NAP of the Day: You go, Gin Coco!

Friday's NAP was selected not only for the Mean Girls reference in the headline, but because of his outstanding claims for this relatively modest handicap hurdle at Ascot.

On the face of it, Gin Coco's comeback run in the Welsh Champion Hurdle at Ffos Las over a month ago, when he was beaten 12 lengths by Nemean Lion, was a little disappointing.

However, it was clearly a prep run for the Greatwood Hurdle, won by the progressive Iberico Lord at the weekend, which was the seven-year-old's big early-season target before the not-so-great British weather scuppered trainer Harry Fry's plans.

In the build-up to the Greatwood, which the selection was second in last year, Fry admitted "he was only just ready to get started at Ffos Las", going on to say "that run should have brought him on and made him spot-on".

It goes without saying, this 0-145 handicap hurdle at Ascot on Friday is a lot weaker than his previous target, so on that basis alone he must have an outstanding chance.

His new mark of 133, which was lowered by two pounds for his effort the last day, looks pretty generous all things considered, and I wouldn't say any of his six rivals appear to have much, if anything in hand.

Mark Of Gold, one of two for Gary Moore, could be the exception, but I suspect the handicapper has caught up to him and the six-year-old is having his first run of the season so fitness can't be guaranteed.

At time of writing, the ground at Ascot is Good to Soft, Good in places and it's drying out by the hour. That's perfect for Gin Coco, who ought to take the world of beating.