Nap of the Day: Chess Dad to make all the right moves

I've hit a bit of form lately, landing a hat-trick - courtesy of 3/1, 5/2 and 15/8 winners - from my last three Nap of the Day selections.

Hopefully the run continues on Friday, as I put my faith in a young horse with lofty aspirations.

If CHESS DAD is to line up in the French Derby at Chantilly in a few weeks, he simply has to be winning at Nottingham on Friday.

Dr Richard Newland & Jamie Insole's three-year-old made a successful start to his career at Newcastle back in January, beating Karl Burke's odds-on favourite Inspired by just over a length.

Although the runner-up is yet to reappear, the form of that race is relatively modest. However, the selection’s victory - and whatever he shows on the gallops at home - was enough to have connections dreaming about France.

Since getting the entry, the son of Study Of Man – who as it goes won the Prix du Jockey Club in 2018 – has been to Newmarket and finished a close-up third, under a penalty, in a competitive Class 2 contest over 1m2f.

There’s no denying the strength of that form. The winner was in receipt of seven pounds having caught the eye in defeat in a warm race on debut months prior, while the runner-up was a last-time-out winner who holds entries for the Dante at York next week, plus the Betfred Derby and Irish Derby in June.

Half-a-length behind the selection in fourth on the Rowley Mile was the 9/4 favourite, also getting plenty of weight after showing promise on his debut in September last year.

Chess Dad earned a rating of 92 after his exploits at HQ and exactly 23 days later drops back down in class, hoping for a return to winning ways before a potential trip across The Channel.

Standing in his way in Nottinghamshire are four rivals, including market principals Boatswain and Masai Moon who are also burdened by penalties.

The latter has run since, at Newmarket just over three weeks ago, and was very disappointing. He was seventh of eight, a whopping 48 lengths off the pace, and it goes without saying he needs to leave that well behind.

Boatswain is respected after a fairly impressive victory at Lingfield at the start of the year, but the 240k guineas purchase might be lacking match-fitness after a 126-day layoff.

As far as I'm concerned, Rogue Millions is the main danger. James Owen's Dubawi colt was only a length-and-a-half behind the 99-rated Nebras at Southwell recently, and he escapes a penalty as a result. If anyone's going to stop Chess Dad doing the business to make it four winning Naps in a row, I'd say it's him.

But I'm quite hopeful that won't happen and Chess Dad, sporting a tongue tie for the first time, gets a confident vote.

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