Nap of the Day: 5/2 appeals about popular Jagwar on chase debut

Despite getting smashed off the boards, Tuesday's selection failed to oblige making it a frustrating start to the week.

However, I'm taking the same approach on Wednesday, as the Nap of the Day is another 5/2 shot making their chasing debut in handicap company off an attractive-looking mark.

When Oliver Greenall & Josh Guerriero's JAGWAR just failed to down Paul Nicholls' odds-on favourite Inthewaterside in a maiden hurdle at Aintree last October, the JP McManus-owned five-year-old went into many notebooks.

On just the second start of his career, it was a fair performance against a dual bumper winner tipped by some as a Cheltenham Festival-bound novice hurdler.

Nicholls' gelding didn't go on to reach those heights, but he did end the season with a highly-respectable third in a Grade 3 handicap at Aintree's Grand National meeting off a mark of 129, so it can still be regarded as a relatively strong piece of form.

The selection was fairly disappointing himself last term, at least relative to expectation following his promising start on these shores. He won just one of his next four starts - and only narrowly despite skinny odds.

However, I believe his best effort was his ultimate one, when a staying-on fifth off 118 in a Class 2 handicap at Ayr. I think that can be marked up, for he was given plenty to do in rear and his jumping wasn't up to scratch at the business end of the contest.

In fact, I think a degree of forgiveness can be applied to the majority, if not all of Jagwar's runs as a novice hurdler. He probably didn't enjoy the heavy ground he encountered on three occasions and ultimately he was a very young and inexperienced horse.

He was also measuring a whopping 17.1 hands at just four years old, so it's perhaps unsurprising he was a bit backwards. 'Anything he does over hurdles is a bonus' and all that...

There's every chance he's going to come into his own over fences and a mark of 118 could underestimate him.

I'm optimistic he'll be ready to strike after a break given the aforementioned run behind Inthewaterside came after over a year off the track, and this isn't the strongest affair as far as I'm concerned.

Jet Plane will love conditions but he has to defy a career-high mark of 135 on his seasonal reappearance, while Envious Editor is 10 years old and completely exposed. He was in decent form when last seen, but I'd consider it damning for Jagwar's future if he can't beat that particular rival.

Cerendipity is extremely hard to fancy up six pounds for a flattering victory with his yard completely out of form, while Vintage Fizz, Half Shot and Arthur's Quay make nothing more than little appeal.

Garde Des Champs is the main danger in my book, but if Jagwar's even half as good as his reputation, he ought to get off to a winning start over the bigger obstacles.

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