Nap of the Day: Fitness could be decisive for 15/8 Alondra

On a Flat-dominated Tuesday, we go to Southwell for the Nap of the Day as I put my faith in a race-fit filly who looks ready to break her duck.

Fitness is often a decisive advantage at this early stage of the Flat season - and ALONDRA has the benefit of a recent run over her main market rivals for this five-furlong maiden at Southwell on Tuesday.

Charles Hills' three-year-old fetched £52k as a yearling in May 2023 and showed plenty of encouragement on debut in a Class 2 novice against the boys at Newmarket nine months later, finishing just two lengths off the pace in 5/12.

The form of that race is mixed, but the runner-up did finish eighth in the Windsor Castle at last year's Royal Ascot and reached a mark of 88, while the winner, third and fourth are currently in the mid-70s.

It's certainly not bad form and the daughter of Sergei Prokofiev was probably worth more than the official margin, given she was hampered out of the gates and lost a notable amount of ground.

Unfortunately, the selection failed to build on the promise of that effort. She was too green and possibly didn't stay the extended six furlongs at Doncaster next time out, before disappointing in a couple of runs in the summer - including when 13/16 in a handicap at Glorious Goodwood off an opening mark of 74.

I can easily forgive those last two runs. A 13-day turnaround wasn't ideal for her first outing in Chichester and her subsequent one was ambitious to say the last. She also found herself right at the back of the 16-strong field after a slow break.

Fast forward 234 days and she reappeared at Wolverhampton - her first time over five furlongs and on a synthetic surface - off a two-pound reduced mark.

It was, according to Racing Post Ratings at least, a career-best performance as she finished fourth of seven, just over two lengths behind the 81-rated Queen All Star and Clive Cox's €220k buy Our Planet.

The selection was quite keen throughout the early stages of the contest and had to pass all six rivals approaching the turn for home. She made good headway after rounding the bend and was closing on the front three with every stride. It was an encouraging effort in my book.

With that experience under her belt, she must have every chance in this easier contest.

On all known form, Radio Star is the main danger. Ollie Sangster's daughter of Starspangledbanner is rated just a pound inferior and has some relatively decent form in the book. Nothing obviously better than Alondra, though, and she is making her seasonal debut.

Bern Rossetti and Mwafaq, whose form leaves a bit to be desired anyway, also lack a recent run - while Mc Moan needs to improve considerably from his debut at Wolverhampton last month.

As the betting suggests, it looks a match between Radio Star and Alondra and I'm firmly in the latter's camp.

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