Nap of the Day: 17/2 shot can rule on Day 1 of Royal Ascot

It's Royal Ascot, so for the next five days my Nap of the Day will come exclusively from the Berkshire venue.

On the opening Tuesday, it's one in the penultimate race on the card that gets my vote.

I appreciate the support for Enfjaar ahead of the Wolferton Stakes, but if KING'S GAMBIT is back to anything like his best, he's the one to beat for me.

The former was highly-progressive last season and Roger Varian has a great record in this 1m2f Listed contest, winning two of the last five renewals, so the case for him is clear. Every chance.

However, the selection boasts Group 1 form in all but name and a replication of his best efforts should be more than enough at this level.

Harry Charlton's son of Saxon Warrior was a very classy three-year-old, despite recording just one win in four starts.

That success came in the London Gold Cup at Newbury last May on seasonal reappearance, beating the subsequent Triumph Hurdle hero Poniros, who's prominent in the betting for the Ascot Stakes half-an-hour earlier, by four widening lengths.

He then finished an eye-catching runner-up to the late Jayarebe, who was immediately behind Irish Champion Stakes winner Economics on his subsequent start before claiming Group 2 honours at Longchamp on Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe weekend, in the G3 Hampton Court Stakes at Royal Ascot.

The form of his second in a Group 2 at York the following month is even stronger. He was just half-a-length off the 118-rated Alflaila and slightly further clear of Passenger (117) and Royal Rhyme (113).

Arguably King's Gambit's very best performance was in the G2 Great Voltigeur Stakes back on the Knavesmire, as he finished within a length of the Aidan O'Brien-trained Los Angeles and Illinois.

The former, who's since placed in the Arc and won a Group 1, is today rated 123 and favourite for the Prince Of Wales's Stakes on Wednesday, while the latter - runner-up in the Betfred St Leger prior to Group successes at Longchamp and Chester - is 116 and favourite for the Gold Cup on Thursday. Talk about bumping into one, or two.

The selection has failed to reproduce such levels in the meantime, but not without excuses as far as I'm concerned.

Many horses struggle in the mud on Champions Day in mid-late October, while racing outside the UK for the first time, all the way out in Qatar, after a 120-day break was a fair ask. Under the circumstances, his performance in the Middle East earlier this year for new owners Wathnan Racing wasn't bad at all.

He was gelded on return to these shores and reappeared for the current campaign in a Group 3 at Newbury last month, finishing a modest sixth of seven, as many lengths adrift of the winner.

Not only was it his first run after a bit of time off and first after his gelding operation, but connections tried him in first-time headgear (blinkers) which appeared to have the opposite effect. He raced far too keenly under Ryan Moore, who eased his mount right down in the finish, as it became clear he had nothing more to offer.

He ought to leave that effort well behind and under international jockey James McDonald, victorious on Aussie sprinter Nature Strip in the King's Stand at Royal Ascot in 2022, he's taken to bounce right back to form.

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