Nap of the Day: Probert to wax lyrical

Plenty of attractive racing on Monday in the UK and Ireland – and for the NAP of the Day I’m going to the English seaside. Brighton to be precise – and though I’ve yet to visit the course I recall being by the beach once and looking up to see part of it in the lofty distance.

Looks quirky and inviting on TV – and invariably produces competitive racing and dramatic finishes.

This experienced 5-yr-old gelding is trained by the excellent Eve Johnson Houghton and ridden by the equally adept David Probert. Big ticks in various boxes already, for these are players used to plundering prizes at all manner of venues, including some pretty exalted ones.

The horse has course-and-distance winning form, another plus. This is a very modest little contest but if you own, train, ride or back a winner of such a race isn’t the thrill just as special? Absolutely.

After winning here off a mark of 64 (66 today) he’s contested four races in a Class higher, including two at top tracks Goodwood, and Newbury. He’s back in the bargain basement Class 6 on Monday and good-to-firm ground is predicted, just as it was when he scooted home a few months back.

Expect Probert to glide (do Class 6 horses ‘glide?’) along and produce him late, hopefully to do the business. After tipping up the Leger winner plus another good one at Donny on Saturday I cursed one in Ireland with my selection yesterday and I think he’s still running. We’ve all been there.

How does that old song go again? ‘Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and start all over again.’ Ah, that’s the one. Never a truer word ..