Nap of the Day: Hampson can bring home the hat-trick

The angle of siding with a significantly more experienced jockey in an amateur race didn't pay off on Thursday, but I'm taking the same approach 24 hours later.

I'm looking to the opener at Ascot for the Nap of the Day on Friday.

Brodie Hampson is one of, if not the leading amateur lady here in the UK. The 30-year-old, who rode out her claim earlier this year, has enjoyed a total of 75 winners in her career so far.

So, my eyes are immediately drawn to her engagements in amateur lady races - like WALSINGHAM in the opener at Ascot on Friday.

David O'Meara's five-year-old son of Lope De Vega, a full-brother to the most recent Caulfield Cup winner, began his life as a racehorse over in Ireland, for legendary trainer Dermot Weld.

He failed to win any of his eight starts in maiden company during that time, but reached a more-than-respectable mark of 87 in doing so.

It wasn't long thereafter that he was gelded and switched to current connections - O'Meara and The Horse Watchers syndicate - for 50k guineas, before a modest appearance at Redcar last September.

He made his handicap debut off a reduced mark of 76 at Pontefract the following month, finishing third of nine by just under a length. That's a fine piece of form behind useful rivals.

Subsequently stepping up to 1m2f on the all-weather at Newcastle didn't go to plan, with his jockey that day reporting his mount to have 'moved poorly throughout', but he's since bounced back to land consecutive handicaps at Pontefract this July.

On both occasions he's done it with a bit to spare, suggesting a new mark of 81 - which is still six pounds lower than his career-high figure - could yet underestimate him.

Conditions shouldn't be a problem either, for Walsingham has form on soft and heavy ground. The same can't be said about several of his nine rivals.

Of those, it's Shaladar I fear the most. If his latest effort is symbolic of a return to form, he ought to make a bold bid.

Likewise, there's lots to like about Terries Royale if fit after a 333-day layoff. That's a lot easier said than done, though.

Otherwise, it looks a very winnable race and with so much to like about the selection, including the all-important jockey factor, he's taken to complete the hat-trick.

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