Nap of the Day: Plaisir can please punters at Leicester

There's been no joy so far this week for Nap of the Day backers, but I'm relatively hopeful about Friday's selection - a previously progressive handicapper who could have more to offer yet now switching to fences.

Around this time last year, Fergal O'Brien's PLAISIR DES FLOS began a run of five consecutive wins in just over six months.

Prior to that, the six-year-old son of Joshua Tree had form figures of 9546580 and was rated just 82.

That mark rose a whopping 36lbs as a result of his five-timer, then another four after his third, beaten just one-and-a-half lengths, in a competitive contest at Cheltenham's November Meeting.

Off a career-high 122, he was third again - this time a bit further off the pace - when stepped up to just shy of three miles at Bangor, which is the last time we saw him.

Eighty four days later, he makes his debut over fences in a 0-130 novices' limited handicap featuring a field of six.

The selection has no point-to-point experience, but the suggestion is he should take to chasing like a duck to water, being out of a full-sister to Balko Des Flos, who won the Ryanair in 2018 and was runner-up in the 2021 Grand National. He was rated 169 at his peak.

He's also related to Salut Flo, who won the Plate for David Pipe at the 2012 Cheltenham Festival and himself was marked as high as 144.

It doesn't always work out that easily, but it's fair to say he's bred to enjoy this new discipline. Very much so.

If that proves the case, he could definitely be ahead his mark of 124 - eased slightly on Friday by Jack Hogan's useful three-pound claim. The handicapper may have caught him up over flights, but there's the promise of more to come over the bigger obstacles.

The betting suggests King Arise is the rival to beat, but after an emphatic victory at Wincanton before Christmas he's gone up 11lbs for a couple of seconds. I never like that.

He's expected to reverse form with Immortal Flame at Uttoxeter in January, however, for he's significantly better off at the weights and was beaten under a length.

Mahons Glory, Major Fortune and Abbeydale aren't completely hopeless, especially the latter, but all three need a bit of a revival at this stage.

I think the selection has a favourite's chance in this company, so he rates a cracking bet at current prices.

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