NAP of the Day: Back 13/8 Irish raider at Ascot on Friday

Thursday's winner made it three in a row - one at 2/1 and two at 15/8 - for readers of my NAP of the Day column.

Fingers crossed the run continues when we go to Ascot on Friday for a promising Aidan O'Brien juvenile.

Aidan O'Brien sends a couple to Ascot on Friday, including ISAMBARD BRUNEL for what looks an above-average maiden over seven furlongs.

The Class 3 contest has attracted 12 runners and it's the two-year-old Justify colt I fancy to come out on top.

He made his debut at Newbury exactly three weeks ago and finished fifth of 10, just under four lengths off the pace. The form is yet to be tested anywhere near enough for me to confidently deliver a verdict on its quality, but the early signs are promising.

The winner, Hopewell Rock, holds an entry for the G2 Royal Lodge Stakes at Newmarket later this month, while the runner-up Pantile Warrior emerged with credit behind a couple of Godolphin prospects prior and was second again in a nice race at Goodwood the other day. The third-placed Sing Us A Song's form behind Field Of Gold was franked recently and the fourth-placed King's Charter cost €650,000 and went off 11/10f having caught the eye on his debut.

I would be very surprised if that race doesn't provide several subsequent winners, hopefully starting with the selection in Berkshire.

He was given a lovely education at Newbury. After a slightly-laboured break, Ryan Moore sent him to trail the front-runner who, to my eye at least, was setting a modest pace.

Isambard Brunel was one of the first off the bridle, but he stuck to the job well enough before weakening late on and given an easy time under his jockey.

O'Brien's juveniles almost always improve significantly for their first day at school and I expect this lad, who holds a host of mouth-watering entries including the G1 Dewhurst Stakes at HQ in October, to follow suit.

He ought to be a lot sharper and the drop in distance shouldn't be an issue as a result - and for the track is one of the most testing in the country.

Of his 11 rivals, the 14:25 Ascot Odds suggests the Godolphin-owned Fifth Column for John & Thady Gosden is the most dangerous. He's also got fancy entries and was an eye-catching debutant at Kempton last month, but that form hasn't worked out at all.

The unraced Al Samed and Frankini are respected and I wouldn't be surprised to see substantial progression from Calla Lagoon, but ultimately you'd have to expect the selection to have their measure.

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