NAP of the Day: Matterhorn to peak in Kempton opener

Paul Nicholls endured a frustrating Boxing Day at Kempton courtesy of SIX seconds - however, I predict that elusive victory will be provided by his very next runner at the Surrey venue.

Genuine good ground in December is a rarity that won't suit many.

One that will appreciate conditions at Kempton on Wednesday is Matterhorn, who runs in the opener for the Champion Trainer.

The five-year-old has been something of a slow burner since moving to Ditcheat over two years ago, seeing a racecourse just five times either side of two wind ops.

He's starting to get the hang of this racing business, however, evidenced by two highly-credible efforts in a couple of novice hurdles at Taunton last month.

He won the first of those by a widening 16 lengths, giving weight and a beating to a subsequent winner in Titan Discovery - while the form of his second over course and distance next time out looks particularly strong in the context of Wednesday's race.

The selection, who was conceding 12lbs, was beaten four lengths by a Philip Hobbs & Johnson White inmate called Ballee, who won his next start by a whopping 24 lengths, and finished just in front of Fergal O'Brien's Go To War, who was over seven lengths clear of his closest rival the last day.

Matterhorn now goes handicapping off a mark of 128, which looks very fair given the aforementioned Ballee and Go To War are now rated 134 and 123 respectively.

I suspect Lorcan Williams, who takes over in the saddle from Chepstow-bound Harry Cobden, will keep it simple and go from the front on the NAP of the Day who will hopefully jump and gallop his seven rivals - who don't look all that inspiring to my eye - into submission.