Thursday’s NAP of the Day: It’s Maisy can conquer the Kid

Three meetings are taking place in Britain on Thursday, with jumps actions at Fontwell and Wetherby in the afternoon preceding the marathon nine-race evening meeting on the Tapeta at Southwell. 

Our NAP of the day for Thursday runs for Sue Smith in a stayers' hurdle at Wetherby and might just be well placed to upset a recent course and distance scorer. 

The penultimate contest on the afternoon card at Wetherby is the 100% RacingTV Profits Back To Racing Handicap Hurdle over three miles and recent C&D winner Kinder Kid looks set to head the market in his quest for a follow up, nine days on from that success. 

Tina Jackson's Milan gelding was making just a fifth start under Rules and his first at the three-mile distance, showing much improved form on his second start in a handicap as he came clear in easy fashion under Ross Chapman to record his first success. 

He's clearly unexposed and has scope for better, so he's very much one to be fearful of under a 7lb penalty now. That being said, the Sue Smith-trained IT'S MAISY isn't short on positives either. 

Like Kinder Kid, she's a six-year-old with relatively few miles on the clock, having made just six starts over hurdles to this point. Three of those have ended in victory. 

She bagged a Sedgefield maiden (2m4f, soft) in April last year, somewhat fortuitously despite the wide margin of success, and wasn't spotted again until a tame showing at Warwick (2m, good) on her seasonal reappearance in October. 

That trip certainly appeared to be on the sharp side and it was an entirely different story at Market Rasen (2m7f, soft) in early December as Nick Scholfield took over in the saddle for a winning handicap bow. 

The partnership started 2024 by following up at Catterick (3m1½f, soft) when stamina came to the fore after It's Maisy briefly threatened to get outpaced. 

From there it was on to Southwell (3m½f, heavy) in February where the hat-trick bid came unstuck behind the improved Innisfree Lass. The winner clearly took a big step forward in first-time cheekpieces there and has gone down very gamely in second since at the same venue from a 6lb higher mark. 

It's Maisy went up a total of 8lb for her earlier wins and that Southwell effort was a good indication that his mark of 89 will be within her range before too long. 

She receives 8lb from the forecast market leader here and can prove a real thorn in the side for Kinder Kid in his follow-up attempt.