Nap of the Day: Solid Performer can strike for Hughes

There are three Monday meetings in the UK for race fans to enjoy, with jumps action from Catterick and Plumpton in the afternoon ahead of evening fare on the all-weather at Wolverhampton. There are some decent contests in prospect at Catterick, where they race from 14:00-16:30 with conditions forecast to be 'heavy-soft in places'.

Monday's Nap of the Day will look to continue a good few weeks for former champion jockey Brian Hughes.

Brian Hughes is in excellent form of late, with the north's most prolific rider boasting a near 21 per cent strike-rate from more than 75 rides across the last month.

Among those was Get Out Of My Way in the Listed bumper at Newbury on Saturday as Hughes powered clear to win by nine-lengths on John Dawson's charge, his only ride on the card.

With the action at Newcastle abandoned on Sunday, Hughes had a rare day off and he'll be fresh and ready for Catterick on Monday, where he has three chances.

The best of those could well be SOLID PERFORMER in the opening Racing To School Maiden Hurdle as he teams up with long-time ally Donald McCain Jnr in the famous silks of the late Trevor Hemmings.

This Sholokhov gelding has twice finished third in maiden hurdles at Kelso (2m5f, soft) and Ayr (2m4½f, soft) already.

Last time out, he was competitive with the runner-up as they were both left flailing by the easy Olly Murphy-trained winner Kings Champion. Both the winner and runner-up have since acquitted themselves well in novice company.

This once-raced point-to-point winner promises to be well suited now stepped up in trip to just shy of three-and-a-quarter miles, with his triumph between flags coming at three miles.

That Ayr maiden from last month looks a reliable contest now and, while Solid Performer may go on to excel himself best jumping fences, he has shown more than enough to believe a maiden over hurdles is within his reach.

The longer trip is a bonus, the testing ground unlikely to be a barrier and, looking at the form shown from his six rivals so far, Hughes' partner might not have to improve to win this contest if his stamina is indeed a plus-factor.

Hughes is the leading rider at Catterick over the last five seasons, boasting a strike-rate of 20 per cent from 166 mounts and showing a level-stakes profit of +15.77. He can embellish that by landing the opening race here.

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