NAP of the Day: Al Baahy to land overdue success

There are four meetings scheduled in the UK on Monday, with a mix of National Hunt and all-weather racing in store. They go over jumps at Ayr and Warwick in the afternoon alongside all-weather action from Kempton Park, while later on the focus switches to Wolverhampton for their evening offering on the Tapeta. 

Monday's NAP hasn't managed to get his head in front as often as might have been expected, but he's now operating from a reduced mark in lower grades and appears to be closing in on an overdue second career success. 

19:00 Wolverhampton Odds

Having started life with Sir Michael Stoute after costing 260,000 gns as the son of the 2014 Guineas winner Kingman, AL BAAHY has undoubtedly failed to fulfil the potential of his pedigree. 

His career began in the Shadwell silks at Newmarket in a decent maiden in the summer of 2021 where he finished down the field as a 25/1 chance. 

Decent runs at Leicester (7f, good to firm), Chelmsford (7f) and Pontefract (1m, good to firm) earned him an opening handicap mark of 79 and things have proved tough since. 

After joining Kevin Frost he showed some signs of promise and won at Wetherby (7f, good) in May 2023 off a rating of 71. 

That remains his sole success to date and he's 0-15 on synthetic surfaces, though he has made the frame on six occasions. 

He has finished second in two of his last three starts at Southwell over 7f and also here over this trip. 

In that most recent visit last month Jack Mitchell's partner was left with plenty to do when the eventual winner Forever Proud kicked into the lead rounding the final bend. 

Al Baahy emerged as 'best of the rest' in that contest and was clear of the remainder when passing the post. 

The winner went in again subsequently over track and trip under his penalty and that Christmas race looks reliable for this grade. 

The selection has been nudged up 2lb in the ratings for his troubles, but is on a mark of 57 still and, if he can get a clearer run at it this time, a first all-weather success could be incoming. 

Kitaro Kich for George Baker, Carey Street for Tony Carroll and Pessoa for Adrian Wintle all arrive here off the back of pleasing efforts last time out. 

It's a wide open contest on paper and Sean Bowen is a positive jockey booking, given that he has a 40 per cent strike-rate when riding for this trainer.

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