Nap of the Day: 11/2 shot can come up trumps on Saturday

Given the uncertainty surrounding the meetings here in the UK on Saturday, we go across the Irish Sea for the Nap of the Day.

I couldn't get away from Gordon Elliott's MY TRUMP CARD at Navan on Saturday and with the cards at Aintree and Sandown in doubt, it was an easy decision to make him the Nap of the Day.

He initially caught my eye for this Listed handicap hurdle over 3m1f because of his colours... hear me out.

The six-year-old son of Shantou is owned by Noel and Valerie Moran of Bective Stud - big supporters of Gordon Elliott's operation at Cullentra House - and they have sponsored this race for a few years now. My Trump Card is one of seven runners for Elliott, Prends Garde A Toi appearing to be the number one based on jockey bookings (Sam Ewing rides), but the only runner in the white, green and red of Bective Stud.

I appreciate it's speculative stuff, but they'll surely be in attendance at Navan and would love to win the race they sponsor. Right? Hopefully this one's been laid out for it.

Of course, that's not the only reasoning behind the selection. I think he has a cracking chance at the same time.

For me, there's every chance he's well-handicapped off a mark of 128, which is essentially 123 when you factor in the valuable five-pound claim of jockey Carl Millar.

I'd say that's generous as it it, based on his second to Willie Mullins' I Will Be Baie at Fairyhouse on New Year's Day and his subsequent maiden victory over Dr Eggman (rated 125) of the same stable, never mind considering improvement that ought to follow for a number of reasons.

He's only six and has run five times to his name, only three of those coming over hurdles, so he remains extremely unexposed and open to general progression.

This is also his first attempt over further than 2m4f. He's always been thought of as a proper stayer - he was one for the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle at this year's Cheltenham Festival before a setback - and hopefully he'll have even more to offer at this distance.

I have the ground in its current state as a bit of a negative. He's almost exclusively raced on soft or worse and per the latest going report it's currently good to yielding, yielding in places at the County Meath venue.

However, it was raining throughout Friday afternoon and it's forecast to keep coming down right up until they get racing, so I suspect it could get testing enough for him yet. Fingers crossed.

Some luck will also be needed in a field of 21 runners, but he's got plenty going for him and rates my best bet on Saturday.

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