Nap of the Day: Russell raider has bright future

Terrific racing on Saturday - talk about being spoiled. We're all most definitely worth it however, and I've decided to descend upon Haydock Park for the Nap of the Day.

Cracking seven-race card, and some decidedly juicy pre-Christmas prize-money is up for grabs.

So - Haydock it is, a course I've happily visited under both codes dozens of times, and a very competitive-looking Class 3 handicap hurdle.

The selection is a 4-yr-old gelded son of German-bred sire Ivanhowe, in the expert care of Lucinda Russell up in Perth and Kinross. Regular pilot Stephen Mulqueen is in the plate.

Bois Guillbert has had just six lifetime starts to date, winning on three occasions. Last time at Cheltenham he produced for me a career-best to get within around 7l of the now 148-rated Blueking D'Oroux, a P Nicholls inmate due to contest the Grade One Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot on Saturday.

He's run very well at Hexham - you need stamina and then some to do that - and the prevailing deep ground will test all the combatants, even at this minimum trip (a smidge short of 2 miles).

His aforementioned globetrotting sire Ivanhowe was teak-tough and won a heavy-ground Group One in Australia, so I remain hopeful that he'll cope with the underfoot conditions.

Knowing the trainer I'm also guessing he'll jump fences one day but not before hopefully collecting some very nice prizes over the smaller obstacles along the way.

Fingers crossed that this handsome chestnut can continue on his upward curve and score in the north-west. Prices can of course fluctuate between now and off-time.

Another NAP of the Day, from Betfred Insights.