Nap of the Day: 13/8 debutant looks hard to beat at Newbury

We got on the board for the week on Wednesday, courtesy of a 6/5 winner at Chepstow. As it goes, that success has an impact on the Nap of the Day for Thursday - a hurdling debutant expected to take plenty of beating at Newbury.

Our Nap on Wednesday, Jurancon, did the business at Chepstow, which franked the form of ROYSSE, my selection for Thursday.

Ben Pauling's five-year-old finished over two lengths clear of the aforementioned David Pipe gelding in a bumper at Newbury back in January, so the latter's victory over the useful Tripoli Flyer in Monmouthshire is a fair advertisement.

That was the selection's second start, following his debut at Wincanton late last year. That form's also been boosted by the winner Horaces Pearl, who went on to triumph in the Grade 2 bumper at Aintree's Grand National Festival this spring.

Roysse now makes his debut over hurdles, in this Class 3 novice over an extended two miles, and rates an exciting prospect in this sphere.

The son of Kayf Tara - a half-brother to popular hunter chaser Ferns Lock - boasts the best bumper form in this seven-strong field by a distance, and he can be expected to improve for having obstacles in front of him.

In a recent stable tour with AtTheRaces, his trainer said: "We think the world of him. Hopefully he will be a proper hurdler this season and he could be one of our better ones." It's fair to say, that's a rather bullish assessment.

I suspect he's been found a good opportunity to get off the mark at the first attempt here.

L'Astronome reached a rating of 105 on the Flat and has joined the fantastic James Owen's yard, which combined with the booking of Harry Cobden is an attractive proposition to punters.

However, I'm of the opinion that his mark on the level was rather inflated and his form towards the end of his career in that discipline was dire. There's also no guarantee his ability will transfer over jumps.

Harry Derham's Pure Carbon is race-fit having made his debut over flights at Warwick last month, but that form is modest enough - while the other four are hard to advise on all known evidence.

Since I started writing this article, Roysse's price has crashed from 10/3 at opening, but I truly think this one's value for as long as he's odds-against.

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