NAP of the Day: Back this 5/2 shot at Doncaster

On a super Saturday featuring Trials Day at Cheltenham, it's over to Doncaster for the NAP of the Day.

It's fair to say that Lorcan Williams wasn't in Paul Nicholls' good books after Stay Away Fay was denied in last year's River Don Novices' Hurdle at Doncaster.

The 14-time Champion Trainer has never shied away from expressing his opinion that the subsequent Albert Bartlett hero "should have won" the Grade 2 contest, suggesting the young jockey was at least partly to blame.

Well, he has an excellent chance of writing that wrong aboard Welcom To Cartries on Saturday.

I rate this a weak renewal of the River Don. Kim Bailey's 130-rated Destroytheevidence sets the standard on his second behind Shanagh Bob in a Grade 2 at Cheltenham late last year, but that was his sixth run over hurdles and he's starting to look exposed.

I Love My Baie won easily at Ayr last time out and another step up in trip should suit, but it was a poor race he won and his previous two efforts leave him with plenty to find at this level.

Similar comments apply to Espirit Du Potier, while I see no reason why Kerryhill would reverse form with the aforementioned Destroytheevidence - and frankly I struggle to envisage any of the other five getting the job done.

Welcom To Cartries is already rated equal to Destroytheevidence and having only ran twice this season - and just three times in his career including a PTP - he's likely to have much more to offer.

There was lots to like about his performance in a maiden hurdle at Ascot on his rules debut in November last year, just missing out to a race-fit and well-backed Beat The Bat, who's now rated 132, for Harry Fry.

He then got off the mark at the second attempt when upped a couple of furlongs in trip at the same venue just before Christmas. That was a weaker race, but he won easily in the end, pulling further and further away at the line.

I think he's absolutely crying out for this greater test of stamina and, with improvement expected, he could prove too good for this field.