Nap of the Day: Sweet on the Hannon colt at Nottingham on Wednesday

Our Nap Of The Day will run at Nottingham on Wednesday - a four-year-old Twilight Son colt racing in the very familiar colours of a long-standing owner at one of Britain's leading yards. Intrigued? I do hope so ...

He's stepping down a couple of rungs to take his chance in a Class 4 handicap over just in excess of 1m, and as things stand at present, six runners all told will face the starter.

16:22 Nottingham

Fast Racing Results

16:22 Nottingham - Boyfriend @ 5/4

Trained by Richard Hannon in Wiltshire, and ridden by the excellent Pat Dobbs, Wednesday's Nap Of The Day is a colt with a one-from-eight winning record so far, and who reappeared 18 days ago after an absence of 358 days - Boyfriend.

This one races in the well-known livery of Julie Wood, who I understand has had horses with the stable for around a quarter of a century, and which have included Royal Ascot and Group-race successes along the way.

That first run of the season came at Newbury in a warm-looking Class 2 handicap worth £39k to the winner. He looked to make all and very nearly did just that, before being collared late in the piece by My Cloud (Silvestre De Sousa, for Roger Varian). A mere head was the margin of defeat.

That winner is hugely fancied for Ascot's ridiculously-competitive, upcoming Royal Hunt Cup (single-figure price with Betfred), and after such a lay-off the selection is surely entitled to come on for the run.

Performance-wise it was right up there with any previous efforts - very similar in fact to his last run before the break, at Goodwood in May last year, beaten narrowly off the same mark of 83, over today's trip of a mile.

Unsurprisingly the assessor has reacted to that Newbury spin by popping him up 3lb - a cruel 'reward' for a highly-commendable near-miss - but as long as there's no dreaded 'bounce' factor from that first stretching of the legs at racing pace at least for 12 months, I've a feeling any repeat showing in Nottinghamshire will be more than sufficient to land the spoils.

If the elements intervene he's well-equipped to deal with any ease underfoot too, as evidenced by his win at Newbury on ground officially described as 'soft' over 7f in September 2023.

He drops down to a Class 4 this afternoon worth just over £5k to the winner and I'm very sweet indeed on his chances.

Horse Racing Tips from Betfred Insights.