Nap of the Day: Cheltenham prospect a strong fancy on Thursday

We're off the mark for the week, courtesy of Wednesday's 4/1 winner trained by Jamie Snowden and ridden by Gavin Sheehan.

It's that same duo I'm putting my faith in 24 hours later, as one of the yard's most exciting prospects rates the Nap of the Day.

Exactly a week ago, I tipped LA MARQUISE to make a winning start over hurdles at Carlisle.

The argument was that Snowden's four-year-old filly, who's being aimed at the Mares' Novices' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, was entitled to beat, with all due respect, modest rivals.

Unfortunately, she was withdrawn on account of unsuitable ground (soft). Bar a sudden and drastic change in the weather forecast, that shouldn't be an issue at Ludlow on Thursday.

This novice event rates even weaker and frankly I'm surprised she's opened odds-against.

The half-sister to Willie Mullins' Group 3 winner Mister Policeman made a strong impression on her debut in a bumper at Stratford last November, but disappointed when highly-tried in a Listed affair at Prestbury Park immediately after.

Snowden has since admitted he shouldn't have run her at HQ - on heavy ground, against the boys, in just the second start of her career.

She made amends for that mishap by winning readily at Chepstow exactly 80 days later, before a fantastic third in the mares' Grade 2 bumper at Aintree's Grand National Festival in April.

The selection finished third of 16 on Merseyside, behind Ben Pauling's Diva Luna - who's also been subject to rave reviews from her trainer - and the promising Jubilee Alpha for Paul Nicholls.

That form's been franked several times, including a 21-length maiden hurdle success from the sixth-placed Listentoyourheart, who was a couple of lengths behind La Marquise.

She's reported to "jump brilliantly" at home and has been billed as being "very smart" by her Lambourn-based handler, who I repeat has the Jumps season's centrepiece in March firmly in his sights.

If that plan is to come to fruition, she ought to be winning this - and comfortably, too.

Bar Kalium, who I'll touch on in a moment, this is a very poor race. Third-favourite Jafimgoso wouldn't be anywhere near Dan Skelton's best novice hurdlers, which can also be said about stablemate Gwennie May Star. Their form is uninspiring.

Of the rest, Oh My Johnny is mildly interesting. The rest would be shock winners in my book.

Back to Kalium, for Tim Vaughan. He's the main danger having fetched £100k after a 19-length hammering of 11 rivals in a Killarney bumper back in May.

However, that form is very questionable and he got it all his own way out in front. Also, connections don't exactly flourish in the novice hurdling division.

With a clear round and providing she's not completely unfit, which I seriously doubt given the yard's early-season form, La Marquise ought to take a lot of beating in this company.

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