Nap of the Day: BOOM incoming?

After a 5/2 winner to start the week, we've had a couple of near-misses at 4/1 and 5/2. Knocking on the door, though, so hopefully another one is coming.

We cross the Irish Sea to Fairyhouse for Saturday's Nap of the Day, putting our faith in that man Willie Mullins. Who else?

Despite the fact it's Trials Day at Cheltenham and the imperious Constitution Hill is back in action, albeit against vastly-inferior rivals, it's a maiden hurdle at Fairyhouse that I'm most intrigued about on Saturday.

Twenty one runners go to post for the two-mile contest, but it's really all about the three atop the betting - Kawaboomga, Koktail Divin and William Munny.

If Henry de Bromhead was in better form - he's operating at a five per cent strike rate courtesy of just two winners from 38 runners in the past fortnight - I could see Koktail Divin going off favourite.

The five-year-old son of Masked Marvel was runner-up by just a half a length to Willie Mullins' highly-regarded Kaid D'authie at Leopardstown over Christmas and the consensus seems to be that is the strongest maiden of the season so far.

I'm not as sold. The 6/4 favourite didn't show up, nor did Mullins' other runner Kalix Delabarriere. That horse was sandwiched between 25/1 and 50/1 shots and the overall time was modest too. It was just a second and a half quicker than an 80-116 handicap hurdle half an hour later, won by a 104-rated horse breaking his duck at the seventh attempt.

That's not me saying it's bad form. It's clearly not. The winner has earned rave reviews from Closutton recently and I'm sure the second is well above average too. I'm just not totally convinced yet.

On top of concerns about yard form, I can't see Koktail Divin enjoying this shorter trip. He won over 1m7f on heavy ground on the Flat in France and wanted every yard of 2m4f in Dublin.

William Munny, meanwhile, I'm beginning to think is a little overrated. He was very impressive in a bumper at Naas back in February, but disappointed in the Grade 1 at the Punchestown Festival a few months later - and I was underwhelmed by his hurdling debut on the same card at Leopardstown on Boxing Day.

The seven-year-old son of Westerner was a remote second to Henry de Bromhead's Supreme-bound Workahead, but that rival was over nine lengths behind Jasmin De Vaux, a poor jumper beaten a long way in the G1 Lawlor's Of Naas subsequently, a month prior.

The time Workahead clocked was pretty much identical to Kopek Des Bordes earlier on the card, which is where KAWABOOMGA comes into play.

Mullins' five-year-old, in the iconic green and gold silks of JP McManus, was a staying-on second to his his stablemate and while 'KDB' - or 'Kevin' as he's affectionally referred to at home - can be marked up given how poorly he jumped, the selection can for being ridden off the pace and ending up the one to give the winner most to think about.

In time I think he'll be seen to better effect over further, but he deserves another crack over the minimum trip with a more prominent ride.

His form in France is very strong and I suspect we'll look at his Irish debut over Christmas very generously in time. With that under his belt, I think he's very much the one to beat against rivals with questions to answer.

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