Nap of the Day: Make Steel your Ally at Warwick

Our hat-trick bid has been pushed back 24 hours after racing was abandoned at Bangor on Friday. It might be a similar story on Saturday, with Warwick under threat, but fingers crossed it survives inspection.

If it does, I've got high hopes about the Nap of the Day, who goes in the highlight of the card.

I'm a big fan of Mambonumberfive, who's unbeaten in three starts over fences, but I'm against Ben Pauling's Wayward Lad hero in the Kingmaker Novices' Hurdle at Warwick on Saturday.

The five-year-old faces his stiffest test yet and as it's a new year, his weight-for-age allowance is reduced to just two pounds.

I also think the three-runner field suits STEEL ALLY, who could be allowed to dictate things out in front - again.

Sam Thomas' eight-year-old son of Doctor Dino was a good hurdler, but he's taken his form to new heights over the bigger obstacles this season, winning a graduation chase at Carlisle on debut in November before a nine-length romp in the Howden Noel Novices' Chase at Ascot the week before Christmas.

He's a horse who likes getting on with it, putting his sound jumping to use and getting them at it in behind. That can be a massive advantage in these small fields.

The form of his Grade 2 triumph in Berkshire is smart too. Smarter than that of Mambonumberfive's, for me.

No Questions Asked, who was 13 lengths off the selection in third at Ascot, finished a fine second to Brown Advisory hopeful Wendigo at Newbury prior and has since beaten Be Aware in the Lightning Novices' Chase at Windsor's Winter Million meeting.

Jax Junior, who was a further six-and-a-half lengths adrift, obliged next time out in a handicap off a career-high mark of 139.

Mambonumberfive, meanwhile, beat Hansard and the reopposing Mirabad. Ignore the run of Lump Sum, who's been ruled out for the season, and Alnilam who made some terrible mistakes.

Ground is important. It's going to be very, very testing on Saturday and Mambonumberfive is relatively unproven in such conditions. Steel Ally, on the other hand, is proven.

The market is starting to speak for Steel Ally - a bit too much for my liking. I can see Mambonumberfive proving popular on the day, so the suggestion at time of publication is to take SP as I can see the selection being a bigger price at the off.

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