For Sunday’s NAP of the Day, we take a trip over the pond to the USA where a well travelled turf superstar returns Stateside for the first time since winning the Breeders’ Cup Turf last year and looks the class of the field in the Grade II Bowling Green Stakes at Saratoga…

Charlie Appleby and Godolphin have been a match made in heaven and their turf success around the globe is right up there with the great combinations that we’ve seen throughout the history of Horse Racing.

Five-year-old Rebel’s Romance has had an extremely quiet 2023 following an immensely successful 2022. Last year he won top-level races in the UK, Germany and over in the US going on a five-race winning streak that showed what a classy horse he was.

A long break after that win at Keeneland last November was ended with a disappointing eighth place finish in the Dubai Sheema Classic at Meydan in March, which was the first defeat on turf of his career but one swallow doesn’t make a summer as they say and when you look at the field, he stands head and shoulders above the rest in terms of quality. One poor run after a five-month layoff shouldn’t overly concern anyone.

His connections indicate that they feel he’s getting even better with age, which is quite something when you consider that he went on a tear last year that dominated the turf division and took out the biggest race on grass at the Breeders’ Cup. They didn’t offer any excuse for the poor run back in March either just saying that it was a poor run and they aren’t concerned it’s an indicator of any poor form going forward.

He’ll be based in the US for the whole of the Saratoga meet. The Grade I Sword Dancer Stakes at the end of August as his next target with the defence of the Breeders’ Cup Turf also clearly in the planning.

Not much speed is expected in this one with primary speed-horse Strong Quality potentially being scratched with one-eye on the Arlington Million. That should leave a relatively slow pace and that should fit Rebel’s Romance nicely and that is why he is our Nap of the Day for Sunday’s racing.

*At the time of publication the race hasn’t been priced up but we expect Rebel’s Romance to be short odds against…