NAP of the Day: King & Queen to rule at Navan on Saturday

With Ascot, Haydock and Taunton already abandoned, the last-remaining jumps card on Saturday comes from Navan, which must first pass an inspection at 7.30am.

At time of writing, the track is unraceable, but there's plenty of optimism surrounding the "favourable" forecast so hopes are high about getting the green light and therefore a run from the NAP of the Day.

Rachael Blackmore, regarded by many as the queen of racing, is fancied to rule at Navan on Saturday aboard Killaney King.

Henry De Bromhead's six-year-old made a pleasing start to his career when runner-up to a nice prospect of Willie Mullins' at Punchestown in December and can go one better in this maiden hurdle over 2m4f.

He cost powerful owners Robcour a pretty penny and came into the season with a fair reputation, billed as a potential Grade One horse in the making.

As a result, the immediate reaction to his debut defeat was largely negative. Not for me though. I saw plenty of positives in his performance.

Firstly, he was weak in the betting before the off, suggesting there'd be more to come from the son of Flemensfirth who was returning from a 401-day break.

The winner Blizzard Of Oz also had a major experience edge over him. While Killaney King had just one run in a PTP to his name, the former was making his sixth start under rules.

That inexperience was evident in-running. The selection failed to jump with much fluency and was hanging left down the home straight. He kept at the task, though, pulling over seven lengths clear of the rest of the field in second.

I think that's good form. Take note that Blizzard Of Oz, who's always been billed as an out-and-out stayer, is entered in the two-mile Grade One, but not the Nathaniel Lacy over 2m6f, at next month's Dublin Racing Festival. Perhaps they were pleasantly surprised by that showing?

Expect a good bit of improvement from Killaney King here. He'll need to take a step forward, as this is a typically-competitive Irish maiden, but I reckon that's highly-likely and I make him a good bet at 3/1.