NAP of the Day: 18/1 Officer well worth chancing on Friday

On a relatively quiet Friday, the NAP of the Day is a former Flat horse in France who returns to his old discipline for new connections after an unsuccessful campaign.

Conditions are pretty desperate at Ascot, so this 0-90 handicap over two miles is going to take some getting.

Honestly, I couldn't put you off any of the seven runners. That might seem an odd thing to say, given I'm about to single one out as the best bet of the day, so hear me out...

I think there's a fair chance OFFICER OF STATE is being seriously overlooked in the market.

14:47 Ascot Odds

Gary & Josh Moore coughed up 65k guineas for this Golden Horn gelding back in October 2023, after eight runs on the Flat for masterful French trainer Andre Fabre.

They sent him straight over hurdles and he was bitterly disappointing, so now after a 230-day break he returns to the level off an opening mark of 87.

The million dollar question is this: is he worthy of that rating? Let's have a look.

Despite not winning at two, he showed good ability from a very early stage. He was second to Vadeni, who won the French Derby and Eclipse the following season, in a Listed race on just the second start of his career.

He wasn't seen at three after a gelding operation that summer, but returned at four and again boasted a decent level of form, especially in the autumn on deep ground.

His final start on the other side of The Channel was over just shy of Friday's two-mile trip, in a decent Conditions race at Fontainebleau, and he won it nicely over the favourite Mirabad, who was a narrow runner-up in Listed company on his subsequent start.

That form and Racing Post Ratings in the early 100s awarded for his last two Flat outings suggests a mark of 87 is on the lenient side.

Obviously, you're taking a chance on him retaining his ability as well as fitness, but he overcame a 639-day layoff once before and the Moores are in good nick at present, operating at a 25% strike rate in the last fortnight, so I'm optimistic. Ground ought to be no problem either.

At the prices, I couldn't put anyone off an each-way play in this Extra Place Race, with three on offer instead of two at 1/5 the odds for all each-way bets.

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