Nap of the Day: 10/1 Thunder ready to rumble on Friday

Cheltenham, which hosts the opening card of its three-day November Meeting, dominates the racing agenda on Friday and it's to The Cotswolds we go for the Nap of the Day.

I don't believe I've ever suggested an each-way Nap, but Betfred are offering five places instead of four on the 0-125 novices' handicap hurdle that closes the card at Cheltenham on Friday and I think 10/1 about the selection is very fair, so this is a first in that regard.

The selection is Nigel Twiston-Davies' CLAP OF THUNDER.

I've followed the four-year-old son of Mount Nelson closely this season, because his form ties in with one of my antepost tips for the 2025 Cheltenham Festival - Willie Mullins' Kopek Des Bordes.

Friday's Nap finished 13 lengths behind my Turners Novices' Hurdle hope in a lucrative Sales Bumper at Fairyhouse back in March, but in time I suspect we'll look on it as a very strong piece of form.

It's already worked out to an extent, with the eight-placed La Note Verte (beaten 69 lengths) bolting up a Listowel next time out while Jonjo & A J O'Neill's We're Red And Blue, who was 38 lengths adrift of the winner in fourth, recently won a maiden hurdle at Carlisle in good fashion.

The form of the flat races Clap Of Thunder contested last season is encouraging too. He was far from disgraced by the likes of Bill Joyce and Royal Infantry, who rate nice types for the O'Neills and Skeltons respectively.

Hopes were high on his hurdling debut at Chepstow last month. Not just on my end, but clearly connections too as the gelding was, if my memory serves me well, backed into 15/8f from about 6/1.

Punters were left disappointed as he ultimately finished fourth of 11, beaten a whopping 22 lengths. For whatever reason, I don't think he gave anywhere near the best account of himself that day.

The improvement that followed at Ascot just under a fortnight ago was substantial. Backed into odds-on this time, he looked very straightforward indeed and fairly bolted up by nearly five lengths.

It wasn't the strongest race of all time, but the runner-up Illegal d'Ainay, whose seven-pound penalty was almost entirely wiped out by claiming jockey Freddie Gordon, beat the 103-rated Global Esteem, a three-time winner since, by a widening five lengths at Plumpton on his latest start in May.

Clap Of Thunder hardly needed to be asked a question to put him in his place in Berkshire, and the rest of the field were over 14 lengths, so it's relatively decent form as far as I'm concerned.

He's been awarded an opening mark of 120, which looks very fair to me. It's been reported connections are also happy with the handicapper's assessment and that he's been working particularly well at home, which is promising to hear.

A 16-runner handicap at HQ is no easy task, but at 10/1 in an Extra Place Race I'm more than happy to chance this young novice takes another big step forward.

I'm also going to be playing the related double, being the Nap and Kopek Des Bordes for the Turners Novices' Hurdle. At time of publication that comes out at 186/1 - well worth a couple of quid.

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