Nap of the Day: Dirty Den to crack the code

'Twas the night before Cheltenham and all across Britain and Ireland there were four final race meetings before the extravaganza gets underway.

Traditional pre-Cheltenham offerings over jumps come from Stratford, Plumpton and Taunton alongside an evening card at Newcastle on the Tapeta to make up the Cheltenham Eve programme. Our Nap of the Day for Monday is Dirty Den for trainer Anthony Charlton who is bidding to end a sequence of near misses.

15:10 Taunton Odds

Traditional pre-Cheltenham action takes place at Taunton on Monday afternoon with a seven-race card in the offing.

The hunt for a winner before the Cotswolds showpiece gets underway on Tuesday brings us to DIRTY DEN for trainer Anthony Charlton.

The five-year-old Dragon Dancer gelding remains a maiden after eight starts over hurdles but the recent signs have started to look promising.

He joined this yard from Syd Hosie last summer and has improved race-to-race in his five runs.

He was fourth at Wincanton in December, then second at the Somerset venue in mid-January, denied as favourite behind Chicago Storm, who went close next time from 8lb higher, while a dual subsequent winner was behind in third.

That was a clear-cut defeat, in the end, but Dirty Den went agonisingly close since at Huntingdon (2m, good to soft) in February.

There were four in a line going to the final flight in that contest and Dirty Den appeared to be getting the best of things on the run for home, only for Kingoftheswingerz to finish in gutsy fashion on his inside with the aid of a running rail and get the verdict by a neck.

That rival was obliging when showing a determined attitude in a pair of first-time cheekpieces and connections of Dirty Den will hope for something similar here, as the headgear is donned for the first time.

The handicapper has nudged him up 2lb in the ratings for that near miss 18 days ago, but that shouldn't be too prohibitive.

He's got a nice racing weight of 11st for this and is fancied to get the better of the likes of Sunninghill and Renoir, while handicap debutant Baseline for Philip Hobbs & Johnson White is one to note in the betting.

All things weighed up, however, and with those recent improved efforts in mind, Dirty Den is taken to open his account.

This is an Extra Place Race meaning that Betfred will be paying 3 Places (1/5 Odds) rather than 2.

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