polytrack meeting gets things under way and there are National Hunt cards from Musselburgh and Fontwell in the afternoon before a marathon nine-race evening card at Wolverhampton brings down the curtain.

Monday's NAP made a promising start for new trainer Iain Jardine at Sedgefield last month and could be primed to shed the maiden tag as he heads north to Scotland.

13:15 Musselburgh

Fast Racing Results

13:15 Musselburgh – Newport @ 3/1

NEWPORT was having his first run for the Iain Jardine team when he appeared at Sedgefield (2m4f, soft) last month after switching from Ireland.

He ran some solid races in defeat for Liz Doyle this year, including fourth at Wexford in July and the same finishing position at Downpatrick in August.

Both of those efforts came on good ground but the Starspangledbanner gelding has also gone well on heavy on the Flat before.

His best form has come at trips around two miles and, on that basis, his showing over further on stable debut was decent.

Front-running winner Devon Skies wasn't for catching in that contest as the even-money favourite completed the middle leg of a hat-trick, scoring since at Market Rasen from a 7lb higher mark.

Newport was pushed up to go second at three out but lost that slot going down to the final obstacle. He rallied to get in front of Fairly Fulling after the last but was just run out of that spot in the final strides as the runner-up flashed home on his wide outside. They were in turn five lengths clear of everything else.

Newport runs from the same mark of 88 now and has Danny McMenamin taking over in the saddle.

That contest at Sedgefield last month saw him butting heads with a thriving winner but this Novices' Limited Handicap Hurdle affords him an opportunity to line up against a field of rivals also without any winning hurdles form in the book.

The forecast conditions of 'good to soft' in Scotland should be ideal for Newport and a replication of the level he showed at Downpatrick in August could be more than good enough to bag this prize.

Handicap debutant Magic Gloves for Lucinda Russell & Michael Scudamore has some scope for better but an opening mark of 92 perhaps demands that, while Crimson Road is another that hasn't yet revealed his full hand over timber.

Five-year-old Newport has experience on his side and has shown enough in his Irish form and that recent stable debut to believe he can snare a prize like this.

Nap Of The Day from Betfred Insights.